China Ranks Last in Importance of Religion, Research Shows

[Sky lord]

Inquisition is purely European elite politic on disguise of religion (catholic). It is against Christian teaching, and evil in nature.

This is as what I said: human tend to abuse religion.

Dude, it seems to me that you are making excuses for the failures of religion. If Religious teaching could not prevent the most debased forms of torture and killing between two groups believing in different versions of the same religion then what is the point of religion?

If it cannot make people behave better, if it cannot make the murderer not murder, if it cannot make the thief stop stealing, if it cannot make the adulterer not fornicate then what use is it ?

Good people will be good anyways. If tomorrow you suddenly stopped believing in Chrisitanity would you go out and kill your neighbor? Of course not, because you are good and would never do that.
It seems to me people behave as they would anyway with or without religious teachings.

Also, I hope I am not hurting your religious sentiments in any way, that is not my intention at all...and I am happy stop if I am.

 

[antonius123]

Dude, it seems to me that you are making excuses for the failures of religion. If Religious teaching could not prevent the most debased forms of torture and killing between two groups believing in different versions of the same religion then what is the point of religion?

If it cannot make people behave better, if it cannot make the murderer not murder, if it cannot make the thief stop stealing, if it cannot make the adulterer not fornicate then what use is it ?

Good people will be good anyways. If tomorrow you suddenly stopped believing in Chrisitanity would you go out and kill your neighbor? Of course not, because you are good and would never do that.
It seems to me people behave as they would anyway with or without religious teachings.

Also, I hope I am not hurting your religious sentiments in any way, that is not my intention at all...and I am happy stop if I am.

On which standard that you judge good or bad regarding morality?
On what measurement you judge religion success or fail?

You may say people who are not killing as good people, but according to religion they may not be

The standard maybe different from atheism to religion, and from one religion to another religion. Success or not depend on the purpose. For example: in Christianity, God let people to choose whether to believe in Him or not. If many people choosed not to believe Him, it is not failure

 

[Aepsilons]

Religion in Japan is a wonderful mish-mash of ideas from Shintoism and Buddhism. Unlike in the West, religion in Japan is rarely preached, nor is it a doctrine. Instead it is a moral code, a way of living, almost indistinguishable from Japanese social and cultural values.

Japanese religion is also a private, family affair. It is separate from the state; there are no religious prayers or symbols in a school graduation ceremony, for example. Religion is rarely discussed in every day life and the majority of Japanese do not usually publicly tout their personal religious faith. To do so is considered very ingratiating and indicative of poor, disrespectful etiquette......an act of an uncivilized person.

 

[CHN Bamboo]

Why are so many Chinese people atheists? - Quora

 

[Aepsilons]

In East Asian cultures, religion tends to become important in the face of personal crisis.

Yes, usually important in social events such as births, baptisms, funerals, anniversaries. Religion, in the East Asian sense is a personal support structure and a buffer against depression, paranoia and other mental health maladies. Ultimately, it helps in the coping aspect during pivotal moments on an individual's life. That is, essentially, how we view it. Religion has a role in the psychological health aspect, but we don't implement it for social change or for political process. Those are trends more common in alien civilizations in the West , Near East....

Why are so many Chinese people atheists? - Quora

The west's understanding of 'atheist' is usually associated with the repudiation in the belief of their version of G_d; the Judeo-Christian understanding of deity. In context to Japan and China, people may believe in certain cultural practices and even superstition innate in our societies, and yet not hold to the notion of the absolutism associated with the Judeo-Christian notion of G_d. I think that is the difference.

 

[CHN Bamboo]

Obviously,there is no god or something in this world.
Yes,religion may bring some benefit to us.
But..Stealing,wars,etc, can also bring benefits,such as iron will (ha)
I don't think they have many differences.
Religion(especially western religion) does more harm to the world,creating barriers between different countries,races.

The west's understanding of 'atheist' is usually associated with the repudiation in the belief of their version of G_d; the Judeo-Christian understanding of deity. In context to Japan and China, people may believe in certain cultural practices and even superstition innate in our societies, and yet not hold to the notion of the absolutism associated with the Judeo-Christian notion of G_d. I think that is the difference.

 

[Aepsilons]

Obviously,there is no god or something in this world.
Yes,religion may bring some benefit to us.
But..Stealing,wars,etc, can also bring benefits,such as iron will (ha)
I don't think they have many differences.
Religion(especially western religion) does more harm to the world,creating barriers between different countries,races.

my view is that i don't agree with proselytizing or radicalizing through religion. what i believe in or what you believe in should remain in our bed rooms, so to say. it should not be aired out for people to see. just my own personal view.

i have experienced things while living in USA before where a stranger will come to me and say, "hi, are you saved?"

