TWH – Religious “Nones” are now the largest single group of respondents in religious beliefs and observances according to the Pew Research Center which released its annual study of religious affiliation in the United States last month. “Nones” encompass the group of individuals classified as “religiously unaffiliated,” including atheists, agnostics, and a significant majority who identify their religious affiliation as “nothing in particular.” But a little drilling into the findings shows a more complicated picture, especially for Pagans.
Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay
The general findings from Pew Research Center’s National Public Opinion Reference Survey (NPORS) basically say that right now, approximately 28% of adults in the United States identify as religiously unaffiliated, categorizing themselves as atheists, agnostics, or choosing to describe their religious affiliation as “nothing in particular” when queried about their beliefs. This trend is particularly prominent among younger individuals, as 69 percent of the “Nones” are below the age of 50. This stands in contrast to U.S. adults in the same age group, of whom 45 percent identify with a specific religion or subgroup.
The findings essentially underscored the declining influence of religion in this group. The trend is consistent with previous reports showing the growing process of secularization in the United States despite the rise of vocal religious, often orthodox or conservative,
But there‘s much more as patterns in the data become clear.
First “Nones” is somewhat misleading. Pew wrote “people who answer a question about their religion by saying they are atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular” are combined into a category called “religiously unaffiliated” – now widely known as the “nones.” Scholars of religion in the U.S. have been using the term “nones” since at least the 1960s, and its use has grown common in social scientific journals and the media.”
The data showed the following:
- Most “nones” believe in God or another higher power. But very few go to religious services regularly.
- Most say religion does some harm, but many also think it does some good. They are not uniformly anti-religious.
- Most “nones” reject the idea that science can explain everything. But they express more positive views of science than religiously affiliated Americans do.
Nones are not hostile toward religion, but they are skeptical of it. Respondents expressed criticism of religious institutions or individuals, with 47% indicating that a highly significant or very important factor in their non-religious stance is their dislike of religious organizations. Furthermore, 30% attribute their nonreligious status to negative experiences they’ve encountered with religious individuals. This is consistent with other findings that have suggested religious trauma is surprisingly prevalent.
[pixabay
But “Nones” are not non-believers. They are simply likely to be disconnected from religious institutions and remain unaffiliated with 90% of them saying they seldom or never go to religious services.
Of greater interest to Pagans, however, is that this group of “Nones” also says that Spirituality holds significant importance in the lives of many, with a considerable number identifying themselves as spiritual. A majority of “nones” believe that entities other than humans, including animals, can possess spirits or spiritual energies. Additionally, a substantial portion asserts the presence of spiritual essence in elements of nature, such as mountains, rivers, or trees.
There’s more, around 49% of “nones” acknowledge considering themselves as spiritual or deem spirituality as highly important in their lives. Additionally, 54% state that they engage in activities like centering themselves, spending time in nature, meditating, exercising, or practicing yoga to establish a connection with something larger than themselves, with others, or with their authentic selves.
Moreover, the survey reveals that a majority of “nones” believe that entities other than humans, including animals, can possess spirits or spiritual energies. This belief extends to various aspects such as cemeteries, memorial sites, elements of nature like mountains and rivers, and specific objects like jewels or stones. Furthermore, three in ten “nones” own items like jewelry or crystals, or have body markings or piercings, all for spiritual purposes.
“Among “nones,” 16% say they have crystals for spiritual purposes, 15% have jewelry, 13% own a cross, 11% keep a shrine, altar or icon at home, and 11% have a tattoo or piercing for spiritual purposes,” Pew researchers wrote.
One respondent wrote, “To me, spiritual means to be in touch with nature, see the beauty in everything, feel the love of Mother Nature, to know that there is something out there that is greater than me, that loves me, that looks out for me. I find that mostly in nature – the sun, the moon, trees, flowers, wild bunnies running through my yard, the deer standing stoically as if posing for me to enjoy their beauty. In addition, I try to follow the teaching of Jesus, because he had some pretty good advice.”
At the same time and in contrast to U.S. adults affiliated with a religion, those who identify as “nones” hold a more favorable attitude towards science. Despite this, the majority of “nones” express the belief that certain aspects elude scientific explanation, acknowledging the existence of something spiritual beyond the natural world, even if imperceptible.
Within the Pew survey, 56% of “nones” contend that science contributes more positively than harm to society. This stands in stark contrast to religiously affiliated adults, with the percentage holding this view being 16 points higher among the “nones.”
Interestingly, the Nones are also more civically and socially disengaged. “By a variety of measures, religious “nones” are less civically engaged and socially connected than people who identify with a religion. On average, they are less likely to vote, less likely to have volunteered lately, less satisfied with their local communities and less satisfied with their social lives.”
So, what about Pew Research and Pagans? There’s nothing there, at least in this survey. The questions for religious identification are centered on religious affiliation in Christianity and Judaism followed by “Atheist”, “Agnostic”, and nothing.
Nevertheless, the survey does show opportunities for civic and even interfaith dialogues, with a surprising number of individuals in the American Nones sharing spiritual awareness about nature, the land, and even the ancestors.
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