gsa
Well-Known Member
A Pew survey released yesterday shows American Christianity has declined from 78.4% of the population to 70.6%, with most losses attributable to mainline Protestantism. Over 22% of the US population is now religiously unaffiliated, the so-called "Nones." The survey compares results from a similar 2007 survey to demonstrate the shift in religious demographics, including the rise of the unaffiliated. The only group larger than the unaffiliated is Protestant Evangelicals.
Millennials are more likely to be unaffiliated as well, and appear to be driving the decline of American Christianity:
One of the most important factors in the declining share of Christians and the growth of the “nones” is generational replacement. As the Millennial generation enters adulthood, its members display much lower levels of religious affiliation, including less connection with Christian churches, than older generations. Fully 36% of young Millennials (those between the ages of 18 and 24) are religiously unaffiliated, as are 34% of older Millennials (ages 25-33). And fewer than six-in-ten Millennials identify with any branch of Christianity, compared with seven-in-ten or more among older generations, including Baby Boomers and Gen-Xers. Just 16% of Millennials are Catholic, and only 11% identify with mainline Protestantism. Roughly one-in-five are evangelical Protestants.
The first wave of Millennials have become less religious since 2007, registering a 9 percentage drop in religious affiliation. There have also been gains in the Generation X cohort and among Baby Boomers. And for every one person who has switched from being raised unaffiliated to a particular religious affiliation, there are more than four people who have switched to unaffiliated after being raised with a religious affiliation. The only major group that has gained more than it has lost is Evangelical Protestants, and only a net of 2% points which may indicate it has simply remained stable. The retention rate for the unaffiliated has also increased by 7% over the seven year period. They are also increasingly assertive:
As the ranks of the religiously unaffiliated continue to grow, they also describe themselves in increasingly secular terms. In 2007, 25% of the “nones” called themselves atheists or agnostics; 39% identified their religion as “nothing in particular” and also said that religion is “not too” or “not at all” important in their lives; and 36% identified their religion as “nothing in particular” while nevertheless saying that religion is either “very important” or “somewhat important” in their lives. The new survey finds that the atheist and agnostic share of the “nones” has grown to 31%. Those identifying as “nothing in particular” and describing religion as unimportant in their lives continue to account for 39% of all “nones.” But the share identifying as “nothing in particular” while also affirming that religion is either “very” or “somewhat” important to them has fallen to 30% of all “nones.”
I would be interested to see more detail in the Evangelical numbers. The largest evangelical denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention, is in decline. The slight, perhaps statistically insignificant growth of Evangelicals might be attributable to Pentecostalism if the US mirrors global Christian demographic trends.
So what do you make of the cause of this trend? Is the rise of secularism still too slow? What will happen to mainline Protestantism and Catholicism?
Millennials are more likely to be unaffiliated as well, and appear to be driving the decline of American Christianity:
One of the most important factors in the declining share of Christians and the growth of the “nones” is generational replacement. As the Millennial generation enters adulthood, its members display much lower levels of religious affiliation, including less connection with Christian churches, than older generations. Fully 36% of young Millennials (those between the ages of 18 and 24) are religiously unaffiliated, as are 34% of older Millennials (ages 25-33). And fewer than six-in-ten Millennials identify with any branch of Christianity, compared with seven-in-ten or more among older generations, including Baby Boomers and Gen-Xers. Just 16% of Millennials are Catholic, and only 11% identify with mainline Protestantism. Roughly one-in-five are evangelical Protestants.
The first wave of Millennials have become less religious since 2007, registering a 9 percentage drop in religious affiliation. There have also been gains in the Generation X cohort and among Baby Boomers. And for every one person who has switched from being raised unaffiliated to a particular religious affiliation, there are more than four people who have switched to unaffiliated after being raised with a religious affiliation. The only major group that has gained more than it has lost is Evangelical Protestants, and only a net of 2% points which may indicate it has simply remained stable. The retention rate for the unaffiliated has also increased by 7% over the seven year period. They are also increasingly assertive:
As the ranks of the religiously unaffiliated continue to grow, they also describe themselves in increasingly secular terms. In 2007, 25% of the “nones” called themselves atheists or agnostics; 39% identified their religion as “nothing in particular” and also said that religion is “not too” or “not at all” important in their lives; and 36% identified their religion as “nothing in particular” while nevertheless saying that religion is either “very important” or “somewhat important” in their lives. The new survey finds that the atheist and agnostic share of the “nones” has grown to 31%. Those identifying as “nothing in particular” and describing religion as unimportant in their lives continue to account for 39% of all “nones.” But the share identifying as “nothing in particular” while also affirming that religion is either “very” or “somewhat” important to them has fallen to 30% of all “nones.”
I would be interested to see more detail in the Evangelical numbers. The largest evangelical denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention, is in decline. The slight, perhaps statistically insignificant growth of Evangelicals might be attributable to Pentecostalism if the US mirrors global Christian demographic trends.
So what do you make of the cause of this trend? Is the rise of secularism still too slow? What will happen to mainline Protestantism and Catholicism?
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