Right?
Oddly enough, no. A new study from Pew Research Center offers good news for religious people who are concerned that their beliefs are in danger of extinction.
It appears that atheists, agnostics and those who say they believe in “nothing in particular”—a group collectively classified as “nones” in survey-taker lingo—have actually been carrying on a rather flirtatious backdoor relationship with religion and are more spiritual than they claim (those naughty rascals).
So why do “nones” often describe themselves as atheistic or agnostic if they do, in fact, believe in God or the hereafter?
That means spirituality is stronger and more prevalent in society than previously believed, even among those most unlikely to hold to it.
From surveys conducted in 2023 and 2024 of 34,000 adults across 22 countries, Pew found that “nones” comprised 29 percent of the adults they surveyed. But—and here’s the shocker—many “nones” actually do believe in God and “are not uniformly anti-religious.”
In the US, for example, some 42 percent believe in an afterlife, while 45 percent—very nearly half—actually believe in God.
And by comparison with their brothers in the lower half of the planet, American “nones” are virtually heathenistic: 92 percent of Brazilian “nones,” 77 percent of South African “nones” and 93 percent of Colombian “nones” believe in God.
So why do “nones” often describe themselves as atheistic or agnostic if they do, in fact, believe in God or the hereafter?
Taking a closer look, Pew found that 47 percent of American “nones” object to being identified as “religious” due to a dissatisfaction with organized religion, 30 percent due to a dislike for religious people and 67 percent due to general doubt or skepticism, rather than an outright rejection of religious belief.
Further, some 44 percent of “nones” say they feel no need or do not have the time for religion in their lives.
But even among so-called “non-believers,” the Golden Rule remains in good shape: More than half of “nones,” or 53 percent, say they believe religion encourages people to do the right thing and to treat others well.
Some 90 percent of “nones” in the US say they seldom or never attend churches, synagogues or mosques—yet another indication of their dissatisfaction with organized religion, rather than a lack of belief in God or another higher power.
Meanwhile, the majority of “nones”—a surprising 54 percent—express their spirituality through meditative practices, yoga, nature walks and the like.
And despite claiming a lack of belief in God, or at least doubts, nearly half (49 percent) of “nones” say they see themselves as spiritual beings or say that spirituality is very important in their lives, while 38 percent (only 10 percent less than the religiously affiliated) say they have had an experience of being connected with something not of this world.
Christianity remains the primary religion in the US, with 62 percent of US adults self-describing as Christians.
“The Christian share of the population, after years of decline, has been relatively stable since 2019. And the religiously unaffiliated population, after rising rapidly for decades, has leveled off—at least temporarily,” an earlier Pew study states.
Among the non-“nones,” religion seems to be holding its own in American life: Some 44 percent of adults in the US say they pray daily, while 33 percent say they attend religious services at least once per month.
About 86 percent believe in the existence of a soul, 83 percent believe in God and 79 percent believe there is something spiritual after death, beyond life in this world.
Seventy percent say they believe in a heaven and hell.
“We’re seeing recent stabilization within American Christianity amid a much longer period of decline,” Greg Smith, Pew senior associate director, said.
What’s more, modern churchgoers tend to choose a church to attend that is near their home, and are less picky about differences in theology. “People are in general less concerned than they used to be about religious doctrine. They are more likely to hold a set of common beliefs,” Penny Edgell, a University of Minnesota sociologist and Pew expert advisor, said.
All in all, spiritual belief, even among those who reject the “believer” label, still remains strong in America.
And even many “nones”—deep and perhaps secretly in their hearts—may find hope and solace in that.
