4. The world has truely become a scary place filled with violence and atrocity which may lead some to believe that there may be a corelation between the loss of religion and the increase of violence and radicalization.

That is not what history shows. There is no other single reason for bloodshed between people than religious differences.

Some however, will argue that it is not religions themselves leading to bloodshed, but misunderstanding, misinterpretation or politization of religions..THEY MAY BE RIGHT.

I tend to think that most violence rises out of a need for power and all its trappings.  All too often religion is a convenient way to get a group of people to "rally around a cause".  Religion is often a scapegoat for many horrifying acts (oh, the Bible says this, the devil made me do it, or God commands this).  There is a valid arguement for both opinions and depending on your own experience of the world you will feel one way or the other.  I look at history and see many wars fought, not for religion but where religion was used as a tool to convince people to go to war.  Some people look back and see religion as the ultimate call to arms. 

That was my point... He says half of the Dutch population is atheist, and he is talking about the world becoming atheist. Without official religion is not the same as being atheist. The ACTUAL percentage of atheist in Holland is 14% (in 2011). The 50% he is talking about are "without religion" people, who might be atheist, but who might also believe in God or believe in some other form of higher being. I can´t give a break for lying, sorry He claims that Holland is becoming atheist while only 14% is... That´s not a shockingly high number, is it? Show me this man, I´ll spank him for bad scientific writing!

Ever considered religion mostly a cultural thing? For example, As a Turkish non-believer whatever cooks in the Islamo-Turkish cauldron has passed on to me too. As a result, there is still a big difference between me and say a Dutch non-believer. Our minds shaped up in these pools. We both climbed different hills and met different obstacles. I believe, most people are not aware that they are Christians or Muslims just on paper. They just blend in this cultural soup that is beginning to tolerate a greater variety of different flavours.

I believe, one could find just a few true believers by Jesus or Muhammad´s standards in the entire world´s population. Majority of people just belong to a religious culture and nothing more.

It is hard for people to believe in what they have never heard of. Where I am in the SF Bay Area, many people have adopted Budhist practices, although they may have come from Christian or Jewish backgrounds.

I must say I cherish our secular society, where one is exposed to, and can explore many different paths.

Actually the Abrahamic faiths are very similar.

I see a similar movement in Holland. Although people are moving away from "traditional Western" religions, they are moving more towards new-age movements. All looking for zen, going to their yoga meditation groups. Religion may be fading, but that doesn´t mean atheism is the substitute.

I bet Alpha was hoping for a more heated debate in a thread he named "atheism vs religion"!! Come on gals and guys, clash your ideas, is it gonna be religion or is it gonna be atheism?

People personal beliefs are not a "one versus the other" thing. The only people who believe that personal beliefs are the reason for debate, are the people who start wars.

In any case, I think the point about one non-believer in one country is not the same is in another is a good one. I also think that being born as "without religion" is something totally different than being born into a religion, and than denouncing the religion. I also notice that every Turk that I have met who has chosen to not be a muslim anymore, still refuses to eat pig

 My husband hasn´t practiced his religion in years yet he still won´t eat pork either.  He claims it is just so deeply ingrained in his mind that he can´t bring himself to eat it.  This is a great example of how religion can be "cultural."

I think it´s easy to dislike meat. I have to stop myself from thinking when I eat meat and generally don´t liike it too much anyway.

One Turkish person who was a restaurant worker said to me once that the reason they don´t eat pork is that pork is full of bacteria, he even saw it.

Funny but for Christians, in the old testament it is forbidden to eat pork and also until the canon law of 1983 women were required to cover their heads before entering a church or cathedrale...  Just goes to show that we keep what we want of our religions and beliefs.  

May explain why some either stop practicing their religion or stop believing in it.