Statistics

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There are many recent studies that reflect on shifts in modern day population, especially when it comes to religion. There was the bold Newsweek front cover in April declaring "The End of Christian America". An article rehashing statistics from the 2009 American Religious Identification Survey, which showed a 10% decrease in self identifying Christians in America. A roughly ten times greater drop that that of self identifying Jews and Muslims. There was an article on the Guardian website discussing the spread of Islam, stating that 20% of the world's Muslim population live in countries where they are considered the minority. Countries such as America where 2.5 million Muslims live (0.8% of the population). Yet combined, Muslims make up 23% of the world population (est. 1.57 billion Muslims). Most recently, but not lastly is the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life article, discussing the possibility of one in five Americans becoming secular by the year 2030. The latest article is interesting because it can be tied in with personal encounters of mine. Within the past year a few people I know have said to me that they are now either agnostic or atheist. All of the above having grown up in one religious affiliation or another, and are some of the most active public servants I know. Most religions teach people to practice the things that these non believer do as second nature, "do good". Why is it that so many people are "loosing faith"? The Pew article which uses information of Trinity College researchers clarifies that secular doesn't solely mean agnostic or atheist. In this secular group referred to as American Nones, "more than 50% believe in either a higher being or a personal God, while only 7 % are self-proclaimed atheists. One in three say they "definitely" believe that humans developed from earlier species of animals." Also according to the study Nones are an invisible minority similar in nature to the general population in terms of marital status, education, racial/ethnic makeup and income. Also more men than women claim to have no religion (or are nones), 19 % and 12% respectively. In terms of their political presence,a large percentage of Nones decline to identify with a political party, more than 40% call themselves independents; 34% say they're Democrats; and 13% Republican. With the study proclaiming that 20% of the American population will identify with no religion in 20 years, Jesse Galef of the Secular Coalition for America hopes that this potentially growing trend "will dispel stereotypes that Nones have no morals because of their lack of religion and help them gain a political voice."

- O. Lucius