inspiration
legiance of 78 percent of Americans,
nondenominational churches are grow-
ing and now attract about 5 percent of
Spiritual Shift
adults. Other world faiths—Judaism,
Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism—also
collectively account for 5 percent.
Today, 16.1 percent of adults
say they are unaffiliated; one quarter
of those 18 to 29 are in this group.
Researchers found that 1.6 percent of
adults consider themselves atheists, and
2.4 percent are agnostics, who consider
God unknowable. The remaining 12
percent split evenly between the secu-
lar and the religious, who may practice
faith on their own. Although “unaffili-
ated” surfaced as the fastest-growing
category, the survey shows that about
half end up returning to a faith connec-
Religious Fluidity Reflects a Wondering Society
tion.
Pew’s U.S. Religious Landscape
Survey of 35,000 Americans reveals
that nine in 10 Americans believe in the
by Jane Lampman
fessor at University of California-Santa
existence of God or a Universal Spirit.
Barbara. “You can read this as ‘It’s what
More than half attend services regularly
America is about’—we choose.”
and pray daily. Among the unaffiliated
A
panor According to a landmark Pew
population, four in 10 say religion is at
Forum on Religion & Public Life survey,
least somewhat important in their lives,
an extr
amic snapshot of Ameri-
can religious life in 2008 reveals
aordinary dynamism that Protestantism, which has shaped Ameri-
seven in 10 say they believe in God,
is reshaping the country’s major tradi- can identity for generations, may soon
and more than a quarter say they attend
tions in historic ways. become a minority faith, as 51 percent
religious services at least a few times a
Almost half of all Americans have call themselves Protestants today, while
year.
moved to a different religious denomi- only 43 percent of those ages 18 to 29
Seventy percent of Americans af-
nation from that in which they were say the same.
filiated with a religious tradition do not
raised. The fluidity is combining with Currently, “Within our society,
believe that their faith is the only way
immigration to spur dramatic changes Protestants basically outnumber Catho-
to eternal life.
in the religious landscape. lics two to one,” says Luis Lugo, Pew
“Religious fluidity is part of a larger Forum director. “Among immigrants,
picture of fluidity in American life Catholics outnumber Protestants by
generally,” observes Wade Clark Roof, more than two to one.”
For details see
author of Spiritual Marketplace and pro- While Christianity retains the al-
Religions.PewForum.org/reports.
15
September 2008
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