Pew releases 2014 religious survey results

[bgwah]

http://www.pewforum.org/2015/05/12/americas-changing-religious-landscape/

Links on the right will provide you with state and metro data

[Ebsy]

http://www.pewforum.org/2015/05/12/americas-changing-religious-landscape/

Links on the right will provide you with state and metro data

There seemed to have been pretty uniform jumps among unaffiliated across most states.

[King]

The increasing number of evangelicals number is bad news. That's enough to still overinfluence the political system. I'd rather us more Catholics and Lutherans than those types.

20 million more religious unaffliated in 7 years is pretty remarkable, especially during poor economic times.

[Torie]

The increasing number of evangelicals number is bad news. That's enough to still overinfluence the political system. I'd rather us more Catholics and Lutherans than those types.

20 million more religious unaffliated in 7 years is pretty remarkable, especially during poor economic times.

Speaking of Catholics and mainline Protestants, it does seem to be a bit of a foot race as to which cohort is secularizing the fastest, doesn't it?    The Congregationalists led the way, splitting up with one branch becoming Unitarians en route to total secularism (one branch of my ancestors went that route), and then the remaining Congregationalists merged and morphed into the Church of Christ, which is a reasonable place to be for those who don't want much religious doctrine (as opposed to political doctrine) animating their lives.

[RINO Tom]

Summary:

70.6% Christian
    46.5% Protestant (25.4% Evangelical, 14.7% Mainline, 6.5% Black)
    20.8% Catholic
      1.6% Mormon
        .8% Jehovah's Witness
        .5% Orthodox
        .4% Other
22.8% Unaffiliated
    15.8% Nothing in Particular
      4.0% Agnostic
      3.1% Atheist
  1.9% Jewish
        .9% Muslim
        .7% Buddhist
        .7% Hindu
  1.8% Other World Faiths

If this study is accurate, it'll mark the first time in US history that we haven't had a Protestant majority.  It's also interesting that while the numbers of atheists and agnostics HAVE increased, the vast majority of growth for the "Unaffiliated" category comes from those who are not affiliated with an organized faith but also are not atheists (presumably with a faith in some higher power but no religion).

[Tender Branson]

Good to see the religious stranglehold in the US loosening a bit ...

[SingingAnalyst]

The increasing number of evangelicals number is bad news. That's enough to still overinfluence the political system. I'd rather us more Catholics and Lutherans than those types.

20 million more religious unaffliated in 7 years is pretty remarkable, especially during poor economic times.

Remarkable, but hardly surprising. Fewer and fewer people see the need to belong to organized religion, don't want to be hypocrites, can't bring themselves to believe, etc.

[Rockefeller GOP]

The increasing number of evangelicals number is bad news. That's enough to still overinfluence the political system. I'd rather us more Catholics and Lutherans than those types.

20 million more religious unaffliated in 7 years is pretty remarkable, especially during poor economic times.

Remarkable, but hardly surprising. Fewer and fewer people see the need to belong to organized religion, don't want to be hypocrites, can't bring themselves to believe, etc.

As RINO Tom pointed out, though, let's not confuse "Unaffiliated" with being an atheist, or even an agnostic.

[Indy Texas]

There are a lot of people who are "unaffiliated" because they are so indifferent to and disinterested in spirituality/religion that they don't really want to pick anything to call themselves. Being an atheist would require too much effort. It's not, "There is no God and this is why." It's, "I've never thought about whether or not there is a God, nor do I care."

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

The increasing number of evangelicals number is bad excellent news. That's enough to still overinfluence the political system. I'd rather us more Catholics and Lutherans than those types.

20 million more religious unaffliated in 7 years is sadpretty remarkable, especially during poor economic times.

More evangelicals please. Not that I don't want more mainline and Roman Catholics cause I want more of those too. Third Great Awakening please. You won't believe what's happening amongst the Christians in Indiana. We're on the verge of winning a city. In one city, evangelism teams are being allowed into the largest employer of the community. You don't see that very often. Here's the amazing part of it. You've got folks like me (A/G) working along side Methodists, Amish, Lutherns, Catholics, Baptists, Messanic Jews, and more and God is opening hearts to hear and respond to the Gospel.

[Landslide Lyndon]

The increasing number of evangelicals number is bad news. That's enough to still overinfluence the political system. I'd rather us more Catholics and Lutherans than those types.

