Am I being unreasonable to say most people are no longer religious?

[Rtruth]

I mean how many people actually believe in a “god”, there are so many human interpretations of the same religious texts that if a all knowing being had created them, they would surely have cleared it up by now.

I only ask as more I think and read my former religious text of choice, I don’t agree with its words on homosexuality, slavery and treatment of women. So I just find my morals are better that what’s in it.
I’m pushed to atheism as I’ve not enough proof to just believe.
Not saying isn’t anything, but proof seems flawed.

saying things like "So I just find my morals are better that what’s in it" will not win you any friends/support.

People have differing beliefs. I do not believe in God - of any denomination.

Others do - telling them that your morals are better than theirs is not nice.

Probably not being unreasonable to say that most people you know don't believe, but the world is a big place and full of lots of people with diverse beliefs, many of whom do believe in God, but we spend most of our lives interacting with people that think similarly to us and, maybe even surround ourselves with people who agree with us that sometimes it comes as a surprise that many many more people don't. If you're looking for proof you won't find it though. That's kind of the point ( of faith).

Perhaps it depends on the area you live in.

My area has a high population of Asians and Africans and I'd say the majority of both are quite religious.

I feel sorry for people that believe. They devote their whole life to something that isn’t real. I suppose if it gives them comfort it’s ok but I just don’t get it.

@BeyondMyWits maybe I worded that wrong.

What I mean is that morally people know killing, keeping slaves and beating women is wrong. Even if the religious text specifically says you can do it.

So I don’t mean my specific morals, more society evolves and moral rights and wrongs do to. Whereas the texts don’t.

I don’t think YABU to say that a lot of people aren’t religious now. I don’t have any proof but I am finding that there are less and less people in my social circles that believe...I can’t speak for other groups.

What I do find offensive it’s you saying your morals are better than mine. I believe in God.
I also believe in Jesus. Jesus who was against slavery, treated women as equals, served others, had compassion for the poor and the sick. I’d say whether you believe in Jesus as the son of God is irrelevant if you’re thinking purely of the morals portrayed by him in the Bible. I base my moral compass on the direction Jesus points. I fail miserably but I try.

The holy books of almost all religions, e.g. Christianity, Judaism, Islam, contain horrific statements

Any believer who takes them literally - and tries to live their life this way - would be morally repugnant in modern society, with our beliefs in equality and our disgust with torture, slavery, mutilation

However, most Christians at least, ignore the horrible bits and just take the teachings that fit more into our society

President Jed Bartlet (West Wing):

“I'm interested in selling my youngest daughter into slavery as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7.

She's a Georgetown sophomore, speaks fluent Italian, always cleared the table when it was her turn.

What would a good price for her be?

While thinking about that, can I ask another?

My Chief of Staff Leo McGarry insists on working on the Sabbath.
Exodus 35:2 clearly says he should be put to death.

Am I morally obligated to kill him myself, or is it okay to call the police?

Here's one that's really important 'cause we've got a lot of sports fans in this town:

Touching the skin of a dead pig makes one unclean. Leviticus 11:7.

If they promise to wear gloves, can the Washington Redskins still play football?
Can Notre Dame?
Can West Point?

Does the whole town really have to be together to stone my brother John for planting different crops side by side?

Can I burn my mother in a small family gathering for wearing garments made from two different threads? ”

They devote their whole life to something that isn’t real.

Says you?

I'm not religious though but statements like this make me laugh. Not real to you does not equal "Not real". It's real to others.

@Newmetoday no need to feel sorry for me. I enjoy being an active participant in church and the social aspect of it. I enjoy the charitable aspect and projects I get involved in. I love not being afraid of death and feeling secure that I’ll be in a Heaven. I love having comfort and feeling loved and secure and having a belief in a higher being that has my best interests at heart and has plans for me for a hope and a future. I love the Bible and reading it. I really can’t think what I’m missing out on or what someone could feel sorry for me for?
I live a perfectly ‘normal’ life, have a job I love, my own family.... I could go on....

