Why there is no way back for religion in the West | David Voas | TEDxUniversityofEssex

Left islam a year ago. Never been happier.

Well to be perfectly honest, in my humble opinion, of course without offending anyone who thinks differently from my point of view, but also by looking into this matter in a different perspective and without being condemning of one's view's and by trying to make it objectified, and by considering each and every one's valid opinion, I honestly believe that I completely forgot what I was going to say.

I was removed from Sunday school for being a "disruptive influence". Just about the first thing I learned about religion was that asking questions and expecting answers was forbidden. I found community and a sense of wonder, awe and human scale in physics and astronomy instead.

I was raised with religion, and by the time I was 13, I was already wondering about all the logical inconsistencies, and not wanting any thing to do with it. Later in life, I took a deeper look, and know for sure, religious way of seeing the world, is not for me.

He touched on it briefly but, in the US, religion has become increasingly entangled with political extremism, racism, greed and bigotry that has also had an effect on participation.

As a 30-something year old, Christianity would be substantially more appealing to me if Christians actually embraced the principles taught by Jesus Christ: Generosity, Kindness, Empathy, and Acceptance.

I'm a 3rd generation Atheist. I am from Rhode Island, USA. My kids are 4th generation. I was raised with love, logic, and education. The same is with my children.

I was raised evangelical (the one TRUE religion according to them) and started falling away during high school. I continued going to church for a year or two just to please my mother. When I left home that was the end of church going for me. It took me 35-40 years to work through the indoctrination but at age 75 I can now call me myself a proud atheist. I don't want to believe, I want to know the truth. I'm a science gal now.

Meanwhile, there are tons who were raised with religion. And find it completely unnatural.

"You have to be raised with religion to find it natural." Exactly so.

Yes, I think this all makes sense. I was raised in the 1960s and 1970's; my parents sent us kids to Sunday school and we all sat for the main service, but they didn't really seem to believe. There was no Bible reading at home, and little mention of religious belief. As far as I know, we attended because they knew it was the way to be accepted and acceptable within the small-town community where we lived. Three of us four kids left religious attendance behind when (or before) we became adults. One of us vehemently despises the hypocrisy and snootiness that she witnessed as the congregation ostracized people who couldn't afford to dress according to their standards. After I left, I looked back on it as mass hypnotism of a sort, or maybe mass delusion would be a better term. I've been away for nearly five decades and can't imagine how I'd be convinced to return to it.

I am from El Salvador, I was VERY religious for 45 years, then I had a spiritual abuse, and then I revaluated, I was religious because 1. I was born and I learned that I was not capable to face my life 2. I was a bad person IF I became free, without depending on God, in this case, on the religious group 3. If you want certainty, love, then you have to look for a religious group, HOWEVER, during the pandemic, I expected the pastors were going to help, however, they received money, our work, cause they were the pastors, who guide us.... too naive, during the pandemic my problems were mine.... all of the promises they made was.... you misunderstand us.

Being able to fact check anything religion claims to do has greatly helped. This trend will continue as information becomes more available to the masses.

As a norwegian I can confirm you pretty much take it for granted that everyone you meet is not religious. And if someone is, one almost assumes they have some emotional trauma they are dealing with. Most "religious" beliefe is a deeply private, personal thing, here. Often found among middle aged or older women who are fairly conservative and kind, concerned with children. It's hardly a theme, here, generally. Nobody speaks much about it in public. It's a matter between friends and family. Something you open up about to your partner or close friend.

What separates me from my parents, their parents, so forth is i grew up with access to the internet, the ability to read and learn about anything i wanted, all they knew was what they were taught by their parents, i have more options to pursue what feels right for me. Those before me didn't have the same options i do with all the knowledge that a few pushes on a keyboard with google can bring. Those before us really only had one thing in the religious category that they knew about, and doors opened up for us presenting us with many different belief systems and religions, it has become more of a people know can carve their own paths instead of going down ones already laid out for us. The ability to be more independent in your religious beliefs i think is quiet nice.

I love this guy's message and delivery. I'm going to add him to my bedtime, relaxing talkers line up. David Butler is still king.

Please, someone, get this man a glass of water

If you don’t grow up with it, you don’t miss it.

What a relief to hear this. Now 7 years later it's even more so.

I once asked religious friends why god created genetic disorders such as autism and downsyndrome. The answer I got was that I should just focus on my life. Is it so hard to just say "we don't know"?