Poll: Percent of Christians drop, those identifying as "none" soars

[rightwinger]

Christians drop nones soar in new religion portrait

Christianity still dominates American religious identity (70%), but the survey shows dramatic shifts as more people move out the doors of denominations, shedding spiritual connections along the way.
Atheists and agnostics have nearly doubled their share of the religious marketplace, and overall indifference to religion of any sort is rising as well. Only the historically black Protestant churches have held a steady grip through the years of change.

The shrinking numbers of Christians and their loss of market share is the most significant change since 2007 (when Pew did its first U.S. Religious Landscape survey) and the new, equally massive survey of 35,000 U.S. adults.
The percentage of people who describe themselves as Christians fell about 8 points — from 78.4% to 70.6%. This includes people in virtually all demographic groups, whether they are "nearing retirement or just entering adulthood, married or single, living in the West or the Bible Belt," according to the survey report
The "nones" — Americans who are unaffiliated with brand-name religion — are the new major force in American faith. And they are more secular in outlook — and "more comfortable admitting it" than ever before


Nones," at 22.8% of the U.S. (up from 16% just eight years ago) run second only to evangelicals (25.4%) and ahead of Catholics (20.8%) in religious market share.



.

 

[Correll]

I'm curious.

Are there any positive effects you see from this change?

 

[rightwinger]

I'm curious.

Are there any positive effects you see from this change?

I suspect it is more Christians who are no longer afraid to admit that they don't buy into their religion

The old stigma of not being religious is disappearing

 

[Delta4Embassy]

Christians drop nones soar in new religion portrait

Christianity still dominates American religious identity (70%), but the survey shows dramatic shifts as more people move out the doors of denominations, shedding spiritual connections along the way.
Atheists and agnostics have nearly doubled their share of the religious marketplace, and overall indifference to religion of any sort is rising as well. Only the historically black Protestant churches have held a steady grip through the years of change.

The shrinking numbers of Christians and their loss of market share is the most significant change since 2007 (when Pew did its first U.S. Religious Landscape survey) and the new, equally massive survey of 35,000 U.S. adults.
The percentage of people who describe themselves as Christians fell about 8 points — from 78.4% to 70.6%. This includes people in virtually all demographic groups, whether they are "nearing retirement or just entering adulthood, married or single, living in the West or the Bible Belt," according to the survey report
The "nones" — Americans who are unaffiliated with brand-name religion — are the new major force in American faith. And they are more secular in outlook — and "more comfortable admitting it" than ever before


Nones," at 22.8% of the U.S. (up from 16% just eight years ago) run second only to evangelicals (25.4%) and ahead of Catholics (20.8%) in religious market share.



.

As more and more Christianity links itself so willingly to bigotry and hate, fewer and fewer people are going to wanna associate themselves with it. Might well be Christians, but not want to admit it any more.

 

[Correll]

I'm curious.

Are there any positive effects you see from this change?

I suspect it is more Christians who are no longer afraid to admit that they don't buy into their religion

The old stigma of not being religious is disappearing

An interesting assumption.

But do you see any positive effects from this change?

 

[Correll]

Christians drop nones soar in new religion portrait

Christianity still dominates American religious identity (70%), but the survey shows dramatic shifts as more people move out the doors of denominations, shedding spiritual connections along the way.
Atheists and agnostics have nearly doubled their share of the religious marketplace, and overall indifference to religion of any sort is rising as well. Only the historically black Protestant churches have held a steady grip through the years of change.

The shrinking numbers of Christians and their loss of market share is the most significant change since 2007 (when Pew did its first U.S. Religious Landscape survey) and the new, equally massive survey of 35,000 U.S. adults.
The percentage of people who describe themselves as Christians fell about 8 points — from 78.4% to 70.6%. This includes people in virtually all demographic groups, whether they are "nearing retirement or just entering adulthood, married or single, living in the West or the Bible Belt," according to the survey report
The "nones" — Americans who are unaffiliated with brand-name religion — are the new major force in American faith. And they are more secular in outlook — and "more comfortable admitting it" than ever before


Nones," at 22.8% of the U.S. (up from 16% just eight years ago) run second only to evangelicals (25.4%) and ahead of Catholics (20.8%) in religious market share.



.

As more and more Christianity links itself so willingly to bigotry and hate, fewer and fewer people are going to wanna associate themselves with it. Might well be Christians, but not want to admit it any more.

IMO, the more the Churches try to link themselves with trendy PC messages, the less of a role they will fill in peoples lives.

Why go to church when they are just parroting what you see on TV?

 

[rightwinger]

I'm curious.

Are there any positive effects you see from this change?

I suspect it is more Christians who are no longer afraid to admit that they don't buy into their religion

The old stigma of not being religious is disappearing

An interesting assumption.

