Study: Religion-less is a new religion

[Lone_Star_Dem]

Hartford (WTNH) - A new study shows a growing number of people don't identify with any religion leaving many to wonder if faith is being put on the back burner.

"In God we trust"...or, do we? It seems when it comes to religion we, as a society, have become a bit skeptical. A new survey out of Trinity College , in Hartford, is sending shock waves across Connecticut and the country.

"It's a very big change nationally," said Barry Kosmin of Trinity College.

Kosmin and Ariela Keysar are the lead investigators of the report. They call themselves "nones" -- not to be confused with the Catholic sisters. But when asked, "What religion do you follow?" They simply will reply, "None."

"Every region and state in the country is showing the same trend," said Kosmin.

Read more: http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/news/hartford_cty/news_wtnh_har...

I found it interesting that Americans are losing their religion.

Here's some excerpts from Trinity's website I find interesting as well:

<snip>

There is a variety of belief in God among the Nones, ranging from theism to atheism, although the largest proportion (59 percent) is agnostic or deist. A small minority are atheists. Nones are simply more likely to be skeptics. Nones are not particularly superstitious or partial to New Age beliefs and they are more accepting of human evolution than the general U.S. population. Most Nones are first generation as only 32 percent of current Nones report they had no religion at age 12. That is to say, two-thirds were raised with a religion.

<snip>

The 1990s was the decade of the “secular boom.” Regarding the percentage of adult Americans who claim no religious affiliation, the researchers found that it had grown from 8.2 percent in 1990 to 14.2 percent in 2001 and to 15 percent in 2008. The growth of the Nones is a national phenomenon. They are the only group that increased in every state and region of the country during the past 18 years.

<snip>

In analyzing the data, the researchers determined who these Nones are and what characteristics can be attributed to them. What they found was somewhat surprising.
Nones are disproportionately likely to be politically independent (42 percent), one-third of Nones claim Irish ancestry, and 28 percent of the Nones now live in southern states.

“Politically, older Nones were often libertarian Republicans but the younger generation of Nones, born after 1973, has associated the Republican Party with the Religious Right and, as a result, split between the Democrats and the Independents,” said Navarro-Rivera.

Read more here: http://www.trincoll.edu/AboutTrinity/News_Events/trinit...

[valerief]

1. Hell, we never had to begin with. Teevee just said we did. Teevee lied. nt

[el_bryanto]

8. Really? I'm not sure that's accurate.

Measuring the depth of religious feeling is tricky business, I'll admit, but it seems that this nation did possess plenty of religious fervor. Still does.

Bryant

[valerief]

14. Not where most of the people live. Just where the fewest people live. nt

[madokie]

2. I consider myself as non religious

and if they are going to make that a religion then, hell, I'll have to be something else. dammit anyway

[frogmarch]

3. Atheism is a religion like

not collecting stamps is a hobby.

At first I disliked being called a "none," but now I kind of like the sound of it.

Thanks for posting the article excerpt and link.

K&R

[el_bryanto]

9. Interesting metaphor but not sure it quite works

It depends on how much Atheism informs their life, I suppose. Some Atheists do seem filled with a desire to share their atheism and to take down religion. That would be like, in your analogy, a stamp collector vs. someone actively campaigning against Stamps and Stamp collecting.

Of course other Atheists just don't want to bother with or be bothered by religion.

Bryant

[donco6]

12. Religionists see speaking out against -

Taxpayer funded religious schools as "bringing down religion".

[frogmarch]

16. So, you would call a

person who is actively campaigning against stamps and stamp collecting a collector?

Calling atheism a religion is silly, despite the fact that some atheists are trying to take down religion and/or draw more people to atheism.

[spoony]

30. Odd, that

Atheists always say that, but I've never seen websites, billboards, organisations, books, etc. devoted to not-stamp-collecting. Nor when there are polls about stamp collecting do non-stamp-collectors post in all caps that they are such and call all stamp collectors idiots who abuse their children and are ruining the planet.

The analogy, or rather cliche, is dead now, if it ever had truth in it to begin with.

[Fumesucker]

38. Perhaps if non-stamp collectors were the most hated and feared minority in society

And discriminated against on a regular basis you might indeed find websites, billboards and so forth dedicated to non-stamp collecting.

[anonymous171]

35. I agree. Because it is not a religion, Atheism deserves no protections as a religion

[frogmarch]

40. Protections? What are you

saying, that atheists shouldn't enjoy the same privileges and freedoms as other U.S. citizens? Should we atheists be stoned as infidels?

[Xipe Totec]

4. We need to start a Church of the Godless

So that those who do not believe in a Deity can have a place to socialize, congregate, and maybe even own some fancy buildings, free of property taxes, to marry, hold family gatherings, wakes, etc.

Hopefully agnostics and Deists would be welcome too.

[Ikonoklast]

6. But there has to be Bingo.

Bingo can be the participatory sacrament for all who belong. Or show up, for that matter.



