Posted on 10/20/2019 1:08:09 PM PDT by ebb tide
DETROIT (ChurchMilitant.com) - Irreligious adults called "nones" now outnumber adult Catholics in the United States, according to a recent poll.
A report by Pew Research Center released Thursday is showing that 26% percent of America's adult population identify as nones, a group composed of atheists, agnostics and irreligious. This dwarfs the mere 20% of U.S. adults claiming to be Catholic.
The poll found the percentage of U.S. adults professing to be nones surged in just one decade from 17% in 2009 to 26% in 2019. During the same period, the adult Catholic population fell from 23% to its current level of 20%.
Driving the decline of U.S. Catholics is the rapid exodus of Hispanics from the Catholic Church. Fifty-seven percent of Hispanics in the United States identified as Catholic 10 years ago; only 47% do today. This is despite the massive push by U.S. bishops to welcome Hispanic immigrants.
The quality of nones has also taken a turn for the worse. Some nones simply describe their religion as "nothing in particular." But the survey found the number of atheists in this group doubled over the past decade and the number of agnostics nearly doubled.
Democrats were becoming nones in droves, according to the poll. While Republicans jettisoned Christianity at a rate of 13% over the past decade, 31% of Democrats swelled the ranks of nones.
Young people too made the greatest shift. The survey found that of those over 40, 14% left their Christian heritage behind. Those under 40, however, uprooted their Christian faith twice as fast at 29%.
The overall Christian population fell in 10 years from 77% to 65% of the adult population, said the poll. Protestants sustained greater losses than Catholics. In 2009, 51% of the U.S. adult population identified as Protestant. Today, just 43% do so.
Religious attendance amongst those claiming to be Christian remained steady, as per the survey.
"Today, 62% of Christians say they attend religious services at least once or twice a month, which is identical to the share who said the same in 2009," said the report.
The survey also broke down the dwindling Christian membership of past generations as follows:
While 1 in 10 Millenials identify with non-Christian faiths, said the report, 4 in 10 profess to be nones.
The fact that Americans are becoming less religious doesn't bode well for the future of the country, according to Attorney General William Barr. During a talk at Notre Dame on Oct. 11, Barr recalled how the Founding Fathers held up religious-minded people as the underpinnings of a free society:
In short, in the Framers' view, free government was only suitable and sustainable for a religious people a people who recognized that there was a transcendent moral order antecedent to both the state and man-made law and who had the discipline to control themselves according to those enduring principles.
Barr's talk was aimed at preserving religious liberty in this country for those upholding Judeo-Christian ethics. But as more and more Christians are giving up their former religious beliefs to become nones, they'll have fewer Christian values to defend.
You could see a Latino ‘exit’ even in the early 1990s going on...there’s simply no shock to this statistic.
Jeepers, Batman ... ya’s gots duh pweist fondlings like Biden, duh pastors complainin’ dey cain’t git d’er jetplanes no mo’, ya’s got a kid pitchin’ a fit at duh U.N., an’ duh folks d’at keep askin’ when gawd’s gonna git Hillary wid nuttin’ no how bin dun yit, so’s whacha eggspect!?!?!?
So, the churches, and particularly the Christian churches, are going to have to actively recruit members, possibly with the aid of charismatic speakers working out of tent revivals and hall rentals, and with a repackaging of the messaging they are sending out over the airways, and not just on Sunday mornings. Billy Graham, once a shining beacon, is no longer with us to project the message of hope and redemption through evangelism. Though he created the Billy Graham Evangelical association, supposedly to carry on his work, no true successor to his style and drawing power has yet appeared.
Charlatans and hucksters we have in plenty, but their very presence dilutes and obscures the very real message that is out there, the breath of God, and the whole transcendent experience. The words of the Old Testament reveal that this abandonment of God is not at all a new phenomenon, but as plagued the affairs of men over and over.
Usually with some pretty drastic resolution.
