Religion and the Unaffiliated
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Religiously
unaffiliated Americans tend to be, almost by definition, less religious than
Americans who belong to a religious tradition. In Pew Research Center surveys,
the unaffiliated are less likely than the general public as a whole to say that
religion is very important in their lives, to attend worship services regularly
and to pray on a daily basis.
At
the same time, the unaffiliated are not wholly secular. Substantial portions of
the unaffiliated – particularly among those who describe their religion as “nothing
in particular” – say they believe in God or a universal spirit. And while 42%
of the unaffiliated describe themselves as neither a religious nor a spiritual
person, 18% say they are a religious person, and 37% say they are spiritual but
not religious.
There
is little evidence that the unaffiliated are, by and large, “seekers” who are
searching for a religion that fits them or that they have embraced New Age
spirituality, Eastern religious ideas or other beliefs from non-Abrahamic
faiths. Only about one-in-ten U.S. adults who identify their current religion
as “nothing in particular” say they are looking for a religious affiliation. The
unaffiliated are about as likely as others in the general public to believe in
reincarnation, astrology and the evil eye. And they are only slightly more
likely to believe in yoga as a spiritual practice and in spiritual energy
located in physical things such as mountains, trees and crystals.
Compared
with other adults in the general public, the unaffiliated are less likely to
say that belonging to a community of people who share their beliefs and values
is very important to them. And their views of churches and other religious
organizations are decidedly mixed. A majority agree that religious
organizations strengthen community bonds and play an important role in helping
the poor and needy. But most also say that religious organizations are too
concerned with money and power, too focused on rules and too involved in
politics. The unaffiliated also are more skeptical than others in the general
public of the idea that churches and other houses of worship contribute to
solving important social problems, and the notion that religious organizations
protect and strengthen morality in society.
Both
the affiliated and the unaffiliated tend to agree that religion is losing
influence on society today. Unlike the general public, however, the
unaffiliated are divided over whether a decline in religion’s influence on
society is a good or bad thing.
Composition of the
Unaffiliated
The
religiously unaffiliated are comprised of three distinct subgroups. About
three-in-ten of the unaffiliated describe their religion as either atheist
(12%) or agnostic (17%), while about seven-in-ten describe their religion as
“nothing in particular” (71%).
Religion’s
Importance
As
expected, there is a wide gulf between the religiously unaffiliated and others
in the general public when it comes to the importance of religion in their
lives. Roughly two-thirds of the unaffiliated (65%) say that religion is not
too or not at all important in their life. About eight-in-ten atheists and
agnostics say religion is not too or not at all important to them (84%), as do
more than half of those who describe their religion as “nothing in particular”
(58%). By contrast, just 8% of affiliated Christians say religion is not too or
not at all important to them; about seven-in-ten (68%) describe religion as
very important in their lives.
Religious,
Spiritual or Neither?
The
Pew Research Center/Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly survey asked respondents
whether they consider themselves to be “a religious person” and, in a separate
question, whether they consider themselves to be “a spiritual person.”
Responses to these questions provide a window into the degree to which levels
of self-identified spirituality and religiosity overlap among U.S. religious
groups.
All
told, about two-thirds of U.S. adults (65%) describe themselves as religious (either
in addition to be being spiritual or not). Nearly one-in-five say they are
spiritual but not religious (18%), and about one-in-six say they are neither
religious nor spiritual (15%).
Among
all those with a religious affiliation, about three-quarters (75%) consider
themselves religious, one-in-six (15%) consider themselves to be spiritual but
not religious, and fewer than one-in-ten (8%) say they are neither.
By
contrast, among the religiously unaffiliated, 18% describe themselves as
religious, 37% say they are spiritual but not religious, and about four-in-ten
say they are neither (42%).
Among
atheists and agnostics, 57% say they are neither spiritual nor religious, while
a third consider themselves to be spiritual but not religious (34%). Just 7% of
atheists and agnostics describe themselves as religious.
Among
those who say their religion is “nothing in particular,” about a quarter say
they are a religious person (23%), nearly four-in-ten say they are spiritual
but not religious (39%), and about a third say they are neither religious nor
spiritual (36%).
Profile of the “Spiritual but not Religious”
Who are the “spiritual but not religious,” and how do they compare with those who reject both labels as well as those who do consider themselves religious?
A sizable minority of those in the general public who consider themselves to be spiritual but not religious are unaffiliated (32%), but fully two-thirds have a religious affiliation.
Among those who say they are neither spiritual nor religious, about half are unaffiliated (52%), 45% are affiliated with a religion, and the remainder did not specify a religious affiliation.
Not surprisingly, about nine-in-ten of those who consider themselves to be a religious person (whether or not they also consider themselves spiritual) are affiliated with a religion (94%).
