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johncmcleod
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Coeur d'Alene, ID, USA
Jan 2002
time: 21:18
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The fall of religion (this is relatively speaking, however, religion is still flourishing and always will flourish) was when the state stopped forcing it on the population. People got free will, and many stopped believing.
You could say that if in a modern state, such as the US, the government supported religion it might piss some people off and create a backlash against that religion, but historically, the state has been the biggest proponent of religion, as it keeps the people in check.
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johncmcleod
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Coeur d'Alene, ID, USA
Jan 2002
time: 21:18
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quote:
Doesn't help. Look at China. |
You think religion has been in decline in China since the Chinese allowed it and started supporting it?
Certainly there will be situations where it doesn't work, China being one of them, but that is because of other conditions. In our modern age, you can't take people who have been brainwashed to be aetheist and then force an outside religion upon them. But throughout history, if nothing else affects the outcome, if the state supports religion and bars people from being outside of it, the religion will flourish. Look at Europe before the Enlightenment, and the look at Europe afterwards, when people where free to have their own religious beliefs.
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johncmcleod
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Coeur d'Alene, ID, USA
Jan 2002
time: 21:18
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Oh. I thought you were talking about state-sponsored Christianity in China. Christianity is spreading now that the Chinese haven't banned it and it has the government's support.
quote:
They were free to do so, but they weren't inclined to do so. In Europe they reacted against state-sponsored religion and consequently religion itself. There was no reaction in America. |
State-sponsored religion flourished for thousands of years. Then, because of fizzures in the Church, different religions became more common. The minority religions were persecuted. Then, they fought and won the battle for religious freedom. This way, they could practice their religion in peace. But with this new freedom came the freedom to not have a religion at all, which many people chose, hence the rise of aetheism.
As for governments suppressing religion, a lot of the time they can't do it, because the religion has certain characteristics. This is entirely different that supporting religion however.
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Jon Miller
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I think that no state religion is a good thing for religion, and is the reason why the US is more religious than Europe
Jon Miller
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johncmcleod
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Coeur d'Alene, ID, USA
Jan 2002
time: 21:18
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Well as far as the US goes, early on in the colonies there was no religious freedom. It depended on how tolerant the religion of the colonists was. The Quakers were very tolerant, and Pennsylvania granted freedom of worship before any of the other colonies did, I believe. Other places, however, were very intolerant and didn't let certain religious groups in. The Catholics had a very hard time getting into some of the colonies, so they had to form their own colony in Maryland.
And as the US being more religious than Europe, show me stats please. The US has more right-wing religious nutjobs, but on the whole, I think the percentage of religious people in the US and in Europe is very similar.
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06-12-2004 00:56
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