When will the U.S. lose its Christian majority?

[Bo]

The graph in Frodo's link certainly doesn't support StatesRights' point:



Regardless, 74% is still an overwhelming majority. The answer to the question is not in the lifetime of anyone on the forum.

I think someone on this Forum might make it to 2100.

[Free Palestine]

I don't buy the "atheism is a fad" thing.  Not only are there plenty of atheist, agnostic, and non-religious parents in the United States, but many countries in Europe have significant non-religious populations.  According to a 2005 Eurobarometer poll, only nineteen percent of people in the Czech Republic believe in God.  Only sixteen percent in Estonia.  But in these countries, a majority claimed a believe in some spirit or life force, whatever the shit that means, but there was still a very fair percentage of those who believed in neither God nor a spirit of some sort.  According to one source, about forty-seven percent of people in France are agnostic.

[KuntaKinte]

Never in the next centuries, as the growing demographics in the US (hispanics, white evangelicals)  are even more religious than the average American of today.

The only thing that could seriously 'endanger' the Christian majority at least in parts of the US would be mass immigration of non-Christian folks, as happens in Europe. I don't see that for the US.

[??????????]

Regardless, 74% is still an overwhelming majority. The answer to the question is not in the lifetime of anyone on the forum.

That doesn't prove that a major shift couldn't happen.

[Grad Students are the Worst]

Regardless, 74% is still an overwhelming majority. The answer to the question is not in the lifetime of anyone on the forum.

That doesn't prove that a major shift couldn't happen.

Moving the goal post a little?

[??????????]

Regardless, 74% is still an overwhelming majority. The answer to the question is not in the lifetime of anyone on the forum.

That doesn't prove that a major shift couldn't happen.

Moving the goal post a little?

No, I stand by what I say.

[Grad Students are the Worst]

Regardless, 74% is still an overwhelming majority. The answer to the question is not in the lifetime of anyone on the forum.

That doesn't prove that a major shift couldn't happen.

Moving the goal post a little?

No, I stand by what I say.

Yeah, but you started in the thread demanding evidence that secularism has increased, and now you're rolling your eyes because people's response "doesn't prove that a major shift couldn't happen"...has someone claimed that that's an impossibility?

[The Mikado]

I think the majority will be at least nominally Christian for the long haul.  That said, that majority might eventually be in the 60% range rather than the 75% range.  And, once again, "Christians" include those people that go to Church on Christmas and Easter and never even think about religion the rest of the year.

[??????????]

Alcon my friend I never claimed that. I just went back a re-read the entire thread. What I said is that I doubted that religious I'd was ever really above 70%.

[Grad Students are the Worst]

Alcon my friend I never claimed that. I just went back a re-read the entire thread. What I said is that I doubted that religious I'd was ever really above 70%.

Ah, I get it, you were disputing the idea that there's been an historical linear progress toward secularism, not that there has been for several generations.  Still, though, when did anyone claim this was an unconditionally irreversible trend (provoking the eye-rolling)?  That's why I said I felt you were moving the goalposts.

[Sibboleth]

Confusing secularism with secularisation is... um... bad. Just saying...

[Derek]

Only in the dreams of the left.

[Gravis Marketing]

Only in the dreams of the left.

Thank you for sharing.

[A cowboy always follows his beard]

Mabye in a few states, AFAIK there are a few (Hawaii, arguably Utah), but not any time soon nationally.

[Bo]

Mabye in a few states, AFAIK there are a few (Hawaii, arguably Utah), but not any time soon nationally.

Utah is heavily Christian and Mormons consider themselves Christian. So, I don't see Utah losing it's Christian majority before the Northeast and West Coast does.

[Vepres]

     I agree with that, though I suppose the issue is that you are talking about organized religion specifically while I am talking about Christianity specifically. While it happens that there have always been people who reject organized religion, I do not think it would be controversial to suggest that apathy towards or rejection of the Christian God is more socially acceptable now than it ever has been in the past.

That doesn't suggest permanence. Religion might surge back in the next twenty years, it's happened plenty of other times in history.

Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean a Christian surge. In twenty years we could become a Scientologist nation

[HockeyDude]

Within 100 years, I believe that the majority of the population of the United States will either declare to be agnostic, or in essence be agnostic.... as many people already are.  (those people who through family or going strictly by holidays they observe might identify themselves with a certain religion... but when honestly asked about God, the afterlife, etc., give the very agnostic answer of "I really don't know"). 

[??????????]

Within 100 years, I believe that the majority of the population of the United States will either declare to be agnostic, or in essence be agnostic.... as many people already are.  (those people who through family or going strictly by holidays they observe might identify themselves with a certain religion... but when honestly asked about God, the afterlife, etc., give the very agnostic answer of "I really don't know"). 

How much you want to put on that?

[Bo]

     I agree with that, though I suppose the issue is that you are talking about organized religion specifically while I am talking about Christianity specifically. While it happens that there have always been people who reject organized religion, I do not think it would be controversial to suggest that apathy towards or rejection of the Christian God is more socially acceptable now than it ever has been in the past.

That doesn't suggest permanence. Religion might surge back in the next twenty years, it's happened plenty of other times in history.

Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean a Christian surge. In twenty years we could become a Scientologist nation

I don't see the majority of the U.S. population embracing a cult. Also, I thought Scientologists were Christian, at least by self-identification?