nice. thank you for an interesting read in statistics. considering the rapidly growing percentage in younger non-believers, i reckon change will keep happening in a smooth & natural way

The republicans are doing all they can to return us to the dark ages and oppose any change even if it is for their own good ie medicine

As we seem to be on the brink of nuclear war, and destroying life on earth even if that doesn't happen, no, things are not changing fast enough.

I think politics comes into this.

I have no doubt in my mind that our rulers want and need populations to be religious for a few reasons:-

Divide and rule. Different faiths coexisting together are more likely to fight against each other.

Religious people are more likely to put up with crap lives, poor working conditions and bad wages - because a better life awaits.

Religion shifts the spotlight away from our rulers who are screwing us over. Religion is a distraction.

Religion is a win-win situation for our rulers. Atheism is their enemy.

I'm a Brit, so can't comment with any authority on what appears to be happening in America, but I'm hopeful that what you guys are seeing over there — with the seeming resurgence of political Christian fundamentalism — is actually religion getting condensed into an ever more concentrated film, whilst the freethinkers drip through the filter paper to make that good, good coffee.

I'm not sure if that makes any sense, but I know what I'm getting at. ?

If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate — to quote the excellent nerds' T-shirt slogan.

Yesterday I was talking to my 91-year old dad. He said when he became an atheist in his late teens he thought he was the only one in the world and had never met or heard of another (England in the 1940s). Now that's simply inconceivable. The world is changing fast. It will happen in America too - societally the US has always been a couple of generations behind the UK.

Yes, religion is hooked pretty firm and deep here in the States. It is being undone, so very slowly, and you are so right, all of us who don't buy the bullshit stories are frowned upon, but the younger and more educated among us are really leading the way back to sanity !!!! Our political scene is insane with religion, controlling so many aspects and it keeps the abortion battle alive, there are so many ways in which religion is intertwined, BUT, one by one, day by day, it WILL be undun !!!!!

Maybe one more generation. I'm proudly raising my daughter to know OF religion so that she can be respectful to others (if earned.) But I refuse to push religion onto her. She will grow and make her own decisions about faith in whatever form that may be, including lacking it altogether. I believe more people are moving away from it though, or at least I want to believe that. The wars still being fought in the name of religion, the guilt one must feel reconciling having "sinned", the children who have been molested by their 'teachers', the political lies being told to sway people one way or another, human rights movements, women's rights movements..... it will push people away from religion when the eyes of those who are blinded truly see the restraining and suffocating confinement religion can put on someone. My hope is for a world without religion. I want people to be good to everyone, to do good. My daughter sees the good I do for others and there are no religious strings attached to it. I'm just trying to be a decent human being.

Its hard to get them to change.... pure genius put the bible together. New testament stuff really explains how we're the anti christ. We're evil and if we're not from god we're from the devel. Hmmm... what a trip.... hell.... let them go.

Maybe it’s like politics- more people moving to both extremes.

Religions aren't holding up well.
Humanity will get past them but not for a long time.
Evolution is painfully slow.

A recent Leonard Pitts editorial "Christian 'faith' vs. following Jesus' example. Today, e will discuss one of the most pressing threats to American Christianity. Meaning, of course, American Christians" The more vitriolic and angry these people get the more people are disgusted and want nothing to do with Christianity!!

NO, things are NOT changing fast enough. They're feeling extremely threatened by the increase in non-believers,
especially among young people.
Since rich, old, white "christians" (men) are currently holding most of the power in this country right now,
they're stepping up the intrusion into government and public policy by religion.
These old fossils cannot die off fast enough. In the meantime, all the rest of us can do
is continue to fight against it and defy these intrusions into our lives.

@Rugglesby, I have never experianced being frowned on for my lack of religion. Most of the people I know are not members of any religious organization. Maybe that's just because of Hawaii.

I havn't read the link (yet) that you provided but I do think that religions are becoming more and more radical and I think that is probably due to them feeling threatened by the growing movement of disbelievers.