54% of millennial generation Catholics (born in 1982 or later) are Hispanics, while 39% are non-Hispanic whites. On the other hand, 76% of pre-Vatican II generation Catholics (born 1943 or earlier) are non-Hispanic whites, while 15% are Hispanics. Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University, September, 2010 . http://www.osv.com/tabid/7621/itemid/6850/Openers-More-evidence-of-the-browning-of-US-Cat.aspx
68% of all Latinos in the U.S. identify as Catholics. Changing Faiths: Latinos and the Transformation of American Religion http://pewforum.org/Changing-Faiths-Latinos-and-the-Transformation-of-American-Religion.aspx Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion - American Piety in the 21 Century 9-2006 http://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php/33304.pdf
Among Catholics under the age of 30, 47% are white, and 45% are Latino. In contrast, among Catholics over the age of 65, 82% are white (Pew Forum 2007, reported in http://publicreligion.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Catholics-and-LGBT-Issues-Survey-Report.pdf)
Latinos comprised 32 percent of all U.S. Catholics in 2008, versus to 20 percent in 1990. However, Catholic identification has slipped from 66 percent in 1990 to 60 percent in 2008. There has also been a significant rise in the number of Latinos who do not adhere to a religion. The longer a Latino has lived in the United States, the less likely he or she is to be Catholic. Study of Secularism in Society and Culture at Trinity College, http://theamericano.com/2010/03/18/new-report-on-u-s-latino-religious-identification/
18% of all Latinos say they have either converted from one religion to another or to no religion at all. http://pewhispanic.org/files/reports/75.4.pdf
1,000 Mexicans left the Catholic Church every day between 2000 and 2010, a decline that has continued uninterrupted over the past 60 years, from 98.21 of the population to 83.9 percent today. Latin American Herald Tribune, March 10, 2011, based upon census data and study by sociologist and historian Roberto Blancarte of Colegio de Mexico and the National Autonomous University of Mexico
The percentage of of Protestants and Evangelicals rose from 1.28% in 1950 to close to 8% of the total population in 2010, (excluding so-called Jehovahs Witnesses or Mormons). 5.2 million say they profess no religion. ^
This decline is seen as extending across the region (Catholics represent between 55% to 73% in Central America, 70% in Brazil, 50% in Cuba and Uruguay).^
Brazils National Statistics Institute reported that the number of evangelical Christians in Brazil (the worlds largest Catholic country) has risen from 15% of the population in 2000 to to 22% of the population in 2010, and 4% 40 years ago, while the proportion of Catholic Brazilians fell from 93.% of Brazilians 40 years ago, and 74% of the population in 2000 to to 65% in 2010. http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/06/29/ratio-of-evangelicals-in-brazil-jumps-44-in-10-years/
Almost 20% of all Latino American Catholics have left the Roman Catholicism, with 23 percent of second-generation Latino Americans doing so. http://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php/33304.pdf
54% of Hispanic Catholics describe themselves as charismatic Christians. http://pewhispanic.org/reports/report.php?ReportID=75
51% of Hispanic Evangelicals are converts, and 43% are former Catholics. ^
82% of Hispanics cite the desire for a more direct, personal experience with God as the main reason for adopting a new faith. Among those who have become evangelicals, 90% say it was a spiritual search for a more direct, personal experience with God was the main reason that drove their conversion. Negative views of Catholicism do not appear to be a major reason for their conversion. ^
Latino evangelicals are more than 20 percentage points more likely than Catholics to say that abortion should be illegal in most or all circumstances. http://www.nhclc.org/news/latino-religion-us-demographic-shifts-and-trend
The first generation of Latino immigrants is 74 percent Catholic, and 15 percent Protestant. The second generation is 72 percent Catholic, and 20 percent Protestant. The third generation is 62 percent Catholic, and 29 percent Protestant. ^
According to the Census Bureau, the Latino population in the United States grew from 22.4 million in 1990 to 41.3 million in 2004, adding a staggering 18.9 million people in 10 years. Broader estimates, which include Puerto Rican islanders (4 million) and undocumented immigrants (5 million), put the U.S. Latino population at over 50 million. ^
In 2003, Latinos surpassed African-Americans as the largest minority group in the United States. Latinos now represent about 14 percent of the U.S. population. This growth is a result of both immigration and high domestic birth rates. About 53 percent of all immigrants to the United States come from Latin America. Mexicans and Mexican-Americans make up 58 percent of all foreign born Latin-American immigrants. ^
POLITICAL-MORAL Ethnic views section in particular
Latinos make up about 40 percent of all U.S. Catholics (Pew Research states 33%); 70 percent of Latinos are Catholic; 23 percent of Latinos are Protestant or other Christian; 37 percent of the U.S. Latino population (14.2 million) self-identifies as born-again or evangelical (26% as born again); This figure includes Catholic charismatics, who constitute 22 percent of U.S. Latino Catholics; http://www.nhclc.org/news/latino-religion-us-demographic-shifts-and-trend