 

[mike2000 is back]

This is a very good thing. Religion is inversely proportional to rational thinking. I wish India follows the same path like China. I have literally met people arguing with me that earthquakes are caused by God's wrath.

Lol You are right though.
In general,as the article says people in richer nations are less likely than those in poorer nations to say religion plays a very important role in their lives. The U.S is an outlier/exception though, since Americans(50%) are more likely than their counterparts in economically advanced nations to deem religion very iimportant. I think this can be explained by the fact that Americans(like most people in developing world) see belief in God as a prerequisite for having good morals, which increases religiosity across the country.
People in other richer western nations(U.K,Canada,France ,Aystralia, Norway etc) tend to place less emphasis on the need to believe in God in order to be moral and have good values than people in poorer countries do. Me myself im not religious, and I dont think I need to be in other to be good to others or to love my neighbour as myself. I have seen/met quite a number of 'religious people' who are far worse in the way they treat others than atheists. I dont in anyway believe one needs to be religious to be good.

I think that people from underdeveloped and poor nations are so religious relative to people in the developed world in general because theythe former often look to God and their religion to help them cope with the stresses and troubles they face every day. These stresses are brought on by poverty, lack of social amenities, healthcare, Education etc. So religion tends to be more popular in societies that have enough rate of dysfunction that people are anxious about their daily lives, so they're looking to the gods for help in their daily lives(I cant blame them to be honest).

In fact, according to surveys the hardest(factors like education, income, unemployment, disability, life expectancy, and obesity etc) places/cities/counties to live in the United States are the most religious and coincidentally also the poorest.
Why Are the Poor More Religious? - TheHumanist.com

This again shows there is a strong correlation between living standards and religion. Even though there are some few exceptions here and there.

 

[Brahmaputra Mail]

Lol You are right though.
In general,as the article says people in richer nations are less likely than those in poorer nations to say religion plays a very important role in their lives. The U.S is an outlier/exception though, since Americans(50%) are more likely than their counterparts in economically advanced nations to deem religion very iimportant. I think this can be explained by the fact that Americans(like most people in developing world) see belief in God as a prerequisite for having good morals, which increases religiosity across the country.
People in other richer western nations(U.K,Canada,France ,Aystralia, Norway etc) tend to place less emphasis on the need to believe in God in order to be moral and have good values than people in poorer countries do. Me myself im not religious, and I dont think I need to be in other to be good to others or to love my neighbour as myself. I have seen/met quite a number of 'religious people' who are far worse in the way they treat others than atheists. I dont in anyway believe one needs to be religious to be good.

I think that people from underdeveloped and poor nations are so religious relative to people in the developed world in general because theythe former often look to God and their religion to help them cope with the stresses and troubles they face every day. These stresses are brought on by poverty, lack of social amenities, healthcare, Education etc. So religion tends to be more popular in societies that have enough rate of dysfunction that people are anxious about their daily lives, so they're looking to the gods for help in their daily lives(I cant blame them to be honest).

In fact, according to surveys the hardest(factors like education, income, unemployment, disability, life expectancy, and obesity etc) places/cities/counties to live in the United States are also the poorest.
Why Are the Poor More Religious? - TheHumanist.com

This again shows there is a strong correlation between living standards and religion. Even though there are some few exceptions here and there.

I think of US's progress as this way:

The Europeans who went sailing across the Atlantic ocean made a leap of faith. They didn't knew what lied ahead in the New World. They took a calculated risk. Only those people who dare to take risk can build an Empire. That's the case with the early Europeans. On top of that now they are receiving the creme de la creme of global migrants- Indians, Japanese, Chinese, Jews, et al. Many Americans are reaping benefits out of their forefathers visionary solutions. Although I feel things are getting saturated there. They do surprise us from time to time, like the detection of gravitational waves using two LIGO detectors at Livingston and Hanford.

 

[Aepsilons]

Lol You are right though.
In general,as the article says people in richer nations are less likely than those in poorer nations to say religion plays a very important role in their lives. The U.S is an outlier/exception though, since Americans(50%) are more likely than their counterparts in economically advanced nations to deem religion very iimportant. I think this can be explained by the fact that Americans(like most people in developing world) see belief in God as a prerequisite for having good morals, which increases religiosity across the country.
People in other richer western nations(U.K,Canada,France ,Aystralia, Norway etc) tend to place less emphasis on the need to believe in God in order to be moral and have good values than people in poorer countries do. Me myself im not religious, and I dont think I need to be in other to be good to others or to love my neighbour as myself. I have seen/met quite a number of 'religious people' who are far worse in the way they treat others than atheists. I dont in anyway believe one needs to be religious to be good.

