More Americans are leaving religion behind

By Kyle Glatz --
10 Mar 2015 --

The number of Americans who are leaving behind religion for atheism and agnosticism is increasing day by day.

The religious makeup of the United States is seeing some changes. According to a survey that was conducted last year, the Protestant church no longer comprises over 50% of the religion in America, falling to 47%. According to studies and attitudes in the United States, this is just a small part of what is expected in terms of the amount of Americans who are turning their backs on religion as a whole.

A Decline In Protestantism

The Public Religion Research Institute, a nonpartisan research group, has found that there has been a sharp decline in the amount of people identifying as Protestant in America. This is incredible to consider when examining the history of the United States. The “Protestant Work Ethic” and religious revivals in New England helped shape the nation into what it is today. Almost every aspect of government has been influenced by the power of Protestantism, a power that now appears to be shrinking.

This indicates an incredible shift in the beliefs of the American people, and could herald a new definition of what America is all about. With a waning religious influence and more people embracing non-religion, there could be radical changes in public opinion and political support of laws and practices that could alter the socio-political landscape.

The “Nones”

It is not as though people are merely abandoning their faith, according to the studies. People are becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the rules, restrictions, and political effects of religion within their lives. While one fifth of all adults in the United States no longer identify with a religion, it has been shown that it does not necessarily mean that they have abandoned belief in God or a universal spirit. The Public Religion Research Institute reports that thirty percent of the “Nones” have some degree of belief in such a deity, but not in the constraints posed by mainstream religion. One Harvard professor has drawn a link between the young people that make up the majority of the “Nones” and the idea that they are not as interested in grouped institutions.

Americans are turning away from organized religion in record numbers http://t.co/1IlkgTLxqt
— Lode Van Beethoven🍀🌈❌ (@LodeVanB) March 8, 2015

The people of which the “Nones” are composed do have some uniting factors such as being more politically liberal, with large numbers of them favoring same-sex marriage. The states that have more “Nones” within them are also more likely to have higher levels of education and more progressive ideals guiding students.