When it comes to religious practice and commitment, those who say they are spiritual but not religious tend to fall between the religious and those who describe themselves as neither religious nor spiritual. For example, 44% of the spiritual but not religious say they pray daily.
By comparison, 73% of those who describe themselves as a religious person pray daily, and just 11% of those who say they are neither do so.
And although nine-in-ten of the spiritual but not religious say they believe in God (92%), they express less certainty in this belief than do those who describe themselves as religious. Both groups are more likely than people in the “neither” category to believe in God, however.
Demographically, the spiritual but not religious are similar to those who are neither religious
nor spiritual in terms of higher education; about a third of both groups have graduated from college. They differ in age and marital status, however. The spiritual but not religious tend to be older than those who are in the “neither” group. And while both groups are more likely to be unmarried than those who describe themselves as religious, the spiritual but not religious are more likely than those who are neither to be living with a partner or to be divorced, separated or widowed.
When it comes to politics, voters who are spiritual but not religious generally favor the Democratic Party and more often describe themselves as liberal (36%) or moderate (35%) than conservative (26%). On these questions, they resemble voters who are neither spiritual nor religious. Registered voters who describe themselves as religious, by contrast, are much more inclined to call themselves conservatives (48%) than liberals (15%), and they are about evenly split in their support for the two major political parties.
Little Evidence of
Seeking
Relatively
few people who say their religion is “nothing in particular” are actively
seeking to affiliate with a religious group. Just one-in-ten describe
themselves as looking for a religion that is right for them, while 88% say they
are not looking.
Belief in God
As
expected, the religiously unaffiliated are less likely than the general public as
a whole to believe in God. However, there are stark differences in this regard
between the unaffiliated who identify themselves as atheist or agnostic and
those who describe their religion as “nothing in particular.” Among the “nothing
in particulars,” about eight-in-ten (81%) say they believe in God or a
universal spirit – and a plurality of those who believe in God say they are
“absolutely certain” about this belief. In addition, about four-in-ten atheists
and agnostics (including 14% of atheists and 56% of agnostics) say they believe
in God or a universal spirit.
By
contrast, belief in God is nearly universal among Christians; fully 98% of
self-identified Christians also say they believe in God. In addition, the
overwhelming majority of Christians (both Protestants and Catholics) say they
are absolutely certain about their belief in God or a universal spirit.
Worship Attendance
Not
surprisingly, the unaffiliated stand out from other religious groups in the
U.S. for their infrequent attendance at worship services. Just 5% of the unaffiliated
report going to worship services at least once a week, compared with about half
of Protestants (49%) and four-in-ten Catholics (41%). The overwhelming majority
of the unaffiliated say they seldom or never attend worship services apart from
weddings or funerals. Fully 83% of atheists and agnostics seldom or never attend
worship services, and the same is true of 67% of those with no particular
religious affiliation.
White
evangelicals and black Protestants stand in stark contrast to the unaffiliated
in terms of self-reported levels of church attendance. About two-thirds of white
evangelicals (63%) and 56% of black Protestants say they attend church services
at least once a week; only about one-in-ten of each group (10% among white
evangelicals and 12% among black Protestants) say they seldom or never attend
services.
What Keeps People
Out of the Pews?
Among
American adults who say religion is either very or somewhat important in their
lives, two-thirds also say they attend religious services at least once a month
(67%). But one-third report attending less often. The Pew Research Center/Religion
& Ethics NewsWeekly survey asked this second group of people – those who
consider religion at least somewhat important but who attend worship services seldom,
never or only a few times a year – to explain in their own words why they do
not attend services more frequently. They offered a wide variety of reasons,
including personal priorities, practical difficulties getting to services, and
concerns about religion generally or in specific faiths and congregations.
The
religiously unaffiliated who were asked this question were particularly likely
to give religion-related reasons for not attending services more frequently.
About six-in-ten (59%) of the unaffiliated asked about this cited some kind of
religion-related reason. The most common response, given by 28% of the
unaffiliated asked this question, concerns disagreements with the beliefs of
the religion or their church leaders, or beliefs that attending worship
services is not particularly important. Other religion-related reasons include
mentions of hypocrisy or the idea that church leaders were too pushy or
demanding in terms of pushing beliefs or actions among congregants.
Roughly
one-in-six (17%) unaffiliated respondents asked this question cite reasons
related to their personal priorities, such as being “too busy” to attend
religious services. A similar proportion (15%) cite practical difficulties
getting to worship services, including work schedules, lack of transportation,
health problems or mobility issues due to aging.
