It would be hard to determine if the actual number of atheists is on the rise, but the number of rabid, religion-hating atheists seems to be on the rise because of the nature of many of these discussions. I think a large part of that is because of current politics in the U.S. Religious extremism breeds extreme opposition.
His uncertainty is doubtful.
I guess.
What I most want to do is follow God, to serve Him, in that when I do what He wants me to, yes I’m doing exactly what I want. But sometimes, actually quite a lot it is not something I would want to do, the chore is unpleasant and can appear totally not needed with no visible consequences, it is a act of submission to say yes Lord I will do it even though I don’t want to, not my will but Your will be done.
Believers don’t command other believers, though they can offer instruction and guidance. The ‘power structure’ in God and the body of Christ is inverted, the higher, more experienced in God are the servants, not the rulers.
Not really a comment on any post in this thread, but I just want to remark on an American / Dutch cultural difference. For those of you who wonder what a modern mainly atheist state looks like, the Netherlands might offer a real-life example.
Like Eskimo’s supposedly have over 20 words for snow, so threads discussing religion on SDMB have an incredible finesse and a lot of fine distinctions when it comes to (Christian) religion. Most of those distinctions make my ears ring; I have no idea what everybody is talking about, not even when I look it up.
In the Netherlands, such finer distinctions are conspicuously absent. We have our Roman Catholics, good for 7 % of the population. Then there’s the Protestant faction, to which also a mere 7 % of the population self-identifies. The Protestants, by the way, are the only ones fanatical in dividing themselves into a lot of splinter factions.
And then there’s the 4 % of “other” religions, which includes Muslims, Hindu’s etcetera.
And then there’s about a third of the population that will vaguely say, if questioned, that they do believe there is “Something”, making “Somethingism” in effect our largest religion. 
Somethingism, however, does not require attending church or belonging to a church. In fact, it doesn’t require any organized effort.
The rest of the Dutch will self-identify, when it comes to religion, as “none”.
That’s about it. Four mainstream flavours of religion, with only one split up in more-then-microscopic subgroups. Discussions about religion are conspicuously absent in Dutch modern media. If you want to see religious discussions, the only ones offering those (and only for a tiny amount of air time) are the protestant networks, broadcasting programs where protestant youngsters will debate other protestant youngsters, with the occasional Muslim youngster thrown in for political correctness. Otherwise, religious debate is absent in the Netherlands. *Moral *debate, however, taking the form of “how to manage society” is everywhere.
In contrast, the New York Yellow pages for 'Churches-Christian" is over six pages long.
The Dutch will, however, fiercely tell you which of the currently 50 available political parties (of which about 10 hold one or more seats in parliament) they adhere to, and how these parties do or do not share their moral values.
Declaring oneself an atheist is, at times, a good dodge for the common religious interpretation that an agnostic is still “looking” when in fact they are just being logically consistent and are not in any way a seeker.
Language is dynamic and changes. Who here uses terrific or awful in it’s original meaning?
We really need to get past the “historical” meaning of a word. imo.
To the OP, it’s my experience that atheism is rising. Even so, there does seem to be an equilibrium point that any population tends to find. One population spikes up, and then sees that it’s not the wisest course, and it fades. Then the missionaries show up and peddle hope - to sell their definition of desired behavior and thought. And it swings back up.
Overall, I do tend to think that scientific inquiry and the culture of empiricism will erode some of the strongholds of religion and it will become more a spirituality than an out-and-out religion.
In my mind, fundamentalism is the last bastion of religion that appears intellectually honest. They must deny all of science (almost) or none. And none leaves people out of work and others ooking for a new sense of hope.
Atheists aren’t often taught the happy sides of atheism - we have to work at it ourselves… and that’s not a struggle most care to take on, imo.
