New Research Reveals Religious "Nones" are Largest Group in the USA - Latest Statistics on Nones who Believe in a Higher Power or are Spiritual

 The Pew Research center has just released statistics on the group known as "Nones" in the U.S.A.

They reveal how atheists, agnostics and those who describe their religion as ‘nothing in particular’ see God, religion, morality, science and more:

Today, about 28% of U.S. adults are religiously unaffiliated, describing themselves as atheists, agnostics or “nothing in particular” when asked about their religion.

Their survey data shows:

• Most “nones” believe in God or another higher power. But very few go to religious services regularly.
• Most say religion does some harm, but many also think it does some good. They are not uniformly anti-religious.
• Most “nones” reject the idea that science can explain everything. But they express more positive views of science than religiously affiliated Americans do.

Surveys have consistently shown that many Americans view religion’s declining influence in society as a bad thing. “Nones” tend to vote less often, do less volunteer work in their communities and follow public affairs at lower rates than religiously affiliated people do.

Who are the ‘nones’? How are they defined?

In public opinion surveys, people who answer a question about their religion by saying they are atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular” are combined into a category called “religiously unaffiliated” – now widely known as the “nones.” Scholars of religion in the U.S. have been using the term “nones” since at least the 1960s, and its use has grown common in social scientific journals and the media.1

In their latest data, 17% of “nones” identify as atheist, 20% say they are agnostic and 63% choose “nothing in particular.”

Atheists and agnostics, on average, have more education than religiously affiliated Americans. By contrast, people who describe their religion as “nothing in particular” tend to have lower levels of educational attainment than religiously affiliated U.S. adults.

Q2: Why are ‘nones’ nonreligious?

When asked directly why they are not religious, two-thirds of “nones” say they question a lot of religious teachings or don’t believe in God.

Many also bring up criticisms of religious institutions or people, including 47% who say that one extremely or very important reason why they are not religious is that they dislike religious organizations. And 30% say bad experiences they’ve had with religious people help explain why they are nonreligious.

 Are all ‘nones’ nonbelievers?

No, not all “nones” are nonbelievers. They are far less likely than religiously affiliated Americans to say they believe in God “as described in the Bible,” but most do believe in God or some other higher power. Just 29% reject the notion that there is any higher power or spiritual force in the universe.

Below is a relevant video by Bishop Robert Barron about Nones from a few years ago:

Most “nones” say they were raised in a religion, usually Christianity. Yet today, they tend to be disconnected from religious institutions. Not only have they shaken off religious labels, they also have largely shaken off involvement in churches, synagogues, mosques and other religious organizations.

For example, fully 90% of religious “nones” say they seldom or never go to religious services.

 Are ‘nones’ spiritual instead of religious?

Some “nones” are indeed spiritual. About half say spirituality is very important in their lives or say they think of themselves as spiritual. Most “nones” believe animals other than humans can have spirits or spiritual energies – and many say this is true of parts of nature, such as mountains, rivers or trees.

How do ‘nones’ think about morality?

The vast majority of “nones” say it is possible to be moral and have good values without believing in God. Most religiously affiliated people agree, though by a smaller margin.

When asked how they decide between right and wrong, 83% of “nones” say the desire to avoid hurting other people is a key factor. And 82% of “nones” say logic and reason are extremely or very important when they decide between right and wrong.

Research by: BY GREGORY A. SMITH, PATRICIA TEVINGTON, JUSTIN NORTEY, MICHAEL ROTOLO, ASTA KALLO AND BECKA A. ALPER (In addition to the July 31-Aug. 6, 2023, survey, this analysis also draws on a variety of other ATP surveys conducted in recent years, as well as on the Center’s National Public Opinion Reference Surveys (NPORS).)

• Key Excerpts from Source: https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2024/01/24/religious-nones-in-america-who-they-are-and-what-they-believe/