(RNS) — The United States is steadily becoming less Christian and the number of people with no religion is rising.
Those are the twin headlines from the latest Pew Research report released Thursday (Oct. 17), which shows a dramatic decline in American religious habits over the course of a decade.
The report, an aggregation of yearly political surveys that ask about religion, shows rapid changes in generational attitudes toward religion.
“The rate at which Christians are declining is very striking.”
It finds that two-thirds (65%) of Americans describe themselves as Christians, down from 77% in 2009. It also shows that the number of Americans who say they have no religion — sometimes called nones — has risen to 26%, up from 17% a decade ago.
“The rate at which Christians are declining is very striking,” said Greg Smith, associate director of research at Pew. “And the share of Americans who have no religion is growing very rapidly, which is just as striking.”
Protestants now make up less than half of all U.S. adults — or 43% (down from 51% a decade ago) and Catholics make up 20% (down from 23% in 2009).
Those figures are reflected in attendance at religious services as well. For the first time, more Americans say they attend religious services a few times a year or less (54%) than those who attend at least once a month (45%). The study notes that while overall church attendance is down, 62% of Christians say they attend services once a month or more — about the same as a decade ago.
“It’s quite shocking,” said Scott Thumma, a sociologist of religion at Hartford Seminary. “This rapid shift is about generational replacement. The most religious folks are the ones who are dying and the least religious folks are the ones coming in.”
To put it most graphically, 84% of the Silent Generation (born between 1928 and 1945) identify as Christian, compared with 49% of the millennial generation (born between 1981 and 1996).
Thumma pointed to a number of cultural reasons that may be speeding up the generational shift, including less social pressure to go to church; the clergy sexual abuse scandal, especially in the Catholic Church; and shifting attitudes toward sexuality and gender that clash with traditional Christian teachings.
“This rapid shift is about generational replacement. The most religious folks are the ones who are dying and the least religious folks are the ones coming in.”
Smith, the Pew researcher, said a dissatisfaction with conservative political ties to evangelical Christianity may also be fueling the growth of the nones.
“We know religious nones are among the most strongly and consistently Democratic and politically liberal groups in the population,” he said. “We know that in the 2016 election, 68% of nones voted for Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump. We also saw that two-thirds of religiously unaffiliated voters identify with or lean toward the Democratic Party.”
Hemant Mehta, the popular blogger behind the Friendly Atheist, said it’s not that the nones are embracing atheism necessarily. Instead, they may be rebelling against the link between conservative religion and politics.
“They had plenty of opportunity to take the ethical route: Do the nice, kind, decent thing,” Mehta said. “What do the most powerful voices do? They cover up sexual abuse. They became allies with Donald Trump. When you see what they’re doing and who they’re hanging out with, why would anyone want to be part of that club?”
The report also showed a slower decline among black and Hispanic Americans. Both groups are more likely to describe themselves as Christians and to attend religious services. Among African-Americans, 58% say they attend church more than once a month (compared to 42% of whites) and 51% of Hispanics said the same.
Other trends documented in the new survey:
- Catholics are no longer a majority of the U.S. Hispanic population. Only 47% of Hispanics identify as Catholic, down from 57% a decade ago. And more Hispanics are religiously unaffiliated — about 23%.
- Women are still more religious than men, but less so. The share of women with no religion has risen by 10 percentage points, similar to the increase among men.
- Nones make up one-third of Democrats. But they are growing in Republican circles as well. About 16% of Republicans identify as nones, up from 10% in 2009.
- White evangelicals are declining and now constitute about 16% of the U.S. population, down from 19% a decade ago.
The report is based on annual political surveys taken over the phone with a sample size of 12,000 to 25,000 people each. The margin of error for the full sample was between 0.7 and 1 percentage point.
The belief in a belief in God no longer exists. No one makes sure anyone else is in Mass. Parents are often 1000 miles away and kids are not forced into going. Faith cannot be forced. It never could be. The crowded pews of yesteryear were a function of social pressure, not faith.
Yes, it is a result of belief. One has to only look at this site to see that there are only a scarce few who write about why one should believe. Why one should be a Catholic is a simple proposition. God made the Catholic Church. But for one to believe this, one has to first believe in God. Then believe He has a plan for the world. Then believe He did something to implement that plan.