But do you see any positive effects from this change?

I see no impact

People are still who they have always been, only more open about their beliefs

 

[rightwinger]

Christians drop nones soar in new religion portrait

Christianity still dominates American religious identity (70%), but the survey shows dramatic shifts as more people move out the doors of denominations, shedding spiritual connections along the way.
Atheists and agnostics have nearly doubled their share of the religious marketplace, and overall indifference to religion of any sort is rising as well. Only the historically black Protestant churches have held a steady grip through the years of change.

The shrinking numbers of Christians and their loss of market share is the most significant change since 2007 (when Pew did its first U.S. Religious Landscape survey) and the new, equally massive survey of 35,000 U.S. adults.
The percentage of people who describe themselves as Christians fell about 8 points — from 78.4% to 70.6%. This includes people in virtually all demographic groups, whether they are "nearing retirement or just entering adulthood, married or single, living in the West or the Bible Belt," according to the survey report
The "nones" — Americans who are unaffiliated with brand-name religion — are the new major force in American faith. And they are more secular in outlook — and "more comfortable admitting it" than ever before


Nones," at 22.8% of the U.S. (up from 16% just eight years ago) run second only to evangelicals (25.4%) and ahead of Catholics (20.8%) in religious market share.



.

As more and more Christianity links itself so willingly to bigotry and hate, fewer and fewer people are going to wanna associate themselves with it. Might well be Christians, but not want to admit it any more.

I think there are many reasons outside of dogmatic religious belief that people belong to organized religions

Family pressure to belong, community ostracizing those not going to church, a sense of "family" with your congregation

Our society is no longer applying that pressure to belong to a church and more people are willing to walk away

 

[Delta4Embassy]

Christians drop nones soar in new religion portrait

Christianity still dominates American religious identity (70%), but the survey shows dramatic shifts as more people move out the doors of denominations, shedding spiritual connections along the way.
Atheists and agnostics have nearly doubled their share of the religious marketplace, and overall indifference to religion of any sort is rising as well. Only the historically black Protestant churches have held a steady grip through the years of change.

The shrinking numbers of Christians and their loss of market share is the most significant change since 2007 (when Pew did its first U.S. Religious Landscape survey) and the new, equally massive survey of 35,000 U.S. adults.
The percentage of people who describe themselves as Christians fell about 8 points — from 78.4% to 70.6%. This includes people in virtually all demographic groups, whether they are "nearing retirement or just entering adulthood, married or single, living in the West or the Bible Belt," according to the survey report
The "nones" — Americans who are unaffiliated with brand-name religion — are the new major force in American faith. And they are more secular in outlook — and "more comfortable admitting it" than ever before


Nones," at 22.8% of the U.S. (up from 16% just eight years ago) run second only to evangelicals (25.4%) and ahead of Catholics (20.8%) in religious market share.



.

As more and more Christianity links itself so willingly to bigotry and hate, fewer and fewer people are going to wanna associate themselves with it. Might well be Christians, but not want to admit it any more.

IMO, the more the Churches try to link themselves with trendy PC messages, the less of a role they will fill in peoples lives.

Why go to church when they are just parroting what you see on TV?

When you get an education you realize religions a, b, and c are more accurately thought of as x, y, and z. Not the first or only ones, but rather the latest in a long chain of religions. So if religions are just rehashing older systems, why insist any 1 is the one and only? They're just collections of lies and fables and half-truths designed to comfort people and in so doing control them.

 

[Correll]

Christians drop nones soar in new religion portrait

Christianity still dominates American religious identity (70%), but the survey shows dramatic shifts as more people move out the doors of denominations, shedding spiritual connections along the way.
Atheists and agnostics have nearly doubled their share of the religious marketplace, and overall indifference to religion of any sort is rising as well. Only the historically black Protestant churches have held a steady grip through the years of change.

The shrinking numbers of Christians and their loss of market share is the most significant change since 2007 (when Pew did its first U.S. Religious Landscape survey) and the new, equally massive survey of 35,000 U.S. adults.
The percentage of people who describe themselves as Christians fell about 8 points — from 78.4% to 70.6%. This includes people in virtually all demographic groups, whether they are "nearing retirement or just entering adulthood, married or single, living in the West or the Bible Belt," according to the survey report
The "nones" — Americans who are unaffiliated with brand-name religion — are the new major force in American faith. And they are more secular in outlook — and "more comfortable admitting it" than ever before


Nones," at 22.8% of the U.S. (up from 16% just eight years ago) run second only to evangelicals (25.4%) and ahead of Catholics (20.8%) in religious market share.



.

