America is Becoming Less Religious

[Rex]

Interesting article:
http://priceonomics.com/america-is-becoming-less-religious-secular/

 

[jonathan180iq]

I wished more of them could see this graph...like every time they start talking about being attacked for their beliefs or make claims of persecution...

All of those colors that aren't a shade of blue? Yeah, they're sick of it.

You have to read it in reverse to see the trend down in the modern generation. That's at least a step in the right direction.

 

[Nakosis]

Seems Islam is growing among the youths.

 

[Gnostic Seeker]

The graph of course doesn't account for theists without an organized religion

 

[Iti oj]

The graph of course doesn't account for theists without an organized religion

yes it does, both other and spiritual but not religious appear.

 

[idav]

Age does seem to be a factor as we get older but I think the newer generation will be turning that the other way as we start to see a trend of older people sticking to their guns as they get older. The graph I see that as people who just didn't stick to their skepticism. I can see the youthful being more superstitious, age ought to have people growing out of that not going back to it. We have far too much to go on to be going backwards anymore.

 

[Gnostic Seeker]

yes it does, both other and spiritual but not religious appear.

Oops how did I overlook that?

 

[Iti oj]

Oops how did I overlook that?

no worries. I only noticed because I specifically checked.

 

[gsa]

I think that the Christian numbers are deceptive, though; when you examine their actual beliefs, you find that a substantial minority of American Christians believe that they have been in touch with the dead (29%), encountered ghosts (17%), consult psychics (14%), believe in spiritual energy in trees and other life forms and inanimate objects (23%), astrology (23%) and reincarnation (22%). While numbers are lower for white evangelicals on some of these measures, the syncretism can sill be found in more than 1 in 10 even within that conservative group. A different survey of participants at the Third Lausanne Congress of World Evangelization shows that the these beliefs are rejected by evangelical leaders, who consider them heretical. Those same evangelical leaders (and this is a global as opposed to American survey) also embrace divine healing (76%), direct revelation (61%) and exorcism (57%), with large minorities embracing speaking in tongues (47%) and giving or interpreting prophecy (40%). Yet in America large numbers of Christians would consider some or all of that to be heretical and incompatible with actual Christian practice.

All of this is to say that the "Christian" monolith is way overstated among all cohorts; there is no dominant religious belief or practice, at most there is a plurality representing the minimum set of shared beliefs and practices across Christian groups.

 

[Monk Of Reason]

Interesting article:
http://priceonomics.com/america-is-becoming-less-religious-secular/

I am actually surprised at how high the 18-29 is. There would probably be an even larger drop if we only included 18-25. I have noticed a significant difference in the attitude towards religion in the school my brother goes to since the time I went there just 5 years ago. Five years has made a difference between there being only a few outed atheists to now there being several.

I think the internet is one of the primary sources that is chipping away at religion and religious power. It was at one time taboo to question religion and if you did you kept it to yourself. Now you can anonymously do it on the internet or look it up on the internet. Now we are exposed to more ideas (not always a good thing imho) that can shatter the religious world view.

And even further I would guarantee that if we took a percentage of just the religious and compared it to "conservative religious" and "liberal religious" we would see an even larger swing.

 

[Gnostic Seeker]

I think that the Christian numbers are deceptive, though; when you examine their actual beliefs, you find that a substantial minority of American Christians believe that they have been in touch with the dead (29%), encountered ghosts (17%), consult psychics (14%), believe in spiritual energy in trees and other life forms and inanimate objects (23%), astrology (23%) and reincarnation (22%). While numbers are lower for white evangelicals on some of these measures, the syncretism can sill be found in more than 1 in 10 even within that conservative group. A different survey of participants at the Third Lausanne Congress of World Evangelization shows that the these beliefs are rejected by evangelical leaders, who consider them heretical. Those same evangelical leaders (and this is a global as opposed to American survey) also embrace divine healing (76%), direct revelation (61%) and exorcism (57%), with large minorities embracing speaking in tongues (47%) and giving or interpreting prophecy (40%). Yet in America large numbers of Christians would consider some or all of that to be heretical and incompatible with actual Christian practice.

All of this is to say that the "Christian" monolith is way overstated among all cohorts; there is no dominant religious belief or practice, at most there is a plurality representing the minimum set of shared beliefs and practices across Christian groups.

