Fewer Americans believe in God. Is that a problem?

When asked about their religious affiliation, nearly 30 percent of Americans identify as “nones,” or “nothing in particular.” And over the past 25 years there’s been a steep decline in people belonging to any type of church, synagogue or mosque. But what is lost as people drift from religion? Is it at all responsible for today’s loneliness crisis?

[@Zenny_6969]

...is it not better to deal in facts, logic, and reality rather than superstition and magic?.....

[@not_enough_space]

Well, there's no reason to believe in God in the first place -- it's something you put up with in order fit into a community. But the religious communities tend to be full of lousy people that demand you conform by being a lousy person as well. Eventually you realize pretending it's true isn't benefiting anyone.

[@Oysters176]

Fit in? I always did the exact opposite. If everyone else believes, I don't, if everyone else doesn't I do.

[@orietta-polo]

I'm favoured, $30k every week! I can now give back to the locals in my community and also support God's work and the church. God bless America.

[@EmilyJoel-he1qe]

Hey can you tell me what bussiness your in please

[@orietta-polo]

Thanks to mrs Elizabeth Ann graney for her time in my life, she totally changed my life financially God will continue to bless her for me.

[@AngelaCaro-wi2qv]

Wow! Kind of in shock you mentioned expert, elizabeth ann graney.What a coincidence!!!

[@KarimRalph]

Elizabeth Ann has really set the standard for others to follow, we love her here in the UK as she has been really helpful and changed lots of life's.

[@EvansJoey-lg5pn]

Life is easier when the cash keeps popping in,thanks to Elizabeth Ann graney services.glad she's getting the recognition she deserves.

[@tonywilliams49]

The host is pushing the idea that lack of religion brings about negative consequences in society. The happiest countries are the least religious countries. When in the Muslim world is a better place to live? Not attacking Islam but religious societies.

[@justoneman3916]

Problem isn’t believing or not believing in God, it’s believing in organized religion which portrays the word of horribly flawed manipulative men as the word of a God.

[@benjamindover4337]

Wow. What church have you been to? I've never encountered these "horrible manipulative men". It's mostly just really boring with a free community meal.

[@justoneman3916]

@@benjamindover4337 many, but you may want to start by understanding Hamas, Putin, Evangelicals or reread the Torah, Old Testament or Quran. Try the first 3 books of the Quran. Genesis and Exodus is filled with darkness. Christians pretty much ignore the New Testament as they routinely quote the Old.

[@Bill_Garthright]

_"Problem isn’t believing or not believing in God, it’s believing in organized religion"_ I disagree. The problem is faith-based thinking. The problem is believing what you _want_ to be true, rather than what you have good evidence really _is_ true. Faith-based thinking is destroying my country and my world. It's not that all those people believe in terrible stuff. It's more that they have no reliable method of distinguishing reality from delusion and wishful-thinking. As far as I can tell, many of them don't even _care_ whether it's true or not. It's just what you must believe in order to be part of their tribe - or their political party, these days. (Religion is all about politics, these days, isn't it? It's all about power.) Many of them do believe in terrible stuff, of course. But faith-based people can't even agree with _each other_ about much of anything. Heck, Christians can't even agree with _other Christians_ about much of anything, let alone with the other faith-based people in the world, even when they're all supposedly following the same magic book supposedly provided to them by the same supposedly all-knowing deity _specifically to tell them stuff!_ No, I have no problem with organized religion,... except that I see no good reason to think that their claims are actually _true._ But we're social animals. We organize for everything, good and bad. Organization isn't the problem. No, the problem is faith-based thinking. After all, there is nothing - literally *nothing* - so crazy, so harmful, or so wrong that it _can't_ be defended by an appeal to faith. We should care enough about the truth to be evidence-based, not faith-based. And there is nothing more obvious than that in the age of Donald Trump, is there? But even before him, faith-based thinking was a huge problem. And it seems to be getting worse. Abandoning the "organized" part of religion isn't going to fix that. We need to care enough about the truth to be evidence-based. And if there's even *one* piece of good evidence that a god is real, rather than simply imaginary, I've never heard it. And I've been asking theists for evidence for a very long time.

[@justoneman3916]

@@Bill_Garthright love your reply!

[@Bill_Garthright]

@@justoneman3916 Thanks.

[@codebloodyarrow]

This is not a problem. This is good. Glad i could help.

[@caloricphlogistonandthelum4008]

It's a problem anyone believes in any Bronze-age sky spirit.

[@silverpairaducks]

They don't even believe in sterilization

[@BenSmith-mg5jv]

If any large group of ppl believed in ANY OTHER make believe thing we'd say THEY'RE CRAZY. EVERYTHING I needed, YOU NEEDED, to be a good, moral person was taught b4 3rd GRADE! HOW DOES BELIEVING IN THE MAKE BELIEVE MAKE YOU, " BETTER? " The loneliness, polarization, lack of in person stuff is CLEARLY THE INTERNET AND SMARTPHONES FAULT! NOT the lessening of belief in the MAKE BELIEVE!

