The myth of America being a Christian nation is no longer just historical — it is modern.

American Religious Identification Survey’s most recent findings show that more Americans identify themselves as non-religious and that the number of people that consider themselves Christian has fallen, both in large numbers since 1990.

In the first poll in 1990, only about eight percent of the respondents identified themselves as being non-religious, compared with 15% in the recent poll, nearly double the first finding.

Christians made up 86% of the US in 1990, but now only 76% of the respondents call themselves Christian. Catholics remained relatively steady, going from 26% to 25% since the first poll, despite growing by nearly 11 million members.

Also found in the poll was a doubling of Muslims, though they remain a small percentage, going from 0.3% to 0.6% of the population. Jews and Mormons remained relatively steady over the 19 years.

So why is it happening?

The survey’s principal investigator, sociologist Barry A. Kosmin of Trinity College in Connecticut, described the overall trend as an erosion of the “religious middle ground.”

He said many people appeared to be rebuffing denominations altogether or favoring more conservative evangelical groups that have boosted their relatively small memberships by offering emotional and personalized religious experiences.

Kosmin said the changing religious outlook also reflected an increasingly diverse and complex culture that emphasized greater tolerance for diversity while eschewing respect for authority.

I can’t really argue with the results of the poll. While religion seems to be playing a bigger role in some parts of society, notably religion and science, it is becoming more clear that there are many more people willing to stand up for facts and truth in the face of tradition and ceremony.

Religion is not going anywhere anytime soon, but I think the results speak for themselves.

People that want to fight for religion to be put back into several aspects of American culture, like prayer in schools, abortion laws and gay marriage are fighting a battle that will only get more difficult with time. Arguments and political opinions that are rooted in religion will only become more deflated over time as the United States continues to shift to a more secular society.

Those who argue that a return to the country’s religious roots will see more people fighting their political motives, making the battles tougher and tougher to win.

As the current Obama generation gets older, I won’t be surprised to see the non-religious figures double again over the next 20 years, giving us non-believers nearly a third of the population.

The question will become, as the non-religious get more power and voice, does the nation improve with those numbers. If not, expect a regrowth of religion over time if morals continue to decay. There is likely no real solution to the problems with morality that America faces, but there are many people that will always relate morality to religion.

In the meantime, this poll is good news for those of us who want acceptance first and foremost. A world without religion would be a great thing, but a country where the non-religious are accepted is vital.

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