Losing our religion

One of the under-reported phenomena of modern American life is the rapid expansion of secularism.

Journalists have been captivated by the spectacle of mega-churches and the expansion of conservative Christian political power.

But demographers and pollsters have long been observing a sharp trend in the opposite direction: more and more Americans say they have “no religion.”

The latest American Religious Identification Survey shows that the transition to a more “European” secular society continues.

15% of Americans now say they have no religious faith — that’s a number equal to the percentage of people who say they’re Baptists.

And while the number of Protestant Christians has been declining sharply in recent decades, the “faithless” group has nearly doubled since 1990.

We here in the Northeast are leading the transformation. In Vermont, an astonishing 34% of people say they have no significant religion in their lives.

This from the AP:

Still, the study found that the numbers of Americans with no religion rose in every state. “No other religious bloc has kept such a pace in every state,” the study’s authors said.

Where will this lead? Post your thoughts in the comment section below.

Tags: religion