I think that people from underdeveloped and poor nations are so religious relative to people in the developed world in general because theythe former often look to God and their religion to help them cope with the stresses and troubles they face every day. These stresses are brought on by poverty, lack of social amenities, healthcare, Education etc. So religion tends to be more popular in societies that have enough rate of dysfunction that people are anxious about their daily lives, so they're looking to the gods for help in their daily lives(I cant blame them to be honest).

In fact, according to surveys the hardest(factors like education, income, unemployment, disability, life expectancy, and obesity etc) places/cities/counties to live in the United States are also the poorest.
Why Are the Poor More Religious? - TheHumanist.com

This again shows there is a strong correlation between living standards and religion. Even though there are some few exceptions here and there.

Funny that you mentioned that. In fact one agent of British imperialism was religion. Its funny to see this now, but in the past one of the proponents of British act of Empire was to "spread light unto the heathens".

Protestant Empire: Religion and the Making of the British Atlantic World | Essays in History

 

[Cossack25A1]

The are good aspects in religion, but there are also good aspects in rational thinking.

People should balance it because leaning too much towards religion will make one a religious extremist while dwelling to much into rational thinking will make one into a social darwinist.

 

[kuge]

So according to Jesus, not all Christian enter Heaven, only those who do the will of Father - who is in Heaven.

Actually bible teaches christ's followers will inherit the earth not going to heaven

More correct form is not all humans are good.

How come China doesn't have problems with other Muslim groups? Uyghurs are not the biggest Muslim group in China. Ethnic Hui, the biggest Muslim group in China, live happily here and Uyghurs regularly attack Hui people, they believe Hui are just Han.

China does have freedom of belief law and that's true when it comes to practicing your belief,it is not so free in China. What China worries is that foreign element may use religion preaching as a hidden weapon to compromise China's security and cause internal trouble here. Check Chinese recent history ,one of the most dark chapter is when foreign powers forcibly sent tons of agents under the disgust of Christian priests and caused massive pain and suffering in China some a hundred years ago ,check "Boxing Movement". The miserable memory is still fresh and the wound is still raw.

i hope you will search the scripture truth & its real teachings in the future...it teaches "love your enemies & pray for them that persecute you" & by doing that you may be accepted into an eternal life.

 

[mike2000 is back]

Funny that you mentioned that. In fact one agent of British imperialism was religion. Its funny to see this now, but in the past one of the proponents of British act of Empire was to "spread light unto the heathens".

Protestant Empire: Religion and the Making of the British Atlantic World | Essays in History

Of course, everything went (and still goes) as far as expanding and conquering other foreign countries is concern. Every power back then always gave an excuse/justification to expand,
Japan used pan Asianism alias 'The Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere' to justify its expansion/colonialism, Soviet Russia used its commie utopia alias 'nazi conquerer' to justify it's own expansion etc etc. Nothing new there.

Moreover, I think on the other hand, income and secularity between nations are also correlated, because secularism itself was developed and spread first in/by the wealthiest nations, whereas other nations with more rigorous traditions of religiosity typically lack sufficient economic freedom to develop society-wide wealth. The more controversial first half of this "genetic" interpretation is seen in this article from the OP itself, where the least religious nations include not only the wealthy, materialist nations you would expect (Scandinavians etc.) but also Vietnam, Russia, Estonia, and Belarus, which are secular due less to wealth than Communism.

To expand briefly, the history of secularism is fundamentally post-Christian, so historically Christian societies(in which modern wealth developed) and those with religions sufficiently unlike Christianity to confuse detection of their religious identities would naturally count as most non-religious.

 

[antonius123]

Actually bible teaches christ's followers will inherit the earth not going to heaven

More precisely is New Earth that God promis to the Christ followers, which is Heaven on earth.
Revelation 21:1 Then I saw "a new heaven and a new earth," for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.

i hope you will search the scripture truth & its real teachings in the future...it teaches "love your enemies & pray for them that persecute you" & by doing that you may be accepted into an eternal life.

According to Christ, you have to obey Father's will to get eternal life. Loving your enemy and pray for them that persecute you is only one of them.

 

[Cossack25A1]

Even if you take out religion in the equation, there will still be conflicts and wars.

The only time conflicts and wars would disappear is either we lose our freedom on everything and become drones... or humanity is exterminated/goes extinct.