Adults
with a religious affiliation who consider religion at least somewhat important
in their lives yet who attend services relatively infrequently provide a
similarly varied list of reasons. Compared with the unaffiliated, however,
those with a religious affiliation are more likely to cite practical issues in
getting to services (24% vs. 15% among the unaffiliated asked). And the
affiliated were less likely to cite objections to religious organizations or
give other religion-related reasons. In sum, 37% of those with a religious
affiliation gave a religion-related reason for their relatively infrequent
attendance, compared with 59% of the unaffiliated.
Frequency of Prayer
Religiously
unaffiliated Americans are less likely than others in the general public to
pray outside of worship services. About one-fifth of the unaffiliated say they
pray at least once day (21%), another fifth pray at least once a month, and
about six-in-ten seldom or never pray (58%).
But
there are sizable differences between atheists/agnostics and other unaffiliated
adults in frequency of prayer. About eight-in-ten atheists and agnostics seldom
or never pray (82%). People who describe their religion as “nothing in
particular,” however, are almost evenly divided between those who seldom or
never pray (48%) and those who pray either daily (27%) or at least once a month
(24%).
Neither
subgroup of the unaffiliated prays as often as the religiously affiliated,
however. Among Protestants, 72% say they pray at least once a day, as do 58% of
Catholics. White evangelicals and black Protestants are particularly likely to
report that they pray at least once a day (82% and 78%, respectively). White
mainline Protestants pray less frequently, with about half doing so at least once
a day (49%), three-in-ten praying at least once a month (31%) and about a fifth
saying they seldom or never engage in prayer (18%).
New Age and Eastern
Beliefs and Experiences
A
Pew Research Center survey conducted in 2009 asked about a number of spiritual
beliefs, including several with roots in non-Abrahamic faiths, such as
spiritual energy in physical objects, yoga, reincarnation, astrology and the
“evil eye.” (For details see the Pew Forum’s 2009 report “Many Americans Mix Multiple Faiths: Eastern, New Age Beliefs Widespread.”)
For
the most part, the religiously unaffiliated look similar to Christians on these
beliefs. For example, the unaffiliated are about as likely as Christians to
believe in reincarnation, astrology or the evil eye. There are two exceptions,
however. The unaffiliated are somewhat more likely than Christians to believe
in spiritual energy in physical things such as mountains, trees and crystals
(30% vs. 23%), although this is a minority viewpoint within both groups. The
unaffiliated also are somewhat more likely than Christians to believe in yoga
as a spiritual practice (28% vs. 21%), though again, this is a minority
viewpoint among both the unaffiliated and Christians.
The 2009 survey also found
few differences between the unaffiliated and Christians in terms of
self-reported experiences with the supernatural.
Roughly equal portions of
the unaffiliated (31%) and of Christians (28%) report having been in touch with
someone who has died. Similarly, roughly one-in-six of each group has used a
fortuneteller or psychic (15% among the unaffiliated, 14% among Christians).
And 19% of the unaffiliated and 17% of Christians report having seen or been in
the presence of a ghost.
Overall,
the religiously unaffiliated are less likely than Christians to report having
had a moment of sudden religious insight or awakening.
Importance of Community,
Pondering Meaning of Life, Connecting With Nature
The
Pew Research Center/Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly survey also asked about
the value respondents place on belonging to a community of people who share
their values and beliefs. About half of the general public (49%) says that
belonging to a community that shares their values and beliefs is very important
to them, while 34% say it is somewhat important, and 16% say it is not too or
not at all important.
The
religiously unaffiliated place far less importance on this than do other
groups. Among the unaffiliated, about three-in-ten say that belonging to a
community of like-minded people is very important to them (28%), a roughly
equal portion say it is not too or not at all important (31%), and four-in-ten
say it is somewhat important to them. Atheists and agnostics (22%) are even less
likely than people who say their religion is “nothing in particular” (31%) to
consider this to be very important.
About
half of all Christians say belonging to a community of people with shared
values and beliefs is very important (53%), and a third say it is somewhat
important (34%). White evangelicals, black Protestants and Hispanic Catholics
are somewhat more likely than white mainline Protestants and white Catholics to
consider this to be very important.
The
new survey also included two questions that address the frequency of spiritual
reflection outside of an explicitly religious context. One question asked how
often respondents reflect on the meaning of life, and a second asked how often
respondents feel a deep connection with nature. The findings suggest that the unaffiliated are less likely than other religious
groups to think about the meaning and purpose of life. However, the religiously
unaffiliated are no less likely than the public overall to say they often feel
a connection with nature and the earth.
Seven-in-ten
Christians report that they often think about the meaning and purpose of life.
Results on this question among Christian groups range from 57% among Hispanic
Catholics and 62% among white mainline Protestants to about eight-in-ten among white
evangelicals (79%) and black Protestants (82%). By comparison, fewer
unaffiliated Americans say they often think about the meaning and purpose of
life. About half of the unaffiliated (53%), including 56% of those who are
“nothing in particular” and 45% of atheists and agnostics, say they often think
about the meaning and purpose of life. About three-in-ten of the unaffiliated (29%)
say they sometimes do so, and 17% say they rarely or never do so.
