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Story Highlights
- Survey: U.S. about to lose its status as a majority Protestant nation
Non-denominational churches are gaining members
25 percent of adults leave faith of their upbringing
Survey found a dropping confidence in organized religion
So… is it so hopeless in the U.S., as some here have suggested? I think that third bullet is a pretty big deal. Even if someone is just switching from Presbyterian to Lutheran or whatever, it shows they are able to question what they are being taught and aren't afraid to do something about it when they find that something doesn't mesh with their own mind.
OTOH, most of the people who are leaving religion altogether still aren't self-identifying as atheists. Does this bother you? Is it important for a person to have an opinion on diety existance one way or the other, or is "apatheism" (you know, "I don't care, it doesn't matter") a valid position?