Thursday, May 17, 2012

Eastern Germany is most atheist place on the globe

In this Die Welt article translated on World Crunch, they discuss how this once communist dominated region has become the most godless place you can be (via Hot Air):
A comparison of generations around the world shows that virtually everywhere, atheism is much more pronounced among the youth than it is among people ages 55 and more, thus showing the considerable influence that modernization has had on religious belief. In Poland, for example, 79.3% of those over 68 believe in God, as opposed to only 58.4% of those between 28 and 37.

The only exception is Israel, where belief is God is markedly more pronounced among young people. This could be related to the immigration of non-secular Jews to Israel, but the study’s authors also think that it is partially due to a growing split along Jewish and Muslim religious lines. Under conditions of competition and separation, religious belief comes to have greater meaning for one’s sense of personal identity, they write. Religious competition of that sort is virtually nonexistent in eastern Germany because so few Muslims live there.

Researchers found other reasons for atheism in the former East Germany, not least the deep mark left by the National Socialists and the Communists. But they also point to the fact that many Slavic and non-Orthodox communities present in the area since the Middle Ages were nonreligious; that the secularization movements during the Weimar Republic (1918-1933) were particularly strong in the states of Thuringia and Saxony; that the resistance of most DDR dissidents to the church was not seen, unlike the way it was perceived in Catholic Poland, as specifically religiously motivated.
Now what does this signal for starters? That the nazis clearly did have a secular/atheist influence - them first, commies next - on eastern Germany.

As for Israel and its own influence in Judaism (Zionism too, but that's another story), that's certainly flattering that they acknowledge by contrast how in the world of Judaism, the problems with godlessness are a lot less than in Germany. But is that really so that not many Muslims live in eastern Germany? Odd, because they certainly are quite a presence in the west end.

If eastern Germany is tops in secularity though, then Britain must be coming a strong second. According to this Guardian article from a year and a half ago:
In the latest 2010 BSA report, published earlier this month, only 42% said they were Christians while 51% now say they have no religion. Admittedly, some other surveys – including the last census – have produced different findings on these issues, usually to the advantage of the religious option. There is also a margin of error in all such exercises. All the same, and particularly since the trends in opinion over time seem well set, it is hard not to feel that this latest finding marks a cultural watershed.
It's downright disturbing if it allows for Islamofascism to fill the void the former Christian majority is leaving behind. One of the commentors even says:
Trouble is while Christianity slowly disappears - Islam grows to fill the void.
And as has been discussed plenty here, that's exactly what's happening: Islam is busily filling the vacuum left as Christianity vanishes in the UK, and the Religion of Rape could very easily be the 9 percent not cited in this particular report.

This was found through the blog of an athiest, who even had the gall to say:
Obviously, we have a long way to go, but this does bring some measure of hope that one day we might live to see a saner, more rational society.
Oh god. Who knew that someone could possibly think being an athiest automatically makes one a saint? Shudder. A society in which Islamic "honor" murders run rampant and are all but swept under the rug by the press and politicians is not one you can consider sane and rational. And what about Karl Marx and all the damage he caused for many years to come with the atheist/secular philosophy he conceived, which the commies took up as part of their indoctrine? Is that not an example of how atheism can have some very bad impacts?

And it's not simply because of a growing split between Judaism and Islam that younger folk in Israel have stronger faith as the researchers for Die Welt think - it's because having faith in Judaism is one of the best ways to counter the influence and threat of Islam. And for Israelis, having strong faith in God and the Torah is something that can help to guard them against what the Koran teaches.

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