LOOKING AT RELIGION

A new study has recently come out that shows some interesting statistics about our country’s religiosity. In spite of the noise level raised by the conservative Religious Right, whose antics make it seem way bigger than it really is (my interpretation, not the survey’s) it seems that between 1990 and 2008, the percentage of Americans who identified themselves as Christians dropped from 86% to 76%, according to the American Religious Identification Survey that was released on March 9. Broken down a little further, it shows a 10% drop in the number of people calling themselves “Christians” and an increase in every state of those who say they are not aligned with any faith.

Reading this survey made me laugh. Those of us who do not identify with any faith or with any denomination – and moreover whose understanding of what the term “Christian” means precludes us from saying we live in a Christian nation – are called, for survey purposes, “Nones.” I love it! I am a None. Among the Nones are atheists, agnostics and secularists, the latter of which I think are probably what I would call Humanists. To its credit, this study acknowledges there is a difference between being “anti-religious” and being “non-religious” but nevertheless considers them both “Nones” for purposes of the survey. This is a statistical clumping together I understand but I do want to make sure everyone knows I am of the latter type.

Next, I found it very interesting that the survey indicates that growing secularism can be seen in the fact that about 27 percent of Americans said they do not expect to have a religious funeral when they die. According to Barry Kosmin, co-author of the survey, “If you don’t have a religious funeral, you’re probably not interested in heaven and hell.” I know that the trend toward what are called “Celebration of Life” services instead of funerals is becoming very strong out here in LALA land. However, I also think the outrageous cost of even simple funerals may carry as much weight in the decision-making process as the identification of one’s life with either going “Up” or “Down” at the end of it.

I have just finished reading a very funny book in which the author seems to be an agnostic when he starts writing the book and after much scriptural investigation ends up practically an atheist. Again, that is my interpretation, not the author’s. If there ever had been a teeny crack where “religion” might have snuck into in this man’s life, after he wrote the book I think the crack had been sealed up tightly. I’d guess he too became a “None.”

Now having said all this, I admit that probably my most favorite books are ones that have some kind of religious theme running through them and can be either fiction or non-fiction. I do not go into a religious bookstore to buy those kinds of religious books; I can find plenty in my library to read. I have a strong background of religious education; although neither of my parents ever went to church, my sister and I were always sent to Sunday School in whichever was the church closest to our home. While these were mainly Protestant churches, they ranged from Southern Baptist to Foursquare Gospel. As an adult, I can name Quakers, charismatic revival home meetings, Nazarene, Salvation Army and non-denominational affiliations, as well as being accepted into a Jewish family. Going into and finally coming out from of all these groups, choosing none of them as a permanent religious affiliation or belief, makes me comfortable in the religious milieu. And not being angry about where I am makes me able to understand and enjoy the stories with religious settings.

And probably is why I laugh so much when I read reports of studies like this. I don’t take offense at anything that is said or reported. It is what it is. And I sure do enjoy reading about what those researchers have discovered and what they think it means.