A closer look at how atheists, agnostics, and people who describe their religion as “nothing special” view God, religion, morality, science, and more
Pew Research Center conducted this analysis to provide a detailed picture of religiously unaffiliated adults in the United States.
Much of this profile is based on a survey conducted from July 31st to August 31st. 6, 2023 He is a member of the Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP) and answered from 11,201 respondents. The survey included interviews with 3,317 people, including 658 atheists, 678 agnostics, and 1,981 respondents who said their religion was “nothing special.”
The ATP is an online survey panel recruited through a nationwide random sampling of residential addresses, giving nearly all U.S. adults the opportunity to choose. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, political affiliation, education, religion, and other categories. For more information, see ATP methodology and reporting methodology.
In addition to the July 31-August survey, the analysis is based on other ATP surveys conducted in recent years as well as the Center’s National Public Opinion Reference Survey (NPORS).
The survey questions being published for the first time as part of this report are: Other questions addressed in this report have been previously published.
Currently, approximately 28% of U.S. adults are religiously unaffiliated and describe themselves as atheist, agnostic, or “nothing in particular” when asked about their religion.
At Pew Research Center, we get a lot of questions about this group, often referred to as “none.” What do “people who believe no one” believe? Are they against religion? What do they think about science? Is their growth good or bad for society and why?
Our survey data shows that:
- Most “nobodies” do not believe in God or other higher powers. However, very few people go to religious services on a regular basis.
- Most people say that religion brings some harm, but some people think that religion brings some benefit.they are not uniform anti-Religious.
- Most “nobodies” reject the idea that science can explain everything. However, they express more positive views of science than religiously minded Americans.
Surveys consistently show that many Americans think the declining influence of religion in society is a bad thing. “Apathetics” tend to vote less frequently, volunteer less in their communities, and participate in public affairs less than religiously minded people.
However, according to the latest data, low participation rates in civic activities are concentrated in those with “nothing in particular” or “no one” religion, based on various measures. Atheists and agnostics tend to participate in civic life at rates equal to or greater than those who are religiously involved.
Related: Is the rise of the irreligious in the United States over?
Here are the eight most frequently asked questions and quick answers. Click the link for more information, including an explanation of the differences. At the inner population of “none” (e.g., how do “none” who are male compare to “none” who are female) and while Adults in the United States who believe in religion as “no-people.”
Q1: Who are the “none” and how are they defined?
In public opinion polls, people who answered atheist, agnostic, or “nothing in particular” when asked about their religion were lumped together into a category called “religious independents,” now widely known as “independents.” I am. Religious scholars in the United States have been using the term “unperson” since at least the 1960s, and its use has become common in social science journals and media.
Our latest data shows that 17% of “atheists” identify themselves as an atheist, 20% say they are agnostic, and 63% say “nothing in particular.” .
Atheists and agnostics are, on average, more educated than religiously affiliated Americans. In contrast, people who describe their religion as “nothing special” tend to: lower They have higher educational attainment than religiously affiliated American adults.
Go to more information about the “None” demographic.
Q2: Why is “non-religious” not religious?
When asked directly why they are not religious, two-thirds of non-religious respondents say they either question the teachings of many religions or do not believe in God.
Many also brought up criticism of religious groups and people, and some said that one of the very or very important reasons why they are not religious is because they dislike religious groups. There are also 47% people. And 30% say that bad experiences they’ve had with religious people help explain why they’re not religious.
Learn more about why “non-religious” claim they are non-religious.
Q3: Are “nobodies” less involved in civic life than those who identify with religion?
On a variety of measures, nonreligious people are less likely to be civically active and socially engaged than religiously affiliated people. On average, they are less likely to vote, less likely to have recently done volunteer work, and less satisfied with their local community and social life.
But when it comes to some related questions, the difference between those who are “indifferent” and those who are religiously involved is not that great. For example, 27% of Americans with no religious affiliation and 30% of Americans with a religious affiliation say they have contacted an elected official or attended a government meeting in the past year. I’m answering.
Moreover, lower levels of civic engagement tend to be observed not among atheists or agnostics, but especially among “apathetics” who describe their religion as “nothing special.” For example, we found that atheists and agnostics had voter turnout rates in 2022 comparable to those seen among religiously engaged adults. People who described their religion as “nothing in particular” were the only ones among the “nothing in particular” group to vote at a lower rate than those who were religiously involved.
