Report American devotion to religion is waning, according to new study

tom_mai78101

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Religion in the United States is declining and mirroring patterns found across the western world, according to new research from UCL and Duke University in the United States.

The study published in the American Journal of Sociology shows a drop in the number of Americans who claim religious affiliations, attend church regularly and believe in God. It also finds that these drops are driven by generational differences.

Professor David Voas (UCL Institute of Education) said: “These declines aren’t happening fast, but the signs are now unmistakable. It has become clear that American religiosity has been declining for decades, and the decline is driven by the same dynamic of generational change that has driven religious decline across the developed world.”

The study examined US data from the General Social Survey (GSS), which is conducted every two years, and compared it with similarly broad data from Great Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The results show that people have slowly become less religious over time.

According to the study, 68% Americans aged 65 and over said they had no doubt God existed compared to 45% of young adults, aged 18-30. 41% of people 70 and older said they attend church services at least once a month, compared to 18% of people 60 and below.

Read more here. (UCL News)

This applies to worldwide trends.
 

jonas

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Sad. I wish just the westboro/salafi style believers would cease.
 

jonas

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How is it sad?

People will find new religions, like homeopathy. At least the other type of religion can bring a lot of good to this world. As an agnostic theist, I also find the lack of faith disturbing ;)
 

tom_mai78101

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Alright then, I have tons of faith that we'll be traveling in space by the time I die.
 

Varine

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Homeopathy is not a religion, and as an atheist I find people's delusional 'faith' disturbing.
 

jonas

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Varine

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He's not, because you seem to have only a vague understanding of religion. The article itself defines religion for itself, uses the same basic things it identifies as 'religious' to make it's point, and also only vaguely seems to have any idea what it's talking about. Not that it really matters since they are all wrong, but homeopathy isn't quite as ridiculous.
 

jonas

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Ok. Merriam Webster defines a religion as:

2: a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices
[...]
4: a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith

Homeopathy clearly falls among both. On the behalf of a family member I went through homeopathic treatment as a child and was told doctrines like "treat same with same" or "the more you reduce it, the stronger it becomes" or "it will get worse, which is a sign of it getting better!". Before prescribing me a Homeopathic drug, the doctor asked me questions about my spirituality and emotions. Then she tried out lots of types of Homeopathic drugs on me while squeezing my hand, telling me that the right drug will make my arm go weak and unable to resist the squeezing (in some magical way?). After some time I got so exhausted from the squeezing my resistance got weaker and weaker. Finally she proclaimed "Ok. We have found the right drug for you!" when my arm was already hurting from half an hour of squeezing.

Complete religious innovation.
 

Varine

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Did they tell you you'll go to homeopathic heaven?
 

jonas

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Did they tell you you'll go to homeopathic heaven?
Is this a joke, or are you still trying to convince me that homeopathy is not a religion? Not all religions have an afterlife, you know.
 
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