Worrying about the environment or what's happening to indigenous people is nice but totally an aside from what is ultimately important.
On a secular site this was just recommended https://amzn.to/2P69xqi
"Worrying about the environment or what's happening to indigenous people is nice but totally an aside from what is ultimately important."
Says the white guy living in white privilege who can easily try to deny the facts and impact of the environment primarily on the poor and brown people of the world.
The ultimate reason for the existence of the Catholic Church is salvation. Forays into politics, social policy. economics is bound to be wrong and should not associated with the Church. For over 1500 years the Catholic Church espoused a political, social and economic policy that oppressed nearly all of its members. Meanwhile, poverty is disappearing from the world and with no help from the Catholic Church. And do you have any evidence that the poor and brown people of the world are being adversely affected by the environment?
We need to note some critical points. First, this research does not report on belief in God. Second, this research is about being a christian. It is also about attendance in Church. We need to separate these things though they are linked at some levels.
I am a Catholic, a Christian and a joyous parent. Together with my wife, we have joyous children. We are happily married. We live a joyous christian life. We will not live a different life, because God is the foundation of our marriage and our joy. To us, our Christian joy is not some phantom thing. It is real to us, and our children are the first to know this and see it in us as their parents. Figuratively speaking, my wife and I often say that if the whole world cease to be Christian, we will remain the last standing Christians "until death do us part" and we meet in heaven.
We also work with youths, Christian youths. We are in the world, though not of the world- evangelizing the Gospel quietly, modestly, humbly, invisibly by our modest example as wife and husband. So, this is what we hear from the field especially from the youths. The challenge American Christianity had before 2016 became deepened when the bulk (not all) of Christians-Catholics, protestant, evangelicals, replaced faith with culture by openly burying values and character in voting for one of the most irreligious, un-christian, dishonest, racist, a serial divorcee, a sexual harasser, an un-Godly, incurably corrupt, immoral person and politician the country has ever known.
The same youths we work and interact with openly tell us that they are pained and are religiously, morally and spiritually shocked that the bulk of the christians who voted for this fellow -the present occupier of the white house justify their electoral choice ( which is their constitutional right) in 2016 ( in voting for an un-Godly candidate) on "religious" ground! They ask us simple and pointed question: as parents and adults don't you think you rub salt in our wounds when you look us straight in the face, damning our critical questions on values by claiming arrogantly that you voted on religious ground for a person who openly sleeps with women of easy virtue and defends it, a corrupt person, a serial divorcee, a racist, a sexual harasser?
These youths see the grand hypocrisy of the Christians who put a sexual harasser in the white house and who justify their voting choice on religious ground, and ask why they should listen to such Christians! Rather than listen, these youths continue to vote with their feet! I know that God will lead these youths back to His Church, for there is immeasurable joy in the Gospel of God, but for now this is part of the explanation concerning what I believe is clearly a wrongheaded choice of the youths in leaving the Church. Perhaps it is not all the explanation. I do not approve of the youths leaving the Church. I think they are making bad and wrongheaded choices-choice that cannot produce the Christian joy that some of us experience. However, we must be able to explain what is going on.
As a Catholic parent, I am not happy. As a Catholic I am sad at what is happening. I am sad at this sad and tragic demographic trend in the Church. Our-(my wife and I) joy is in Christ, our joy is in the Church, for we owe everything to God. As Catholics like other serious and genuine Catholics, everyday we struggle to humbly walk our talk, we struggle to humbly walk our faith rather than just talk it. With all our imperfections-which are many, we know that we are in Christ, for we walk with Christ as Christ walks with us in our marriage and lives. .
So, I believe and know that the truth of the Gospel shall prevail, the Church will survive all the attacks. The youths will see their wrong headed choice and return to the Gospel, the Word of God and the Church.
But rather than blame the youths, every christian must ask himself/herself what s/he contributed to this-what they contribute to why the youths are voting with their feet away from the Church. The youths are intelligent, sharp, smart and critical. They easily see through our lies, deceits and hypocrisy. Out of respect for adults and parents, they may not openly talk, hence they simply stay away. When the bulk of christians in 2016 voted for an un-Godly person, an incurably dishonest person, someone who sleeps with women of easy virtues and defends it, a serial divorcee, a sexual harasser, an incurably corrupt person, and same christians want to preach the sanctity of marriage, honesty, ethics to the youths, they-the youths are morally bound to ask such christians and the Church hard questions directly or subtly.