In 2007, 68% of Latinos identified as Catholics, two-thirds being immigrants. 42% did not graduate from high school. 46% have a household income of less than $30,000 per year - lower than that of other religious traditions. The Latino electorate was overwhelmingly Catholic (63%), and 70% of all Latino eligible voters who identified as Democrats were Catholics. http://www.pewhispanic.org/2007/04/25/changing-faiths-latinos-and-the-transformation-of-american-religion/
15% of Hispanics overall identified themselves as evangelicals. 64% have at least a high school diploma, and about 39% have a household income of less than $30,000 per year Among Hispanic eligible voters who were evangelicals, 37% said they considered themselves Republicans and 32% said they were Democrats. http://www.pewforum.org/uploadedfiles/Topics/Demographics/hispanics-religion-07-final-mar08.pdf
Among registered voters in 2007, 50% of white Evangelicals and 36% of Latino Evangelicals were Republican, 25% of the former and 36% of the latter were Democrats. 23% white Evangelical and 19% of Latino Evangelicals were Independents http://www.pewforum.org/uploadedfiles/Topics/Demographics/hispanics-religion-07-final-mar08.pdf
70% of Latino registered voters in 2012 identify with or lean toward the Democratic Party, while 22% identify with or lean toward the Republican Party. 81 percent of Latinos with no religious affiliation were Democrats or Democratic leaning. http://www.pewforum.org/Race/Latinos-Religion-and-Campaign-2012.aspx#president
73% of Latino Catholics surveyed said they favored Obama, versus 19% for Romney, while 50% of Latino evangelical Protestants (who accounted for 16% of all Latino registered voters) favored Obama, and 39% were for Romney. http://www.pewforum.org/Race/Latinos-Religion-and-Campaign-2012.aspx
Latino Catholics made up 57% of the Latin electorate in 2012, and 71% are Democrats or lean toward the Democratic Party, while 21% identify with or lean toward the Republican Party. Among Latino evangelical voters, about half are Democrats or lean Democratic, while about a third are Republicans or lean toward the Republican Party. http://www.pewforum.org/Race/Latinos-Religion-and-Campaign-2012.aspx
White, non-Hispanic Catholics express about as much support for same-sex marriage as Hispanic Catholics do (53% and 54%, respectively). White evangelical Protestants are somewhat more opposed to gay marriage (76%) than are Hispanic evangelical Protestants (66%). ^
Latino Evangelicals are 50% more likely than those who are Catholics to identify with the Republican Party, and are significantly more conservative than Catholics on social issues, foreign policy issues and even in their attitudes toward the plight of the poor. http://pewforum.org/surveys/hispanic
54% of Hispanic Catholics believe that churches and other places of worship should be required to provide health care coverage that includes contraception, compared to 41% Hispanic Protestants. African American & Hispanic Reproductive Issues Survey by the Public Religion Research Institute, July 2012
80% of religiously unaffiliated Hispanics, and 62% of Hispanic Catholics, and 47% of Hispanic mainline Protestants support allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry, versus 21% of evangelical Protestants (79% oppose same-sex marriage).http://publicreligion.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Catholics-and-LGBT-Issues-Survey-Report.pdf
52% of Hispanic Catholics say abortion should be illegal in all or most cases, along with 74% of Evangelical Protestants. ^
30% of Hispanic Catholics say that having an abortion is morally wrong, compared to 7% who say it is morally acceptable. nearly 59% of evangelical Protestants say that having an abortion is morally wrong, compared to only 4% who say it is morally acceptable. ^
45% of Hispanic Catholics and 51% of mainline Protestants say that sexual relations between two adults of the same gender is morally wrong, compared to 16% of Catholics and 19% of mainline Protestants who say it is morally acceptable.10% of Hispanic Catholics and 4% of mainline Protestants believe the morality of same gender sexual activity depends on the situation, and 27% of Catholics and 23% of mainline Protestants say it is not a moral issue. ^
72% of evangelical Protestants say that sexual relations between two adults of the same gender is morally wrong, while 8% say it is morally acceptable. 6% say that the morality of the behavior depends on the situation and 14% say that it is not a moral issue. ^
51% of Hispanic Catholics and mainline Protestants say that it is possible to disagree with church teachings on homosexuality and remain a good Catholic or Christian, versus 70% of evangelical Hispanic Protestants who say it is not possible to disagree with church teachings on the issue of homosexuality and remain a good Christian. ^
12% of Hispanic Catholics, and 22% of Hispanic mainline Protestants and 50% of Hispanic evangelicals report that religion is the most important thing in their lives. ^
Catholics and mainline Protestants do not differ in the frequency of their religious attendance from Hispanics overall, while evangelical Protestants are significantly more likely to attend religious services regularly.
