Decline of religion

[AFTT47]

Religious self-identification surveys since the mid 1990s have consistently shown a downturn in Americans who self-identify as Christians along with a corresponding increase with those in the "None" category. Not all the Nones are atheists, of course. Quite a few of them would call themselves "spiritual but not religious". They are rejecting organized religion - and of course the churches attached to the religion.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

Religious self-identification surveys since the mid 1990s have consistently shown a downturn in Americans who self-identify as Christians along with a corresponding increase with those in the "None" category. Not all the Nones are atheists, of course. Quite a few of them would call themselves "spiritual but not religious". They are rejecting organized religion - and of course the churches attached to the religion.

Because they’re rejecting organized religion doesn’t make them non-religious, or even less religious. But I do understand the ‘spiritual but not religious’ identifier. When people think of religion, they tend to mean formalized worship services, adherence to doctrine/dogma, education along lines that comport with what church authorities deem appropriate, and so on. When they give up those things, but continue to believe in the god(s) of their choice, they’re still religious, whatever tag they want to put on it.

Boru

[AFTT47]

Religious self-identification surveys since the mid 1990s have consistently shown a downturn in Americans who self-identify as Christians along with a corresponding increase with those in the "None" category. Not all the Nones are atheists, of course. Quite a few of them would call themselves "spiritual but not religious". They are rejecting organized religion - and of course the churches attached to the religion.

Because they’re rejecting organized religion doesn’t make them non-religious, or even less religious. But I do understand the ‘spiritual but not religious’ identifier. When people think of religion, they tend to mean formalized worship services, adherence to doctrine/dogma, education along lines that comport with what church authorities deem appropriate, and so on. When they give up those things, but continue to believe in the god(s) of their choice, they’re still religious, whatever tag they want to put on it.

Boru

Sure, but religion plays little or no role in how these people interact with society. They are secular insofar as how they vote, how they treat other people and such. They're pretty much keeping whatever religious views they have to themselves and thus do no harm. I'll take that any day.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

Because they’re rejecting organized religion doesn’t make them non-religious, or even less religious. But I do understand the ‘spiritual but not religious’ identifier. When people think of religion, they tend to mean formalized worship services, adherence to doctrine/dogma, education along lines that comport with what church authorities deem appropriate, and so on. When they give up those things, but continue to believe in the god(s) of their choice, they’re still religious, whatever tag they want to put on it.

Boru

Sure, but religion plays little or no role in how these people interact with society. They are secular insofar as how they vote, how they treat other people and such. They're pretty much keeping whatever religious views they have to themselves and thus do no harm. I'll take that any day.

I don’t know how it’s possible to know how much of a role religion plays in how a self-identified ‘spiritual’ person votes. For example, someone could leave their anti-abortion church for reasons that have nothing to do with abortion and still vote against reproductive rights.

How can you determine how a person’s religious views influence their voting without knowing how they vote?

Boru

[AFTT47]

I can't see a dogmatic person self-identifying as a "none". Even if they left a dogmatic church for other reasons - like a former Catholic who could no longer accept the role of the ongoing sex scandals of the church - would still probably self-identify as a generic Christian.

[The Grand Nudger]

The majority of SBNRs are nones, twenty some odd percent identify as affiliated and in the us mostly christian SBNRs. About 20 percent of SBNRs identify as conservative, on the political end. Almost all SBNRs are under 50, and the unifying response between groups 1 and 2 SBNRs (non affiliated and affiliated) is a natural religion. Which is to say that traditional services, scriptures and prayer have been replaced with a set of spiritual practices and beliefs which find their affirmation and/or practice in natural places, interactions, and experiences*.

I can see how christian SBNRs find that their private spirituality doesn't interfere with their day to day life. It doesn't make the intolerable culture war demands that an activated maga christian's would be expected to. They don't have to trump the place up to keep the faith they can literally take a hike instead. It still compels them in the voting booth..tand you'd expect conservative christian SBNRs to vote along the lines of natural order/fiscal conservatism/tend and cultivate environmentalism.

*as the respondants understand nature and the contents of nature.....there's alot of contemporary orientalism quantum woo and superstition in this particular soup. The point is that the holder percieves them to be validated chiefly by nature, rather than scripture, community, or tradition.