Who doesn't like playing Bingo?

[Manifestor_of_Light]

7. We already have one. It's called Unitarian Universalist.

I've been at home there for thirty years.

Atheists, agnostics, deists, pagans and the terminally confused are all welcome.

A non-creedal religion.

www.uua.org

There are seven principles which Unitarian Universalist congregations affirm and promote:

* The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
* Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
* Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
* A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
* The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;
* The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;
* Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

Unitarian Universalism (UU) draws from many sources:

* Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life;
* Words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love;
* Wisdom from the world's religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life;
* Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God's love by loving our neighbors as ourselves;
* Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit.
* Spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.

These principles and sources of faith are the backbone of our religious community.


There might be a congregation near you.

[Xipe Totec]

10. Actually, there is!

A few blocks from my house, and one of the oldest, built sometime between 1650 and 1660!




http://www.fpmilton.org/first.htm

[Critters2]

19. It wasn't Unitarian in 1650 or 1660. It was probably Congregationalist. nt

[Xipe Totec]

24. First Parish became Unitarian in 1834

"In 1818, the parish petitioned the town to be incorporated as a separate body, no longer under the jurisdiction of the town of Milton. This petition was granted by the General Court of Massachusetts, and the Church separated from the town. Two years later, the Dedham decision came from the supreme Judicial Court forever separating church and property, or church and state as we now know it.

Also at that time, a wave of liberal Christianity swept New England, and pulpit exchanges became popular. Settled ministers would allow other ministers, with other theological insights, to preach in their pulpits. Remember, the ministers were probably some of the most powerful and influential people in the town at the time. Many local ministers were pleased to share this new theology with their congregations, but many were not! In 1801, the very popular John Codman defended his pulpit with a rifle - forbidding a more liberal preacher to enter the church. When our Samuel Gile became minister in 1804, he agreed to these frequent pulpit exchanges - even though he was a committed Calvinist. In 1834, in response to his refusal to share his pulpit, and his frustration with this new liberal theology, Samuel Gile left this pulpit, walked across the green, and founded the First Congregational Church of Milton. At that point, First Parish became Unitarian."

- From the History of First Parish in Milton http://www.fpmilton.org/first.htm

[Critters2]

32. Yeah. I'm familiar with the Unitarian Controversy. My seminary

was founded when Harvard became Unitarian. By the middle of the 19th century, more conservative schools like Princeton were denouncing my alma mater (Andover Newton) as too liberal.

[Xipe Totec]

34. I wasn't familiar,

thanks for making me dig deeper!

[Echo In Light]

5. "I'm glad more people are leaving the church and finding god." - Lenny Bruce

[stuball111]

11. Religion yes, spirituality... no...

A person doesn't have to fill a pew or throw dollars into the collection plate to live a spiritual life. The whole fundie thing started back in the 70's during the "God is Dead" era, when people realized they can live a spiritual life without having to go to church. The money started to dwindle for religions, and they started a campaign to fill the pews, which demanded a swing to fundamentalism, fire and brimstone extremism.

[RagAss]

41. Wich is how Christianity got started to begin with,

[ChoppinBroccoli]

13. This Is Exactly What I Tell People

I am a spiritual person, in that I believe in something bigger than myself, but I don't believe in any one "organized" religion. You should take what makes sense from ALL religions and cobble it together, throwing away all the other nonsense. I realized long ago that organized religion is nothing more than another scheme to separate people from their money, and people from their ability to think independently. Religion originally arose as a way to keep the poor from rising up and overthrowing the rich in a time when there were no governments. Then the rich figured out a way to get money out of it too.

Ever notice how one of the over-arching themes (if you really dig deep enough) of any organized religion is, "Don't ask questions; do as you're told; blind faith in something for which you have no proof and will never get any proof"? That's why I always tell people, "Don't follow. Think. Use your ability to reason. And come to your own conclusions."

Whatever that makes me, that's what I am. I always referred to my religion as "Other," but "None" works pretty well too.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

15. "Don't follow. Think. Use your ability to reason. And come to your own conclusions."

Well said.

I was raised in organized religion and when I reached my teens I began to question certain aspects of organized religion.
I realized that several of the tactics used were designed to force a person to follow the doctrine blindly and evoke fear of divine retribution if you failed to do so. The entire situation reeked of emotional manipulation to me and caused me to begin researching on my own. Which led me to the conclusion that organized religions were not for me. I now fall into the category of a what they're describing as a "none."

Edit to add: Love your username and welcome to DU!

