Download ppt - Millions of Americans are living happily without religion

Millions of Americans are living happily without religion

Billboard in Indianapolis

sponsored by secular humanists


• 20% (63 million people) of Americans are not identified with any religion (up 5% in 5 years)

• 6% (18 million) are atheists/agnostics

• 14% (44 million) are nothing in particular; 88% of these (39 million) aren’t looking for religion


Americans are becoming more secular by the generation(note percentage of people not affiliated with religion)

1913-27 5%1928-45 9%1946-64 15%1965-80 21%1981-89 30%1990-94 34%

Millions of Americans are living happily without religion?

We are the product of billions of years that came before us.What gave a start to that product? Where did life come from & why?

We know that we are a tiny, but unique part of the everevolving story of life in the cosmos.We are insignificant. And just why is our world called the “cosmos”?

We’re made of the same ingredients as butterflies and bluewhales, giant sequoias, and spiral galaxies.What makes us any higher and more special than the rest of creation?


We accept that our lives will end, but we take great joy inthe fact that life keeps going.Life will not always keep going. Where then is the joy? So, why didlife start only eventually to stop?

We are responsible for living our lives with honesty, dignity,compassion, and truth.Who said so? Who selected these values? What is “truth”?

We are committed to making this world a better place.All of you? Who said to? Why, the world will end? What is “better”?


We celebrate the advances and the discoveries that eachday improve lives, stir imaginations, and stretch theboundaries of the possible.What is crooked cannot be straightened and what is lacking cannotbe counted. Every man is stupid. Nothing will be impossible with God.Eccl 1:15; Jer 10:12-14a; Lk 1:34-37


Q&AWhere do you find meaning in a purposeless universe? Howdo you deal with questions like ‘Why am I here?’We make our own meaning and are free to create our purpose for ourown existence. We decide for ourselves what we want to do with thelimited time we have on the planet. We’re not here for some cosmicor universal purpose. We’re simply here. But that’s a good thingbecause it means we get to decide what to do with our lives. We getto figure out what we want our purpose to be. That process itself isfull of meaning. Cp. Eccl 2:11; 9:11-12, 15; 12:13-14; Rom 8:28-30


Q&AHow do you determine right and wrong with no God or churchto tell you the difference? How do you know how to be a goodperson? Do people really need a divine command to know it’s wrongto hurt people? No. Basic moral rules are common to all cultures...We recognize our responsibility for making the world a better place…We have science and reason to help guide us. We study differentbehaviors and we use facts and data to help determine which beha-viors are truly harmful and which are benign. Where does man’s

senseof morality come from? His conscience? cp. Rom 2:14-15; 1:28-32;Jon 3:10; Jer 10:23; Prov 14:12; Judg 17:6; Isa 22:13, 5:20; Jer 6:15-16


Alive and awake for this brief period of time;savoring every moment.How can you be happy when you are hopeless?Cp. Rom 12:12; 1 Thess 4:13-18; 2 Cor 6:10a

"Happiness Is The Lord” by Ira Stanphill

Happiness is to know the Savior, Living a life within His favorHaving a change in my behavior, Happiness is the Lord

Happiness is a new creation, Jesus and me in close relationHaving a part in His salvation, Happiness is the Lord

Real joy is mine,no matter if teardrops startI've found the secret It's Jesus in my heartHappiness is to be forgiven, Living a life that's worth the livin'Taking a trip that leads to heaven,Happiness is the Lord