When
it comes to feeling a connection with nature and the earth, there are
relatively few differences among religious groups. About six-in-ten adults in
the general public (58%) say they often feel a deep connection with nature,
while 26% sometimes feel such a connection and 13% say they rarely or never do.
The unaffiliated are about as likely as Christians to say they often feel a
deep connection with nature (58% and 59%, respectively).
Views About
Organized Religion
Religiously
unaffiliated Americans, on the whole, express ambivalence about churches and
other religious organizations. On the one hand, a majority agree that religious
organizations have positive effects on society, such as bringing people
together and playing an important role in helping the poor and needy. On the
other hand, a majority of the unaffiliated also say that religious organizations
are too focused on money and power, on rules and on politics.
Adults
with a religious affiliation (including Christians and members of other faiths)
are even more strongly inclined to say that religious organizations have
positive effects on society, and they are less likely than the unaffiliated to
be critical of churches and other religious organizations.
Overwhelming
majorities of all U.S. religious groups see churches and other religious
organizations as important in helping the poor and needy in society.
Three-quarters of atheists and agnostics say churches play an important role in
helping the poor and needy, as do 77% of those who say they are “nothing in particular.”
About nine-in-ten Protestants (90%) and Catholics (89%) say the same.
Similarly,
sizable majorities of all U.S. religious groups agree that churches and other
religious organizations bring people together and strengthen community bonds.
Eight-in-ten people with no particular religion (and 73% of atheists and agnostics)
agree that churches help build community bonds. About nine-in-ten Protestants
(91%) and Catholics (89%) also agree.
Two-thirds
of the general public believes that churches, synagogues and other houses of
worship contribute either some (40%) or a great deal (26%) to solving important
social problems. Large majorities have expressed this view for more than a
decade.
The
unaffiliated, however, are more skeptical than the public as a whole about the
contribution of religious organizations to solving social problems. While seven-in-ten
of those with a religious affiliation say that churches and other houses of
worship contribute either some or a great deal to solving social problems, 45%
of the unaffiliated say the same. People who describe their religion as “nothing
in particular” are evenly divided between saying houses of worship make at
least some contribution to solving social problems (48%) and saying they
contribute not much or nothing at all (47%). But atheists and agnostics are
more negative in their assessments: While 35% say houses of worship contribute
either some or a great deal, a 63% majority say they contribute not much or
nothing at all to solving important social problems.
Religiously
unaffiliated Americans also tend to differ from people with a religious
affiliation in their views on the influence of organized religion on morality.
Overwhelming majorities of Christian groups agree that churches protect and
strengthen morality in society, including 90% of white evangelical Protestants
and three-quarters of white mainline Protestants (76%) and black Protestants
(76%). About eight-in-ten Catholics (82%) say the same. By contrast, 52% of the
unaffiliated agree that churches protect and strengthen morality in society,
while 44% disagree. Among those who say they have no particular religion, a
majority (58%) agrees that churches protect and strengthen morality. Among atheists
and agnostics, 35% view churches and other religious organizations as
protecting and strengthening morality, while 60% disagree.
Public
views are divided about some aspects of organized religion, with the
unaffiliated more likely than other groups to see a downside to organized
religion.
A
majority of the unaffiliated agrees that churches are too focused on rules (67%),
too concerned with money and power (70%), and too involved with politics (67%).
Atheists and agnostics are particularly likely to agree with each of these
negative statements about churches and other religious organizations.
Religiously
affiliated Americans are more closely divided in their assessments of religious
organizations. For example, among Catholics, 56% agree that churches are too
focused on rules, about half (48%) say they are too concerned with money and
power, and almost as many (43%) say churches are too involved in politics.
Protestants are less likely than Catholics to see churches as too focused on
rules. White evangelical Protestants stand out as least likely to say that
churches are too involved in politics, and they are also less likely than other
groups to see churches as too focused on rules.
Religion in
American Life
Two-thirds
of the general public sees religion as losing influence on society today, while
a quarter say it is increasing its influence. There are few differences among
religious groups about the influence of religion on society.
But
while the unaffiliated hold views similar to others in the general public about
whether religion’s influence is waxing or waning, they are divided over whether
this is a good or bad thing. Atheists and agnostics who see religion as losing
influence on society mostly consider this a good thing; among all atheists and
agnostics, more say the declining influence of religion on society is a good
thing (43%) than a bad thing (10%). Those who have no particular religion are
more inclined to see religion’s declining influence on society as a bad thing
(32%) than a good thing (22%).