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LINK Artificial Intelligence Shows Why Atheism Is Unpopular - The Atlantic

"Using a separate model, Future of Religion and Secular Transitions (forest), the team found that people tend to secularize when four factors are present: existential security (you have enough money and food), personal freedom (you’re free to choose whether to believe or not), pluralism (you have a welcoming attitude to diversity), and education (you’ve got some training in the sciences and humanities). If even one of these factors is absent, the whole secularization process slows down. This, they believe, is why the U.S. is secularizing at a slower rate than Western and Northern Europe."

NerdyOkieDude 7 July 24
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That's s very interesting point

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An astute observation.People formed religion initially out of insecurity When a religion has become dominant in culture, religious leaders and true believers deliberately use cognitive dissonce to try to force conformity to group demands on beliefs. They also try to prevent pluralism from becoming an option. They will also always choose indoctrination over true education.

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Yes. I have freedom because I have no imaginary friend in the sky. That means I am not afraid of what an imaginary being might do to me or for me. I know people who are right with their god one day and not the next. They tell all and really worry about it. LOL

Then there is me and my worries. If only the Easter Bunny doesn't hold that against me. If he does I might not get any candy.

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I like Daniel Dennett's idea of mandatory comparative religious training.

[mysecretatheistblog.com]

Don't know if it's true or not, but I remember reading that one of the first things you learn in seminary is that it's all bullshit.

@WilliamCharles I doubt the seminary remark is true, but I learned through courses from Berean School of the Bible and also the courses of Finis Jennings Dake. Both of these can be done as home study and they are Evangelical.

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Thanks. Interesting for sure

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Interesting! In Europe, attitudes toward diversity and pluralism are being reexamined, due to the influx of migrant refugees. Meanwhile, the US has shown its anti-pluralism colors of late, but is also deficient in education and, worse, appears to champion this deficiency. Of all the statistics gathered during the 2016 election cycle, the one that struck me was the association between educational level and the party / candidate one voted for. In each case, the difference was greater than 2:1. Since when did it become elitist to aspire to higher education?

@NerdyOkieDude One of my favorite Asimov quotes ... thank you!

@NerdyOkieDude yeah your countries truly weird on the one hand all the tech giants great universities etc and on the other this feeling that ignorance is somehow to be lauded you would think that you would be up there at the top of the tree in almost all endeavours but sadly no

@weeman Please, don't get me started about my intellectually erratic country! 🙂

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Makes sense to me.

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I think the freedom of religion alone is enough to slow secularization of the US, creating many many offshoots from new agey spiritualism to seventh day Adventists. Western and Eastern Europe tried pushing particular religions and offering fewer choices.

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