--- title: "Building a religionless world." description: "Examining the consequences of religions, and learning how and why we cannot carry it into our future." canonical: https://opendoubt.com/ source: html --- # Building a religionless world. > Examining the consequences of religions, and learning how and why we cannot carry it into our future. ![Milky Way stretching over snow-capped mountains](/_next/image?url=%2F_next%2Fstatic%2Fmedia%2Fhero-night-sky.0c5gi0d6a_uyc.jpg&w=3840&q=75) An honest conversation # Curious about life _beyond religion?_ Millions of people are questioning the faith they grew up with. We’re here to help you think it through. [Best debates ↗](/debates)[What is atheism?](/atheism) More people than ever are stepping back from the religion they grew up with — not out of anger or rebellion, but out of genuine curiosity about what they actually believe. A [Pew Research study](https://www.pewforum.org/2019/10/17/in-u-s-decline-of-christianity-continues-at-rapid-pace/) found that Americans with no religious affiliation rose by 9% between 2009 and 2019 alone. The questions that once felt off-limits are finally being asked out loud. That shift isn’t really anti-religion — it’s pro-thinking. People are asking themselves: what do I actually believe? Does the story I grew up with still hold up under scrutiny? Many are finding that reason, science, and human connection offer something deeply meaningful — and surprisingly freeing — without requiring a leap of faith. George Carlin — “The Invisible Man” The data tells a clear story. Back in 2007, more than 70% of Americans said they were confident God exists. By 2014, that number had dropped nearly ten points — and a [Pew Research Center study](https://www.pewforum.org/2015/11/03/chapter-1-importance-of-religion-and-religious-beliefs/) confirmed the trend has only continued. People aren’t just changing churches — they’re rethinking belief itself. Here’s a perspective worth sitting with: throughout history, humans have worshipped over 2,500 different gods. Most people today believe in exactly one of them — which means they’re already effectively “atheist” toward 2,499 others. Atheism, as Richard Dawkins once put it, just goes one god further. > We are all atheists about most of the gods that humanity has ever believed in. Some of us just go one god further. ## Reading List Selected press on religion & society [01 Pete Buttigieg Taking a Stance on Religious Hypocrisy Emma Green, The Atlantic ](https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/06/pete-buttigieg-religion/592897/)[02 Priest accused of stealing $98K from church to pay Grindr hookups Joshua Rhett Miller, NY Post ](https://nypost.com/2019/08/21/priest-accused-of-stealing-98k-from-church-to-pay-grindr-hookups/)[03 Why millennials are really leaving religion (it's not just politics, folks) Jana Riess, Religion News Service ](https://religionnews.com/2018/06/26/why-millennials-are-really-leaving-religion-its-not-just-politics-folks/)[04 Study Discovers Children Raised Without Religion Are Kinder And More Empathetic Debi Allison, Awareness Act ](https://awarenessact.com/study-discovers-children-raised-without-religion-are-kinder-and-more-empathetic/)[05 Iceland Declares All Religions Are Weapons Of Mass Destruction Andrew Hall, Patheos ](https://www.patheos.com/blogs/laughingindisbelief/2019/03/iceland-declares-all-religions-are-weapons-of-mass-destruction/)[06 New poll shows growing view that clergy are irrelevant Yonat Shimron, Religion News Service ](https://religionnews.com/2019/07/16/new-poll-shows-growing-view-that-clergy-are-irrelevant/)[07 The Religious Hunger of the Radical Right (Opinion) Tara Isabella Burton, The New York Times ](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/13/opinion/sunday/religion-extremism-white-supremacy.html) ## Sources cited - https://www.pewforum.org/2019/10/17/in-u-s-decline-of-christianity-continues-at-rapid-pace/ - https://www.pewforum.org/2015/11/03/chapter-1-importance-of-religion-and-religious-beliefs/ - https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/06/pete-buttigieg-religion/592897/ - https://nypost.com/2019/08/21/priest-accused-of-stealing-98k-from-church-to-pay-grindr-hookups/ - https://religionnews.com/2018/06/26/why-millennials-are-really-leaving-religion-its-not-just-politics-folks/ - https://awarenessact.com/study-discovers-children-raised-without-religion-are-kinder-and-more-empathetic/ - https://www.patheos.com/blogs/laughingindisbelief/2019/03/iceland-declares-all-religions-are-weapons-of-mass-destruction/ - https://religionnews.com/2019/07/16/new-poll-shows-growing-view-that-clergy-are-irrelevant/ - https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/13/opinion/sunday/religion-extremism-white-supremacy.html --- _Canonical HTML version: https://opendoubt.com/_