I do not believe in leprechauns, pixies, ghosts, werewolves, jujus, angels, Tooth Faeries, Odin, Thor, Zeus, Ra, Brahma, Athena, Hera, Poseidon, Yahweh, Allah, or the Trinity, demons, devils, Astrology, the Tarot, Satan. For the same reason in every case: there is not the tiniest shred of 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐨𝐟 empirical, 𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥, 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥, 𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 any 𝐆𝐨𝐝 and the burden of proof rests with those who wish to believe. Even given no evidence for specific gods, we could make a case for some unspecified “intelligent designer” or “prime mover” or begetter of “something rather than nothing”? By far the most appealing version of this argument is the biological one - living things do present a powerful illusion of design. But that is the very version that Darwin destroyed. Any theist who appeals to “design” of living creatures simply betrays his ignorance of biology. Go away and read a book. And any theist who appeals to biblical “evidence” betrays ignorance of biblical scholarship. The burden of proof rests with those who wish to believe. Even given no evidence for specific gods, could 'his ignorance of modern scholarship. Go away and read another book. As for the cosmological argument, whose God goes under names such as Prime Mover or First cause, again no evidence. Because physicists are closing in, with spell-binding results. Even if there remain unanswered questions - where do the fundamental laws and constants of physics come from? Obviously, it cannot help to postulate a designer whose existence poses bigger questions than he purports to solve. If science fails, our best hope is to build a better science. The answer will lie neither in theology nor - its exact equivalent - reading tea leaves. In any case, it is a fatuously illogical jump from deistic Unmoved Mover to Christian Trinity, with the Son being tortured and murdered because the Father, for all his omniscience and omnipotence, could not think of a better way to forgive “sin”. Equally unconvincing are those who believe because it comforts them (why should truth be consoling?) or because it “feels right”. The wife of a former UK prime minister may stand for the” feels right” brigade. She based her belief on “an understanding of something that her head cannot explain but my heart knows to be true.” She aspired to become a judge! My’lud, I cannot provide the evidence you require. My head cannot explain why, but my heart knows it to be true. Why is religion immune to the critical standards we apply not just in our courts of law, but in every other life?”

At some point in the future, yes I think so. Religion continues to exist because it fills many needs at the societal and individual level beyond just belief in the supernatural. People use religion for community, a sense of (greater or worldly) purpose, a moral compass, to accept mortality, deal with loss or big emotions, plain boredom, to control themselves or others, get power, make money, etc.

Assuming humanity doesn’t wipe itself out in the future, people will find other ways to fill the needs or answer the questions they currently use religion for. Religion will cease to exist but that doesn’t mean the things that replace it will be better.

Not unless stupidity also ceases to exist. And by the looks of things, stupidity ain’t going anywhere.

No. Religion is too useful as a means of control.

Sadly, no. And it’s probably gonna have a resurgence soon with all the calamity

No. Humans by and large are idiots.

Not totally, no. People will always seek comfort and there will always be no shortage of people eager to exploit them.

Religion is the primary reason we’ll never achieve a utopia. I couldn’t fathom participation to drop to zero.

Short answer probably not, but I don’t think the trend of less religion in public life has maximised yet. Some amount of people are just really geared for religious faith and enjoy that certainty too much to accept things as they are.

Certainty is probably the real enemy in a lot of cases.

Let me insist that humanism is a real philosophy, and blueprint for society. Jesus’s speech was consistent with humanism. Christianity quickly erased Jesus from Christianity in favour of “coequal matter” with the demonism of Moses chosen people genocidal privilege of the emperor, and anyone who believed in what Jesus said is a heretic. All previous Christian sects that believed in Jesus were exterminated.

If believers followed humanist ideology out of hope for eternal heavenly reward with their $5000 Trump cheque, then that would be not just harmless, but constructive. However the power of religion’s only path is to corrupt souls onto evil. To answer your question, requires persecuting liars promoting their followers follow their evil. Without that persecution, liars will choose religious power.

No. We’re only months away from watering crops with Brawndo.

1. Humans will never know everything
2. Religion isn’t necessarily having answers to those things.

The number of religious people will never be zero. Religion is a method to control population by surrendering their free will. Over the very long term, religions do go extinct, or nearly-so. Look at Zoroastrianism, Norse paganism, Egyptian panopoly, the ancient Sumerian and Mesopotamian city-god cults.

They fall apart and lose adherents when their political backing collapses. In some cases, they get replaced by more wide-ranging systems, like how Chrisitanity’s relatable themes of suffering, the promise of love and deferred salvation displaced the older, more esoteric power-based Norse religion. Norse mythology sort of makes sense in cold, forested, sparesly populated Scandinavia, but as those cultures learned more about the rest of the planet, the stories of trolls, giants, gods and monsters as an excuse for banditry and raiding starts to look silly.

Convesion and Displacement, but generally because The Leader of these societies decided at some point through genuine faith, political convenience, their wife’s faith or just pragmatic cynicism that it was a good idea to move in a different direction. Hence, religion is a matter of political, economic and moral control. That’s never going to go completely out of style, as there’s always going to be bastards who want to use superstition to control people.

We should. It’s killing us all. If critical thinking and intellectual honesty catch on (and people recognize that defending the truth is akin to defending life itself), the average person will not accept claims without sufficient evidence.

I think humanity needs to mature or it will go extinct, and not enough people are acknowledging this.

No. A human needs something shaped like god and other humans will always exploit that