New studies reveal the number of Christians is rapidly declining in the United States, as non-religious people are rising at an unprecedented pace.
If the current trend continues, religious “nones” will be in the majority in America by 2045, while Christianity will become a minority.
Christianity on a Sharp Decline in America
Earlier this week, Pew Research published a report, according to which Americans are leaving Christianity for atheism, agnosticism, and nihilism.
So, if Americans continue to leave Christianity at the ongoing pace, Christianity will be a minority religion by 2045, the report suggested.
Historically, Christianity remained the largest religion all across the United States. In the early 1990s, almost 90% of Americans were Christians, but the number fell to 64% by 2020.
Meanwhile, only 16% of Americans were religiously unaffiliated in 2007, but this number rose to 29% in 2020.
As recently as the 1990s, about 90% of U.S. adults identified as Christians. This figure has declined to about two-thirds of adults. This change is largely the result of large numbers of adults switching out of Christianity to become unaffiliated. https://t.co/VBjNhp2XgP pic.twitter.com/F8Igx2awwt
— Pew Research Religion (@PewReligion) September 14, 2022
The newly released report mentioned four hypothetical scenarios to predict the religious affiliations of Americans in the upcoming years.
One scenario analyzed the impacts of young Americans leaving Christianity for other religions, while the other three scenarios discussed the possible impacts of complete religious disaffiliation.
In all four scenarios, researchers found fewer Americans will stick to Christianity in the upcoming years. Other religions, particularly Islam, Judaism, and Hinduism, were followed by 6% of Americans in 2020.
Under all four scenarios, people belonging to faiths other than Christianity will increase as they are likely to represent nearly 13% of the total US population in 2045, which is almost double their current share.
Whereas the rise of other religions will be due to more non-Christian immigrants and not due to religious switching.
America to Undergo Massive Religious Transformation
Christianity can only remain the major religion of the US if no American changes religious affiliation after 2020. However, the researchers noted religious switching has no end, so no one should assume it will stop in the foreseeable future.
Within the next 50 years, religiously unaffiliated people, who call themselves “nones,” will rise unprecedentedly. Only 35% of Americans will remain Christians in 2070, while 52% will become religiously unaffiliated, the report added.
However, the report mentioned any unforeseen circumstances, including war, the arrival of new religious innovations, changing immigration patterns, economic downturn, and climate crises could allow people not to switch their religious affiliations.
According to the study, older people are still preferring Christianity, while younger people are switching to religious “nones.”
Today, Christianity still is the stickier affiliation for older Americans. But among younger adults, the unaffiliated identity has become the stickier one. 9/ https://t.co/C7yufuxhzs pic.twitter.com/BL0Odl6P4z
— Pew Research Center (@pewresearch) September 13, 2022
As religious affiliations change, Americans will also face a massive transformation in their social structure. The report noted the current system of family life, politics, and civil society would change in the upcoming years.
Though the report established a larger pool of existing non-religious people still have faith in some higher power. Even if they do not align themselves with an established religion, most of them still take part in traditional religious activities.
This article appeared in Right Wing Insider and has been published here with permission.
