A controversial new study has claimed that atheism is on the verge of dying out.

Researchers found that since religious groups preach against contraception, they tend to have more children than those who label themselves as atheists.

These findings offset the popular prediction that 'scientific thinking' will eventually replace 'supernatural thinking' humans'.

A new study has suggested that atheism is on the verge of dying out. Researchers have found that since religious groups preach against contraception, they tend to have more children than those who label themselves as atheists

NUMBER OF KIDS The team sampled more than 4,000 students attending different colleges in both the US and Malaysia, who were asked about their beliefs and number of siblings. In Malaysia, Muslim families had an average of 5.89 children and 4.29 in the US. The second most fertile parents in Malaysia were Hindus with 4.01 children – but this was a small sample of only five students. Atheists living in Malaysia had an average of 3.67 children and parents of US students that were also not part of a religious group had 3.04. Christians living in the US had 3.11 children and Catholics had 3.42. Advertisement

The study was conducing by researchers from the US and Malaysia, who set out to 'examine how person with various religious beliefs and affiliations are the descendants of parents with varying degrees of fertility', reads the study published in the journal Evolutionary Psychological Science.

'To the extent that secularization is occurring, we hypothesize that religiosity should be inversely correlated with parental fertility, and we expect this to be the case across countries and religious groups.'

The team sampled more than 4,000 students attending different colleges in both the US and Malaysia, who were asked about their beliefs and number of siblings.

Following a four-page questionnaire, researchers found that within both countries, the most fertile group was Muslims.

In Malaysia, Muslim families had an average of 5.89 children and 4.29 in the US.

The second most fertile parents in Malaysia were Hindus with 4.01 children – but this was a small sample of only five students.

Atheists living in Malaysia had an average of 3.67 children and parents of US students that were also not part of a religious group had 3.04.

CONTRACEPTION BELIEFS Muslim According to the Islamic faith, sex is forbid outside of marriage and there have been many cases where both the man and woman were physically punished for their actions. On the other hand, there is no laws against or for contraception, and eight of the nine classic schools of Islamic law permit it. However, conservative Islamic leaders preach against the use of condoms or other types of birth control, which has made it difficult for people to get access to what they need for family planning. Although the Qur'an does not mention birth control directly, it does provide a quote that many Muslims believe opposes it. 'You should not kill your children for fear of want' (17:31, 6:151). Some believe that preventing a pregnancy from happening is also killing a child. Catholics Catholics believe contraception is sinful and the worst being birth control pills. This religious group says that it doesn't prevent the sperm and egg from conceiving, but acts as an abortifacient. They believe birth control pills force the uterus to eject potentially fertilized eggs, which they believe is an embryo and a person. The Catholic Church also sees condoms and other artificial contraception as morally wrong, because they teach marriage should only be done in marriage. However, this religious groups does encourage people to use natural science as a form of contraception. This includes taking body temperature, checking body fluids, and using some computations, as they say a woman can determine with 95% accuracy when to have sex and not get pregnant. Advertisement

Following a four-page questionnaire, researchers found that within both countries, the most fertile group was Muslims. In Malaysia, Muslim families had an average of 5.89 children and 4.29 in the US

It was also found that Christians living in the US had 3.11 children and Catholics had 3.42.

'If one combines this finding with the extensive evidence reviewed in the introduction that both religiosity and fertility are substantially influenced by genes, once can deduce that over the long term, secularization is not likely to replace the popularity of religions,' the researchers wrote in the study.

'Instead, over the long term, we predict that the most religious 'shall inherit the earth,' so to speak'.

'This is especially so for the most fertile religious groups – Islam'.

Atheists living in Malaysia had an average of 3.67 children and parents of US students that were also not part of a religious group had 3.04. It was also found that Christians living in the US had 3.11 children and Catholics had 3.42

The team noted that throughout the medieval period, people did not associate religion with contraception – as they did not have the education or means to produce it.

'In other words, even if religiosity was positively correlated with the number of offspring couples desired, contraception needed to have major effects on fertility rates during medieval times was quite limited.'

'As a result, it seems safe to assume that throughout the medieval period, fertility rates among the highly religious and the minimally religious were small.'

WHY IS THE SCIENCE VS RELIGION DEBATE SO FIERCE? 'Because the networks [analytical and emotional] suppress each other, they may create two extremes,' Dr Boyatzis said. 'Recognising that this is how the brain operates, maybe we can create more reason and balance in the national conversations involving science and religion.' The researchers say humans are built to engage and explore using both networks. 'Far from always conflicting with science, under the right circumstances religious belief may positively promote scientific creativity and insight,' Dr Jack said. 'Many of history's most famous scientists were spiritual or religious. Those noted individuals were intellectually sophisticated enough to see that there is no need for religion and science to come into conflict.' According to Baruch Aba Shalev's book '100 years of Nobel Prizes,' from 1901 to 2000, 654 Nobel laureates - 90 percent - belonged to one of 28 religions. 'You can be religious and be a very good scientist,' Dr Jack said. The researchers agree with the New Atheists that suspension of analytical thinking - at the wrong time - can be dangerous, and point to the historical use of religious differences to persecute or fight wars. But they said that taking a carefully considered leap of religious faith appears be an effective route to promoting emotional insight. Their study adds to a body of evidence showing that overall, religious belief is associated with greater compassion, greater social inclusiveness and greater motivation to engage in pro-social actions. Advertisement

'This allowed genes for minimal religiosity to exist alongside genes for maximal religiosity'.

In the study, the team discussed how genes play a role in whether or not you believe in God, which suggests that it may also be link to fertility rate.

The team explained that there is evidence that genetically influenced personality traits, particularly agreeableness, lead to greater religious involvement, larger family size and greater communal investment in general.

'A recent meta-analysis of a large sample studies found that adults who score high on agreeableness tend to invest heavily in both religious and family life,' reads the study.