Pew researchers said last week that 65 percent of American adults describe

themselves as Christian. That is down from 77 percent in 2009. Pew also reported that
both Protestant and Roman Catholic churches are losing members.
Twenty-six percent of Americans now describe their religious identity as atheist,
agnostic or “nothing in particular.” That is up from 17 percent in 2009. Atheists are
people who do not believe in God. Agnostics are not sure whether or not a God exists.

The increase in so-called religious “nones” is happening across all groups of people.
Education level also does not seem to matter. “Nones” are growing among college
graduates, as well as those with lower levels of education.

The report comes at a difficult time for many major religious groups in the U.S. The
two largest — the Catholic Church and the Southern Baptist Convention —are dealing
with widespread clergy sex-abuse cases. And, the United Methodist Church, the largest
Protestant group, faces a possible split over differences on whether to include LGBTQ
people. Fewer Americans going to church. Fewer people are attending religious
services in the U.S. The report found that over the last 10 years, the number of
Americans who say they attend religious services at least once or twice a month
dropped by 7 percent. Those who say they attend religious services less often — if at all
— increased by the same amount.

Pew said the drop is not because Christians are attending church less often. They say it
is because now there are fewer Christians in the population.

If you go to church in America, chances are you are older. Pew’s data found a wide age
difference. Three-quarters of people over the age of 55 described themselves as
Christian, compared to just under half of so-called millennials—people who finished
high school after 2000. Meanwhile, the share of U.S. adults who identify with non-
Christian faiths rose from five percent in 2009, to seven percent today.