Difference between revisions of "Causes of desecularization"
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== Negative perception of atheists among many religious == | == Negative perception of atheists among many religious == | ||
| − | + | Many theists, particularly in religious countries, have very negative views of atheists (see: [[Views on atheists]]). | |
== Notes == | == Notes == | ||
Revision as of 16:49, May 26, 2016
There are a number of factors is causing desecularization.
Below are some of the factors.
Atheists and apathy
Although atheists employ atheist indoctrination via governmental institutions and other methods, most atheists do not engage in personal evangelism (See; Atheism and apathy and Atheism and inspiration).
Doing overseas evangelism/outreaches in poor countries often requires significant hardships/persecution and western atheists by in large have been unwilling to endure such hardships in order to spread atheistic ideology - especially when compared to Christianity (see: Western atheists have not done a significant amount of outreach to poor countries).
Fertility rates of religious vs. irreligious
High fertility rate of religious conservatives and the sub-fertility rate of the irreligious and liberal Christianity (see: Fertility rates and desecularization).
Legal and illegal immigration of religious to secular nations
See also: Multiculturism and European desecularization
Legal and illegal immigration of religious immigrants to Western World nations is a source of desecularization - particularly Europe. An aging Europe needs workers for its businesses and to help support aging pensioners.
As far as illegal immigration to Europe, The American Interest website declares:
| “ | Securing Europe’s vast land and sea borders—a task greater than that faced by the United States along its border with Mexico—is proving exceptionally challenging for the European Union (EU)....
Traffickers use small boats to reduce the chances of being picked up by patrol boats’ radars; migrants are often dropped off on stretches of inaccessible coastline, or left to drift ashore. In the case of illegal land crossings, small trucks are used to penetrate the most porous parts of eastern or southern Europe’s borders. Penalties for this are low or non-existent all around Europe, and traffickers are rarely caught anyway. Smuggling people across Europe has become easier and more profitable than anything other criminal activity, including drugs.[1] |
” |
Growth of Christian and theistic apologetics
The majority of philosophers of religion, or those who have extensively studied the issue of the existence of God, are theists (72 percent).[2]
In 2001, the atheist and philosopher Quentin Smith declared:
| “ | Naturalists [atheists] passively watched as realist versions of theism … began to sweep through the philosophical community, until today perhaps one-quarter or one-third of philosophy professors are theists, with most being orthodox Christians…. God is not 'dead' in academia; he returned to life in the 1960's and is now alive and well in his last academic stronghold, philosophy departments."[3] | ” |
Christian apologetics is the defense of the Christian faith through logic/evidence based arguments.
There is a proliferation of Christian apologetics and creation apologetics in the world. For example, there is the Trinity Graduate School of Apologetics and Theology initiative which offers quality Christian apologetics for free to third world country students and charges extremely low costs for others. In addition, Ratio Christi is launching Christian apologetics clubs at college/university campuses.
In addition, there has been a growth of creationist apologetics (see: Creation apologetics and evangelicalism).
Poor quality of atheistic arguments
See: Rebuttals to atheist arguments
Lower degree of confidence among atheist intellectuals
See also: Atheists and the endurance of religion
In 1990, the atheist philosopher Michael Martin indicated there was a general absence of an atheistic response to contemporary work in the philosophy of religion and in jest he indicated that it was his "cross to bear" to respond to theistic arguments.[4] Yet, in 1994, Michael Martin was criticized for his eleventh hour cancellation of his debate with Greg Bahnsen (see: Greg Bahnsen and debate and Bahnson-Martin debate press release).[5][6]
The agnostic and academic Eric Kaufmann wrote in 2010:
| “ | Worldwide, the march of religion can probably only be reversed by a renewed, self-aware secularism. Today, it appears exhausted and lacking in confidence... Secularism's greatest triumphs owe less to science than to popular social movements like nationalism, socialism and 1960s anarchist-liberalism. Ironically, secularism's demographic deficit means that it will probably only succeed in the twenty-first century if it can create a secular form of 'religious' enthusiasm." [7] | ” |
In recent years, there have been a notable number of cases of prominent atheists dodging debates (See also: Atheism and cowardice and Atheism and debate).
Negative perception of atheists among many religious
Many theists, particularly in religious countries, have very negative views of atheists (see: Views on atheists).
Notes
- ↑ Europe’s Immigration Crisis
- ↑ Does it matter that many scientists are atheists?
- ↑ Craig, William Lane (2012)."Theistic critiques of atheism". Reasonable Faith. Retrieved on July 26, 2014. Unabridged version of article published 2007. See William Lane Craig.
- ↑ Open Questions: Diverse Thinkers Discuss God, Religion, and Faith by Luís F. Rodrigues, page 201
- ↑ The Great Debate: Greg Bahnsen vs Gordon Stein
- ↑ Bahsen at the Stein debate by John Frame
- ↑ Shall the religious inherit the earth? - Eric Kaufmann