As more and more Christianity links itself so willingly to bigotry and hate, fewer and fewer people are going to wanna associate themselves with it. Might well be Christians, but not want to admit it any more.

IMO, the more the Churches try to link themselves with trendy PC messages, the less of a role they will fill in peoples lives.

Why go to church when they are just parroting what you see on TV?

When you get an education you realize religions a, b, and c are more accurately thought of as x, y, and z. Not the first or only ones, but rather the latest in a long chain of religions. So if religions are just rehashing older systems, why insist any 1 is the one and only? They're just collections of lies and fables and half-truths designed to comfort people and in so doing control them.

By "get a education" you mean be indoctrinated in the secular consensus you find in academia?

Few college educations actually deal with comparative religion studies. But cultural assimilation?

 

[Delta4Embassy]

Christians drop nones soar in new religion portrait

Christianity still dominates American religious identity (70%), but the survey shows dramatic shifts as more people move out the doors of denominations, shedding spiritual connections along the way.
Atheists and agnostics have nearly doubled their share of the religious marketplace, and overall indifference to religion of any sort is rising as well. Only the historically black Protestant churches have held a steady grip through the years of change.

The shrinking numbers of Christians and their loss of market share is the most significant change since 2007 (when Pew did its first U.S. Religious Landscape survey) and the new, equally massive survey of 35,000 U.S. adults.
The percentage of people who describe themselves as Christians fell about 8 points — from 78.4% to 70.6%. This includes people in virtually all demographic groups, whether they are "nearing retirement or just entering adulthood, married or single, living in the West or the Bible Belt," according to the survey report
The "nones" — Americans who are unaffiliated with brand-name religion — are the new major force in American faith. And they are more secular in outlook — and "more comfortable admitting it" than ever before


Nones," at 22.8% of the U.S. (up from 16% just eight years ago) run second only to evangelicals (25.4%) and ahead of Catholics (20.8%) in religious market share.



.

As more and more Christianity links itself so willingly to bigotry and hate, fewer and fewer people are going to wanna associate themselves with it. Might well be Christians, but not want to admit it any more.

I think there are many reasons outside of dogmatic religious belief that people belong to organized religions

Family pressure to belong, community ostracizing those not going to church, a sense of "family" with your congregation

Our society is no longer applying that pressure to belong to a church and more people are willing to walk away

Better access to education through the internet, cable tv, and satellite communications have revealed to people that their religion is merely one among many others. Once you see a given religion as just another system, it's absolute authority falls apart.

Like in ancient Rome and the public square when you had different cult prophets giving their speeches side by side, the claims stand out better as just one of many. You listen to whoever makes you happiest, or scares you the best.

 

[Delta4Embassy]

Christians drop nones soar in new religion portrait

Christianity still dominates American religious identity (70%), but the survey shows dramatic shifts as more people move out the doors of denominations, shedding spiritual connections along the way.
Atheists and agnostics have nearly doubled their share of the religious marketplace, and overall indifference to religion of any sort is rising as well. Only the historically black Protestant churches have held a steady grip through the years of change.

The shrinking numbers of Christians and their loss of market share is the most significant change since 2007 (when Pew did its first U.S. Religious Landscape survey) and the new, equally massive survey of 35,000 U.S. adults.
The percentage of people who describe themselves as Christians fell about 8 points — from 78.4% to 70.6%. This includes people in virtually all demographic groups, whether they are "nearing retirement or just entering adulthood, married or single, living in the West or the Bible Belt," according to the survey report
The "nones" — Americans who are unaffiliated with brand-name religion — are the new major force in American faith. And they are more secular in outlook — and "more comfortable admitting it" than ever before


Nones," at 22.8% of the U.S. (up from 16% just eight years ago) run second only to evangelicals (25.4%) and ahead of Catholics (20.8%) in religious market share.



.

As more and more Christianity links itself so willingly to bigotry and hate, fewer and fewer people are going to wanna associate themselves with it. Might well be Christians, but not want to admit it any more.

IMO, the more the Churches try to link themselves with trendy PC messages, the less of a role they will fill in peoples lives.

Why go to church when they are just parroting what you see on TV?

When you get an education you realize religions a, b, and c are more accurately thought of as x, y, and z. Not the first or only ones, but rather the latest in a long chain of religions. So if religions are just rehashing older systems, why insist any 1 is the one and only? They're just collections of lies and fables and half-truths designed to comfort people and in so doing control them.

By "get a education" you mean be indoctrinated in the secular consensus you find in academia?

Few college educations actually deal with comparative religion studies. But cultural assimilation?

If you don't understand what 'get an education' means, you more than another is in dire need of it.

 

[JakeStarkey]

Notice they overwhelmingly solid numbers merely are unchurched rather than nonbelievers.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

I'm curious.

