[Martin Luther II]

Go ahead and take this little vote, and then tell me what you think in the comments. Do note that a question regarding Atheism is not included only because by 2050, predictions are that the worldwide percentage of Atheists, while INcreasing in the USA and Europe, will actually DEcrease worldwide, as the Global South simply has more people, and higher childbirth rates than the Global North.

Next point, the Reader may note that the Writer has proposed the poll whilst reading the book titled "Dune" by Frank Hebert. It is followed by five more written by him. Unfortunately he died, and was unable to complete what is widely believed to have been the final, seventh novel. His son and a co-author have been writing squels and prequels to the series, 16 of them as of now, although this Writer has heard on good authority that they are rather awful.

In VERY brief terms, "Dune" is the concept of a man who is taken to be the Mahdi (rather like a Messiah) of a people, and unleashes a Jihad on the Universe. In the book is yet another book discussed called the Orange Catholic Bible, the Official Scripture of the Imperium, also called the Koranjiyana Zenchristian Scriptures, the Accumulated Book, or the Zenchristian Navakoran. As one can see, said book is a blend of most  of the major religious texts on earth.

Now "Dune" takes place 185,000 years in the future. But, what DO you all think of the idea? What do people think will happen (vote above), and what do people think of the idea of religions joining or staying separate? If they ever created a book like the Orange Catholic Bible, would such a book have value? Would the use of one world Scripture unite humanity in a good way? Would it be destructive and dangerous? What about unification of religion? Should occur at all? If so, to what degree? If the Orange Catholic Bible were created, should the religions unite and or stay apart and just use the new Scripture?

Please vote, and then comment, and totally answer the questions as completely as possible. Please, be loquacious, be thorough and complete. If you are an Atheist, you are certainly welcome to answer, but keep in mind that given statistics, an understanding of Religion is that it will survive and play an increasing role in our society's future.

[Martin Luther II]

I actually think that things will get really crazy in terms of "Ecumenism" or Ecumenism. That word is used both with and without quotes in this sentence. What is Ecumenism, and what does it mean in quote marks that makes it different from when it was not.

Ecumenism, in and of itself, is simply the idea of learning about the beliefs and practices of another. Some more of the Liberal Ecumenists would go to the point of incorporating elements of belief and practice of others into their own use so long as those ideas don't contradict their own belief and practice.

"Ecumenism", on the other hand is, the idea that we are obligated to obliterate the differences that exist between us and others believe differently, all sit round a campfire, pretend we are the same, and sing Kum bay ya. Here, you don't really have a Conservative side.

Personally, I am inclined to think that something resembling a World Scripture will almost certainly be created, probably very skillfully. It will find a way to blend the various stories of Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, and many other religious narratives in such manner that they flow smoothly.  It will also find a way to distill the morality of the Bible, the Qur'an, the Analects of Confucius, and others harmonised and forming a smooth, clear edifice for one to observe.

It will be used in services all over the world as an addition to whatever texts are ALREADY being used. It won't REPLACE what is, but it will augment it. The religions will not merge. They will remain separate, but all will use this text and come to understand each other better

Would this be a good idea? TBH, I think it would. I would not favour alternatives. First you have the situation which currently obtains continuing so to do. USING ISIL as an example, that is an awful thought. And clearly the other option of it getting worse, that is also hideous.

But the idea of joining one world religion would be unpleasant. To give up your identity, your special place in the world, as a unique child of God, is illogical. Worshipping God the Lutheran way is special, and should be encouraged, not forced to submerge into bland ALL-ness. The same is true of Muslim, or Hindu, or Jewish, etc ways of worship.

So, that's pretty much where I sit on the subject.

[Roundy]

God willing it will sooner or later disappear entirely.

[Martin Luther II]

God willing it will sooner or later disappear entirely.

Highly unlikely. Like I said, statistics indicate that the overall amount of Atheists are DEcreasing in the world population as a whole. By 2050, the number of them will be higher in the US and Western Europe, but lower worldwide. This was just in the Huffpost, which is not known as being favourable toward religion by ANY stretch of the imagination.

