More Americans than ever before are checking “none of the above” when asked about their religion.
The rise of the so-called “nones” — that is, those who don’t hold to any particular religious affiliation — has increased precipitously over the last several years, according to new data from the Pew Research Center.
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In 2007, “nones,” who consider themselves agnostic, atheist, or hold to “nothing in particular,” made up just 16% of the American populace. As of this year, that number has jumped to 28%.
When that 28% is broken down further, the Pew survey found 17% identified as atheist, 20% as agnostic, and 63% as “nothing in particular.” Most of the “nones” said they were raised in Christian homes.
The religious “nones” are also overwhelmingly young, with 69% being under 50 years old, and largely white at 63%.
A majority of the 3,317 “nones” surveyed said they still believe in “God” — but not “as described in the Bible” — or some form of a “higher power.” Half of the religiously unaffiliated said they consider themselves “spiritual,” while 29% rejected entirely the idea that there is “any higher power or spiritual force in the universe.”
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