5% of Hispanics report that they do not believe in God. Hispanic Catholics closely resemble Hispanics overall, with 59% believing God is a person and 32% believing God is an impersonal force. 69% of Mainline Protestants believe God is a person 25% believe God is an impersonal force (25%). 85% of Hispanic evangelical Protestants believe God is a person with whom one can have a relationship. ^
Black Catholics constituted 5% of the Catholic church (highly predominantly from the West at 11%, versus 4-6% elsewhere) in 2007, and 15% of evangelicals (based on denomination, and spread fairly evenly, even in the NE at 16%, but lowest in the West at 11%). http://www.pewforum.org/A-Religious-Portrait-of-African-Americans.aspx
Blacks constituted 13% of the electorate in 2012. http://www.resurgentrepublic.com/research/2012-the-year-changing-demographics-caught-up-with-republicans
77 percent of Black Protestants said they vote Democratic, whether they attended weekly services or not. 2008 The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.
For those in black Catholic churches, political affiliation or leaning in 2007 was 17%/74% Republican/Democrat, and 11%/76% for black evangelical churches. Opposition to homosexuality 37% by black Catholics and 58% by black evangelicals. Opposition to abortion was 35% by black Catholics and 53% by black evangelicals. 66% of black evangelicals and 36% of black Catholics say they attend services at least weekly. http://www.pewforum.org/A-Religious-Portrait-of-African-Americans.aspx
22% of Asian-Americans are Protestants and 19% are Catholic (while 26% are unaffiliated, with 52% of Chinese being so). .http://www.pewforum.org/Asian-Americans-A-Mosaic-of-Faiths-overview.aspx
47% of Asian-American Protestants are or lean toward the Republican party, versus 36% Democrat. Asian-American evangelicals were at 56%/28%. Asian-American Catholics were at 42%/41% (Hindu Asian-Americans 9%/72% Republican/Democrat). ^
76% of Asian-American evangelical Protestants go to services at least once a week, followed by Catholics at 60%. Opposition to abortion and homosexuality is likewise higher among the former. ^
More ,by God's grace.
Proper English please. Thank-you!
Doesnt help when the Pope is a None.
Have you noticed how big Halloween is this year? Bigger than Christmas. And much more Satanic in what is being displayed.
And the largest group of nones is comprised of former Catholics (like me) per an earlier Pew poll.
I personally don't care what any one else believes or doesn't believe.
I know that without my belief in God, I'd have taken the night train long ago.
He gives me comfort that I don't deserve.
Amazing that the author didn’t know that there are 20+ other Catholic Churches.
This is a falsehood headline referring to only the United States.
Plus, it doesn’t apply to my local Church, for they are gaining, not losing, numbers of people.
I can't help but think that people that do not believe in God have a depressed look on life.....
why be good?.....why be a faithful spouse?...why not be a child molester because there are NO CONSEQUENCES and no reason to have guilt....
but then again the whole universe just appeared...*sigh*
It’s not a false headline. Since when has Pew been conducting worldwide polls?
We can thank the Lavender Mafia for a large part in making this happen.
And the other 75% are known to lie a lot!
This is a falsehood headline referring to only the United States.
Did you not bother to read the sub-headline?
I know He thinks!!
2 Peter 3:9 King James Version (KJV)
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness;
but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish,
but that all should come to repentance.
MATTHEW 9:36 KJV
But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.
Philippians 2:5 KJV
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
He gives me comfort that I don't deserve.
Spread this comfort around. It'll do you good.
Proverbs 11:30
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who is wise wins souls.
James 5:20
let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
Catholic education has largely been a failure.
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