For the past 17 years, your GetReligionistas have written about a growing trend in religion polls (here’s the late George Gallup Jr., 15 years ago) that has obvious implications for American life in general.
Here it is: When looking at the spectrum of American life — in terms of religious beliefs, as seen in the practice of faith — the number of “traditional” believers is remaining remarkably stable, while the number of atheists, agnostics and the religiously unaffiliated has risen sharply.
What’s vanishing is sort-of believers in the middle of the spectrum.
Young people in that cohort tend to grab the headlines, since that is the future.
But check out this week’s charts from political scientist Ryan P. Burge of Eastern Illinois University (who is also a progressive Baptist pastor. Religion-beat pros and news consumers need to bookmark the Religion in Public website — especially to dig into the details of the General Social Survey data that he uses, along with other polling sources.
So, let’s ask fearful religious establishment leaders: Are the kids the only problem out there? Maybe the infamous Baby Boomers have something to do with all of this angst?
Read on.
I calculated the percentage of 20 somethings that attended church at least once a week over the last 46 years. Did the same for 30 somethings, etc.
20 somethings: Down 7%
30’s : Down 12%
40’s: Down 14%
50’s: Down 13%
60’s: Down 11%
70’s: Down 5.5%Blame middle aged people. pic.twitter.com/Bm5iWRc58w
— Ryan Burge 📊 (@ryanburge) October 21, 2019
How about the other extreme?
What about Americans who hardly ever darken the door of a house of worship?
This is people say that they attend once a year or less.
20 somethings: up 24.5%
30 : up 22.9%
40 : up 22.9%
50 : up 22.4%
60 : up 22.5%
70 : up 13%60% of 20 somethings say that they attend once a year or less in 2018 vs 35.5% in 1972. pic.twitter.com/SP106dQpV7
— Ryan Burge 📊 (@ryanburge) October 21, 2019
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