Religion

rug

(82,333 posts) Tue Oct 9, 2012, 07:57 PM Oct 2012

Who are the ‘Nones’?

Posted at 01:59 PM ET, 10/09/2012
TheWashingtonPost
By Jeannine Hunter

More than 13 million atheists and agnostics and nearly 33 million claim no particular affiliation. About 20 percent of U.S. adults say they had no religious affiliation, an increase from two decades ago when about 8 percent of people were deemed so-called “nones,” according to a new study released Tuesday by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion and Public Life. The group will be the subject of an upcoming PBS miniseries this month.

“But despite their nickname, the “nones” are far from godless. Many pray, believe in God and have regular spiritual routines,” The Washington Post’s religion reporter Michelle Boorstein wrote Tuesday.

About 37 percent of the religiously unaffiliated say they’re spiritual but not religious.

From 2007-2012, the so-called “nones” have risen from just over 15 percent to just under 20 percent of all U.S. adults.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/under-god/post/who-are-the-nones/2012/10/09/e3669952-1238-11e2-ba83-a7a396e6b2a7_blog.html

6 replies

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Highlight:

Who are the ‘Nones’? (Original Post) rug Oct 2012 OP

They are Legion, rug. MineralMan Oct 2012 #1

It looks more like less than 20% than Legion, MineralMan. rug Oct 2012 #2

They are the young, the rising generation, the future. dimbear Oct 2012 #3

None simply means no religious affiliation. It doesn't mean nonbelief. rug Oct 2012 #4

It may be that affiliation, like wrinkles, comes with age. I can dream, tho. dimbear Oct 2012 #5

From what I have read, they are mostly people who have become cbayer Oct 2012 #6

MineralMan

(146,317 posts)

1. They are Legion, rug.

Reply to rug (Original post)

Tue Oct 9, 2012, 08:08 PM

Oct 2012

And each one of them has his or her own approach to all of this. No categorization is possible.

rug

(82,333 posts)

2. It looks more like less than 20% than Legion, MineralMan.

Reply to MineralMan (Reply #1)

Tue Oct 9, 2012, 08:16 PM

Oct 2012

And it looks like that a third of that number call themselves atheists. So that's what, a sixteenth?

dimbear

(6,271 posts)

3. They are the young, the rising generation, the future.

Reply to rug (Original post)

Tue Oct 9, 2012, 08:53 PM

Oct 2012

From that same survey, not 20% but rather 33% of the youngs surveyed checked "none."

Not hard to visualize the trend.

rug

(82,333 posts)

4. None simply means no religious affiliation. It doesn't mean nonbelief.

Reply to dimbear (Reply #3)

Tue Oct 9, 2012, 10:12 PM

Oct 2012

If the key demographic is age, that is transient.

Don't get too excited.

dimbear

(6,271 posts)

5. It may be that affiliation, like wrinkles, comes with age. I can dream, tho.

Reply to rug (Reply #4)

Wed Oct 10, 2012, 01:06 AM

Oct 2012

Dream that, like Europe, the US of A is growing into a wiser way.

cbayer

(146,218 posts)

6. From what I have read, they are mostly people who have become

Reply to rug (Original post)

Wed Oct 10, 2012, 11:01 AM

Oct 2012

disillusioned with traditional churches, but who remain spiritual or religious in some way.

I see a growing number of interfaith institutions which have appeal to many. Should be interesting to watch this develop.

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