[Roundy]

God willing it will sooner or later disappear entirely.

Highly unlikely. Like I said, statistics indicate that the overall amount of Atheists are DEcreasing in the world population as a whole. By 2050, the number of them will be higher in the US and Western Europe, but lower worldwide. This was just in the Huffpost, which is not known as being favourable toward religion by ANY stretch of the imagination.

Aw shucks. 

[İntikam]

I don't know.

God damn Illuminati trying to make the world has been "one nation, one state , one language, one religion" but we resist it for save the differences. because God don't want us be same. If he do, all the same language , religion, color , type was created in the belief and thought . But he didn't so we should to resist this plan. All of others possible but my choice about the question is "I do not know". Because it is not certain who win. They are in a position more advantageous but i believe and hope we'll do. Because God decides who will win. Other things are temporary but his choice is certain.

[Ghost Spaghetti]

Evidence suggests that religions will rise and religions will fall. Some larger sects will schism, some smaller sects will re-unite. The geographical spread of religions will change and there will continue to be a minority of nonbelievers under differing degrees of persecution around the world. In the tens of thousands of years we've had formal religions, various sects have claimed to have unifying creeds, but none have been successful.

Personally, I am inclined to think that something resembling a World Scripture will almost certainly be created, probably very skillfully. It will find a way to blend the various stories of Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, and many other religious narratives in such manner that they flow smoothly.  It will also find a way to distill the morality of the Bible, the Qur'an, the Analects of Confucius, and others harmonised and forming a smooth, clear edifice for one to observe.

Unlikely, Jews, Christians, Muslims, etc. can't even agree on a World Scripture of their own faiths. Hinduism isn't even one religion, it's an umbrella faith with thousands of different permutations and religious scripts.

[Lord Dave]

I don't know.

God damn Illuminati trying to make the world has been "one nation, one state , one language, one religion" but we resist it for save the differences. because God don't want us be same. If he do, all the same language , religion, color , type was created in the belief and thought . But he didn't so we should to resist this plan. All of others possible but my choice about the question is "I do not know". Because it is not certain who win. They are in a position more advantageous but i believe and hope we'll do. Because God decides who will win. Other things are temporary but his choice is certain.

But God DID want us to be the same.
He only made 2 people, one of which was a female version of the guy.
He also wanted everyone to follow him and it was only when we worked together to make the tower of Babel did God make other languages to keep us from doing something like that again.

[Martin Luther II]

You make some interesting points. I wish to take them one by one, as you seem to have thought this through rather intelligently, unlike many of the shrill responses that one gets in a thread like this, both from Believers (of one persuasion or other) and Atheists.

Evidence suggests that religions will rise and religions will fall. Some larger sects will schism, some smaller sects will re-unite. The geographical spread of religions will change and there will continue to be a minority of nonbelievers under differing degrees of persecution around the world. In the tens of thousands of years we've had formal religions, various sects have claimed to have unifying creeds, but none have been successful.

This is an interesting point. Christianity is a case in point. Even within Lutheranism, there are schisms a-plenty, primarily based on two things: (1), Liberal v. Conservative, and (2), ethnicity. Now the ethnic part isn't so much a schism, really. For example, ELS (Evangelical Lutheran Synod) is in Communion and Altar Fellowship with WELS (Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod). The first is basically a bunch of Norwegians around Minnesota, and the second a bunch of Germans in Wisconsin. They agree with each other in Faith, but originally worshipped in different languages and in different places. Hence, two Churches.

The first issue is much more of a schism. When ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) decided in 2009 to ordain partnered homosexual persons and marry them, numerous groups broke away and formed their own groups of Churches, the largest in my area being LCMC (Lutheran Congregations for Missions in Christ). They also took the largest ELCA parish in the city along with them. So I do see your point here.

Personally, I am inclined to think that something resembling a World Scripture will almost certainly be created, probably very skillfully. It will find a way to blend the various stories of Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, and many other religious narratives in such manner that they flow smoothly.  It will also find a way to distill the morality of the Bible, the Qur'an, the Analects of Confucius, and others harmonised and forming a smooth, clear edifice for one to observe.

