The American Religious Landscape
February 27, 2008
The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life has recently published a new survey on Americans' religious affiliations.
CNN did an article based on this research. However, the claims made in the article are distorted and overblown. The article claims:
The U.S. religious marketplace is extremely volatile, with nearly half of American adults leaving the faith tradition of their upbringing to either switch allegiances or abandon religious affiliation altogether, a new survey finds.
This is skewed because they include those who changed denominations. The following numbers are taken from the report on change in religious affiliation (found here):
11% of Americans (about 20% of Protestants) were raised protestant and left the entire group (to become atheist or join another, non-protestant religion) as an adult. But 8.4% of Americans became Protestant from another religion (including atheism).
10.1% of Americans were raised Catholic (about 33% of Catholics) and left the group (to become atheist, protestant or another religion). 2.6% of Americans became Catholic.
3.9% of Americans were raised Atheist/Agnostic/Nothing and switched to a religion. But 12.7% of Americans were "raised" another religion and joined this group - the largest of any increase.
All other religions had increases and decreases of less than 1% of Americans, totalling no more than 4.1% of Americans.
See the report details here - my numbers taken from Chapter 2.
CNN did an article based on this research. However, the claims made in the article are distorted and overblown. The article claims:
The U.S. religious marketplace is extremely volatile, with nearly half of American adults leaving the faith tradition of their upbringing to either switch allegiances or abandon religious affiliation altogether, a new survey finds.
This is skewed because they include those who changed denominations. The following numbers are taken from the report on change in religious affiliation (found here):
11% of Americans (about 20% of Protestants) were raised protestant and left the entire group (to become atheist or join another, non-protestant religion) as an adult. But 8.4% of Americans became Protestant from another religion (including atheism).
10.1% of Americans were raised Catholic (about 33% of Catholics) and left the group (to become atheist, protestant or another religion). 2.6% of Americans became Catholic.
3.9% of Americans were raised Atheist/Agnostic/Nothing and switched to a religion. But 12.7% of Americans were "raised" another religion and joined this group - the largest of any increase.
All other religions had increases and decreases of less than 1% of Americans, totalling no more than 4.1% of Americans.
See the report details here - my numbers taken from Chapter 2.
