Source: Religion News Service
UNITED STATES, September 30, 2009: The number of American adults who do not identify with a particular religion is growing and may comprise more than 20 percent of the U.S. population in two decades, according to a new study. Conducted by researchers at Trinity College, the study, entitled “American Nones: The Profile of the No Religion Population,” showed that people who profess no religion, or “Nones,” are similar to the general public in marital status, education, racial and ethnic makeup and income.
According to the study, it is possible that one in five Americans will put themselves in the “None” category by 2030.
“We are here. We are like everybody else. We are part of the community.” said Jesse Galef, communications associate at the Secular Coalition for America. Galef hopes that this trend will dispel stereotypes that Nones have no morals because of their lack of religion and help them gain a political voice. The study indicated that a large percentage of Nones also decline to identify with a political party.
Surprisingly, most Nones would not consider themselves atheists. More than 50 percent believe in either a higher being or a personal God, while only 7 percent are self-proclaimed atheists.