BY MARY WISNIEWSKI Nov 3rd 2015 8:29AM
Americans are becoming less religious, judging by such
markers as church attendance, prayer and belief in God, and the trend is more
pronounced among young adults, according to a poll released on Tuesday.
The share of U.S. adults who say they believe in God,
while still high compared with other advanced industrial countries, slipped to
89 percent in 2014 from 92 percent in 2007, according to the Pew Research
Center's Religious Landscape Study.
The proportion of Americans who say they are "absolutely certain" God exists fell even more, to 63 percent in 2014 from 71 percent in 2007.
The proportion of Americans who say they are "absolutely certain" God exists fell even more, to 63 percent in 2014 from 71 percent in 2007.
The percentage of Americans who pray every day, attend
religious services regularly and consider religion important in their lives are
down by small, but statistically significant measures, the survey found.
Mormons' Temple in Salt Lake City, UT in the
nThe trend is most pronounced among young adults, with
only half of those born from 1990 to 1996 absolutely certain of their belief in
God, compared to 71 percent of the "silent generation," or those born
from 1928 to 1945.
Younger people also are less likely to pray daily, at 39
percent, compared to "silent generation" adults at 67 percent. Young
adults are also much less likely to attend religious services, the survey
found.
On the other hand, 77 percent of Americans continue to
identify with some religious faith, and those who do are just as committed now
as they were in 2007, according to the survey. Two-thirds of religiously
affiliated adults say they pray every day and that religion is very important
to them, the survey found.
The survey also found religious divides among the political
parties, with those who are not religiously affiliated more likely to be
Democrats, at 28 percent, compared to 14 percent of Republicans.
About 38 percent of Republicans identify as evangelical
Protestants - the largest religious group in the party, the survey found.
Catholics make up 21 percent of each major political party.
Orianna O'Neill, 21, a student at Beloit College in
Wisconsin who comes from a non-religious household but sometimes prays, said
she thinks the anti-science, anti-gay rhetoric of some politicians may be
turning some young people away from religion.
(Reporting by Mary Wisniewski; Editing by Eric
Walsh)