There’s certainly an act of submission here, but it is not to God. Your submission is no more than when a dieter chooses not to eat something they like, or when someone gives to charity despite wanting to keep the money. You are doing precisely what you most want to do; you are submitting, not to God, but to yourself and most important want. It is precisely your will; happily it happens to be God’s will also, as you believe. But you treat your will and his as equal, since you are acting on both. True submission, to treat God’s will as above your own, would require that you not only do his will but that you do not at all want to, or that you do want to but there are things you would considerably prefer to do instead. True submission requires that you treat their will as above your own; this isn’t an example of it.
I think you’ll find believers do command other believers, otherwise there would be no abortion debates or indeed any kind of lawmaking on the part of believers. And an inverted power structure would tend to imply that I at the very bottom am the ruler and that God is the most servile, which would tend not to work too well.
snort
Rather amusing.
Agreed. I happen to worship at the Church of St. Mattress on Sundays myself, so I can definitely sympathize. 
-XT
lol…well, I would characterize it as someone who is vaguely doubtful of the whole religious thingy without formally thinking it through. I think more people are vaguely agnostic (if that is a better term than quasi-agnostic :)) in that they really haven’t bothered to think religion in a formal fashion and actually develop their stance than atheist…even vague, quasi-atheist. I think a complete lack of belief is something one arrives at…or maybe it’s a leap of thought…only through actually looking hard at religion and belief. Most people (this is IMHO territory) I think just sort of, well, doubt…but aren’t bothered enough to think about it deeply enough to formalize their stance.
-XT
Try dating as an athiest sometime. Besides family, it is the only time it is brought up in conversation (in my experience).
You answer ‘athiest’ or even ‘agnostic’ to that question…you will be sleeping alone.
Weirdly enough, ‘lapsed Catholic’ works well for all but the truely religious - though how that differs from athiest or agnostic in reality I have no clue. I think it’s because they are relieved to hear ‘lapsed’ in front of Catholic and that they assume you are still religious, just not hard-core.
I think this is one of those YMMV answers. Myself, I dated my wife who is from a VERY Catholic family and when we first started dating I told her folks I was an agnostic. We’ve been married nearly 20 years…and for the most part I don’t have to sleep alone. What does my anecdote prove? About the same thing your’s does…the the situation varies. It depends on a lot of factors…one of which is how you present your own stance on religion.
We had a thread on this a few months ago and I remain militantly unconvinced that one has anything to ‘fear’ by letting folks know they are atheist/agnostics. By and large the only people I think it effects are those who feel they need to throw it in the faces of the religious types…and then can’t understand why there is an explosion. YMMV of course…
-XT
This hits on part of it and a much deeper issue. ‘God is one’ The desire is to have our will conformed to God’s. To do that one must be in the Spirit of God (and since God is one, the Holy Spirit will always do God’s will). There is also the flesh, which is our own will and desires, which is opposed to that of God, and wants to run their own life. It is a act of submission of the flesh to the Spirit.
The example I used I did leave out some of the details, let me assure you that it was a very bad situation that I really really wanted out of, I did see no hope of change, and nothing good could come of it at all. I was totally fine to walk away, there are many more people out there that could God can use me with.
RT, I have many times expressed spiritual terms to you that one must explore under their search for God to really grasp. Harder yet for those who don’t acknowledge any spiritual interaction with our ‘physical’ world. I know my understanding of these issues are not the same to someone that God has not revealed Himself to, and it will appear inconsistent. In someways I am doing you a disservice as I’m talking about ‘advanced’ spiritual issues that really don’t translate directly into the world and really at this stage can not be reconciled. I do it however as it appears like you are interested in different views and want to ask such questions.
Yes there are flaws and non-Godly inroads into Christianity, if/when you do look into it and see these tendencies my suggestion is to turn around and find another church. As for abortion this is a hot button issue, where the flesh does rise up in self righteousness on both sides, tempers flare. The way I see it, the way God has allowed me to see this is banning of abortion and protesting it is not His way, showing His love is. Let the people learn about the love of God, let them decide that that’s what they want and God will show them the way, which I know will take them to the truth, away from ALL sinful tendencies to repentance, the turning away from them.
