Over the past few decades, the number of Americans who identify as religiously unaffiliated—often referred to as “nones”—has grown rapidly. In the 1970s, only about 5% of Americans fell into this category. Today, that number exceeds 25%. Scholars have debated whether this change simply reflects a general decline in belief, or whether it signals something more complex. The research team wanted to explore the deeper forces at play: Why are people leaving institutional religion? What are they replacing it with? And how are their personal values shaping that process?

  • FuglyDuck@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    11
    ·
    30 days ago

    Christianity is, by definition, a cult of human sacrifice.

    Kinda puts the entire faith into perspective.

        • Valso@lemmy.ml
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          14 days ago

          And they’re carcass worshippers. Think about it: they collect and pray to the body parts of different “saints”- hands, legs, skulls. etc. If you look through their own commandments, they’ll be the first on the line to their hell. 😆

        • Hazor@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          0
          ·
          29 days ago

          They wear symbols of a torturous execution device as jewelry, and use it to decorate their homes.

          • Valso@lemmy.ml
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            14 days ago

            I’ve often asked them if the cross was what killed their “god”, what would they be wearing nowadays, if Jizzus was raped by a roman soldier and died as a result of that, but they never answer. 🤣

      • Billiam@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        30 days ago

        When you’re actively trying to bring about the end of the world, there’s no more apt description.

      • Rai@lemmy.dbzer0.com
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        30 days ago

        Death Cult Armageddon, great Dimmu album. My parents got it for me along with Enthrone Darkness Triumphant for Christmas one year but they wouldn’t buy me Diablo II because Diablo “didn’t fit the theme of the holiday.”

        • NotASharkInAManSuit@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          30 days ago

          In all fairness, Diablo has an entirely different lore than Christianity, I can see where they were coming from. We want to burn Yahweh, not Anu.

      • FuglyDuck@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        30 days ago

        Well, they were in luck… he’s only mostly dead. If he was all the way dead, it wouldn’t have worked. but Mostly dead? Miracle Max can work with that.

      • Sixty@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        edit-2
        30 days ago

        Dooms day death cult.

        Lead by Jesus, the dooms day death cult leader.

        I hear he’s a “good guy.”

        I don’t think dooms day death cult leaders, make believe or not and I just mean a historical grifter non magical, are good people.

    • jaupsinluggies@feddit.uk
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      0
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      30 days ago

      Not really; one guy died, by his own choice, but came back to life two days later. A real “cult of human sacrifice” would require it as an ongoing practice and for the victims to stay dead.

      • sangriaferret@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        30 days ago

        Jesus alone doesn’t make it a death cult. It’s a death cult because the whole religion is predicated on death. Dying is the entire point. Your entire life is a means to gain the rewards of dying and only then will you truly be happy.

      • FuglyDuck@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        30 days ago

        Just because there was only one sacrificial offering doesn’t mean jesus wasn’t a sacrificial offering.

        The whole thing about jesus being both fully god and fully man is that no “normal” human would ever be sinless- and therefore would be an inadequate sacrifice. Therefore god became man- that is, jesus- whose sole purpose was to be a “perfect” sacrifice.

        • not_fond_of_reddit@lemm.ee
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          0
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          30 days ago

          But isn’t the whole trinity thing God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit the same entity? So God sacrificed himself for himself… wouldn’t really call a two day nap for some eternal being a sacrifice either.

          • Sc00ter@lemmy.zip
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            0
            ·
            30 days ago

            This was always my biggest struggle growing up in a catholic house. “He sacrificed himself to save everyone who came before and will come after.”

            Like, is that really that big of a deal? Shit if i was presented with the option of a much smaller number than infinity, idk say 1000, id sacrifice myself. AND i don’t know that I’m god or that my father is god and that ill be taken care of for all eternity.

            In all reality, that numbers way less than 1000 for strangers, and if you include anyone i know/care about, that number could be as low as 1.

            • FuglyDuck@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              1
              ·
              edit-2
              29 days ago

              He set ad and eve up, too. He meant for them to eat the dam fruit,

              All so he could LARP as the White Knight™️.