Less Americans are Attending Religious Services

By Gary Nguyen --
04 Aug 2018 --

There has been a noticeable decline in the number of church-going Americans during the last couple of years.

The Pew Research Center discovered a decline in religious services attendance during the 2007 to 2014 period. It was observed that the number of Americans who attend church a few times every year, or never, have increased. Findings by the Pew Research Center show that the principal reason people visit any place of worship is to feel nearer to God. Matters become complicated when people are asked why they do not attend religious services.

Less Americans are Attending Religious Services[/tweetthis]

A significant number of visitors cite personal or practical reasons as to why they skip weekly services. About 40 percent claim they practice their faith through other methods. They also claim to be “fairly religious” when it came to the measuring yardstick. About 30 percent of Americans say their lack of religious beliefs is the only reason they do not visit their respective places of worship. Approximately 37 percent say they have discovered another outlet for faith. The same percentage can be applied to those people who say they stopped coming as they do not like a particular aspect of the service. Among those who never attend religious services, about 60 percent are Christians. Approximately 44 percent of the cluster claim to pray every day.

Among American adults who regularly do attend worship services, about 69 percent say they want their children to have a solid moral foundation. The same percentage of people attend church to be a better person. About 66 percent search for comfort in the midst of pain during a particularly different phase in their life. The oft-cited reason for attendance is to be nearer to God. The reasons for religious attendance other than being closer to the Almighty are being a part of a faith community and continuing the religious tradition which runs in their respective families. This view is held by 37 percent of the respondents. Other reasons include religious obligation with 37 percent citing this as a reason and 31 percent claim religious obligation. Yet another couple of reasons include pleasing their family or spouse (16 percent) or the prospect of meeting new people (19 percent). When it comes to demography, more than 50 percent of those who do not attend worship services for reasons other than non-belief are women. These people are found to be less highly educated, older, and much less democratic.