Religious practices and faith groups

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Religious identification in the U.S.:
How American adults view themselves

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A parallel report for Canada is located elsewhere

Summary:

During the 20th century prior to 1990, the popularity of Christianity had been stable in the U.S. About 87% of adults identified themselves as Christians. The country then experienced a major change. Significant numbers of American adults began to disaffiliate themselves from Christianity and from other organized religions. By 2008, the percentage of Christians had reached 76% and is believed to be continuing its decline.

The former-Christians do not seem to have joined new religious movements (NRMs) or other world religions; they mostly left organized religion entirely and became secularists, or "spiritual but not religious" or simply unaffiliated.

Since World War II, this same process had been observed in other countries, like the U.K., other European countries, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.

Topics covered in this section:

• Quotations. ARIS polls of 2001 & 2008.
  
  
• Is the U.S. losing its Protestant majority? Those who leave. About religious data. Ethnic groups
  
  
• 2001 to 2012: Degree of religiousness. Well being. Public confidence. Classifying faith groups
  
  
• 2001 to 2011: Switching faiths. Interfaith marriages. Retaining the young. Gender. Political affiliation. Geographical distribution

Copyright © 2001 to 2012 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Originally written: 2001-DEC-15
Latest update: 2012-DEC-04
Author: B.A. Robinson 

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