Nones

“Just because religious behavior and affiliation have taken a nosedive in the last 30 years does not mean America is suddenly a secular country.” - RNS

“People are breaking free not with bolt cutters but with deeply personal acts of spiritual rebellion, rejecting the rationalized, systematized, and institutionalized religious constructs of modernity in favor of more dynamic, diverse, and syncretic expressions.” - CPost

“the percentage of Americans with no religion has leveled off…. this hardly means that the ‘nones,’ or their impact on American life, are going away. In fact, their sheer size makes it likely that they will increase in political prominence.” - The Conversation

“ABC News’ Steve Osunsami reports on how churches faced with empty pews are fighting to keep their doors open, while former houses of worship are being converted into bars, clubs and luxury condos.” - YouTube

“Most of those attending church at Christmastime say they do so primarily because of their faith. Three in 5 (60%) of those who typically attend church during this season say they do so to honor Jesus. Fewer say their church attendance comes from a desire to observe tradition (16%), to be with family and friends (15%)” - The Baptist Paper

“According to a recent article in Psychology Today, those who describe themselves as ‘spiritual but not religious,’ which is over one in five Americans, are at higher risk of mental illness compared to the religious and the non-religious.” - Breakpoint

“the diverse group of 70 million Americans designated as ‘Nones,’ 10 percent of whom say they’ve made a personal commitment to Jesus, are reachable by the Church, said John Plake, ABS chief innovation officer and State of the Bible editor in chief.” - Baptist Press

“The research broke non-practicing Christians into three subcategories and found that ‘practicing Christians’ who attend church services at least once a month identify as Christian and describe their faith as ‘strongly important to them’ score higher than all three groups of ‘nones.’” - CPost

“…how those who reject the Christian religion—as in formalized membership or participation in a church or denomination—very much want to embrace some kind of spiritual community and gathering.” - Church & Culture

“Jim Davis and I geared our book The Great Dechurching more toward helping individuals demystify what’s going on…. However, if Christians are to have any meaningful long-term influence, we must also have the parallel institutional track: local churches making progress on this issue.” - TGC