U.S. Public Becoming Less Religious
There has been a modest drop in overall rates of belief in God and participation in religious practices. But religiously affiliated Americans are as observant as before.
The Christian share of the U.S. population is declining, while the share of Americans who do not identify with any organized religion is growing. These changes affect all regions in the country and many demographic groups.
Nearly 40% of the world’s Catholics live in Latin America, but many people in the region have converted from Catholicism to Protestantism, while some have left organized religion altogether.
The biggest religion stories of 2011 involved tensions over Islam and questions about faith in presidential politics, especially Mormonism, according to an annual review of religion in the news.
According to a Pew Forum survey of professional prison chaplains, America’s state penitentiaries are a bustle of religious activity. The Pew Forum hosted an event to discuss the survey’s key findings with journalists, policymakers and experts who have worked with the correctional system.
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