Religion isn't going anywhere.

I "officially" became atheist at the age of 14 or so, and I'm closer to 30 than 20; effectively, I've been a non-believer for half my life.

Having engaged other atheists for many years and having read various atheist articles and essays, I've come across a trend: many claim that religion is dying out and that, within a few generations, it'll cease to exist beyond a curious scholarly topic.

I hate to bust your bubbles, but no. Religion existed long before any of us were born and will continue to exist long after our distant descendants have perished.

The mid-to-late 19th century was fertile ground for Biblical criticism. It was in this environment that the "Jesus Myth" hypothesis flourished. If you asked an atheist at the time what the world would be like in a century, he'd probably respond that we'd all be atheist-communists speaking one world language.

It's a mistake to underestimate the persistence and persuasion of faith. It's especially misguided when religion is so intertwined with our history and culture. It's simply not gonna change within our lifetimes or in the lifetimes of our great-grandchildren and I'm tired of atheists who don't get this.

I'm not saying religion won't disappear. It will, someday, but I don't expect that to happen for millennia to come. History has shown us time and again that humanity requires ideologies to form cohesive societies. The world is not yet ready to accept a widespread secular ideology that fills religion's function.