While as a Catholic and as a christian I believe that the Church-the family of God's people will survive this, the Church-the family of God's people must look back, take responsibility, and be ready to listen to her children, the youths when they ask hard questions directly and indirectly or subtly. The youths still believe in God. However, they-the youths- are disappointed at the political use and manipulation of the Church for narrow political, social and cultural purposes. God Bless the United States of America. . God Bless the good people of the United States of America.
With such “christian” like Ralph Reed, the founder of Faith and Freedom Coalition founder, who shamelessly “worships” Trump – the “Chosen One” from “God”:
https://www.politico.com/news/2019/10/09/ralph-reed-trump-book-040920
It is no wonder why more and more people are leaving Christianity! Look at the survey, less than 50% of the Millennials are now identified themselves as Christians!
I am the father of 2 young professional adults, it is a constant battle for me to keep them as Catholic – to go with me to Mass every Sunday, to pray at night as time permits - as they see so much rampant hypocrite in the Church, Catholic or Evangelical, displayed in America. The majority of my nieces or nephews stop being practicing Catholics, even though they may still identify themselves as Catholic if asked by the survey. So, the real number is even worse!
Spot on. Sadly, to keep Catholicism alive one has to distance one's self and family from the loudest self-proclaimed "Christians" who represent few, if any, of the values and reality expressed by Christ.
“We know religious nones are among the most strongly and consistently Democratic and politically liberal groups in the population,” Yes, that’s true and they’re more Atheists too...just like the Jesuits
But for the nones that became Christians, they’re more conservative than the aging Woodstock Catholic they’re replacing and they’re rejecting their liberal culture.
Nones don’t reproduce, they buy toys and dogs. Christians are still having children, it’s only a matter of time for the demographics will make nones the next aging minority group.
Just as conservative Christians excel at producing gay children. conservative Christians excel at producing “nones.”
Yes, and then a majority of that minority will then circle back and become religious again.
Below are the Ten Commandments. In 2016, the so-called "conservative" "christians" voted for someone who is in violation of the Ten Commandments by voting for the most corrupt, the most un-Godly, the most un-christian, the most dishonest, the most immoral, the most un-ethical, the most irreligious politician in American history. Yet the so-called "conservative" "christians" claimed that they voted for this strange irreligious, un-Christian, and un-Godly fellow on "religious" grounds! When that happened and the so-called "conservative" "christians" preach to the American youths, the American youths will remind the so-called "conservative" "christians" what they did in the 2016 elections, and are still doing today and what our God, the living God is teaching we Christians in and through the Ten Commandments.
The American youths will ask the so-called "conservative" "christians" to reconcile true Christianity (which the "conservative" "christians" do not represent) with the "conservative" christians'" support for corruption e.g. awarding government contract hosting G7 to one's Miami Florida failing hotel, hoping to make American tax payers pay for the renovation of one's bed bug infested Miami hotel, lies, adultery, killing (and calling it a play thing) , racism, fornication, sleeping with prostitutes, blasphemy e.g. looking up and calling oneself the "Chosen one".
Given the immeasurable joy of Christianity, and the living truth of the Gospel, I know Christ, and the living God will lead the youths back to His Church despite the damage the so-called "conservative" "christians" have done to Christianity by politically manipulating Christianity for political, social, economic and cultural purposes.
1. I am the Lord your God: you shall not have strange gods before me.
2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
3. Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day.
4. Honor your father and your mother.
5. You shall not kill.
6. You shall not commit adultery.
7. You shall not steal.
8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
9. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.
10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.
The decline in Christianity long predates Trump.
Most 'nones' believe in God, they just don't believe in organized religion/institutions, given the hypocrisy and wrongheaded teachings that have flowed from them. Diana Butler Bass wrote a book, "Christianity After Religion: The End of Church and the Birth of a New Spiritual Awakening" ... https://www.amazon.com/Christianity-After-Religion-Spiritual-Awakening-ebook/dp/B005O078OM/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=
Crystal
A belief in God is not necessarily inclusive with a belief in Christ and the Trinity.
