Introduction While religion plays a big role in the lives of many throughout the world, there are some people who are non-religious. In fact, a study conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life (2015) reported that 23% of people claimed no religious affiliation in 2014. Those who are unaffiliated with any religious group often identify as an atheist, someone who does not believe in God, or as an agnostic, someone who is unsure if there is a God (Gallup 2014; Kosmin and Keysar 2009; Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life 2012; Hirsbrunner, Loeffler, & Rompf, 2012). Surveys show that most non-religious people do not start out this way; instead they choose to become non-religious as adults (Manning, 2013). The non-religious people who choose to reject the dominant beliefs and practices of their culture may sometimes face negative reactions from those around them, including those within their own families (Kalkan, Layman, & Uslaner, 2009; Zimmerman, Smith, Simonson, & Myers, 2015). Many atheists reported being ostracized, or having conflict, with their family members due to revealing their non-religious beliefs (Hunsberger & Altemeyer, 2006). A study conducted by Hammer, Cragun, Hwang, & Smith (2012, p.54) showed that out of 796 atheists surveyed: 25% were ignored, avoided, isolated, or rejected by family members due to their non-religious beliefs, 30% were asked by their family to pretend not to be an atheist, and 38% were told by their family to keep their atheism a secret. However, families who exhibited positive attributes in their relationships prior to their family member’s reveal were less likely to respond this way (Zimmerman, et al, 2015). Those who grew up in devout religious families reported greater levels of discrimination than those who were raised in less religious families (Altemeyer & Hunsberger, 1997). While being non-religious can be viewed as a transitional stage by some, many parents who are non-religious choose to remain so, and may also raise their children to be non-religious (Lim, C., MacGregor, & Putnam, 2010; Putnam & Campbell, 2010). Many non-religious parents begin to think how, or if, they want to incorporate religion into their children’s lives when their children are
According to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center as part of a broader Religious Landscape Study, 78 percent of people who do not identify with any religious group were raised in a faith system and then left as adults. Further, about half of those people said that a lack of belief caused them to leave their faith, citing, among other things, "science" and "lack of evidence" as reasons for this skepticism.
According to data from the Pew Research Center, Americans are becoming less religious, but, simultaneously, more spiritual. Often described as “nones,” these individuals have rejected the trappings of institutional religion, yet still feel “a deep sense of spiritual peace and well-being as well as a deep sense of wonder about the universe.”
The practice of organized religion has been declining greatly since the mid 20th century, but the pace in which religion is dying is not constant in every western country. Ireland is the only country where most people attend a religious event weekly, on the other hand, less than ten percent of Scandinavians attend religious events. Organized religion is dying where it once was common in everyday life, which is bad news for church leaders who want to fill their seats. From 1945 to 1985 the percent of regular church attendees in Canada dropped in half, from 70% to 35%. Although people have stopped associating themselves with a religion, many of them still believe in a creator. Around 32 percent of America’s population attends church weekly, but 66 percent of Americans have no doubt that there is a God, and another 16 percent believe in a God but have doubts (Altemeyer 79). There is evidence that the recent rise of religious apostasy occurred because of backlash against the “Religious Right”, the christian fundamentalists that are known to be anti-homosexual. Many people are turned off by these beliefs and severed their already weak relationships with the church. Children are also not being taught religious beliefs because of parents who have left the faith. Parents have stopped
We all know that religion is an organized system regarding the spiritual or supernatural along with various practices that give numerous individuals a sense of purpose in the world and allows these individuals to understand things beyond their reach. However, while reading the articles from “Nones on the Rise,” it is evident that there is an increase in the number of individuals who claim unaffiliation to any religion in the United States. “Nones” gives the facts and figures of the Americans who do not place themselves in any religious category, with an approximate one in five of the public claiming no affiliation. But there are some individuals who denote themselves as spiritual or religious in some way. The entire article is an intriguing one because it breaks everything down, from what it means to be unaffiliated religiously to the composition of the unaffiliated, the demographics of the unaffiliated and theories as to why there is an increase in the numbers of the years. It is interesting to see how people view themselves when it comes to their beliefs.
In a region where Christianity and Catholicism is the dominant religion, people that do not affiliate themselves with religion, such as atheists or agnostics, are often frowned upon by the followers of God. Many people don’t realize that the discrimination of these people in America is very real and is a serious issue. All over the states, thousands of people are being looked down on by their acquaintances solely due to their lack of religious beliefs. This shouldn’t have to be an issue in the “land of the free”. People need to be more aware of the growing concern about the treatment of non-religious people in America.
