Religion

trotsky

(49,533 posts) Tue Dec 11, 2018, 03:27 PM Dec 2018

Religion declining in importance for many Americans, especially for Millennials

There's some interesting bits on ReligionNews occasionally!

https://religionnews.com/2018/12/10/religion-declining-in-importance-for-many-americans-especially-for-millennials/

Fewer than half of Americans consider religion to be an “extremely” or “very” important part of their identity, according to a new study.

The American Family Survey, an annual national survey conducted by the Deseret News and the Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy at Brigham Young University, found that just 43% of Americans viewed religion as a core component of their identity in 2018.

...“There’s a subset of Americans for whom religious communities and beliefs are critically important to every facet of their lives, but the percentage of Americans to whom that applies is shrinking every year.”

12 replies

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Religion declining in importance for many Americans, especially for Millennials (Original Post) trotsky Dec 2018 OP

I think that's a natural progression, really. MineralMan Dec 2018 #1

Not to be a statistic-nazi... but... NeoGreen Dec 2018 #2

I agree. Seems likely that 2017 was the outlier, too. trotsky Dec 2018 #3

Post 5,916 in the series. guillaumeb Dec 2018 #4

Seems almost like if you allow freedom of religion, people may simply decline the offer marylandblue Dec 2018 #6

And in China, and formerly in Russia, they were intolerant of theism. guillaumeb Dec 2018 #7

Seems like the common factor between those two is Marxism-Leninism and it's Maoist variant. marylandblue Dec 2018 #8

And an intolerance, possibly for what they see as rivals. eom guillaumeb Dec 2018 #10

Your definition of intolerance is so broad, almost everyone could be guilty of it. marylandblue Dec 2018 #12

#Whataboutism n/t trotsky Dec 2018 #9

Textbook Lordquinton Dec 2018 #11

Someday, we'll be Iceland. Won't that be horrible? Pope George Ringo II Dec 2018 #5

MineralMan

(148,028 posts)

1. I think that's a natural progression, really.

Reply to trotsky (Original post)

Tue Dec 11, 2018, 04:42 PM

Dec 2018

The only group that shows a significant decline of "Nones" is the 55-64 age group. I think that's interesting.

But the Millennials and Generation Next young folks are no surprise a all to me. I'll be curious to see the numbers of the currently under 18 group when they reach adulthood.

I know a few in the younger two groups. The ones I know no longer see the Church as having any relevance in their lives. Most have completely stopped going, despite their parents still attending services. One 30-year-old who is a second cousin of my wife's says that she is an atheist, now. She was a steady church-goer until her mid 20s. Then, she simply stopped attending and stopped believing. About the same time she announced that she was bi-sexual, which surprised nobody. My wife and I love her dearly, and she's a regular visitor at our house, where she comes, sits down and we all talk about stuff that's relevant and current. She is remarkably open about her life to us and actually asks us for advice on things. Amazing! We're careful not to offer too much of that, though.

NeoGreen

(4,033 posts)

2. Not to be a statistic-nazi... but...

Reply to MineralMan (Reply #1)

Tue Dec 11, 2018, 04:57 PM

Dec 2018

...the fluctuation in the numbers for the 55 to 64 cohort is not statistically significant and likely falls well within the sampling/measurement error. Plus the trend would show a slight increase.

(I'll go home now and leave you alone)...

trotsky

(49,533 posts)

3. I agree. Seems likely that 2017 was the outlier, too.

Reply to NeoGreen (Reply #2)

Tue Dec 11, 2018, 05:23 PM

Dec 2018

2018 is higher than 2016 though, and the trend is all that matters.

guillaumeb

(42,649 posts)

4. Post 5,916 in the series.

Reply to trotsky (Original post)

Tue Dec 11, 2018, 05:53 PM

Dec 2018

How wonderful.

Meanwhile, in other news, the officially atheist Government of China continues to attack and imprison theists.

As did the once officially atheist Government of Russia.

But in both countries, this forced conversion, so to speak, is failing.

marylandblue

(12,344 posts)

6. Seems almost like if you allow freedom of religion, people may simply decline the offer

Reply to guillaumeb (Reply #4)

Tue Dec 11, 2018, 08:12 PM

Dec 2018

Good thing we aren't also forced to be Communist, because I hear there's a lot of them in China and they don't allow any choice in economic systems. Atheists are sometime so intolerant of capitalism.