I'm just pointing out that 'nones' aren't necessarily atheists. A lot of Catholics leave the church, not because they don't believe in Jesus but because the church didn't work for them.
The people I know who are "nones" who don't identify as atheist are certainly not in the grips of any great spiritual awakening. With many of them it seems like they're just too noncommittal to renounce belief in God, even though God plays no role at all in their lives. Given the total collapse of liberal "mainstream" Protestant denominations I have to think Bass is just seeing what she wants to see.
Maybe there is some grand increase in private spiritual practice that's taking the place of all those empty churches, but I'm not seeing it. I'm not sure how you could prove such a thing one way or the other, which is another reason to be skeptical. And how long have liberal Christians been saying some version of this? Now the younger generation is majority non-Christian for the first time in U.S. history and the liberal churches are in worse shape then anybody.
Surveys like the Pew Forum show 80% of Americans believe in God ... https://www.pewforum.org/2018/04/25/when-americans-say-they-believe-in-god-what-do-they-mean/ ... a lot of people practice private spirituality - they pray, they meditate, they go to retreats, they have bible study groups. You don't need church to have a relationship with God.
The Church and MSM went all in with their bet that being liberal was the thing of the future and on the right side of history... they guessed wrong, they lost ! Liberals are losers and gen z figured it out. Trump is going to crush it in 2020 and al the neo-lib Hillary supporters will spend another 4 years crying in their Russian Borscht .... lol
Readers should beware of internet bots and read between the lines of commentaries. When some comments do not make any sense, violate data, fact, logic and truth, are irrelevant, those are signs that they may be internet bots. The spread of falsehood, lies, deception, hatred, fear on the internet negatively impacted the 2016 election.
Our present discourse is based on the outcome of a survey that the youths are leaving the Church. The reasons are many but obvious.
But when .a presumed "commentator" suddenly throws in a comment that has no bearing on the subject of discourse-i.e. that an un-Godly, irreligious, serial divorcee, unchristian, corrupt, an un-ethical, and blasphemous politician is going to crush it in 2020, then it is time to be reminded that something is going on with such comments because they have no bearing on the subject of discourse which is the fate of our faith, the Church and youth attendance in Church.
Readers should beware of internet bots. Political Internet bots are campaign bots. They were successfully used in the 2016 elections. They are programmed to spread lies, falsehood, manipulate readers and divert attention. Beware.
Yes...and Tulsi Gabbard is a Russian operative and Kanye West is a racist. Neo libs have lost their minds, they’re being exposed as manipulating frauds and people are starting to figure it out. That’s why you’re going to get crushed...
This article was using a survey to explain a narrative... never believe that kind of writing. Statistics never lie, but liars always use statistics.
Even when right wing politicians and rightwing cultural warriors who dubiously masquerade as "christians" deploy internet bots to overwhelm respectable internet conversation spaces like AmericaMagazine and others in defense of un-Christian agenda, every genuine Christian must rise up and strongly challenge the lies, deception, dishonesty being spread by both humans and internet bots these right wing politicians and political forces use!
So here is my question for you: What is the connection in the observation that the most un-Godly, irreligious, serial divorcee, unchristian, corrupt, racist, an un-ethical, and blasphemous politician in the history of the United States of America, your corrupt tin-god- is going to crush it in 2020, and the sad report that American youths are leaving the Church in droves? There is NO connection, yet that dubious information was dumped on this AmericaMagazine space from no where! That is the way of the bot which the right wing politicians use to muddy the water and confuse people.
Mr Ademoyo
It appears that you have resorted to a rote dismissal of anyone who questions your positions by labeling them as “A Russian Bot”.
Your own insertion of your endlessly repetitive multiple accusations against Trump is itself totally off the topic of this Article , and yet you have the gall to suggest others are off topic Bots who are misleading readers.
Mr. Stuart Meisenzahl
Please answer the simple question: what does the dubious claim that a serial divorcee, a sexual harasser, someone who sleeps with prostitutes, a racist, a blasphemous fellow, the most un-Godly, the most dishonest, the most racist, the most un-Christian, the most corrupt politician in the history of the United States of America has ever known is going to crush it in 2020 has to do with the serious faith and ecclesiological challenge we Catholics and true Christians are engaging and struggling to solve -the exit of the youths from the Church of Christ? Can you answer please?
