While atheism can very well be traced back to the ancient era (see, for example: <http://www.argumentsforatheism.com/history.html>), its acceptance by significant sections of the masses has, in all probability, is strongly linked to the rise of industrial civilisations, and the concomitant exponential advancement, and spread, of modern scientific knowledge.
As it appears, it is scientific knowledge, and its methodology, that poses the real challenge to any, whatever, notion of God (or gods and goddesses) and associated (baskets of) mythologies. Prior to that, one had to essentially bank on "speculation" or "abstract/pure logic" (the cited text attributed to Carvaka/Brhaspati at < http://www.patheos.com/blogs/daylightatheism/2007/06/ancient-atheism/> is a brilliant example). The phenomenal rise in scientific knowledge changed all that. (No sane person today can really hold that the Himalayas are the abode of the gods and goddesses - virtually every inch of it now stands explored, if nothing else, at least by means of satellite imagery; nor can a sane one subscribe to the view that "God said let there be light and there was light" or the fable of Adam and Eve, for example.) While "science" *per se* apparently made no great impact in the realm of ontology, it beyond doubt vastly changed the epistemological landscape. Apart from empirical data, it'd be reasonable to expect that as humans gain more and control over their own destinies, the sheer uncertainties of daily life appreciably wane, the psychological needs to lean on the crutch of the (benevolent) "supernatural" would visibly decline. But, at the same time, it'd be too simplistic to try to establish any (straight) linear relationship between a single causative factor and any such decline. And, such a decline is to be perceived essentially as a long term trend. Short term fluctuations in affecting factors are unlikely to be reflected as rapidly. (There is obviously appreciable time lag between change(s) in the material world and its impact(s) on the cultural universe of human beings.) Sukla On 18 July 2014 11:23, Sadanand Patwardhan <[email protected]> wrote: > The article's being dated may or may not be the flaw, but seems > certainly uninformed in many ways. > 1. Take for example the statement, *Atheism is a peculiarly modern > phenomenon*. This shows utter ignorance of ancient चार्वाक (Charvak) > tradition in philosophy, which was nothing if not atheist. It proudly > mocked at cycles of birth and rebirth popular in other traditions, which > talked of sins of this birth carrying onto the balance sheet of next birth, > by saying *ऋणम कृत्वा घृतं पिबेत, (Have Fun [clarified butter, obviously a > coveted item of consumption] even by incurring debt if necessary [economic > concept of “debt” is very closely linked with morality in almost all major > religions and ethics in all cultures-debts must be repaid]). I would like > to believe that such tradition was not unique to Indian subcontinent. > 2. Secondly, Charvak tradition flourished when entire society largely > depended on agriculture and animal husbandry. Moreover, the notion that man > or woman can control and dominate nature had no technological ground to > strike roots, though influencing nature was thought possible as practices > linking human fertility rites to agricultural fertility show. > 3. Thirdly, his *in developed countries atheism flourishes* argument would > flounder if USA is taken into consideration, which he has safely ignored. > USA is a deeply "religious country” and makes no bones about it. Also > author has not attempted to explain the wide divergence in atheist > populations (64% to 42%, that is whopping 22%) even in countries he has > taken on board to buttress his position. > 4. Lastly, how did he enumerate the atheists in his studies has not been > clarified anywhere. This to me is important, because a simple question like > “Do you believe in God or some superior power” is not to my mind true test > of atheism. Why this is so, because Buddhist philosophy rejects God but > puts trust in कर्म (deeds) based cycles of birth-rebirth and idealises > escape from it by reducing the कर्म balance to zero through the विपशशना > (mindful awareness) meditation. For me, the true test of atheism or theism > lies in how it informs a person’s day to day life, which is a complex > phenomenon to judge through a short interview or questionnaire; and would > face cross-cultural barriers too. The very concept of “what is God” may > differ from culture to culture and person to person. Einstein believed in > God when he immortalised his discomfiture with Quantum Mechanics and may be > even gambling by saying *God doesn’t play dice*. > 5. Statistically speaking, the fact that author discovered association > between economic development, agricultural dependence, emergence of > psychiatry, education, welfare-state, control of nature, etc. with > preponderance of atheists is certainly interesting and worth investigating, > but doesn’t necessarily prove causality. Going beyond the control of > physical world is an undying human need when it poses the questions about > Self, Life and their Meaning. So long as that quest remains, “God” won’t be > dead. > sp > http://searchlight-is-on.blogspot.in/ > http://satark.blogspot.in/ > ========================================= > On Thursday, 17 July 2014 23:49:28 UTC+5:30, Sukla Sen wrote: >> >> [Though the article below is slightly dated, its relevance appears to >> remain undiminished.] >> >> http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-human-beast/ >> 