The ‘Nones’ Category

The growing population in America is beginning to not identify with rigorous, rich religious tradition and teaching but instead choosing to be unaffiliated with a religion. People are rather starting to identify as “Nones” which is a growing population unaffiliated with a religion. Their numbers are approximately tied at 23% with Evangelicalism and Catholics. This is partly due to “Nones” questioning religious teaching which is the most common reason and the second reason is that they don’t believe in god. There could be a political shift because of growing percentage of “Nones.” 

            “Nones” date back to the 1960’s when they first appeared. A very small group at the time since most people then affiliated with a religion. The numbers started to become bigger in the 1990’s and increased throughout the years. In the 1990’s the young people were the post wars generation and they began identifying as “Nones”. It became more popular because of a dramatic shift in religious leaders moving to the far right of the political spectrum, while the younger people were shifting more to the left.  The “Nones” political view do not line up with these religions most of the time. The political difference in mainstream religions and the “Nones” has the potential to be significant in the coming elections.

            “Nones” can get confused with atheists and agnostics, as “Nones” are usually put in the same category as them. This confusion then persuades people into thinking that “Nones” are not religious. “Nones” are religiously independent.  There is a spectrum, at one end there are “Nones” that are closely related to atheists while on the other end of the spectrum, they practice some religious aspects without saying they identify with a religion. Most of the time they still believe in karma and mediate but don’t necessarily think these practices are religious or spiritual. Their label is very complex. 

            In the end “Nones” are a group to pay attention to. There is a diverse community of them just waiting to be explored. They are the fastest growing population of religious views. They even may change the game in a political way and hopefully we can get a better understanding of who and what they are about in the future.

Reference

Alper, Becka A. Why America’s ‘Nones’ Don’t Identify with a Religion . 8 Aug. 2018, https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/08/08/why-americas-nones-dont-identify-with-a-religion/.

Flory, Richard. “What’s in a Name? Religious Nones and the American Religious Landscape.” Religion Dispatches, 24 July 2015, http://religiondispatches.org/whats-in-a-name-religious-nones-and-the-american-religious-landscape/.

Glenn, Heidi. “Losing Our Religion: The Growth of the ‘Nones’.” Nor, 13 Jan. 2013, https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2013/01/14/169164840/losing-our-religion-the-growth-of-the-nones.

Jenkins, Jack. “’Nones’ Now as Big as Evangelicals, Catholics in the US.” Religion News Service, 21 Mar. 2019, https://religionnews.com/2019/03/21/nones-now-as-big-as-evangelicals-catholics-in-the-us/.