Are there any positive effects you see from this change?

I suspect it is more Christians who are no longer afraid to admit that they don't buy into their religion

The old stigma of not being religious is disappearing

An interesting assumption.

But do you see any positive effects from this change?

I see no impact

People are still who they have always been, only more open about their beliefs

I suspect we can thank the internet for this.

I've said before that at least part of the reason for the existence of the various religions is safety in numbers. If an individual said he believes in invisible creatures flying around, sitting on clouds, playing harps because they also believe in a god who throws tantrums and kills people, he'd be locked up for being totally insane.

We've gotten accustomed to hearing such crazy stuff so we accept that these people aren't as crazy as they clearly are. Religions have been very effective in getting people to believe the utterly impossible world of talking snakes and worshiping a petulant god who killed his own kid.

As more and more people talk about about how truly delusional that is, as more of us say that out loud, the more others will confess that they too believe its nuts.

OTOH, I do wonder if we're seeing more really radical fundies. Or, has there always been a fringe group that was even more delusional than just your run of mill believer?

 

[Pogo]

Christians drop nones soar in new religion portrait

Christianity still dominates American religious identity (70%), but the survey shows dramatic shifts as more people move out the doors of denominations, shedding spiritual connections along the way.
Atheists and agnostics have nearly doubled their share of the religious marketplace, and overall indifference to religion of any sort is rising as well. Only the historically black Protestant churches have held a steady grip through the years of change.

The shrinking numbers of Christians and their loss of market share is the most significant change since 2007 (when Pew did its first U.S. Religious Landscape survey) and the new, equally massive survey of 35,000 U.S. adults.
The percentage of people who describe themselves as Christians fell about 8 points — from 78.4% to 70.6%. This includes people in virtually all demographic groups, whether they are "nearing retirement or just entering adulthood, married or single, living in the West or the Bible Belt," according to the survey report
The "nones" — Americans who are unaffiliated with brand-name religion — are the new major force in American faith. And they are more secular in outlook — and "more comfortable admitting it" than ever before


Nones," at 22.8% of the U.S. (up from 16% just eight years ago) run second only to evangelicals (25.4%) and ahead of Catholics (20.8%) in religious market share.

And thank "God" for that.

 

[Pogo]

I'm curious.

Are there any positive effects you see from this change?

I suspect it is more Christians who are no longer afraid to admit that they don't buy into their religion

The old stigma of not being religious is disappearing

An interesting assumption.

But do you see any positive effects from this change?

I see no impact

People are still who they have always been, only more open about their beliefs

I suspect we can thank the internet for this.

I've said before that at least part of the reason for the existence of the various religions is safety in numbers. If an individual said he believes in invisible creatures flying around, sitting on clouds, playing harps because they also believe in a god who throws tantrums and kills people, he'd be locked up for being totally insane.

We've gotten accustomed to hearing such crazy stuff so we accept that these people aren't as crazy as they clearly are. Religions have been very effective in getting people to believe the utterly impossible world of talking snakes and worshiping a petulant god who killed his own kid.

As more and more people talk about about how truly delusional that is, as more of us say that out loud, the more others will confess that they too believe its nuts.

OTOH, I do wonder if we're seeing more really radical fundies. Or, has there always been a fringe group that was even more delusional than just your run of mill believer?

Ah, this got started way before the internets, even if it evolves at a glacial pace. But you're absolutely right about mob mentality, which is what organised religion is. Plenty of people, in their private thoughts, always had their doubts but didn't dare articulate them. You could get whipped by the Ku Klux Klan for not going to church (literally). The sooner that kind of shit goes away the better.

 

[rightwinger]

Notice they overwhelmingly solid numbers merely are unchurched rather than nonbelievers.

Atheists rose from 1.6% to 3.1%, and agnostics from 2.4% to 4%

Non believers went from 4% to 7.1%

 

[PostmodernProph]

Notice they overwhelmingly solid numbers merely are unchurched rather than nonbelievers.

Atheists rose from 1.6% to 3.1%, and agnostics from 2.4% to 4%

Non believers went from 4% to 7.1%

interesting.....they went from almost no one to hardly anybody......

 

[rightwinger]

Notice they overwhelmingly solid numbers merely are unchurched rather than nonbelievers.

Atheists rose from 1.6% to 3.1%, and agnostics from 2.4% to 4%

Non believers went from 4% to 7.1%

interesting.....they went from almost no one to hardly anybody......

7% is quite a large number considering it was 1-2% a decade ago
Americans are becoming less religious. It doesn't play as big a part in their lives

 

[hortysir]

What is so horrible about Christianity?

What is so evil about believing in God that evokes so many celebratory threads by RW and Guano every time they see a report that there are fewer and fewer believers?