I see that Evangelicals also had a slight decrease when it comes to % of the population. Not as much as Catholics or mainline Protestants but still...  

[Ebsy]

The increasing number of evangelicals number is bad excellent news. That's enough to still overinfluence the political system. I'd rather us more Catholics and Lutherans than those types.

20 million more religious unaffliated in 7 years is sadpretty remarkable, especially during poor economic times.

More evangelicals please. Not that I don't want more mainline and Roman Catholics cause I want more of those too. Third Great Awakening please. You won't believe what's happening amongst the Christians in Indiana. We're on the verge of winning a city. In one city, evangelism teams are being allowed into the largest employer of the community. You don't see that very often. Here's the amazing part of it. You've got folks like me (A/G) working along side Methodists, Amish, Lutherns, Catholics, Baptists, Messanic Jews, and more and God is opening hearts to hear and respond to the Gospel.

Sure.

[Joe Republic]

It's also interesting that while the numbers of atheists and agnostics HAVE increased, the vast majority of growth for the "Unaffiliated" category comes from those who are not affiliated with an organized faith but also are not atheists (presumably with a faith in some higher power but no religion).

As RINO Tom pointed out, though, let's not confuse "Unaffiliated" with being an atheist, or even an agnostic.

"Nothing in particular" could be a great many things, including a form of atheism and agnosticism.  I describe myself as 'apatheist', for example.

[Joe Republic]

The increasing number of evangelicals number is bad excellent news. That's enough to still overinfluence the political system. I'd rather us more Catholics and Lutherans than those types.

20 million more religious unaffliated in 7 years is sadpretty remarkable, especially during poor economic times.

More evangelicals please. Not that I don't want more mainline and Roman Catholics cause I want more of those too. Third Great Awakening please. You won't believe what's happening amongst the Christians in Indiana. We're on the verge of winning a city. In one city, evangelism teams are being allowed into the largest employer of the community. You don't see that very often. Here's the amazing part of it. You've got folks like me (A/G) working along side Methodists, Amish, Lutherns, Catholics, Baptists, Messanic Jews, and more and God is opening hearts to hear and respond to the Gospel.

Don't do that to people's posts, please:

Hi,
This is important: the forum has the ability to quote other posts - and it allows one to edit the quotes. Editing the quote of another poster in any way that alters the content of the post to change its meaning or possible interpretation is unacceptable.  (edits should be limited only to removing sections of the post for purposes of highlighting a point of conversation).  Anything in the quote box must be verbatim from the actual post being quoted!!!

Posting a false quote is malicious and unacceptable.
Thanks,
Dave

[King]

I see that Evangelicals also had a slight decrease when it comes to % of the population. Not as much as Catholics or mainline Protestants but still...  

Yeah, but that slight decrease is still more total adults with population increase and evangelicals are loud activists by nature of the call.

[King]

Can I get a return serve at least, Joe?

More ISIS please. Not that I don't want more Saudi and Shia cause I want more of those too. Third Islamic conquest please. You won't believe what's happening amongst the Muslims in Iraq. We're on the verge of winning a city. In one city, fundamentalist teams are being allowed into the largest employer of the community. You don't see that very often. Here's the amazing part of it. You've got folks like me (A/G) working along side Hanafai, Maliki, Shaif'i, Hanbali, Zahiri, and more and Allah is opening hearts to hear and respond to the Koran.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Meh. Editing a quote in a manner that makes it clear that it has been edited doesn't strike me as dishonest. JCL was clear enough in marking deletions of the original quote with strikeouts tho I wish he'd also marked his insertions with underlines.

[Ebsy]

Yeah, striking through parts of someone's quote isn't particularly innovative or funny, but it also isn't deceptive.

[RINO Tom]

It's also interesting that while the numbers of atheists and agnostics HAVE increased, the vast majority of growth for the "Unaffiliated" category comes from those who are not affiliated with an organized faith but also are not atheists (presumably with a faith in some higher power but no religion).

As RINO Tom pointed out, though, let's not confuse "Unaffiliated" with being an atheist, or even an agnostic.

"Nothing in particular" could be a great many things, including a form of atheism and agnosticism.  I describe myself as 'apatheist', for example.

I'm inclined to believe that if one were an atheist or an agnostic, he or she would have marked that, seeing as it was one of the available options ... I know quite a few people who are more or less sure that they believe in a "Creator" of sorts, but totally reject religion.  I'd bet good money that's the largest group within "Unaffiliated."