And on some measures, attendance at religious services (rather than just religious affiliation) is an important factor differentiating those who are most civically engaged from those who are least. For example, religiously affiliated people who attend religious services at least once a month volunteer at a much higher rate (41%) than volunteers. both Religiously affiliated people who do not regularly attend religious services (17%) and “None” (also 17%).
In other words, for some standards, what matters is not whether a person is religious, but whether they are religious. participate actively Religious communities best predict levels of civic engagement. In other words, the relationship between religious disengagement and civic participation is complex.
Read more about “None” and its civic activities.
Q4: Are all “unpeople” non-believers?
No, not all “non-believers” are non-believers. Although they are much less likely than religiously devout Americans to say they believe in God “as it is written in the Bible,” most believe in God and other higher powers. I believe in Only 29% reject the idea that it exists. Any A higher or spiritual force in the universe.
Most people with “nothing” say they were raised in a religion, usually Christianity. But today, they tend to separate themselves from religious groups. Not only did they shake off religion; labelthey have also largely shaken off their involvement in churches, synagogues, mosques, and other religious organizations.
For example, 90% of people who say they have no religion say they rarely or never attend religious services.
Jump to learn more about the religious beliefs and practices of “Nothing.”
Q5: Is “nothingness” spiritual rather than religious?
Some “nothing” people are certainly spiritual. About half say spirituality is very important in their lives or consider themselves spiritual. Most “no-people” do not believe that non-human animals have spirits or spiritual energies. And many say that this also applies to parts of nature such as mountains, rivers and trees.
However, these spiritual identities and beliefs are not unique to “nobodies.” In fact, by many measures, people who identify with religion tend to be just as spiritual, if not more so, than people who identify with religion.
Jump to more information about the spirituality of the “Nothing” people.
Q6: Are “no-people” hostile to religion?
Although some “no-people” have a very negative view of religion, on the whole “no-people” express mixed views rather than outright hostility.
Most people claim that religion causes various problems in society, such as intolerance and superstition. However, many “indifferents” also say that religion can help give people meaning and purpose and encourage people to care for each other.
Overall, 43% of those who did not respond said religion causes more harm than good in society, and 14% said it does more good than harm. 41% say religion causes equal amounts of good and harm.
Read more about how “nobody” views religion.
Q7: How do “unmanned people” view science?
Most “indifferents” say science does more good than harm in American society, and on average “indifferents” have a much more positive view of science than those who are religiously involved. It is.
At the same time, most “unpeople” believe that there are limits to what science can do. For example, 44% of those who do nothing say there is a scientific explanation for everything, while 56% say there are some things that science cannot explain.
Read more about how “unmanned people” view science.
Q8: What do “people without” think about morality?
The majority of “nobodies” argue that it is possible to be moral and have good values without believing in God. Most religious people agree, albeit by a narrow margin.
When asked how they decide between right and wrong, 83% of those who answered “none” said a desire not to hurt others was an important factor. And his 82% of “neutral” people say logic and reason are very or very important when deciding between right and wrong.
Read more about “How Everyone Thinks About Morality.”
Much of the report’s analysis is based on a Pew Research Center survey conducted from July 31 to August 31. 6, 2023 He is a member of the Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP) and answered from 11,201 respondents. The survey included interviews with 3,317 people who were “uninterested” in religion (658 atheists, 678 agnostics, and 1,981 respondents who said their religion was “nothing in particular”). .
The analysis is based not only on the Center for National Public Opinion Reference Survey (NPORS) but also on various other ATP surveys conducted in recent years. Masu.
Please explore the above questions in more detail.
- Who are the “none”? How are they defined? (Chapter 1)
- Why is “non-religious” not religious? (Chapter 2)
- Are “nobodies” less involved in civic life than religious people? (Chapter 3)
- Are all “unpeople” non-believers? (Chapter 4)
- Is “nothingness” spiritual rather than religious? (Chapter 5)
- Are “no-people” hostile to religion? (Chapter 6)
- How do “unmanned people” view science? (Chapter 7)
- What do “unmanned people” think about morality? (Chapter 8)
