Yesterday, the Program on Public Values at Trinity College released the results of its American Religious Identification Survey, an intriguing study which brings us similarly heartening news -- 15% of Americans claim no religion.These so-called "Nones," as a segment of the U.S. population, have swelled from 8.2% of Americans in 1990 to 14.2% in 2001 to 15% in 2008. More significant, I think, is that over the last seven years the percentage of Nones increased in every state -- the only group in the Trinity survey to have done so.
The percentage of Americans calling themselves Christians has declined from 86.2% in 1990 to 76% today. Catholics accounted for 25.1% of those surveyed, up slightly from 2001 but down from 26.2% in 1990. From the report's "Highlights" summary:
"The challenge to Christianity in the U.S. does not come from other religions but rather from a rejection of all forms of organized religion."It's interesting, at least to me, that the estimated 34.2 million Nones outnumber Americans who identify with the old "mainline" Christian denominations (29.4 million). Nones also rival the number of Baptists (36.1 million). Fewer than 2.2 million Americans are self-proclaimed evangelicals or characterize themselves as "born again."
For the first time in the survey's history, respondents were asked if they believe in "the existence of God." Only 69.5% affirmed that belief, prompting the report's authors to make this observation:
"If 76% of Americans self-identify with Christianity and 80% with a religion then many millions do not subscribe fully to the theology of the groups with which they identify."For Americans, it seems, religion is somewhat less about believing than it is about belonging -- more fellowship than faith. Go figure.
I was amused to see that the ARIS report offers right-wingers, evangelicals and other -phobes a few convenient targets -- like Vermont, which has a higher percentage of Nones than any other state (34%). Muslims now make up 0.6% of Americans, twice their 1990 share and up from 0.5% in 2001. (That's about 1.4 million, if you stay awake nights keeping score at home.)
As for real heathens, an estimated 1.6 million Americans, or 0.7%, claim to be atheists and nearly 2 million (0.9%) are agnostics. And on the "existence of God" question, 2.3% of those surveyed affirmed atheism and fully 10% expressed some form of agnosticism.
Closer to home, for what it's worth, the survey found that Ohio's population is 76% Christians and 17% Nones, compared with 88% and 8% in 1990. The state's percentage of Catholics fell from 24% to 20% over the same period.
Back in July, I wrote about the menace posed by religion's extremes:
"Religious fundamentalism, regardless of the form it takes, decimates individual liberties, assaults the foundations of our society and threatens the country I love."Not every American who professes this or that religion is a dangerous fundamentalist, of course, and I wouldn't presume to deny any citizen their chosen personal faith. I make no apologies, however, for my valuing independence above all else -- and that includes religious as well as political independence.
Crafting one's own ethics free of the artifice of religion is, in my opinion, an expression of true independence. I stand in respect and applaud the 34 million Americans who, like me, do just that.
Read the Trinity College report: American Religious Identification Survey (pdf).
