Pew Poll - U.S. Religious Landscape Survey
Offline Sources: http://religions.pewforum.org/
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/26/us/26religion.html
Poll Finds a Fluid Religious Life in U.S.
More than a quarter of adult Americans have left their childhood faith for another religion or no religion.
By Neela Banerjee
Published: February 26, 2008
WASHINGTON — More than a quarter of adult Americans have left the faith of their childhood to join another religion or no religion, according to a survey of religious affiliation by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.
Religious Makeup of the U.S.
Gains and Losses
Related
U.S. Religious Landscape Survey (pewforum.org)
Complete Report (pdf, pewforum.org)
The report, titled “U.S. Religious Landscape Survey,” depicts a highly fluid and diverse national religious life. If shifts among Protestant denominations are included, then it appears that 44 percent of Americans have switched religious affiliations.
For at least a generation, scholars have noted that more Americans are moving among faiths, as denominational loyalty erodes. But the survey, based on telephone interviews with more than 35,000 Americans, offers one of the clearest views yet of that trend, scholars said. The United States Census does not track religious affiliation.
It shows, for example, that every religion is losing and gaining members, but that the Roman Catholic Church “has experienced the greatest net losses as a result of affiliation changes.” The survey also indicates that the group that had the greatest net gain was the unaffiliated. Sixteen percent of American adults say they are not part of any organized faith, which makes the unaffiliated the country’s fourth-largest “religious group.”
What's nice: the nonreligious are gaining.
What's scary: more people are making up their own religion - which is just as irrational as following someone else's invented religion. (What difference is it is Moses makes up a religion, Jesus, or my auto mechanic Joe? None.)
Note: I imagine the RC have lost a few adherents because of their policy on molesting children. It's a good sign that people aren't so blinded by faith that pedophilia is accepted as part and parcel. "Sure! I Believe in an invisible friend, but I draw the line at fondelling boys. Call me crazy!"
Also note that there are 0.3% of Muslims in the US but there is a better chance of a muslim being voted into office than an atheist. (so far only one atheist has come out - after the election - in a major seat (Pete Stark). Meanwhile a known Muslim was elected to the Congress (Keith Ellison).
In all, I don't see much change in general. People continue to create their Gods, but because of the Secular movement, people have found it more comfortable to admit it. (in the old days, they would have been harrangued for not toeing the "company" line). The growth in Agnosticism is encouraging, but hardly earth-shattering.
Anyhow.
[mod edit: fixed some formatting issues]
Imagine the people who believe such things and who are not ashamed to ignore, totally, all the patient findings of thinking minds through all the centuries since the Bible was written. And it is these ignorant people, the most uneducated, the most unimaginative, the most unthinking among us, who would make themselves the guides and leaders of us all; who would force their feeble and childish beliefs on us; who would invade our schools and libraries and homes. I personally resent it bitterly.
Isaac Asimov
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I suggest that there's a potentially good trend hidden in this survey. The constant shifting between denominations could very well represent the fringe -- the moderate theists who are disillusioned with fundamentalism and blind faith, but keep finding it in every new denomination they join.
Perhaps they just need someone to give them another alternative. That's why I think what we're doing is such a good thing. As our (atheists) presence becomes better and better recognized, and our websites become more and more popular, I predict we're going to see a percentage of these 'swing theists' leaving organized religion.
Atheism isn't a lot like religion at all. Unless by "religion" you mean "not religion". --Ciarin
http://hambydammit.wordpress.com/
Books about atheism
I think you may be right. The difference between the atheist presence today to the ones in the past is the vastly different communication platform we have. The internet has made it possible to not only spread atheist - or theist, or religious - information, but has allowed people to compare what is written and how it compares to logic, or science in the privacy of their home.
Sure people might use idolphin to compare facts, but the ability is there.
Before, all this info was transmitted through charismatic figures, or the preisthood - or, rarified academic circles.
BTW, thanks for formatting it. I posted in the AM and meant to get back to it when I got to work, but I got swamped.
Imagine the people who believe such things and who are not ashamed to ignore, totally, all the patient findings of thinking minds through all the centuries since the Bible was written. And it is these ignorant people, the most uneducated, the most unimaginative, the most unthinking among us, who would make themselves the guides and leaders of us all; who would force their feeble and childish beliefs on us; who would invade our schools and libraries and homes. I personally resent it bitterly.
Isaac Asimov
What do you supposed happened in 91-92 that caused this sudden upsurge in non-affiliated? I believe this time period has been corroborated in other surveys as the turning point. I personally would have expected an upsurge in 2001-2002 due to 9/11, but apparently that didn't happen.
Could it have been the Clinton years? That doesn't seem to make sense. Maybe the internet? Maybe the economy? Any ideas?
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