[@amywatkins9309]

I group surrounded by organized religion and rejected it. I've always believed in something more than me, but it never really provided me context/perspective I needed to deal with life. The open willingness to embrace the individual's right to their own higher power in AA is what finally gave me this faith. Organized religion will not likely ever be for me. But I can still develop my faith with my higher power every day, through supportive tolerance and questioning.

[@robinhood20253]

Progress on the god front, now we must provide the necessary social structures that humans need.

[@donnaloveall1195]

we were raised in the Methodist church and married in that church. But we came in contact with Jehovah's witnesses and learned the truth about God and i am a firm believer Jesus will rule the world in the future. that i have found the true religion and have a new family of JW's.

[@gregorysouthworth783]

I agree that political intensity is replacing traditional religious intensity. The falling away of religious beliefs has been in part a reaction to the rise of the religious right with whom many younger people do not agree. Also, the rise of scientific understanding clashes with historical religious beliefs. I am curious to see what progressive elements in religion and even how a cross-fertilization of beliefs and practices may impact "faith" traditions. Zen Christians? The large number of former Jewish practitioners becoming Buddhist? American locals becoming Muslim. I do agree that people are looking for community; I also think they are searching for meaning. That meaning will probably not align with traditional religious teachings (example variation: That which is called God is an animating force which causes life in its many forms to exist, but is not like the guy in the Judeo-Christian writings. That god is just an effort by a Bronze Age people to understand that which was greater than themselves), but healthy religious communities can help people find both community and meaning while encouraging participants to work towards a better more pluralistic world. Who knows, we might birth a kind of pluralistic social solidarity across many traditions.

[@BenSmith-mg5jv]

IF U WENT PAST FIRST GRADE YOU KNOW HOW TO ACT. No need to SUBMIT TO THE MAKE BELIEVE FOR LIFE. SHEESH have THESE PPL not been to kindergarten!

[@marke.anderson1072]

After 50 years of trying to be a "good Christian", I just found too few acceptable answers to my many questions. You can't see God, nor hear it; and people pray for babies with birth defects, and some live and some don't, and I see no connection between those who have been prayed for by thousands, and those who get no prayers at all. If an all powerful god wanted to communicate with us, it couldn't be that difficult. I'm now functionally an atheist. Maybe there's a god and maybe not; but, either way, I don't believe in one which is so far advanced as to be able to create this universe and all in it, and yet still demands fealty from humananity - without clearly communicating what that means. And which cares so little for humanity that it is content to roast most of us in a Hell for eternity simply because we didn't kiss its a$$ properly.

[@EuropeanQoheleth]

Yes

[@BenSmith-mg5jv]

If im gonna submit myself, it's gonna be to the REAL, not THE MAKE BELIEVE , it exists JUST cuz I SAY it exists stuff. Bowling league's? Dude have you been TO KINDERGARTEN? THIS.. you can't live well, be moral stuff is NEGATED IF U WENT PAST THE 3RD GRADE MUSLIM GUY IN VIDEO!

[@Dark-Sentences]

God is Great.

[@EllieMackenzie-wv3tj]

Nope.

[@calebmorgan6939]

bad audio. We listen for pleasure. Not to listen to crap cell-phone.

[@benjamindover4337]

Lots of angsty goth teens in the chat.

[@SalimAsit]

You're such a pathetic stereotype

[@Bill_Garthright]

Is there? KZbin must be screwing up again, because those comments aren't showing up for me.

[@wegder]

Does trump count as a God?

[@shovelhead2155]

Most of Religion is what helps people not be selfish or self centered and dwelling on death. It frees some people from past trauma. I personally dont follow Religion but i do utilize the moral ideas and philosophy from several religions.

[@justoneman3916]

Guess it depends on which religion. I’ve found the text of Islam, Christianity, Judaism contains too much violence, intolerance and hatred to be of value given they have been at the core of nearly every war in history.

[@SalimAsit]

Your comment is so ridiculous that one doesn’t know where to start dissecting it. Firstly, you don’t need religion to not be selfish etc. And, if you do, then most religions are doing a terrible job because most Muslims etc. aren’t exactly selfless and considerate, certainly not any more than others. And, according to mainstream Islam and Christianity, non-believers are destined to go to hell to suffer excruciating pain forever and ever. How exactly does that encourage selflessness and consideration? Almost all Muslims are born to Muslim parents, yet they believe that they just happened to realise the amazingness of Islam whereas everyone else who isn’t a Muslim knows Islam is the truth but are too prideful, arrogant, selfish etc etc. to submit to god. How is that selfless and considerate?

[@SalimAsit]

"i ..utilize the moral ideas and philosophy from... religions.' Like what? Let's hear it.

[@justoneman3916]

@@SalimAsit by your question are you asking for examples of darkness? Pick a religion, I’ll give examples.

[@SalimAsit]

​@@justoneman3916 Islam. That's enough darkness for the day. No, I was responding to the OP. They said that they utilise the moral ideas and philosophy from religions. I'd love to find out more about these moral ideas and philosophies, wouldn't you?