Mr Ademoyo
Thank you for demonstrating my point: your question has absolutely no relevance to the subject matter of this Article. It is you who first raised a straw man argument concerning our many flawed President ( See your comment starting with “The Ten Commandments above) which was/is totally irrelevant to the Article’s topic. You then act/ feign surprise when someone “called you on it”. You sir are the very bot you claim to warn against. Reread your two above posts and then see Luke18: 9-14.
Mr. Stuart Meisenzahl,
Can you answer this question? What is the connection between (i) the dubious claim that the most un-Christian, the most un-Godly, the most irreligious, the most swampy politician; a demagogue and a treacherous and un-patriotic person to the country and the good people of the United Sates of America, someone whose commitment is only to himself and his pocket; someone who called the American constitution "phony;" someone who calls respected and well loved American heroes and generals "my generals;" the most ignorant, the most illiterate, the most corrupt, the most dishonest politician in American history, and who lies from both sides of his mouth and his hands is going to crush it in 2020 and (ii) the sad and unfortunate report (to true Christian and committed Catholics) that American youths are leaving the Church in droves? What is the connection between these two things? Can you answer this question please?
Mr Ademoyo
As indicated your question is just an artifice for you to continue to repeat over and over your intense dislike of Trump. It is unworthy of a serious response since you will simply use it as a springboard to launch into more virtue signaling Trump hating commentary. It is “ a verbal trampoline” which you frequently deploy and I decline to bounce on it.
Mr. Stuart Meisenzahl,
Could you kindly answer my question please? Or are unable?
Each diocese and each parish is different, but I see an indifference to seepage, that is the quiet withdrawal from church. Just as some dioceses were slow to disclose the problems of criminal clergy behavior, I note non-disclosure about administrative decisions. The pastor will not say why he told a bible study group not to meet on church property, after decades of edifying discussions. Nor will they say how the All Souls envelope money is shared, nor even admit to the total collected. The faithful might not exactly care for a financial report or a disclosure of episcopal influence on parish directives, but the overall don't-tell practice can be felt, noticed, and lead to quiet retreat from parish life.
NYTimes columnist Nicholas Kristoff wrote a column about this news entitled, "We're Less and Less a Christian Nation, and I Blame Some Blowhards," in which he spotlights the postures of the leaders of conservative evangelical fundamentalist churches, and others.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/26/opinion/sunday/christianity-united-states.html
The article ends with the observation that "the data seem consistent with the argument made by leading scholars that young adults have turned away from organized religion because they are repulsed by its entanglements with conservative politics."
My impression is that Christian churches in this country, as a group, increasingly put forth ideas that appeal mainly to people with right wing authoritarian tendencies. Those who lack such tendencies therefore are not attracted so much to these churches. What's being rejected might be the churches more than the basic Christian philosophies.
https://www.theauthoritarians.org/
Also, people are more sophisticated about the study of history and the improbability of many historical assertions entailed in traditional religious beliefs. Non-authoritarians types are more likely to think abut these things independently.
Regarding the decline in Roman Catholic participation by younger people, the reasons are obvious. Older Catholics are more likely to have been raised in a Catholic bubble at a time when the Church seemingly merited more moral authority than it seemingly does now.
Devout Christian, but I have not been to church in six years. Not because I have a problem with it, I just find that too many of them are just social clubs and I am not being fed. And many churches have dispensed with the Gospel. And have become little more than neo paganism but with a Christian label on it.
Attending church does not make you a Christian. I also take issue with someone who gives up being a Christian because of the behaviour of other people. They sound more like man pleasers than God pleasers. That being said the number one problem with Christianity in the west is that it is not being taught properly. Chrianity is supposed to be a revolution of character and this is not being conveyed.
Devout Christian, but I have not been to church in six years. Not because I have a problem with it, I just find that too many of them are just social clubs and I am not being fed. And many churches have dispensed with the Gospel. And have become little more than neo paganism but with a Christian label on it.
Attending church does not make you a Christian. I also take issue with someone who gives up being a Christian because of the behaviour of other people. They sound more like man pleasers than God pleasers. That being said the number one problem with Christianity in the west is that it is not being taught properly. Chrianity is supposed to be a revolution of character and this is not being conveyed.