History has shown religions come and go.
Have some religions really ended or do they go through transformations until the old religions are not recognized anymore?
Can there ever be an end to our current religions or will they just keep transforming?
FYI: My school of thought is that religion is man made and not needed.
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Religions will of course keep dividing (and sometimes merging) into new sects for the foreseeable future.
An ancient religion like Zoroastrianism is still just about around - and arguably, the so-called Abrahamic religions are derivatives of that. It is difficult to imagine a time when Christianity and Islam become as comparatively insignificant as Zoroastrianism is today: I think as long as humans have essentially the same psychology, there is no reason to think religion will disappear completely.
It is known that people tend to be more superstitious/religious etc. in less prosperous countries. I'd expect that as the world's citizens become better off, and live in countries with stable governments and fair & proportionate judicial systems that religiosity will decline.
When Muslim immigrants move to Europe, within a few years of moving, most of them will no longer attend mosque regularly (of men specifically: attendance amongst women is significantly lower generally to begin with). Although on the otherhand, you still have significant numbers of people in the West believing in astrology.
Of course, if scientists manage to complete defeat death, that would be the death of religion. Making the blind see and the lame walk simply isn't enough for some people.
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Sapporo
" if scientists manage to complete defeat death, that would be the death of religion."
Along that same line, for many decades I used to think that one day science will find cures for what religion calls as their gravest sins.. I suspect that one day they might find the gene that makes one murder and perhaps the genes of other so called sins and cure these people. Yes, I would like to be a fly on the wall to see how all that affects religion.
Even when old religions are replaced by new religions, the old ways and habits of life according to the replaced religion will still live on. It takes time to eradicate these. A long, long, time. That's why we still have pre-christian celebrations, like equinox and solstice, and also why the Finnish version of Father Christmas, the joulupukki, or christmas goat (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joulupukki) - originally a pagan tradition - still survives. Another example is the concept of djinns in Islam, which Islam adopted from the pre-islamic mythologies and theologies.
But to answer your question more directly: I think you present us with a false choice between two alternatives, when the answer probably is a third option: New religions can replace old religions, but the new religions will probably assimilate concepts, ideas, culture, etc. from the old religions, and old festivals, holidays, rituals, etc. will live on, perhaps with a new rationale. It's all a continuum, and very few clean breaks with the old ways.
Get off my lawn
Thanks for correcting me and bringing in a 3rd alternative, a very good and possible alternative.
Magical thinking appears "Here to stay." I predict it will only get worse. Computer chips in brains, cars that control themselves, robots that assist families with daily chores. "Magic" is everywhere to the simple minded and manipulating intelligence through gene selection is viewed as population control. According to Religion we are stuck with morons and will always be stuck with them. It's god's will and there is not a damn thing we can do about it.
Cognistic
I got you up to the word "control" and totally agree.
After that did you mean BECAUSE OF RELIGION...? Not sure I get the last part.
When you say you predict it will only get worse, how bad do you think it can get? Like scary bad? Like Tin-man hide under your covers and don't come out bad? Like old testament bad?
I'm thinking "Globally Bad." Nothing a controlling government would like more than everyone praying five times a day to the same god. Intelligent people question governments. With, soon to be 10 billion, people on the planet and dwindling resources, a one world religion just might be the answer.
@ Cognostic
Project Blue Beam by the Nasa :)
My personal belief.... That is exactly what the Arizona lights were. They followed a major highway. How easy to use a mobile unit to create the effect? Makes more sense to me than flying saucers or aliens. Flares don't quite fit the evidence. But project blue beam..... well..... when the shoe fits.....
Diotrephes
You bring up a valid point. I wonder if one day when we reach a world that has economic stability for everyone to live comfortable if religion would start losing ground. Just as I wrote the last line it came to me that instead they might praise God for making it so.
Economic Stability is a pipe dream. We are too greedy and I just don't see it happening without some form of major governmental control and then, those in the government get all the benefits while the working class gets nil. I don't see a way to avoid the inevitable. It is as natural as the rabbit population getting out of control when they have no natural predictors. The human race is racing "Out of Control."