By Mark Tooley
A new Pew Research Center study of America’s evolving religious demographic asserts that nearly 20 percent of Americans are now religiously unaffiliated, while historically dominant Protestants are now under 50 percent. The headlines have understandably cited the study as proof of America’s secularization.
The truth is probably more complicated, more interesting, and a little less disturbing to religious America. Two-thirds of the religiously unaffiliated still believe in God, and 20 percent of them pray daily. A significant minority among them even regularly attend formal worship. Atheists and agnostics, although purportedly growing in numbers, still number only 6 percent of the total population. Over 90 percent of Americans say they believe in God. Seventy-six percent of Americans according to Pew say prayer is very important, the same who said so 25 years ago. Seventy-six percent of Americans, including most unaffiliated, believe churches and religion strengthen morality. Nearly 60 percent say…
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Pingback by A Secularizing America? | THINKING PRESBYTERIAN | Scoop.it on October 10, 2012 at 9:56 pm
[…] By Mark Tooley A new Pew Research Center study of America’s evolving religious demographic asserts that nearly 20 percent of Americans are now religiously unaffiliated, while historically dominant Protestants are now under 50 percent. […]
Comment by happyflowerwordzoo002 on October 11, 2012 at 1:21 am
Yes, these seem to arrive on a regular basis. How amazing would it be if the headline was, ‘90% of Americans believe in God. Halleleujah 🙂 ‘ Thanks for this post. I heard a news blurb today and it just used the secularized slant.
Pingback by A Dissident None On The Rising Unaffiliated « Juicy Ecumenism on October 23, 2012 at 7:10 am
[…] are unaffiliated with a particular religion or denomination. There have been varying reactions. As our own Mark Tooley points out, this isn’t necessarily a crisis of faith in America; many “nones” still profess to […]