What's up with logic nowadays?

It's actually the opposite. The countries with the highest qualities of life do indeed have the highest atheist populations. But atheism doesn't cause higher quality of life...higher quality of life and better education results in more atheism.

Atheists are more likely to be college-educated people who live in cities and they are highly concentrated in the social democracies of Europe. Atheism thus blossoms amid affluence where most people feel economically secure. But why?

It seems that people turn to religion as a salve for the difficulties and uncertainties of their lives. In social democracies, there is less fear and uncertainty about the future because social welfare programs provide a safety net and better health care means that fewer people can expect to die young. People who are less vulnerable to the hostile forces of nature feel more in control of their lives and less in need of religion.

The reasons that churches lose ground in developed countries can be summarized in market terms. First, with better science, and with government safety nets, and smaller families, there is less fear and uncertainty in people's daily lives and hence less of a market for religion. At the same time many alternative products are being offered, such as psychotropic medicines and electronic entertainment that have fewer strings attached and that do not require slavish conformity to unscientific beliefs.

Why atheism will replace religion

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-human-beas...

It really depends on how the correlation is determined and not so much on the "logic". For example, we know through many studies that there is a strong negative correlation between education and belief. However, while you may have a valid point, it is not because of "logic" but because of determination of the correlation.

As far as "debating" goes, you are making an observation that is well known and repeated by both sides (regardless of what the sides are). You can not see where or if your "reason" is just what you think is right just as those you debate against can not as well. This is both an age old observation and an somewhat inaccurate one. Rarely do "debates" end up in anything else other than both sides thinking that they have won and that the other was being unreasonable, conversely the purpose of a debate ti to present both sides and perhaps educate listeners to all the issues.

"It seems that nobody is really logical anymore;...."

"correlation does not imply causation."

It seems you are contradicting yourself, no?

There are still rationalists out there, we are a dying breed, you can thank the people who have engaged and promoted the Jutons & Eotons, Gunas, Demons/Devils, what ever your view is on who/what brings ignorance, who are the masses!

"I try to reason and they just repeat what they think is right."

Then it is an argument, how ever, if you both gave reason, then it would be a debate!

"Anyone else notice that people tend not to listen to reason very much?"

Yes, I call those people 'the masses', as it is that for the past... Lets us see, the neo-Hippie movement started in the 1960's... 40 years, promotion of stupidity, irresponsibility, and so forth, had lead to the downfall of humanity. Sure there are funny jokes of lesser mentality, but other than that, the people are, as Nietzsche said '.... --The breeding of the 'Christian'.'- THE ANTICHRIST, turn this over to more as 'the breeding of stupidity'!

Debate and arguing are two different things. In arguments you tend to try to yell over each other. In a debate you listen to one point of view without interruption then the opposing without interruption rebuttals are handled the same way.

Now to your logic question, on many topics right and wrong is relative to the beliefs one holds the most dear. Maybe what you consider logical another considers foolishness. Your Apostle Paul said as much, I'm sure you will recall "it is only foolish to them that don't believe". They find your thoughts just as illogical as you find theirs.

I do not believe I have a better life because of my beliefs or lack there of. There are some here who believe themselves better for their lack of belief, but that is arrogance no Atheism.

With respect, all the guy did was present statistics that suggested there was a correlation. He never claimed causation.

It's interesting that many of the countries towards the top of most "quality of life" rankings do tend to have a reputation, if not for atheism, at least with secularism. They also have a tendency to have reputations for being politically and social progessive (also terms associated, rightly or wrongly, with atheists).

Merely pointing out correlations is not, however, arguing causation.

I know what you mean.

My thought is that most have an agenda when it comes to logic or they have their beliefs. Athiest will not listen to the the fact that something so complex can come from nothing, not to mention morality, love, and more. So they will try to throw something back at Christians because theres no logical way to explain it.

Christians will say that Jesus and the Bible is the truth and say anything that the bible says is true. I also believe in Jesus full-heartedly but I can logically give reasons for my belief. Its called aplogetics.

People are not logical and never really were. We are creatures of emotion. We believe what feels good to believe, and logic is just an attempt to justify what we believe to others. People are not logical because those are not the true reasons or motives. If we took away all human defenses, denial and rationalizations, the world would be thrown into madness.

Why does a christian country like Iceland have a much higher quality of life than the US?

It's because the people of Iceland are more open to science, and atheists are more open to science than christians. Science is what improves people's lives, not atheism or religion

And you have now committed the fallacy of hasty generalisation. One person makes a statement you don't agree with so therefore nobody is logical anymore.

In fact improved quality of life and atheism share the same cause - education.

We die and the world moves on without us here. If we have not made some significant contribution to the world, it appears as if we will be forgotten. There is no logic to life, only logic applies to our educated minds. If we have faith in the coffee cup we drank from this morning, so be it. At least we had faith in something. Religion is denomination. No religion is superior.