Policy
As millions of Americans prepare for the start of spring and all that comes with it, many are preparing for one of the biggest Christian holidays on the calendar. Easter brings fun family activities like egg rolls, Easter egg hunts, and copious amounts of chocolate candy.
For the most devout families, this is a time to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and even those Christians who do not attend church regularly dress up in their latest Easter clothes to make their way to a local place of worship to celebrate the Easter coronation. Holy week. However, in the past few years, trends have indicated that American Christians may find themselves in the minority in the United States for the first time in history.
Let's take a closer look at the numbers.
Christians – Are we losing our religion?
In the 1990s, about 90% of adults in the United States were Christians, compared to today, when only about two-thirds of adults in the United States are Christians. Experts argue that the United States is on track to have fewer than half of Americans identify as Christians by the mid-2030s.
Additionally, the percentage of Americans who consider themselves regular members of houses of worship fell below 50% in 2020, the first time significantly in the eight decades the Gallup poll measured. That year, the percentage of Americans who were regular members of houses of worship was 47%, compared to the first year Gallup reported in 1937, when it was 73%.
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These numbers may not seem alarming to some of us who live in a rural area of the country or do not have a schedule that allows for regular church care. However, when one digs into the statistics, it does not look good for religion as a whole.
In 2020, the percentage of Americans who claimed to have no religious preference was 21%, a sharp increase from just 20 years ago when just 8% of Americans said they had no religious affiliation. Do these numbers indicate that our nation, which was founded on Christian principles and the concept of rights granted by the divine Creator to humanity, is heading towards a descent into atheism?
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The data tells a story that can be seen as somewhat depressing for Christianity and pastors across the country. A Pew Research Center study found that about 30% of Americans identify as “nothing in particular,” a combination of atheists, agnostics, or the mainstream crowd referred to as “nothing in particular.”
This group of “nothings” is not necessarily anti-God or anti-religious. In fact, the study found that most “nones” believe in God or some form of higher power but do not attend services.
Most Nones believe that religion can sometimes cause societal harm, but they also acknowledge that religion can do some good for society. However, many Nothingists, although generally favorable to science, will admit that there are some things in this world that science cannot explain.
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It seems that at least for the better part of the 30% of “nothings,” the problem is not with God, but with God’s man-made and man-run institutions. Another statistic that points to this interesting divide between typical parishioners and believers in God comes from the difference between those who consider themselves spiritual and religious.
The Pew Research Center found that 41% of Americans admit they have become more spiritual recently, compared to only 24% who say they have become more religious.
Is there something missing?
I did not grow up in a religious or spiritual home. My maternal grandparents attended church, but I can count on one hand the number of times I attended services as a child.
It was not until I joined the military that I became more spiritual, as facing the possibility of death is often a catalyst for wanting to be closer to a higher power. I have always believed in God and still believe in God, but my relationship with faith and church has evolved because of my life experiences.
In my 30s, when I became a mother, I became more religious. I wanted to connect with a community that shared my beliefs and values, which is a big part of what it means to go to a place of worship.
I firmly believe that I do not need a specific location to encounter God; I talk to him every day, often all day. But coming together with like-minded Christians and sharing in our faith in Him and in our daily struggle to be less sinful is a special element of society as a whole and something the United States must bear in mind not to lose.
