Atheists and non-believers hit an all-time high in the US [News]

Accoring to the ARIS (American Religious Identity Survey), the number of people that identify themselves as Christians in the US is plummeting, while the number of people who identify themselves as atheists, agnostics or unaffiliated is higher than it's ever been.

From Fox News:

The number of people who claim no religious affiliation, meanwhile, has doubled since 1990 to fifteen percent, its highest point in history. Non-believers now represent the third-highest group of Americans, after Catholics and Baptists.

Other headlines:

1) The number of Christians has declined 12% since 1990, and is now 76%, the lowest percentage in American history.

2) The growth of non-believers has come largely from men. Twenty percent of men express no religious affiliation; 12% of women.

3) Young people are fleeing faith. Nearly a quarter of Americans in their 20’s profess no organized religion.

4) But these non-believers are not particularly atheist. That number hasn’t budged and stands at less than 1 percent. (Agnostics are similarly less than 1 percent.) Instead, these individuals have a belief in God but no interest in organized religion, or they believe in a personal God but not in a formal faith tradition.

The implications for American society are profound. Americans’ relationship with God, which drove many of the country’s great transformations from the pilgrims to the founding fathers, the Civil War to the civil rights movement, is still intact. Eighty-two percent of Americans believe in God or a higher power.

But at the same time, the study offers yet another wake-up call for religious institutions.

First, catering to older believers is a recipe for failure; younger Americans are tuning out.

Second, Americans are interested in God, but they don’t think existing institutions are helping them draw closer to God.

Finally, Americans’ interest in religion has not always been stable. It dipped following the Revolution and again following Civil War. In both cases it rebounded because religious institutions adapted and found new ways of relating to everyday Americans.


theHeadCase's picture

Good

Organized religion has been more annoying than prosperous lately. If anything, the Church is keeping America from getting flying cars, jet packs, and treadmills to walk you're dogs on.

The cake actually wasn't a lie.

zero's picture

probably

due to so many people losing their jobs and homes.  people are probably seeing this as losing their lives and with that what ever faith they had is going with it.

Greedo shot first!

Odd's picture

If you have to believe in something

Believe in the word of Odd.

 

I have what I like to call an Unorganized religion. You may show up at our house of praise and find a note reading "gone to strip club....back when I run out of money" It costs a lot of money to save those girls.

 

We have tractor pulls with large men as the tractors. Not to mention our bi weekly pancake breakfast pudding wrestling with the local bisexual ladies.

 

All are welcome

 

ashmang's picture

i believe in the one true

i believe in the one true lord and saviour, heathus christ 

   http://sweetheathus.tumblr.com/

Skyn Canvas's picture

I worship Oscar Wilde.  That

I worship Oscar Wilde.  That man was a freakin genius.  "Work is the curse of the drinking class."  Yeah wrap your head around that and see if you don't find enlightenment.

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