201107/why-atheism-will-replace-religion-new-evidence >> >> Why Atheism Will Replace Religion: New Evidence >> The illusion of religion helps people feel good, despite miserable >> experiences. >> Published on July 14, 2011 by Nigel Barber, Ph.D. >> <http://www.psychologytoday.com/experts/nigel-barber-phd> in The Human >> Beast <http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-human-beast> >> >> Atheists are heavily concentrated in economically developed countries >> <http://www.amazon.com/Atheism-Will-Replace-Religion-ebook/dp/B00886ZSJ6/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1339088332&sr=1-1>, >> particularly the social democracies of Europe. In underdeveloped countries, >> there are virtually no atheists. Atheism is a peculiarly modern phenomenon. >> Why do modern conditions produce atheism? In a new study to be published in >> August, I provided compelling evidence >> <http://ccr.sagepub.com/content/early/2011/05/08/1069397111402465.abstract> >> that atheism increases along with the quality of life (1). >> >> First, as to the distribution of atheism in the world, a clear pattern >> can be discerned. In sub-Saharan Africa there is almost no atheism (2). >> Belief in God declines in more developed countries and atheism is >> concentrated in Europe in countries such as Sweden (64% nonbelievers), >> Denmark (48%), France (44%) and Germany (42%). In contrast, the incidence >> of atheism in most sub-Saharan countries is below 1%. >> >> The question of why economically developed countries turn to atheism has >> been batted around by anthropologists for about eighty years. >> Anthropologist James Fraser proposed that scientific prediction and control >> of nature supplants religion as a means of controlling uncertainty in our >> lives. This hunch is supported by data showing that the more educated >> countries have higher levels of non belief and there are strong >> correlations between atheism and intelligence. >> >> Atheists are more likely to be college-educated people who live in cities >> and they are highly concentrated in the social democracies of Europe. >> Atheism thus blossoms amid affluence where most people feel economically >> secure. But why? >> >> It seems that people turn to religion as a salve for the difficulties and >> uncertainties of their lives. In social democracies, there is less fear and >> uncertainty about the future because social welfare programs provide a >> safety net and better health care means that fewer people can expect to die >> young. People who are less vulnerable to the hostile forces of nature feel >> more in control of their lives and less in need of religion. Hence my >> finding of belief in God being higher in countries with a heavy load of >> infectious diseases. >> >> In my new study of 137 countries (1), I also found that atheism increases >> for countries with a well-developed welfare state (as indexed by high >> taxation rates). Moreover, countries with a more equal distribution of >> income had more atheists. My study improved on earlier research by taking >> account of whether a country is mostly Moslem (where atheism is >> criminalized) or formerly Communist (where religion was suppressed) and >> accounted for three-quarters of country differences in atheism. >> >> In addition to being the opium of the people (as Karl Marx contemptuously >> phrased it), religion may also promote fertility, particularly by promoting >> marriage (3). Large families are preferred in agricultural countries as a >> source of free labor. In developed countries, by contrast, women have >> exceptionally small families. I found that atheism was lower in countries >> where a lot of people worked on the land. >> >> Even the psychological functions of religion face stiff competition >> today. In modern societies, when people experience psychological >> difficulties they turn to their doctor, psychologist, or psychiatrist. They >> want a scientific fix and prefer the real psychotropic medicines dished out >> by physicians to the metaphorical opiates offered by religion. No wonder >> that atheism increases along with third-level educational enrollment (1). >> >> The reasons that churches lose ground in developed countries can be >> summarized in market terms. First, with better science, and with government >> safety nets, and smaller families, there is less fear and uncertainty in >> people's daily lives and hence less of a market for religion. At the same >> time many alternative products are being offered, such as psychotropic >> medicines and electronic entertainment that have fewer strings attached and >> that do not require slavish conformity to unscientific beliefs. >> >> Sources >> 1. Barber, N. (in press). A cross-national test of the uncertainty >> hypothesis of religious belief. Cross-Cultural Research. >> >> Barber, N. (2012). Why atheism will replace religion: The triumph of >> earthly pleasures over pie in the sky. E-book, available at: >> http://www.amazon.com/Atheism-Will-Replace-Religion-ebook/dp/B00886ZSJ6/ >> >> 2. Zuckerman, P. (2007). Atheism: Contemporary numbers and patterns. In >> M. Martin (ed.), The Cambridge companion to atheism. Cambridge: Cambridge >> University Press. This book is not held by any U.S. Library. >> 3. Sanderson, S. K. (2008). Adaptation, evolution, and religion. >> Religion, 38, 141-156. >> -- >> Peace Is Doable >> > ============================================= > > -- > > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Bharat Chintan" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/bharat-chintan. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
