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Is the United States losing its religion?

2:32 pm March 9, 2009, by AJC

Are Americans losing their religion?

A recent study on religious life — the American Religious Identification Survey — found that the numbers of Americans with no religion rose in every state. The report, from The Program on Public Values at Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., surveyed 54,461 adults from February through November.

Fifteen percent of those surveyed said they had “no religion, an increase from 14.2 percent in 2001 and 8.2 percent in 1990,” according to Associated Press. The article went on: “Northern New England surpassed the Pacific Northwest as the least religious region, with Vermont reporting the highest share of those claiming no religion, at 34 percent.”

Catholics make up the largest religious group, with 57 million people identifying with that group. That number is fueled in part to increases in the Latino population.

“In 2008, Christians comprised 76 percent of U.S. adults, compared to about 77 percent in 2001 and about 86 percent in 1990. Researchers said the dwindling ranks of mainline Protestants, including Methodists, Lutherans and Episcopalians, largely explains the shift. Over the last seven years, mainline Protestants dropped from just over 17 percent to 12.9 percent of the population.”

Do you feel the country has gotten more or less religious? Personally, have you moved closer to or away from a traditional religion or any religious belief? Share your thoughts.

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12 comments Add your comment

Mac

March 9th, 2009
3:43 pm

I’ve witnessed a miracle first hand. But, I’ve also been formally and unashamedly unchurched most of my life. I believe in God, but am disappointed with religion … all religions. If God made us all, and I believe he did, why would he reserve eternal reward for those of certain faiths? He wouldn’t. But that’s just my literal and inerrant opinion.

SR

March 9th, 2009
4:05 pm

I ao agree with Mac! The more I learn about religions the more distant i get from it. Religions is a cause of all the world genocides, wars, killing etc… Where is GOD? Where are his messanger? Did God stop sending them to us?

Hera

March 9th, 2009
4:11 pm

Religion is for the poor and the infirmed because they are told that is where their rewards for their life will be received.
Religion governs people’s culture until they become self reliant individuals.
Socialists make government their religion.
Capitalists don’t care what people do with their money just so long as they earn it.
Zealots of any religion feel the end justifies any means.
Read Atlas Shrugged. That is where the USA is headed.

James

March 9th, 2009
5:19 pm

Imagine a world with no religion.

We would still have the Twin Towers.

James

March 9th, 2009
5:29 pm

I feel the same as Matt. My thoughts are this: As the saying goes, a rose by any other name still smells as sweet. Couldn’t we all be worshiping the same God, then, but by different names and with different methods? Maybe Allah, Adonai, and all the others are the same. Just my two cents. :)

James

March 9th, 2009
5:30 pm

There seems to be two James. I’m the one with the character.

Enlightened Atheist

March 9th, 2009
6:32 pm

Thank “god” many people are beginning to see religion for what it is ~ originally a means to explain an unknown world and its scary events, and then as a means to govern and control ignorant people. Educate yourself and you’ll find myriad reasons to discount religion and its ancient teachings. The fact that some books were left out of the Bible because they showed Jesus in too “human” a light tells me the Bible isn’t the end all be all Christians make it out to be. Religion is a human invention, and not a very good one at that. It’s patent application should be denied or revoked.

And while we’re at it, let’s take a poll of all the adulterers, molesters, incarcerated criminals, corrupt politicians, and others of that ilk to determine their religious affiliations…you’ll find a vast majority claim to be believers. Religion does not lift humanity up, it holds it down.

Jason

March 11th, 2009
12:38 pm

Religion is what is wrong with this country. For too long the Religious Right have been in control and tried to enforce their morals on us. Now it is time that we stand up and say No More. We need citizens for communal prosperity not the moral majority. Our government will tkae care of us as long as we let them and give them to power to. Socialism is the answer.

Helen

March 12th, 2009
10:20 am

If we believe in God and his son Jesus Christ, then we are the church. It is up to us to spred the good news of Jesus Christ to lost and dying souls. How can we say we believe In God and have faith in God, and do not work for him. Faith without works is dead! And the Gosple of Jesus Christ is not dead but the workers maybe. Christians it’s time to GO, and preach salvation, hope, Holiness and the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Marsha Bond

March 12th, 2009
11:50 am

To James with the twin towers statement…That was DEEP. Something to think about.

Mark

March 15th, 2009
1:29 pm

Anyone who believes in an entity that doesn’t exist is either a child or a retard. Keep your voodoo within your own four walls and out of gov’t. Ignorant lemmings.

reader

March 23rd, 2009
9:59 pm

Mac and SR
False religion is everywhere. How can a person know which religion is right?
For one thing – On what are its teachings based? Are they from God, or are they largely from men? Ask for example; Where does it say that the human soul is immortal? NO WHERE
Ezekiel 18:4 states: “Look all the souls-to me they belong. As the soul of the Father so likewise the soul of the son- to me they belong. The soul that is sinning-it itself will die.” The Bible teaches that the soul dies.

Then you should ask what is the condition of the dead. What false religion teaches differs from the Bible. No wonder people have lost their faith. Churches stand before God.

Ecclesiastes 9:5&10 “For the living are conscious that they will die, but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all, neither do they anymore have wages, because the remembrance of them has been forgotten. All that your hand finds to do, do with your very power, for there is no work nor devising nor knowledge nor wisdom in Sheol the place to which you are going.

The dead are conscous of nothing at all. So hellfire is a false doctrine.

The Bible does not contradict itself. When religion uses a scripture to support the thought that there is a hell fire, they are isolating the scripture to try and prove a point that doesn’t exist.