Unlikely, Jews, Christians, Muslims, etc. can't even agree on a World Scripture of their own faiths. Hinduism isn't even one religion, it's an umbrella faith with thousands of different permutations and religious scripts.

I am not sure I entirely agree with you on this one. Muslims all agree that the Holy Qur'an is Scripture. Now, they may disagree on what constitutes valid Haadith, but that is a bit secondary. Jews all agree that the Hebrew Bible is indeed the Scripture of their Faith. They may vary as to how to interpret it, but there is no disagreement on what it is. Christians do disagree on the contents of the Old Testament, with the Catholics accepting extra books that the Protestants do not, and the Orthodox accepting one or two more, and the Ethiopian Church accepting still more. But they all agree on the New Testament, which, lets be honest, is more central to the Christian message. They may again, differ as to how to preach the message, but the content...

Hinduism does get a bit odd. I won't dispute with you that there are a shit-ton of varying texts of varying degrees of importance to different Hindus. And what exactly is a Hindu? Some people count Jains as Hindus. There are even Buddhists in India who are counted as Hindu.

I think that if a Commission of Ecumenical Translators ever DID meet with the intentions of creating a world Scripture such as the Orange Catholic Bible, it would have to choose wisely from all the Scriptures that are validated by people everywhere. It would not be able to restrict itself to those that only the majority, whatever the Hell that is, use. I mean, Hinduism is the world's 3rd largest religion. Even though they as a group do not all accept the same texts, there are some that are common, more or less, to them as a group. I do think it could be done. As to whether it will be, well, that is another matter.

[Martin Luther II]

And yes, the Censors will have noticed by now who this is, the former Yaakov ben Avraham. I have done two things that have radically changed my life. One, I have joined the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, and two, I have become considerably more liberal in some respects. So don't flip your lids and think I am his alt. I am not. I am simply the same person, with some pretty effed up changes in my personal life.

[Rushy]

The only thing that could come down and enforce a single one-world scripture would be an actual god. I mean, if suddenly an all-powerful, all-knowing, all-good being came down, you can't really disagree with its rules, well, not without being smited.

[beardo]

And yes, the Censors will have noticed by now who this is, the former Yaakov ben Avraham. I have done two things that have radically changed my life. One, I have joined the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, and two, I have become considerably more liberal in some respects. So don't flip your lids and think I am his alt. I am not. I am simply the same person, with some pretty effed up changes in my personal life.

So do you eat pork now?

[Roundy]

Oy gevalt, I can't believe we lost another one!  Feh, I could just plotz!

[beardo]

Oy Vey!

[Martin Luther II]

Yes, I do occasionally eat some kinds of pork although certain kinds I find I cannot stomach. Pork chops are REVOLTING!

[beardo]

So what's the reason for the big change?

[Roundy]

Obviously he got bored with one persona so he decided to go with another.

[George]

So what's the reason for the big change?

Maybe he wanted a fresh start, only to realize that everyone would know who he was from his writing style.

[Rushy]

So what's the reason for the big change?

Maybe he wanted a fresh start, only to realize that everyone would know who he was from his writing style.

Wow, Saddam, I didn't realize that you're literally yaakov.

Oh, haha, wait you're doing that thing where you answer questions directed at other people even though you have no actual idea what the answer really is. No opportunity to inject your baseless opinion goes to waste in these forums.

[Martin Luther II]

So what's the reason for the big change?

Maybe he wanted a fresh start, only to realize that everyone would know who he was from his writing style.

George obviously isn't that bright, since I freely ADMITTED who I was upstream. I never attempted to hide the fact that I was Ya'akov. I would strongly suggest that you grow up and get a life. As for Roundy, I think a similar thing applies. A person IS allowed to make changes in their life. Some Christians become other than, some Jews become other than. I am the latter. It is my right. That doesn't mean I am a different person, it just means my choices are a bit different. Grow up, man.