“Nones” on the Rise: One-in-Five U.S. Adults Have No Religious Affiliation

http://www.pewforum.org/Unaffiliated/nones-on-the-rise.aspx

by tokenadult • 14 years ago

16 14 14 years ago

lutusp4• 14 years ago

A quote from the article: "In the last five years alone, the unaffiliated have increased from just over 15% to just under 20% of all U.S. adults."

I doubt that the true unaffiliated percentage has changed that much over such a short time period. I think these numbers actually reflect people's willingness to reveal that they're unaffiliated, in other words, to publicly "come out" as atheists or agnostics.

Don't get me wrong -- I see this as a good thing overall, I just think the reason for the change is not what it seems. The first step is to discover religion has nothing to offer an intelligent person. The second step is to be willing to let your neighbors know what you've decided, to "come out". The second step is often much harder.

But the big change is still a long way off -- the day an atheist can run for president without being laughed off the stage.

eiji• 14 years ago

While I think this "coming out" is an intelligent observation, I don't agree with your "first step", discovering what religion (not) has to offer to a person. With that comment I can't upvote the entire statement.

To start with, it probably offers a sense of community. It can also help bridge gaps between different parts of our society. I appreciate the charity work. However, I'm part of the 20%, so I'm standing at the sidelines on this one.

tensor2• 14 years ago

You can have all those things without religion.

lutusp4• 14 years ago

> To start with, it probably offers a sense of community.

With all respect, the religious aspect of a human community is a coincidence -- on can have a community without the religious context. I personally think it's an unfortunate accident of history that so many human communities are built on a scaffolding of religion.

> It can also help bridge gaps between different parts of our society.

It is here that you touch an important point, indeed a critical one. History shows us that, overall, religion creates gaps, it doesn't mend them. For each religious endeavor to reach across a chasm between people, there are ten religious endeavors to create the chasm in the first place.

dharbin• 14 years ago

Ah yes, Hacker News... the go-to place for all your news on religion.

jmduke• 14 years ago

Without going into religious talk, one of the things I'm interested in with the growing acceptance of religious unaffiliation is the gap left by churches/synagogues/etc.

As a decidedly non-religious person raised in a Christian household, I grew to love the sense of community and charity fostered by the organization. With the current trend of urban migration, I'm not sure what's going to replace that.

psychedelicx• 14 years ago

I think this is more of a reflection of the current state of religion in the country and its move to the extremes rather than a change in people's beliefs.

Religion has become so occupied in polarizing issues (e.g. politics) and scandals, that belonging to one of these organization's has changed from being part of a philosophy/community to an extremist organization.

Don't get me wrong I'm a strong contingent of the 20% but I believe there is a place for religion as well. I believe that religion has both the ability to be productive for a community as well as very destructive for an individual.

The founders got it right with the first amendment and the separation of church and state. It's too bad that the same people who clutch the constitution so firmly in one hand also carry the bible in the other these days.

r00fus• 14 years ago

So, if I understand you correctly, an (for example) ex-southern-baptist (by upbringing) would be far more loathe to consider going to a (for example) Unitarian/Universalist church or even become a Buddhist than to forego religion altogether?

As someone who was brought up religious but now does not go to church/temple - I would probably fit your mold.

However, I would be interested in joining some community organization just to get that greater sense of belonging that I'm sure I could use.

“Nones” on the Rise: One-in-Five U.S. Adults Have No Religious Affiliation

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