Very true. Have some frubals

 

[Riverwolf]

Anyone else notice how much "other faiths" increased between the 18-29 and 30-39 bars? ^_^

To be honest, I don't really think this graph is enough to say whether or not religion is going down. It simply shows the percentages by age, at the time the survey was done.

In order to draw a more firm conclusion, I'd want to see graphs from similar studies done over the decades.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

Anyone else notice how much "other faiths" increased between the 18-29 and 30-39 bars? ^_^

To be honest, I don't really think this graph is enough to say whether or not religion is going down. It simply shows the percentages by age, at the time the survey was done.

In order to draw a more firm conclusion, I'd want to see graphs from similar studies done over the decades.

100% agree with this.

 

[Skwim]

Anyone else notice how much "other faiths" increased between the 18-29 and 30-39 bars? ^_^

To be honest, I don't really think this graph is enough to say whether or not religion is going down. It simply shows the percentages by age, at the time the survey was done.

In order to draw a more firm conclusion, I'd want to see graphs from similar studies done over the decades.

EXACTLY. It shows no trend over time whatsoever, but rather the status of religious belief for different age groups in 2010.

For a trend, this graph

​

does a far better job.

 

[Riverwolf]

EXACTLY. It shows no trend over time whatsoever, but rather the status of religious belief for different age groups in 2010.

For a trend, this graph

​

does a far better job.

Indeed, it does.

 

[LuisDantas]

One should not be surprised, seeing what passes for mainstream religion in the USA, particularly among the political activists.

 

[sojourner]

I think that the Christian numbers are deceptive, though; when you examine their actual beliefs, you find that a substantial minority of American Christians believe that they have been in touch with the dead (29%), encountered ghosts (17%), consult psychics (14%), believe in spiritual energy in trees and other life forms and inanimate objects (23%), astrology (23%) and reincarnation (22%). While numbers are lower for white evangelicals on some of these measures, the syncretism can sill be found in more than 1 in 10 even within that conservative group. A different survey of participants at the Third Lausanne Congress of World Evangelization shows that the these beliefs are rejected by evangelical leaders, who consider them heretical. Those same evangelical leaders (and this is a global as opposed to American survey) also embrace divine healing (76%), direct revelation (61%) and exorcism (57%), with large minorities embracing speaking in tongues (47%) and giving or interpreting prophecy (40%). Yet in America large numbers of Christians would consider some or all of that to be heretical and incompatible with actual Christian practice.

All of this is to say that the "Christian" monolith is way overstated among all cohorts; there is no dominant religious belief or practice, at most there is a plurality representing the minimum set of shared beliefs and practices across Christian groups.

But people can espouse those beliefs and still be Christian -- in most camps. We have to remember that Xy isn't a neat and tidy, easily-identifiable box; it's all over the place -- and always has been. In fact, I'd say that some of the "other religions/beliefs" bloc could be identified as Xtian, if we asked them whether they believe in Jesus, but still have some "non-standard" beliefs.

 

[sojourner]

EXACTLY. It shows no trend over time whatsoever, but rather the status of religious belief for different age groups in 2010.

For a trend, this graph

​

does a far better job.

Yes, it shows a trend over time, but I make 2 observations:

1) a rise from about 6.5% to a little less than 18% over 40 years is hardly anything to get excited about. 18% isn't a whole lot. That trend could swing back over the next 50 years. I say that because of my next point.

2) The graph shows people with "no religious affiliation." That could mean anything. It doesn't necessarily mean that those with "no religious affiliation" are irreligious, agnostic, atheist, or secular. It simply means that they do not affiliate. The growing trend among Millenials is that they tend to be highly spiritual, but are not "joiners," so do not call themselves any particular thing (such as "Christian"). Therefore, the graph could simply be reflecting that trend.

 

[idav]

One should not be surprised, seeing what passes for mainstream religion in the USA, particularly among the political activists.

You can say that again. And there really is no changing my grand parents minds on some of this stuff. My parents grew up in the 60's so they might be more open about it. There is a serious generation gap with politicians over here.

 

[sojourner]

One should not be surprised, seeing what passes for mainstream religion in the USA, particularly among the political activists.

It's been so watered down spiritually and theologically, and so wrapped up in the Flag, that it makes especially the thinking Millennials very suspicious and very disenchanted.