As for the inverted power structure, God does serve us, look at the life of Jesus, He is the King of King, yet He taught us, healed us, washed our feet, He served us and He still does. The more advanced in the faith serve the most. As for you, you are in the world, not yet a member of the kingdom of God, as such you are your own ‘god’, you are your own King, so yes you can rule with the authority you command, and outside the power structure of God’s kingdom
Yes, it’s just anecdotes.
However, when I started dating post-divorce, I answered honestly 3 times and was told that they were uncomfortable with they didn’t want to date me anymore.
Thereafter, I lied (or more politely, misled).
I only lie (maybe mislead/change the subject) to whom I don’t feel I need/want to justify my answer. This does not usually include census people, but it would include coworkers, acquaintances, and extended family members. That would also not include someone I hoped to get to know better in a dating situation. If someone cannot accept my personal beliefs, I don’t really want to get to know them better anyway.
In what ways can we expect this decay to manifest? Is it going to be in terms that we can see are concretely negative, such as a higher infant mortality, a rise in violent crime, or a faltering economy? Or are you talking about an increase in things that are only objectionable if one shares your particular religious viewpoint?
Maybe I just want to sleep with them…
Seriously, though, I went through your thought process. That’s why I did it 3 times.
After that, I lied. It’s not like dating opportunities were a dime a dozen.
It’s weird…I dated quite a bit when I was in college and I never had a potential girl friend/scrump mate gig me on my religious beliefs. More often it was my political beliefs that got in the way. 
That’s bad luck though with 3 in a row having a problem. You aren’t picking these girls up at the local church or something, are you?
-XT
I believe that ultimately, a person’s idea of god is personal. Even if they were given the template at an early age by their parents (or whomever) the “finished product” (which may be constantly changing) is reached only be the individual him or herself.
For example we have a good number of Christians on the Board but I have never heard any of them profess belief in everything the Bible “tells” them, or indeed, even which Bible to read or which type of church to go to. It seems they (and everyone else that I have ever encountered–no matter their religion) change little parts here and there until it suits them.
Which to me means two things: one, their religion is uniquely personal, and two, their idea of god and religion has no bearing on anyone but themselves. It should considered a predilection–a quirk that one indulges in.
To people with such quirks I would say: "Hey. Knock yourself out. Dream whatever dream you dream. Just don’t pretend any of your thoughts on such matters should mean anything at all to anyone else, except perhaps to those who love you and are deeply concerned with your welfare.
No two Christians (as an example) have the same notion of God. Take me, for example. I’m the type of Christian that believes that Christ may have existed, but if he did he was just another human who may or may not have philosophized and taught morality. There was never any “resurrection” and such an idea to me, is rather silly and logically barren.
I’m the type of Christian who does not believe in any conventional notion of God (such as the Abrahamic God), or any god at all save for something so completely personal and nebulous that you might as well call it “x”-- the nominative "god just cause problems.
I’m the type of Christian who has never gone to a church service (well. maybe twice i guess, with a girlfriend). And I’m the type of Christian that believes that organized religion offers an unintended veil of legitimacy to the darkest desires of its lunatic fringes (And no, I don’t just believe that because Dennet or Dawkins or Hitchens or whoever said that, I believe it because it makes a lot of sense no matter who else holds that view.)
Anyway-- that’s my idea of god and my brand of Christianity. Who is anyone to tell me I’m not a Christian? (All the other Christians have all their own personal takes on it too.) Even Jesus couldn’t tell me that. He lost control over Christianity when he died.
My brand of Islam and my brand of atheism are similar to the above. All of those “brands” are completely personal and I have as much right to label myself a Muslim or Christian as anyone else because anyone else makes up their own personal version of organized religion too.
I looked at the map that someone linked to…I’m definitely more in the reddish (high religious) state. Probably has much to do with it. It’s unusual for it NOT to come up if she’s thinking of gettig serious.