“No Religion”: America’s Fastest-Growing Religion
As I noted in an earlier blog post, “no religion” is outpacing Christianity as one of America’s fastest-growing religions. In a recent Pew Research poll, 40% of Millennials identify as “unaffiliated”[1].
I can almost hear some of you screaming at your phones now, “Atheism is not a religion! Atheists believe in nothing, ergo “no religion”. Calling atheism a religion is like calling bald a hair color!”
Look… if you tell me someone is bald or if you tell me he has brown hair, you are still telling me something about what the top of his head looks like.
As I noted in my post on the cosmological argument, human understanding can only extend so far and then comes faith. If you tell me you’re an atheist, that tells me something about your belief system – whether you like it or not.
So, what do these “unaffiliated” millennials believe? What are their guiding principles? What core beliefs define their value system, and how does it compare to the Christian worldview?
I won’t be able to answer all of that within one blog post. Over the next several weeks (9, maybe?), I’m going to compare what seems to be the predominant atheist worldview with that of Christians.
What Defines a Religion?
For starters, what makes religion, well…religious. Most of the world’s predominant faiths share a few common characteristics[2]. These include:
- The notion of a deity or absolute that which is of ultimate concern or import
- Idea of Human Nature
- Ideas of Divine Providence
- Idea of the Meaning to Human History
- Problem of Evil
- Description of the Central Problem with Human Life and Suffering
- Idea of Afterlife
- Idea of Human Community and Ethics
- A Concept of the World
1. The Notion of a Deity or Absolute that Which is of Ultimate Concern or Import
The American Atheists, a U.S. based group that seeks protect the absolute separation of religion from government, define their vision as “a world in which public policy is made using the best evidence we have rather than religious dogma and where religious beliefs are no longer seen as an excuse for bigotry or cause to receive special treatment from the government.”[3]
Notice, while also depicting religious folks as bigots (name-calling is just part and parcel in this debate), their vision focuses specifically on building a better society through science and government. Namely, using the scientific community as the basis for lobbying the government to enact and execute laws consistent with atheist beliefs. This bond between atheism and science is a very convenient union as, according to recent research, 41% of scientists are also atheists.[4] (Why, you ask? Well, I’ve got an opinion on that too, but that’s a post for another day.)
Compare this vision to that of the United Methodist Church which states, “The mission of the church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”
You may be saying to yourself, “Well, both groups are seeking to change the behavior of others. Why are you constantly railing on the atheists?”
Because of the methods employed…
Christians appeal to the Divinity of Christ to convict the hearts of men so that they might seek to emulate the perfect example of holy living set by Christ. In so doing, they believe that this movement will lead to a worldwide transformation.
In other words, Christians want the change to be self-driven. They want you to want to change and to want to seek Christ. They are not forcing folks into baptismal pools at gunpoint.
Buoyed by their unwavering confidence in absolute materialist answers for all of life’s physical and philosophical questions, atheists seek to wield the power of government to dictate the actions of others. As of the time of this writing, the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) has 7 ongoing lawsuits with various municipalities to force them to remove some religious symbol or another from their hallowed halls. They also have 50 highlighted court victories listed on their website dating back to 1977. [5]
Whereas religious clergy may spend countless hours and parishioners’ tithes at various councils and conferences arguing over the finer points of doctrine and how to best bring more folks to the faith, the FFRF has spent thousands of tax-payer dollars on court cases to remove Ten Commandment statues from courthouses and prevent prayer before town council meetings all over the country.
Conclusion
Christianity has a Holy Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This certainly is true and qualifies it as a “religion”, but atheists also enjoy a biune deity of sorts in science and government.
If Christianity relies on over two millennia of history and culture to gird its values and beliefs, atheism is backed by our outsized belief in the ability of science to provide answers to life’s larger questions:
- How did we get here?
- Why do our lives have value?
- What is our purpose?
If Christianity relies on Divine Providence to ensure “the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it”, then atheism puts all its hope in the government to ensure it continues in perpetuity… or at least until the Second Coming.
“And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope.”
Romans 5:3-4
If you enjoyed this post, check out our other blog posts on the ontological, cosmological, and moral arguments for God. If you’re interested in learning more about how A Millennials Divine Defense came to be, click here.
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[1] In U.S., Decline of Christianity Continues at Rapid Pace. (2019, December 31). Retrieved March 2, 2020, from https://www.pewforum.org/2019/10/17/in-u-s-decline-of-christianity-continues-at-rapid-pace/
[2] Pecorino, P. A. (2001). What is Religion? Retrieved March 4, 2020, from https://www.qcc.cuny.edu/socialsciences/ppecorino/phil_of_religion_text/CHAPTER_1_OVERVIEW/What_is_religion.htm
[3] Our Vision. (n.d.). Retrieved March 4, 2020, from https://www.atheists.org/about/our-vision/
[4] Masci, D. (2019, December 31). Scientists and Belief. Retrieved March 5, 2020, from https://www.pewforum.org/2009/11/05/scientists-and-belief/
[5] Ongoing Lawsuits – Legal – Freedom From Religion Foundation. (n.d.). Retrieved March 4, 2020, from https://ffrf.org/legal/challenges/ongoing-lawsuits
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