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By Evan Bleier, Fri, July 26, 2013
A new study by a noted author and biopsychologist has found that atheism is most prevalent in developed countries.
Based on that finding, Nigel Barber concludes that religion will completely disappear by 2041. He discusses the topic in his new book “Why Atheism Will Replace Religion.”
According to his findings, “Atheists are heavily concentrated in economically developed countries.”
One of Barber’s central points is that religion decreases as personal wealth increases. His argument is that people don’t need supernatural beliefs when the real world is providing for their needs, MSN Now reported.
Barber talks about the study:
“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 his work, Barber dismisses the theory that religious groups will continue to dominate Atheists because they have more children. “Yet, noisy as they can be, such groups are tiny minorities of the global population and they will become even more marginalized as global prosperity increases and standards of living improve.”
He also concludes that as women become more integrated into the workforce, they will have fewer children, even if they are religious. “Moreover, as religious fundamentalists become economically integrated, young women go to work and produce smaller families, as is currently happening for Utah’s Mormons,” he says.
A new study by a noted author and biopsychologist has found that atheism is most prevalent in developed countries.
Based on that finding, Nigel Barber concludes that religion will completely disappear by 2041. He discusses the topic in his new book “Why Atheism Will Replace Religion.”
According to his findings, “Atheists are heavily concentrated in economically developed countries.”
One of Barber’s central points is that religion decreases as personal wealth increases. His argument is that people don’t need supernatural beliefs when the real world is providing for their needs, MSN Now reported.
Barber talks about the study:
“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 his work, Barber dismisses the theory that religious groups will continue to dominate Atheists because they have more children. “Yet, noisy as they can be, such groups are tiny minorities of the global population and they will become even more marginalized as global prosperity increases and standards of living improve.”
He also concludes that as women become more integrated into the workforce, they will have fewer children, even if they are religious. “Moreover, as religious fundamentalists become economically integrated, young women go to work and produce smaller families, as is currently happening for Utah’s Mormons,” he says.
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