ideologyhunter
Contributor
I find the term "nones" to be frustrating because it stands for such a mishmash of positions -- it includes everything from strong atheist to pantheist. Its chief importance is probably that it indicates how, in the U.S., and even more so in western Europe, the big denominations are cratering. The Washington Post ran a piece recently on a new study from the Pew Research Center which gives new details on the nones. Some of the takeways:
The nones polled at 5% of Americans in 1972, reached a high of 30% in 2022, and polled last year at 28%.
At the start of the 1990s, about 90% of Americans self-identified as Christian; now it's 60%.
Among the nones, 17% are atheist and 20% are agnostic. If I did my math correctly, just over 10% of the general population are atheist/agnostic.
Back to the nones: the other 63% are "nothing in particular", but that's a bit deceptive, as it includes respondents who say they believe in a soul, in a higher power, etc. This group has abandoned denominational Christianity for a variety of stated reasons: it "causes division and intolerance and encourages superstition and illogical thinking." However, 58% of all the nones say religion "helps society by giving people meaning and purpose."
69% of the nones are younger than 50, which is probably more bad news for traditional Christianity.
I'm heartened overall -- almost a third of Americans have no church affiliation. That would have seemed unthinkable when I was a kid (late 50s through the 60s.) I'm hoping that opposition to the assault on Roe will show us that the Christian Right has already reached its high water mark. Of course, they intend to run the country by minority rule if they can get away with it. No easy way to marginalize them -- yet.
It is easier and easier to self-identify as non-religious. That's a big plus. I started freely describing myself as atheist about thirty years ago, and it's not a big deal at all in the settings I find myself in. Also, it doesn't come up much anymore, because proselytizing is less common (again, where I live.)
It's tantalizing to wonder how these stats will come out in another twenty, thirty years. Will the U.S. become a truly secular society?
The nones polled at 5% of Americans in 1972, reached a high of 30% in 2022, and polled last year at 28%.
At the start of the 1990s, about 90% of Americans self-identified as Christian; now it's 60%.
Among the nones, 17% are atheist and 20% are agnostic. If I did my math correctly, just over 10% of the general population are atheist/agnostic.
Back to the nones: the other 63% are "nothing in particular", but that's a bit deceptive, as it includes respondents who say they believe in a soul, in a higher power, etc. This group has abandoned denominational Christianity for a variety of stated reasons: it "causes division and intolerance and encourages superstition and illogical thinking." However, 58% of all the nones say religion "helps society by giving people meaning and purpose."
69% of the nones are younger than 50, which is probably more bad news for traditional Christianity.
I'm heartened overall -- almost a third of Americans have no church affiliation. That would have seemed unthinkable when I was a kid (late 50s through the 60s.) I'm hoping that opposition to the assault on Roe will show us that the Christian Right has already reached its high water mark. Of course, they intend to run the country by minority rule if they can get away with it. No easy way to marginalize them -- yet.
It is easier and easier to self-identify as non-religious. That's a big plus. I started freely describing myself as atheist about thirty years ago, and it's not a big deal at all in the settings I find myself in. Also, it doesn't come up much anymore, because proselytizing is less common (again, where I live.)
It's tantalizing to wonder how these stats will come out in another twenty, thirty years. Will the U.S. become a truly secular society?
