A survey of 11,201 U.S. adults found that Americans broadly consider themselves spiritual, with 70 percent saying they are spiritual in some way, and 70 percent saying they are not religious but spiritual. Although religious Americans share many of the same spiritual beliefs, there are some important differences.
Like most Americans, nonreligious but spiritual people believe that people have souls or spirits in addition to their bodies. They say there is something spiritual beyond the natural world. And they believe that there are some things that science cannot explain.
But only 20 percent of nonreligious but spiritual people believe in the God of the Bible. They are much less likely than religious Americans to say they believe in heaven (54% vs. 93%) or hell (40% vs. 83%). Only 11% of nonreligious but spiritual people participate in a religious community, compared to 62% of religious adults surveyed.
They may still be affiliated with a religion, as research shows that 45 percent of people who are spiritual but not religious say they are affiliated with a religion. Of this group, 21 percent identify as Protestant and 12 percent identify as Catholic. However, they have a negative view of organized religion. Among people who are spiritual but not religious, 38 percent say religion does more harm than good, a view shared by 7 percent of religious Americans.
“The label ‘spiritual but not religious’ actually describes a type of negative identity rather than a specific positive identity,” said the study’s advisor. said Nancy Ammerman, a former professor of sociology at Boston University.
“This work depicts people who are disgusted by organized religion. The ‘secular’ part of their identity is the real key to their identity,” Ammerman said. These Americans feel like they don’t fit in in a religious environment, she added. However, as the study also found, this group often does not replace congregational affiliation with other forms of spiritual gathering.
18 percent of religious Americans belong to a secular “spiritual community” that helps them find a connection to something greater than themselves, while 13 percent of nonreligious but spiritual people belong to a spiritual community. belongs to. Those who are spiritual but not religious are more likely to be 42 percent of the time for men, compared to 57 percent for women.
Ryan Cragan, a sociology professor at the University of Tampa who studies non-religious people, said it makes sense that non-religious but spiritual people are overrepresented in women. Historically, men have been more socially permitted to say they are atheists or agnostics. “Women in general suffer from a lot of discrimination and are reluctant to take positions where they might face more discrimination, and they say, ‘I may not be religious, but I’m spiritual.’ “I say that,” Cragan said. . “And it cushions the impact very quickly.”
Politically, nearly twice as many spiritual but not religious Americans identify as Democrats than Republicans, with 60% saying they support or lean Democratic, and 34 % say they support the Republican Party or lean toward the Republican Party. (Among religious Americans, 39% support or lean toward the Democratic Party.)
The study, the first of its kind, was conducted in August. The study does not address decline or growth in spiritual attitudes, as Professor Pugh had not previously asked specific questions about spiritual beliefs and practices. The sample of 11,201 respondents had a margin of error of plus or minus 1.4 points.
— religion news service
