The state of faith in America

“After many years of steady decline, the share of Americans who identify as Christians shows signs of leveling off,” reports a Pew Research Center survey. While America is still reflecting an overall decline in religiosity, the rate at which Americans report that lack of religion has stabilized, at least temporarily. Also:

“Religiously unaffiliated adults – those who identify as atheists, agnostics or as “nothing in particular” when asked about their religion – account for 29% of the population in the new RLS. The size of the religiously unaffiliated population, which we sometimes call religious “nones,” has plateaued in recent years after a long period of sustained growth.” These are the “nones” Bishop Barron is always referring to.

Overall, a majority of Americans have a “supernatural or spiritual” outlook on the world.

Anyway, you can read all the results for yourself. I do think it’s interesting this is happening in the post-COVID world. There has been so much lost-ness and brokeness. The period of the pandemic was so isolating and bewildering, that it is natural Americans as a whole would be searching for meaning, comfort, and something bigger than themselves.

I will next be on Morning Air on Thursday, February 13 at the usual 8:20 am eastern time. It is possible I will be talking about this, which is yet another sign of hope in our culture. See you then!