Page 3 - AT

A3
U.S. NEWS Friday 18 OctOber 2019

Share of Americans with no religious affiliation growing

By DAVID CRARY the religiously unaffiliated share of Americans who
AP National Writer population - often referred say they attend religious
The portion of Americans to as the "nones" grew in services at least once or
with no religious affiliation magnitude. Self-described twice a month dropped by
is rising significantly, in tan- atheists now account for 7 percentage points, while
dem with a sharp drop in 4% of U.S. adults, up from the share who say they at-
the percentage that identi- 2% in 2009; agnostics ac- tend religious services less
fies as Christians, according count for 5%, up from 3% a often — if at all — rose by
to new data from the Pew decade ago; and 17% of the same degree.
Research Center. Americans now describe In 2009, regular attenders
Based on telephone sur- their religion as "nothing in — those who attend reli-
veys conducted in 2018 particular," up from 12% in gious services at least once
and 2019, Pew said Thurs- 2009. a month — outnumbered
day that 65% of American The report comes at a chal- those who attend services In this Tuesday, April 11, 2017 file photo, the sun sets on a Baptist
adults now describe them- lenging time for many ma- only occasionally or not at church in Georgia.
selves as Christian, down jor denominations in the all by a 52%-to-47% margin. Associated Press
from 77% in 2009. Mean- U.S. The two largest — the Now, more Americans say
while, the portion that de- Catholic church and the they attend religious servic- In May, the Southern Bap- Reasons included declining
scribes their religious iden- Southern Baptist Conven- es a few times a year or less tist Convention reported attendance at worship ser-
tity as atheist, agnostic or tion — are beset by clergy (54 that say they attend at its twelfth year of declining vices and a rising number
"nothing in particular," now sex-abuse scandals. The least monthly (45%). membership. The SBC said it of Americans not affiliated
stands at 26%, up from 17% United Methodist Church, Pew's data showed a wide had 14.8 million members in with any religion.
in 2009. the largest mainline Protes- age gap in terms of reli- 2018, down about 192,000 Empty Tomb, a Christian or-
Both Protestant and Roman tant denomination, faces gion affiliation — three- from the previous year. ganization based in Cham-
Catholic ranks are losing a possible split over differ- quarters of baby boomers In June, the annual Giving paign, Illinois, that research-
population share, accord- ences on the inclusion of described themselves as USA report — a comprehen- es religious giving, says the
ing to Pew. It said 43% of LGBTQ people. Christian, compared to 49% sive overview of Americans' decline is longstanding.
U.S. adults identify as Prot- The Pew report found a of millennials. charitable giving patterns According to its research,
estants, down from 51% in steady decline in the rates The trends documented by — said giving to religious in- Americans gave about 3%
2009, while 20% are Catho- of attendance at religious Pew have been reflected stitutions had been lagging of their disposable income
lic, down from 23% in 2009. services. in other recent develop- behind other philanthropic to churches in 1968, and
Pew says all categories of Over the last decade, the ments. sectors for several years. less than 2.2% in 2016.q