Studies have shown that around 44% more college graduates than non high school graduates and that about 36% more persons earning $50,000 or more than those earning under $20,000 consider themselves to be an atheist; not to mention the fact that the atheist conviction nearly triples in members during the course of the 1900s (Bromley, "RELIGION AND SOCIAL CLASS"; Sherkat, "Tracking the Restructuring of American Religion..."). This upward trend of skepticism between both yearly wages levels of education could suggest that having no religion at all is seen as a sign of higher class. This could also mean that people elect atheism as their belief because they believe that, by doing so, social benefits would be
More adults and families raising children are adapting a secular, non-religious, lifestyle than ever before. As stated in Phil Zuckerman’s LA Times article “How Secular Family Values Stack Up,” there has been a dramatic increase in the percentage of American families who are raising their children without God. He also goes on to state that “23% of adults in the U.S. claim to have no religion, and more than 30% of Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 say the same.” In the same article he goes on to state that the parents that are raising their children in this lifestyle are having success and
Many people have an opinion about the overall nature of the universe and about the role which humanity plays in the universe. For example, “Why are we here” and “What will happen to us after we die”? The majority of us don’t know the answers to these questions. Thus, many of us want to have a religion because it gives us the impression that we are secure in the universe. It also provides guidance in our life. I presume it’s easier to live with some sort of explanation, even if it’s incorrect. When asked, “What religion do you practice”? I reply, “I’m atheist”. I simply lack belief in deities. However, many people have preconceived ideas about what I am and what I am not. For instance, I don’t believe in God, I loathe Christians; I concur
Eighteen options were offered as choices for this question, excluding the categories of atheist and agnostic. The responses to each category have not been captured in the survey results, owing to certain privacy concerns. However, the percentage of none as a choice was calculated from the annual survey results. Moreover, the sample for this question excluded the Californians after 1997.
Religion, whether we realize it or not, is a major element of American society (and also worldwide history). For many, religion is a significant part of their cultural identity. Religion plays a part in all levels of politics and is often an aspect of community events and organizations. Everyday, we all interact with people who have different religious backgrounds and personal beliefs. Children born into religious families are very connected with their religions from birth and this affects the way they will see the world for the rest of their lives. Even those who later explore other faiths or convert to other religious ideas will be affected in
Religion Religion is a social institution involving beliefs and practices based on recognizing the sacred. Religiosity is the importance of religion in a person’s life. In scene one, Alicia’s father told her to “Pray, and pray hard and God will give you a miracle. God is good and you can always depend on him!” Christianity, the religion in this case, provides purpose and meaning in the sense that praying and having faith in God is believed to bring forth results.
Educators need to understand the impact of religion on the lives of their students. According to Gallup poll data, nearly 95% of teens believe in God and 86% believe that Jesus Christ is either God or the Son of God (Gallup & Lindsay, 1999 as cited in Ream, 2003). These and other similar statistics demonstrate the importance of considering religion when dealing with young people. Ream
Religion – each person follows one, but it is not necessarily always the same one. Myself, I am a pantheist which means I believe in the science behind everything. However, my friend, Breanna, is agnostic. This means that she “basically believes there is no scientific proof of a higher power.” Since her religion is not the same as the main religion people normally follow around here, she is scorned by many people. She has problems maintaining friendships and relationships whenever people find out she is agnostic and her family members refuse to accept it whenever they find out.
Religious faith is important to most Americans, with approximately 95% of Americans reporting belief in God and about 50% being active in church organizations (Gallup & Castelli, 1989). Despite the widespread prevalence of religious beliefs in society, some researchers have maintained that religion and religious beliefs are often neglected in psychological research (Jones, 1994; Plante, 1996). This neglect stems from a couple of different factors. First, it is difficult for psychologists to overcome the fact that believers in many religions claim to have unique access to the truth. Secondly, truly theological questions such as the existence of God or the nature of an afterlife are often ignored by scientists. This may be in part a
The number of atheist and agnostic has been expanding there have long been predictions that religion would fade from relevance as the world modernizes, but all the recent surveys are finding that it’s happening startlingly fast. An atheist is a person who denies or disbelieves the existence of a supreme being or beings along with an agnostic, an agnostic person is a person who holds that the existence of an ultimate cause, as God, and the essential nature of things are unknown and unknowable, or that human