Why Religions And Faith Have Declined

[Big_Tera]

Op has made a very vague generalization of the decline in relgion so much so that a simple google search shows that there are more Christians alive now, then the whole world population 115 years ago.

I think you are the one who has made the generalization. You have generalized and assumed that just because the population has increased that people are more into their religion and practice it. Thats a big generalisation. Yes the maybe more people with the label Christian but how many of those actually practice their faith or even have a strong belief in God in the western world? even in third world countries faith in religion is not as strong as it was. as the whole dynamics of the world has changed and so has the place of religion in it.

Just look at the western world were Church attendance has declined and are only being saved by immigrants into the countries.

How many people read their holy books, attend places of worship as they did in the 17th century say? Religion and faith has declined that is just a fact.

[Big_Tera]

problems is too many people are nominal people of a faith not really living by it , e.g. Christianity -the message of Christ not the mass produced edited version , Muslims mostly do go to classes to learn Quran , memorize it to become Hafiz but have little understanding of the actual message, Jews are accepting that most Jews don't practice but keep the sabbat only, Geeta is read at home but not understood , same with Vedas. How many of us truly do darshan each and everyday

exactly just because theres more people on earth that are christian. that doesnt mean these people actually practice that faith. many people have faith as a token. they dont actually practice that faith.

[dallysingh101]

Well, anybody imagining that all people in the past were adherent sticklers to their faith more than people are now is living in la-la land too.

[Sa1nam]

Well, anybody imagining that all people in the past were adherent sticklers to their faith more than people are now is living in la-la land too.

This ^

[sant123]

It is common knowledge that people have become alot less religious and infact most of the western world is now atheist pretty much. They dont follow religion or practice their faith as they used to in the past many centuries ago when religion was very important to everyone's life. What has happened since then that has changed everything.

Why is this happening and what is the cause. Why were people in the 16th 17th centuries alot more religious and devout in their beliefs and faiths?

The answer is simple. In those days centuries ago the world was a grim, cold and lonely place. The avereage person did not know about science infact they pretty much didnt know about anything. There was no internet or books to read to gain knowledge. Infact there was no electricity, no light. no decent housing or infrastructure. It was just a harsh and dark environment were people had to endure. A world in which people did not know anything about the world they were living in.

Hence in those ignorant days it was a great comfort to know that there was a God. To have reassurance that in there dark times there was a higher being who was looking over them. Hence religion naturally was more appealing to people. it gave them a sence of having meaning in their life in those bleak times. Were nothing was known about how earth was created and a million other discoveries that have now been made on our existence ect.

Poeple now feel they have all the answers. they dont need that reassurance of an almighty because now their life is so much better. they have all of lifes comforts in life. they have electricity they are not living in dark and bleak places anymore. they have all materialism in life such as cars, houses, phones computers. they basicaly live in a world were they have no need for anything apart from their wealth and what it brings.

our computers, phones, car electricity, has basically taken everyone away from their faith. The modern world is simply not a place were religion can thrive. Beacuse everyone knows everthing about the world. in those days nothing was known so people were more inclined to have a religion and have faith.

People were more innocent in those centuries and less materialistic. They had pure hearts so it was easy to have faith in god. As they became more materialist and engrossed in materialism they started questiong the existence of god which weakened their faith in god. People were not ignorant as you say but they were very innocent. Their hearts were pure and they were able to grasp the concept of faith and god very quickly. They were very lucky and blessed.

Material progress has been the cause of lack of spirituality and faith in god. God exists and there is no doubt about it. To relaize god one has to look inwards rather than outwards. Instead, we are always looking outwards for inner happiness, we depend too much on outer objects to satisfy our need for happiness and joy. The more we own the more we wish to own in terms of matrial objects. We judge our happiness based upon how much wealth or material objects we own. While we are assessing and analyzing how much we have or have not we lose our faith in god and become atheists. We think we are the doers and our egos become inflated and then there is no going back to search for the lost treasure that god sent with us.