I ran across a study today on people’s answers to the basic question, “What is your religion, if any?”.
Key findings:
- the proportion of the population that can be classified as Christian has declined from eighty-six in 1990 to seventy-seven percent in 2001;
- although the number of adults who classify themselves in non-Christian religious groups has increased from about 5.8 million to about 7.7 million, the proportion of non-Christians has increased only by a very small amount – from 3.3 % to about 3.7 %;
- the greatest increase in absolute as well as in percentage terms has been among those adults who do not subscribe to any religious identification; their number has more than doubled from 14.3 million in 1990 to 29.4 million in 2001; their proportion has grown from just eight percent of the total in 1990 to over fourteen percent in 2001
- there has also been a substantial increase in the number of adults who refused to reply to the question about their religious preference, from about four million or two percent in 1990 to more than eleven million or over five percent in 2001;
- Women are more likely than men to describe their outlook as “religious”;
- Older Americans are more likely than younger to describe their outlook as “religious”;
- Black Americans are least likely to describe themselves as secular, Asian Americans are most likely to do so;
- those who identify with one or another of the main religious groups are considerably more likely to be married than those who have no religion;
- Jews, Muslims, Buddhists and those with no religion continue to have a greater preference for the Democratic party over the Republican – much as they did in 1990. Evangelical or Born Again Christians and Mormons are the most apt to identify as Republicans. Buddhists and those with no religion are most likely to be political independents. In keeping with their theology, Jehovah’s Witnesses disavow political involvement.
What do you think this means, if anything, for America? What do you think are the causes? The effects?
I wonder…
What the (coincidental) results would be from people who feel crime is greater, streets are less dangerous, and who would say they are “less happy”.
Polarization is certainly happening, as I run into many more “devout” or “evangelical” Christians and fewer and fewer people who call themselves “Christian”, but never go to church and think that “Chritianity is “one possible way” – i.e. Lukewarm Christians. This is anecdotal, but interesting.
funny
religion is slowly coming to an end in industialized countries because more people are educated. non-industrialized countries are still savage dogmatic animals and thus love religon. religon is the dumbest thing ive ever seen and i cant believe people believe in it!
Religion has a basis for stud
Religion has a basis for study, and anybody who has education should respect all forms of study. If anything you can consider it as Cultural Anthropology. Whether that culture is in a third world country, or right here in America. Obviously you are the ignoramous if you can’t see and respect religioun as it deserves to be.
there you go…
You were good on your point right up till the end. Then you stuck out your tongue and resorted to name-calling. Shame on you, name calling name caller.
——– Visit my blog, eh! The Murphy Maphia
FAITH….it is all about faith
FAITH….it is all about faith. I pray that you will come to know Jesus. Everyone is searching for something that will satisfy it may be in money, success, friends, music, or sports, but nothing fills that void except Jesus. I am not saying that non christians don’t experience happiness, but they don’t experience Joy and there is a big difference.
See my reply
See my reply in another thread
—
Matthew P. Barnson
praying
Oddly though, no matter how much you pray for that, it seems to have no effect. Maybe you need to pray better… or harder… or starve yourself while you do it. Maybe you aren’t worthy enough and Jesus is ignoring you. Or maybe, just maybe you actually have less influence in the universe than you thought. I’m open to the idea that I could be wrong about that though… are you?
——– Visit my blog, eh! The Murphy Maphia
Paul, stop taunting the Chris
Paul, stop taunting the Christian! 😛 Believer-baiting doesn’t make for a challenging showcase of your intellectual strength, and it lacks any form of emotional subtlety.
I’m not saying anyone has to play nice with the devout 100% of the time, but at least play constructively…
Arthur Rowan
Brother Katana of Reasoned Discussion — Rebel and Dance Instructor for the Unitarian Jihad.
All I have to say is…
All I have to say is…
Welcome to the Order, Brother Katana of Reasoned Discussion
—
Brother Rail Gun of the Short Path
Fair point
OK, fine….
When it comes to extraordinary claims of the supernatural (Diety on Earth is a good example of one. Rising from the dead after 3 days in the grave is another) the burden of proof, or even plausability lies squarely on the shoulders of the believer. If you want a non-believer to come to Jesus, you must convince him or at least be willing to try. If what you have is the truth, it must be able to at least stand questions of plausability.
——– Visit my blog, eh! The Murphy Maphia