@Whywhywhynow I’d disagree with your comments as others have mentioned Exodus 21:7 is very clear on slavery and it’s permissibility.

Equally, not saying your morals are wrong. Clearly you don’t agree with it. So you are in same boat as me. It’s a person telling me that words in the book are wrong to ignore them. That’s when questions arose.

I think many people have replaced traditional religious ideology and participation in religious life with identity politics (the texts, dogma) and activism (their activities).

And sometimes they are on in the same.

one and the same.

That’s Old Testament. Jesus came to set people free from the rules of the OT and to make a new covenant.

@whywhywhynow

Ok, if you can quote the passage where it says slavery isn’t allowed, I’ll concede my point. But it must be as clear on that subject, no interpretation of something else.

Not trying to be rude but I’ve looked and never found it and what you said is exactly why I’m confused as it’s all interpretation not clear like the original statements.

@Whywhywhynow
What I do find offensive it’s you saying your morals are better than mine.

It must be exhausting imagining things to be offended by.
The OP didn't say that

I think there are figures to show that the number of religious people in the UK is falling more and more over time. Personally I don't know anyone that is religious or goes to church, but that could just be because of my own beliefs and ending up in a social bubble. Equally it could be down to area. I notice that even in summer our local churches never seem to have weddings on, though the local hotels etc are always busy.

@Newmetoday no need to feel sorry for me. I enjoy being an active participant in church and the social aspect of it. I enjoy the charitable aspect and projects I get involved in. I love not being afraid of death and feeling secure that I’ll be in a Heaven. I love having comfort and feeling loved and secure and having a belief in a higher being that has my best interests at heart and has plans for me for a hope and a future. I love the Bible and reading it. I really can’t think what I’m missing out on or what someone could feel sorry for me for?
I live a perfectly ‘normal’ life, have a job I love, my own family.... I could go on....

Same goes for me

Christians live by the New Testament which is very different from the Old Testament quoted. As someone has already said Jesus gave us a new covenant and we are no longer obliged to follow the rules of the Old Testament. The main focus of the teachings in the New Testament is loving people.

I don’t need someone to feel sorry for me that I base my life around my religion. My faith gives me strength and peace.

I think religious belief is actually increasing, outside the white middle classes obviously.

Many Christians use the bible as a book of wise teachings, myths and symbolic guidance and don't believe all of it is true. The spirit of the law rather than the letter of the law.

I think YABU only because had you said it about the UK specifically I might have agreed but there are loads of countries where people are still very religious.

YANBU. Anecdotally, I know almost no religious people, and dh and I and our dc are very much atheists. You make a good point about morals. It's hard to decide whether people cherry picking which bits of their religious texts to ignore is a perfectly reasonable desire to frame the important religious tenets in the modern world, by detaching them from the distasteful cultural norms of the time, or just a convenient way of ignoring distasteful concepts which were genuinely considered part of the core beliefs of the religion but are now swept under the carpet.

Either way, I find belief in a god baffling. My religion of choice would have to be Buddhism (but minus the reincarnation).

What I mean is that morally people know killing, keeping slaves and beating women is wrong. Even if the religious text specifically says you can do it.

‘So I don’t mean my specific morals, more society evolves and moral rights and wrongs do to. Whereas the texts don’t.’

Do societies evolve in the direction you are suggesting?

Why is slavery wrong, or treating women unequally? How have those ideas evolved?

I don’t see any evidence at all that all societies will just evolve into believing those things. Why would they?

OP the whole Bible is subject to interpretation. At this moment (I’m not home or sat somewhere I can sit and give you a thorough well-thought our answer). It involves looking at the Greek meaning of the word slave and what that meant in NTcontext and also the exploration of Jesus’ treatment of people and the interpretation of a range of verses in context. It could be a whole essay to explain it thoroughly. Looks like a cop out on my part but if you’re looking for a verse that literally says ‘slavery isn’t allowed’ I haven’t found one.