The report based on the ‘American Religious Identification Survey 2008,’ from Trinity College, revealed in its ‘Highlights’ that, “The 1990s was the decade when the ‘secular boom’ occurred – each year 1.3 million more adult Americans joined the ranks of the Nones. Since 2001 the annual increase has halved to 660,000 a year. Whereas Nones are presently 15% of the total adult US population, 22% of Americans aged 18-29 years self-identify as Nones… only 27% of Nones believe in a personal God compared to 70% of adults generally.” Since the 2008 study the numbers have nearly double; and belief in a personal God does not save us – it is only through belief in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Various surveys displaying Americans path to becoming a majority non-religious nation – like all the others. Directly related to religious beliefs are other moral beliefs.
| Americans becoming non-religious (Pew Research Center; and U.S. Census)
“non-religious:” ‘atheists, agnostics, or no religion’ |
|||
|
1972 |
1990 |
2001 |
2012 |
|
6 % |
8.4 % |
15 % |
20 % |
| PewForum (Growth of the Nonreligious 7/2/2013): The number of Americans who do not identify with any religion also has grown in recent years; indeed, about one-fifth of the public overall – and a third of adults under age 30 – are religiously unaffiliated as of 2012. Fully a third of U.S. adults say they do not consider themselves a “religious person.” And two-thirds of Americans – affiliated and unaffiliated alike – say religion is losing its influence in Americans’ lives. | |||
| American Religious Identification Survey (U. S. Census data; 2001)50,000 Americans responses to ‘What is your religion, if any?’ | |||
| Denomination | % in 1990 | % in 2001 | Studies by Pew Research Center:
‘Non-religious’ at 23% mid-2015 |
| Catholic | 26.8 | 25.9 | |
| Baptist | 19.8 | 17.2 | |
| Methodist | 8.3 | 7.2 | |
| Total Christians | 88.4 | 81.1 | |
| No Religion | 8.4 | 15 | |
| Percent of Americans by age that are unaffiliated with a religion in 2010 General Social Survey & Pew Research Center ‘Religion Among the Millennials’ | ||
|
Born 1928 – 1945 |
Born 1965 – 1980 | Born 1981 – later |
|
8 % |
20 % |
26 % |
|
Those born 1946 – 1964: 13 % |
||
| Percentage of Americas that support Same-Sex Marriage
Pew Research Center 2010, 2012; Gallup 2014; CNN Poll; General Social Survey & AP |
|||
| 1958 | 4 % | Below: 2010 – 42%
‘favor same-sex marriage |
|
| 1988 | 12 % | ||
| 1996 | 27 % | Ages 18 – 29 | 53 % |
| 2004 | 39 % | Ages 30 – 49 | 46 % |
| 2014 | 55 % | Ages 50 + | 34 % |
| By May of 2015 Gallop showed ‘60%’ of Americans believed Same-sex marriage ‘should be valid’ and ‘37%’ said ‘should not be valid.’ | |||
Note: in a 2006 Faith Matters Survey, when asked “can non-Christians go to heaven?’ 83% of Catholics surveyed said yes; 79% of ‘mainline Protest-ants’ did not protest, but agreed; and over half – 54% of Evangelicals also said yes.
But what did Christ say, ‘Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” – John 14 – and the LORD continued, for ‘Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me; and …the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you…” IF you ASK – ‘ask, seek, knock’ – (Matt. 7:7-12).
|
Americans saying Homosexuality is ‘Morally Acceptable’ 2010 Gallup Poll) |
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|
2006 |
2010 |
Change | |
| Protestant |
36 % |
42 % |
+ 6 % |
| Catholic |
46 % |
62 % |
+ 16 % |
| No Religion |
74 % |
85 % |
+ 11 % |
The TRUTH SOURCE 