Atheism on the rise in New Zealand.

Reinforcing ‘the bleeding obvious’ a Massey University study of 1,000 students, published last week, shows there has been a sharp rise in the number of New Zealanders with no religious affiliation.

The study revealed 40 percent of students surveyed had no religious affiliation compared to 29 percent 17 years ago.

That’s a 38% fall in those of a religious persuasion in less than two decades, and at this rate of decline it will be sooner rather than later, when non-believers will form the majority of Kiwi’s and religious institutions will crumble.

In-fact only one third of respondents indicated they considered themselves ‘religious’.

When asked if they believed in God, 53 per cent said yes, but in a somewhat contradictory twist to their answers, half of those cast doubts on a ‘real interventionist’ God.

20 percent believed in some form of higher power and about third said they didn't believe or didn't know or care.

Fighting a rear-guard action and trying to put a positive-spin on the survey, Kiwi God-botherers highlighted the fact religion in New Zealand is on the decrease but belief in God has not diminished.

Having read the grim statistics and faced with falling patronage and aging adherents, N.Z Churches need to start facing the distinct prospect of Churches closing their doors.

Belief on God won’t pay for the staff ,it’s money in the Sundays plate.

Also organised religion in this country will soon find, that from this increasing pool of atheists, will come larger numbers of the more vocal and militant non-believers, who want to a truly secular country.

That’s people like me.

There will be more & more New Zealanders who want to end religious privilege and politicians will be forced to act accordingly.