2015-11-02-皮尤-U.S._Public_Becoming_Less_Religious_266页_3mb

U.S. Public Becoming Less Religious Summary

Core Content

The 2014 U.S. Religious Landscape Study, conducted by the Pew Research Center, reveals a modest decline in overall religious belief and practice among U.S. adults, despite stability in the religious commitment of those who are affiliated with a faith. The report highlights the growing influence of the "nones" – individuals who identify as unaffiliated with any organized religion – and their impact on the nation's religious landscape.

Main Findings

• Overall Religious Belief and Practice:

  • The percentage of U.S. adults who believe in God has declined from 92% in 2007 to 89% in 2014.
  • The share of adults who are "absolutely certain" God exists has dropped from 71% to 63%.
  • Daily prayer and regular attendance at religious services have also declined slightly, though these changes are statistically significant.

• Religiously Unaffiliated ("Nones"):

  • The "nones" now account for 23% of the adult population, up from 16% in 2007.
  • They are less religiously observant than the religiously affiliated, with many identifying as atheists or agnostics.
  • The "nones" have become even more secular in their beliefs and practices over time.

• Religiously Affiliated Adults:

  • Despite the overall decline in religious belief, religiously affiliated adults remain largely committed to their faith.
  • About 66% of religiously affiliated adults still say religion is very important in their lives.
  • Two-thirds of religiously affiliated adults say they pray daily, and about 60% attend religious services at least once a month.
  • There has been a modest increase in the share of religiously affiliated adults who read scripture, participate in small prayer or scripture study groups, and share their faith with others.

• Generational Shifts:

  • Millennials are less religious than older generations, especially compared to the Silent generation.
  • For example, only 27% of Millennials attend services weekly, while 51% of Silent generation adults do.
  • The generational replacement is a key driver of the decline in traditional religious measures.

• Religion and Politics:

  • Religious groups continue to align with political parties in similar ways as before, with some groups (e.g., evangelical Protestants and Mormons) generally supporting the Republican Party, while others (e.g., Jews, "nones," and Hispanic Catholics) lean toward the Democratic Party.
  • There has been a significant increase in acceptance of homosexuality among most major religious groups, with Millennials being more accepting than older adults.

• Stability in Religious Commitment:

  • Among the religiously affiliated, most measures of religious commitment remain stable.
  • The percentage of religiously affiliated adults who consider religion very important in their lives has not changed significantly.
  • Daily prayer and regular service attendance remain relatively consistent across most religious traditions.

Key Information

• Methodology:

  • The study is based on a nationally representative telephone survey of 35,071 U.S. adults.
  • It was conducted from June 4 to September 30, 2014.
  • The margin of sampling error for the full sample is ±0.6 percentage points.

• Demographic Trends:

  • The "nones" are now the largest single religious group among Democrats.
  • Evangelicals remain the largest religious group within the Republican coalition.
  • The growth of the "nones" is contributing to the overall decline in religious belief and practice.

• Spirituality and Religious Experiences:

  • There has been an increase in the share of Americans who report feeling a deep sense of spiritual peace and well-being regularly.
  • About 60% of adults now say they regularly feel a deep sense of spiritual peace and well-being, up 7 percentage points since 2007.
  • Similarly, 46% of Americans say they feel a deep sense of wonder about the universe at least once a week.

Conclusion

While the U.S. public is becoming slightly less religious overall, this trend is largely driven by the growing number of unaffiliated individuals, particularly Millennials. However, the religiously affiliated population remains largely committed to their faith, with no significant decline in their levels of religious practice and belief. The report also highlights a notable increase in spiritual experiences and a shift toward greater acceptance of homosexuality, especially among younger generations.