Is it just me or does it seem like a lot of the people in the west are abandoning Christianity not for atheism but for superstition. Many of my friends, who were raised in Christian homes, now consider themselves just spiritual. They practice yoga, carry around charms, and even use sage to "bless" their house and try and create "good energy" out of "negative energy." They attempt to conjure up the dead and contact spirits through ghost hunting.
One of my good friends, who was raised in a devout Catholic family that was very traditional, is now into Wicca and has an altar where she prays to Wicca goddess and other Wicca deities. Another one of my friends believes Jesus was just an enlightened individual who was connected to the "spiritual world" by accessing the third eye. He believes drugs help people open their "third eye" and is really big into charms and magic rituals and sometimes even participates in Wicca rituals with my other friend. They invited me to one of their rituals once, but I told them as a practicing Christian I could not do such a thing since I worship one God and magic rituals are forbidden in the Bible. I was then told that monotheism is dangerous used to control people and start wars and then we got into an argument. Well my friend got so mad at me that she put a curse on me but we did make up and she apologized and handed me a "good luck charm." I threw it in the trash when I got home.
What is going on though? It seems like this is happening everywhere. People are just getting "spiritual" and getting into all this superstitious shit now. Does anyone also have any similar experiences?
When people abandon the truth, they'll believe anything. We shouldn't be surprised when this happens, especially since they open themselves up to demonic influence. The best we can do is live the Gospel, preach the faith, and pray for them.
Evan Baker
Christianity demands too much from them. Spirituality demands nothing, offers nothing of value, and only serves to placate them in the now.
Don't know about the others, but sounds to me like your Wicca friend with the altar has become so bluepilled that Christianity now scares her. She wants to believe in a peaceful (well, neofeminist version of peaceful) world view where nobody can punish (to her, "hurt") or impose any rules (to her "control") on others unless they do something of the sort of whatever liberals consider bad (they still consider non-infantile murder as something bad right?). Maybe keep that in mind if you decide to debate with and preach to her again?
Jayden Cruz
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Ethan Scott
This is extremely accurate. Western whites, at least Americans, aren't becoming science-based atheists obsessed with Degrasse Tyson. They're irreligious, but still know there's more to life than atheism. They're misguided and confused, manipulated by new age mysticism propaganda.
This. Full on fedora atheism just isn't that popular. Much easier to believe in some sort of really vague spiritual belief in which you don't have to do anything but "be a good person", and then when you die you get to see all your friends and family in pseudo-heaven. Only really bad people like murderers and rapists, as well as whatever special categories of people you don't take a liking to, go to pseudo-hell. Pseudo-god in this view is nice and vague and non-threatening, sort of like a good buddy who doesn't judge you too much and laughs at your jokes.
Camden Wright
I haven't observed this. Maybe it depends on country. In Finland it seems like educated liberal millennials in particular are generally speaking atheist pseudo-nihilists saying they don't really believe in anything except vaguely being good, yet their ethics are clearly derived from severely warped evangelic-lutheran christianity that is then mashed with communism, utopianism and nietzschean superhumanity. In some cases classical liberalism instead of communism, but usually communism without professing victim even understanding it. That blend is their replacement religion. It gives them utopian belief that they can fix everything wrong in the world, that they can save everyone via their superhuman intellect, will and strength alone. Their spirituality if you can say they have one can be reduced to unwavering commitment to egalitarism while simultaneously fancying idea of their own superhumanity that you can always read between the lines.
Asher Parker
It sounds like you might be Catholic, but still, I would recommend these three books for a little bit of insight into this phenomenon: "Nihilism" and "Orthodoxy and the Religion of the Future" by Fr Seraphim Rose and "Orthodoxy and the Kingdom of Satan" by Fr Spyridon Bailey, in that order.
"Nihilism" explains nihilism as not *only* a belief that truth doesn't exist, but as a faith of it's own that is in competition with Christianity. "Orthodoxy and the Religion of the Future" goes into things like Zen Buddhism, transcendental meditation, UFO culture, and why people are being drawn to it. "Orthodoxy and the Kingdom of Satan" is more contemporary than the previous two (they're written around the 60's, this is from last year) and updates the progress of movements and beliefs that were written about in Fr Seraphim's "Religion of the Future".
Isaac Ross
this.
Ethan Sullivan
Ulimately it all comes down to them not wanting to submit to God. Most of these people go down to become e-gurus, witches and Gods/Godesses because they all want to stroke their ego.
Id blame them and the little to no emphasis on tradition by church officials.
I still respect hinduism because of its metaphysics.
Aiden Jones
Threads like these only serve as an echo chamber for the projection of personal biases. Yes we know Christianity is different from other religions but that doesn't mean one must expressly make an effort to belittle other ancient beliefs. There's reason why the world is varied in its views and if anyone is an adherent of any belief it's probably largely due to having existed in a time and place where such a belief is present. If someone chooses one belief over the other it may understandably be because of the perceived shortcomings of the other. For one reason or another certain beliefs and practices may be of more perceivable benefit in a more tangible manner, and they would be quite logical and rational to follow and doing so isn't necessarily an often alleged deficiency of conviction but may rather be a purposely sought cultivation of one's own capacities which some religions seek to work with rather than ignore. Some religions also have a lot of sectarian infighting between them often over seemingly trivial issues and may also be highly politicized instead of being focused on maintaining a communal and spiritual tradition, leaving people craving it and seeking elsewhere.
Chase Davis
Well, they can do whatever they want since we won't burn them as witches, but society is regressing. Everything these so-called spiritual people say is a pack of lies, something even a New Atheist can recognize, and its immoral to lie, even to yourself.
They even know that they are lying to themselves, and they know it because nothing they ever say puts them in the wrong about anything, it's just an opiate to drug yourself asleep in the world.
The funny thing is some Muslims and Jews probably complain about the same thing, I wonder which would be preferred by some, that people be Islamic or Jewish over a non-Abrahamic faith?
There is no religion other than Christianity, not one. They may call themselves whatever they want though
Gabriel Foster
The undisputed writing of Acts clearly alludes to the existence of multiple religions together with elsewhere in scripture.
26:5 having knowledge of me from the first, if they be willing to testify, that after the straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.
Ian Gray
Of course there is, they just don't work very well.
Justin Cook
"When people no longer believe in God they believe in everything" Secular humanism, marxism, mindless hedonism, SJWism, political religions, transhumanism Yoga, witchcraft, edulcorated western buddhism, new age feel good doctrines, self help human potential BS. ALL THESE THINGS are just a surrogate for lack of spiritual meaning.
The only honest man was Nietzsche who, after rejecting God, also decided to reject all political illusions, secular moral systems and other lies people use to delude themselves. Naturally he went mad, but at least was honest, unlike these people.
God, delusions or insanity. Which way modern man?
Kevin Walker
New ageism is not a belief worth of respect.
Aaron Smith
Belief has no value by itself. Only Truth does. It is quite obvious from physical and philosophical that atheism and polytheism is wrong. And it is only a belittle to point out its inconsistences if the viewer is prideful not of holding the Truth but of holding his opinion whatever it may be. Not only are atheists prideful but so are you.
Austin Gomez
Did you throw it in the trash in your house?! You shouldn't have those things in your house OP. Not even in the trash. Out out out!
Jack Reed
An interesting thing I've seen is that where many men who lose faith turn to atheism many women instead turn to new age garbage. I don't know why that is but it frequently seems to be the case.
Blake Morgan
i think this video is relevant to the preying on women
Jayden Ross
It took Satan himself to deceive woman, but all it took was a woman to deceive man.