[ChoppinBroccoli]

25. What Really Led Me Down The Path

Like you, I was raised in a family that subscribed to an organized religion (my family is Lutheran). We weren't avid church-goers. In fact, my parents stopped going to church when I was born, and didn't start going again until I was about 14 or 15 years old. Surprisingly enough, what really got me started down the path toward what I consider to be my "enlightenment" when it comes to religion, was a college professor my sophmore year. I attended a small, private, church-sponsored college which requires every student to take 2 religion courses as a prerequisite to graduating. My first required religion course was taught by a professor who basically spent the entire semester pointing out all fallacies of the Bible, teaching the history behind it, why certain things were written the way they were (the personal biases of the writers, etc.) and really got me thinking about why we blindly follow something so flawed. So I credit him for "opening my eyes" to all the logical errors inherent in organized religion. He also turned me on to a lot of really excellent books that changed the way I view religion.

Later in life, I met a person who ran a non-denominational church. He wasn't a clergy member of any kind, but rather just a guy who got a PhD in Biblical History from Cambridge. He really taught me a lot because he knew everything there was to know about the Bible, and was able to read it in its original Hebrew (you'd be surprised how many things Christians hold as deep, spiritual beliefs are nothing more than mis-translations from one language to the next). And what was really compelling was that he was just a "regular guy." He wasn't one of these "holier than thou" types. He freely admitted to drinking and taking drugs in college, and doing all the things that all of us "regular folks" do, and not feeling a bit bad about it. I learned a great deal from him. Plus, I started attending his church services, and I found that the people who attended his "services" (that's really the best word I could use to describe them, but they weren't church services like you would typically imagine) were the first church-going group I'd ever seen that wasn't almost completely comprised of evil, judgmental people. I think this is because the only real "rule" of this church was what is known as Jesus' "Great Commandment." There's a passage in the Bible where someone asks Jesus which of the Ten Commandments is the most important, and Jesus tells him that there is only one "Great Commandment," and that is to love God and love your neighbor as yourself. Now THAT'S a bit religion I can really get behind.

[Critters2]

39. All desires are imitative, as are 90+% of behaviors.

I'm always amused by people who think they're rebelling.

[Toasterlad]

17. It Can't Die Fast Enough to Suit Me.

[KatyMan]

18. I think None fits

I wouldn't necessarily call myself an atheist, because given the infinite scope of the universe, I think there's room for the concept of a supreme being or prime mover, and I also don't call myself an agnostic, because that's just wishy-washy. I think "god" is irrelevant.

[Arugula Latte]

20. These reports give me a glimmer of hope for our country.

It seems like the rise of the Internet has corresponded with an increase in people saying they are not religious. I wonder if the non-believers are realizing that there are a lot of us out there, and we don't have to be silent anymore.

[KansDem]

21. Coincidentally, I saw this license-plate frame this morning...

"If you're living like there's no God...

...you'd better be right!"



This is so convoluted: If you don't believe in a deity, then how could that deity be there after you die? Or does this driver believe his/her deity will judge the non-believer? What does that say about "freedom of religion?"

[Vincardog]

23. That license-plate frame was referring to the way you live not what you profess

It is a warning to the church of abundance hypocrites from the snake handling old time religious.

[bighart]

22. The way I view the whole issue of "religion" versus atheism is thus:

Religion is faith that what one believes to be true about the existiance and nature of everything is correct. It is the foundation upon which all other personal beliefs are built. Can't "prove" there is no god, can't "prove" there is a god. Either view requires faith that what one believes to be true is correct. Both are equally "religious" in nature. In the words of Rush from the song "Free Will" "If you chose not to decide you still have made a choice"

[Toasterlad]

26. Choice Is Not Religion. Lack of Faith in the Unprovable is Not Faith.

You don't have "faith" that there is no god. You have no evidence that there IS a god. Negative evidence - there is no evidence there ISN'T a god - is not a matter of faith. It is a matter of reason. Believing in things because there's no evidence not to is not faith; it's lunacy. And not believing in things because there's no evidence to do so is not faith, either. It's sanity.

[bighart]

28. What evidence do you have that there is not a god?

[Toasterlad]

29. I Have No Evidence That There Is Not a God.

I also have no evidence that there isn't an invisible, intangible little imp following me around and making me stub my toe every couple weeks. Not believing in this imp is not an act of faith. It is an act of reason.

[bighart]

31. There is no evidence there is a god and no evidence

that there is not a god. What makes one belief more "logical", "rational", "reasonable" than the other? There are an awful lot of things out there we don't know or can't explain. I think it is reasonable and rational possibility that there is something beyond our scope of comprehension that has a causative effect on everything. Some call this god others karma etc.

[Toasterlad]

33. You're Free To Believe Whatever You Want.

I'm merely pointing out that saying there's a god because there's no evidence there ISN'T, isn't faith, just as saying there's no evidence that Santa Claus doesn't exist, so therefore he must, isn't faith. It's idiocy.

You can believe in god all you want, but if your belief is based on a lack of evidence that he DOESN'T exist, you're not a thinking person.

Science is your friend.

[bighart]

36. Agreed concerning science

[Taverner]

27. Nontheism - the new Black

I love the idea "I don't think there's a god and I don't give a shit!"

[TrogL]

37. There is a third choice - religion-less spirituality

[DavidDvorkin]

42. Define "spirituality".