Why is religion declining?

[Zzyzx]

Why is religion declining in the US and elsewhere?

From NPR: "Religiously unaffiliated people now make up 28% of U.S. adults, according to a new study from Pew Research. That's a larger cohort than Catholics or evangelical Protestants."

[Mr E]

Why is religion declining in the US and elsewhere?

From NPR: "Religiously unaffiliated people now make up 28% of U.S. adults, according to a new study from Pew Research. That's a larger cohort than Catholics or evangelical Protestants."

Is it? It might be a factor of how the question was asked. For instance- if you asked 'what percentage of people in the US identify as Christians' you'd get a number ranging between 62 and 69 percent. That's a big number of Americans, and it doesn't even include 'non-Christian' people who are very religious, like Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus etc. so the actual percentage of religious folks would be even higher.

But the question you posed is much different than the NPR question. A decline in "religiously affiliated" does not equate to a decline in "religion" per se. It's like a decline in registered Democrats while there's also a rise in registered Independents. People disassociate and choose to be unaffiliated. Personally, I grew up in an Evangelical Church environment and my parents were life-long members. I now go to a non-denominational church where I have not become a member.

I think the number of unaffiliated Christians (in particular) as well as nominal Jews, Mormons, Hindus, etc is growing, while more personal faith journeys are much more common versus people seeking organized religious affiliations.

[Clownboat]

Why is religion declining in the US and elsewhere?

From NPR: "Religiously unaffiliated people now make up 28% of U.S. adults, according to a new study from Pew Research. That's a larger cohort than Catholics or evangelical Protestants."

Religions live in the gaps of our knowledge. As our knowledge increases, the areas where we can insert god concepts decrease.
As an example, we no longer need Thor to explain lightning just like we no longer need creation stories to explain how humans came about.

An example of a current gap where religions can still provide answers would be:
What happens to us when we die?
The honest answer is that we don't know. For anyone that is uncomfortable with that answer, they can pick a religion and it will supply them with an answer.

[Zzyzx]

I think the number of unaffiliated Christians (in particular) as well as nominal Jews, Mormons, Hindus, etc is growing, while more personal faith journeys are much more common versus people seeking organized religious affiliations.

Kindly cite verification to support your claim.

[POI]

Why is religion declining in the US and elsewhere?

From NPR: "Religiously unaffiliated people now make up 28% of U.S. adults, according to a new study from Pew Research. That's a larger cohort than Catholics or evangelical Protestants."

According to NPR, "From the 1990s through the early 2020s, the share of Americans identifying as atheist, agnostic, or "nothing in particular" (known as religious "nones") surged from roughly 16% in 2007 to over 30%."

As to your debate question...

A) "Science" more-so explains how the natural world works. The gaps for god perpetually shrink as we discover more and more; which leaves less need for religious explanations for things like creation or illness.

B) When societies are considered wealthy and secure over-all, like in the US for example, people start to rely less on "faith to cope" with topics like suffering, poverty, or unpredictable disasters.

C) Schools, science experts, and governments now handle tasks once instead owned or controlled by religion; like healing, counseling, and teaching.

[POI]

Personally, I grew up in an Evangelical Church environment and my parents were life-long members. I now go to a non-denominational church where I have not become a member.

"Member" or not, you still believe that to achieve eternal bliss is to accept the same unfounded claim(s) as the aforementioned 'members' -- in that a rotting corpse rose again to atone for (this/that/other).

I think the number of unaffiliated Christians (in particular) as well as nominal Jews, Mormons, Hindus, etc is growing,

When we actually read all of the claims, in all these ancient publication(s) within (the Bible, the Rig Veda, the Quran, etc), and in the modern era of discovery in which we live within; in order to remain in one of these categories, is to apply cafeteria tactics. Meaning, we must now pick-and-choose within the given selection of claim(s)/offering(s). Which is why the 'Christian' religion alone has splintered off into countless sect(s). And in this hypothetical cafeteria, the main course is still selected by all who attend.

while more personal faith journeys are much more common versus people seeking organized religious affiliations.

A true 'religious none' may have completely abandoned the Christian, Hindu, Jewish, or other faith all together, and have instead simply become 'spiritual.' Millions of people have completely left the Christian faith in the United States over the last two decades. Data from the (Pew Research Center) also shows that adults, identifying as Christian, dropped from 90 percent in 1972 to 64 percent by 2020. Further, people who claim no religion—often called "nones"—now make up a large part of the population. Many of them grew up in a church and walked away. where-as you instead went from one church to another.

[Mr E]

[Replying to Zzyzx in post #4]

Kindly cite verification to support your claim.

Approximately 62% to 69% of adults in the United States identify as Christian. The religious, but unaffiliated share has ranged from 28% to 31% of the US population.

Interestingly, atheists only make up around 5%, but they are a rather vocal minority.

https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/20 ... veled-off/

[POI]

Interestingly, atheists only make up around 5%, but they are a rather vocal minority.

Quite the subjective statement... Let's explore...

This asserted 'vocal minority' is often a reaction to living in majority-religious societies or circles, pushing back against political influence, or responding to historical and/or social stigma.

And for the record, the vast majority of the people I come into contact with at work, or in general social circles, are unaware of my religious or political views. Aside from this anonymous debate forum, most are none-the-wiser as to my personal position(s).

[Zzyzx]

From: News Gallup (dot) com

"Religion in the U.S. is declining due to a combination of generational shifts, increasing secularization, and changing social values. Many younger Americans identify as religiously unaffiliated, contributing to a significant drop in traditional religious practices and beliefs

Factors Contributing to Religious Decline
Several key factors are driving the decline of religion in the U.S.

Generational Shift — Younger generations are increasingly identifying as religiously unaffiliated, with 30% of millennials reporting no religious affiliation.
Secularization — A growing trend towards secular values and lifestyles is evident, with fewer Americans considering religion important in their daily lives.
Cultural Changes — Social issues such as LGBTQ+ rights and gender equality are often at odds with traditional religious teachings, leading to disaffection among younger adherents.
Church Attendance — Regular church attendance has dropped significantly, with only 47% of Americans stating that religion is important to them, a 17 percentage point decline since 2015"

[bjs1]

Why is religion declining in the US and elsewhere?

From NPR: "Religiously unaffiliated people now make up 28% of U.S. adults, according to a new study from Pew Research. That's a larger cohort than Catholics or evangelical Protestants."

In America, the change has a lot to do with the high percentage of nominal (in name only) Christians who now identify as non-religious. These are the folks who called themselves religious, particularly Christian, but did not do any of the activities normally associated with religious faith. Especially among Millennials and younger, this group is now comfortable saying that they are not religious.

I expect (and hope) to see the percentage of “religiously unaffiliated” in America grow. I will take an atheist over a nominal Christian any day of the week.

As for the decline “elsewhere…” Am I allowed to say persecution by atheists? I mean, we all know it’s true. Millions of religious people have been slaughtered in the name of atheism over the past 100 years. Millions more have been imprisoned, fined or sent to “re-education camps” of one form or another. We are still feeling the effects of this, especially in Asia and much of Europe. Many parts of southeast Asia still criminalize religious activities. The Chinese government is currently working on a systematic genocide of the Muslim Uyghurs in the Xinjiang region. I don’t think there is much question about the history, I just don’t know if saying it out loud counts as uncivil.