New statistics are out showing ‘Nones’ now as big as evangelicals, Catholics in the US. This is good news for those of us in this unaffiliated minority.
According to newly released General Social Survey data analyzed by Ryan P. Burge of Eastern Illinois University, Americans claiming “no religion” — sometimes referred to as “nones” because of how they answer the question “what is your religious tradition?” — now represent about 23.1 percent of the population, up from 21.6 percent in 2016. People claiming evangelicalism, by contrast, now represent 22.5 percent of Americans, a slight dip from 23.9 percent in 2016.I was born about when this chart starts so a steady rise from the 5% range to 23% is wonderful progress. It gives me hope for a future where this trend continues and the religious nature of my home country diminishes.
Those who claim “no religion” are not inherently atheists or agnostics: A 2017 Pew Research survey found that only 22 percent of “nones” listed not believing in God as the most important reason for their lack of religious affiliation.It really doesn't matter what labels people use as long as they no longer blindly follow a faith-based set of beliefs. Knowledge and verifiable truths are the most important things to base our lives on. Religions don't meet the scientific standards of knowledge and are a poor basis of morality and ethics.
The interesting trend to highlight is the unaffiliated grows with the decline of mainline Protestants. The devotion of the other groups hasn't been shaken as much by the march of time and progress of scientific advancements. The continued spread of agnosticism and the value of knowledge is important to continue this positive trend towards living our lives under scientific honesty instead of religious falsehoods.
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