Unchurched Belt

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Most common religious affiliations (or lack thereof) in the 48 contiguous U.S. states, based on the American Religious Identification Survey in 2001. States in gray have "no religion" as the most common affiliation. Plurality religious denomination by U.S. state, 2001.svg
Most common religious affiliations (or lack thereof) in the 48 contiguous U.S. states, based on the American Religious Identification Survey in 2001. States in gray have "no religion" as the most common affiliation.

The Unchurched Belt is a region of the US that has low rates of religious participation. The term derives from Bible Belt and the idea of the unchurched. The belt was originally found in the West and Northwestern United States, but has moved over the decades.

Contents

The term was first applied to the West Coast of the United States in 1985 by Rodney Stark and William Sims Bainbridge, who found that California, Oregon, and Washington had the lowest church membership rates in the U.S. in 1971, and that there was little change in this pattern between 1971 and 1980. [1] [2] Since 1980, however, California's church membership rate has increased; in 2000, the state had a higher percentage of church members than several states in the Northeast and Midwest. [1] Some religious groups are undercounted in surveys of religious membership. [1]

2000

As of 2000, the six states and provinces reported to have the lowest rate of religious adherence in North America were Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Nevada, and West Virginia. [3] Although West Virginia was reported to have a low rate of religious adherence, [3] it was above the national average rate of church attendance. [4] Sociologist Samuel S. Hill, comparing data from the North American Religion Atlas [5] and the American Religious Identity Survey, concluded that a "disproportionately large number of West Virginians" were not counted. [6] In 2006, Gallup reported that the lowest rates of church attendance among the 48 contiguous states were in Nevada and the New England states of Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Maine. Church attendance in the western states of Oregon, Washington, and California was only slightly higher. [4] A 2008 Gallup poll comparing belief in God among U.S. regions found that only 59% of residents in the Western United States believe in God, compared to 80% in the East, 83% in the Midwest, and 86% in the South. [7]

2010

A 2011 Gallup poll showed that when it came to the number of people seeing religion as important in everyday life, New Hampshire and Vermont were the least religious, both with 23%, followed by 25% in Maine. [8]

There has been debate as to whether the Western United States is still the most irreligious part of the U.S., due to New England surpassing it as the region with the highest percentage of residents unaffiliated with any religion. [9] On a state level, it is not clear whether the least religious state resides in New England or the Western U.S., as the 2008 American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS) ranked Vermont as the state with the highest percentage of residents claiming no religion at 34%, [10] [11] but a 2009 Gallup poll ranked Oregon as the state with the highest percentage of residents identifying with "No religion, Atheist, or Agnostic", at 24.6%. [12]

2020

By 2020, it appeared that the Bible Belt was shrinking, and each year more states were reporting a higher level of non-participation in religion. [13] [14] In 2023, the Unchurched Belt had moved and covered Nevada, Washington, Oregon, and Alaska. [15]

Figures in 2024 showed that 17 U.S. states reported having less than half their population being ‘highly religious’; those states ranged from Massachusetts and New Hampshire, to Hawaii and Montana. [16] [17]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bible Belt</span> Cultural region of the United States

The term Bible Belt refers to a region of the Southern United States and the Midwestern state of Missouri, where Christian Protestanism exerts a strong social and cultural influence. The region has been described as one of the most socially conservative across the United States due to a significant impact of Protestant Christianity on politics and culture. The region is known to have a higher church attendance, more evangelical Protestant denominations, and greater emphasis on traditional religious values compared to other parts of the country. The region contrasts with the religiously diverse Midwest and Great Lakes and the Mormon corridor in Utah, southern Idaho, and northern Arizona.

Irreligion is the absence or rejection of religious beliefs or practices. It encompasses a wide range of viewpoints drawn from various philosophical and intellectual perspectives, including atheism, agnosticism, skepticism, rationalism, and secularism. These perspectives can vary, with individuals who identify as irreligious holding a diverse array of specific beliefs about religion or its role in their lives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Secularization</span> Societal transition away from religion

In sociology, secularization is a multilayered concept that generally denotes "a transition from a religious to a more worldly level." There are many types of secularization and most do not lead to atheism, irreligion, nor are they automatically antithetical to religion. Secularization has different connotations such as implying differentiation of secular from religious domains, the marginalization of religion in those domains, or it may also entail the transformation of religion as a result of its recharacterization.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Religiosity</span> Degree of religious commitment or involvement

The Oxford English Dictionary defines religiosity as: "Religiousness; religious feeling or belief. [...] Affected or excessive religiousness". Different scholars have seen this concept as broadly about religious orientations and degrees of involvement or commitment. The contrast between "religious" and "religiose" and the concept of "strengthening" faith suggest differences in the intensity of religiosity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of religion in the United States</span>

Religion in the United States began with the religions and spiritual practices of Native Americans. Later, religion also played a role in the founding of some colonies, as many colonists, such as the Puritans, came to escape religious persecution. Historians debate how much influence religion, specifically Christianity and more specifically Protestantism, had on the American Revolution. Many of the Founding Fathers were active in a local Protestant church; some of them had deist sentiments, such as Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and George Washington. Some researchers and authors have referred to the United States as a "Protestant nation" or "founded on Protestant principles," specifically emphasizing its Calvinist heritage. Others stress the secular character of the American Revolution and note the secular character of the nation's founding documents.

Religion in the United States is widespread and diverse, with the country being far more religious than other wealthy Western nations. An overwhelming majority of Americans believe in a higher power, engage in spiritual practices, and consider themselves religious or spiritual. Christianity is the most widely professed religion, with the majority of Americans being Evangelicals, Mainline Protestants, or Catholics.

"Unchurched" means, in the broad sense, people who are Christians but not connected with a church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christianity in the United States</span>

Christianity is the most prevalent religion in the United States. Estimates from 2021 suggest that of the entire U.S. population about 63% is Christian. The majority of Christian Americans are Protestant Christians, though there are also significant numbers of American Roman Catholics and other Christian denominations such as Latter Day Saints, Eastern Orthodox Christians and Oriental Orthodox Christians, and Jehovah's Witnesses. The United States has the largest Christian population in the world and, more specifically, the largest Protestant population in the world, with nearly 210 million Christians and, as of 2021, over 140 million people affiliated with Protestant churches, although other countries have higher percentages of Christians among their populations. The Public Religion Research Institute's "2020 Census of American Religion", carried out between 2014 and 2020, showed that 70% of Americans identified as Christian during this seven-year interval. In a 2020 survey by the Pew Research Center, 65% of adults in the United States identified themselves as Christians. They were 75% in 2015, 70.6% in 2014, 78% in 2012, 81.6% in 2001, and 85% in 1990. About 62% of those polled claim to be members of a church congregation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Irreligion in Australia</span>

Atheism, agnosticism, scepticism, freethought, secular humanism or general irreligion are increasing in Australia. Post-war Australia has become a highly secularised country. Religion does not play a major role in the lives of much of the population.

In the United States, between 4% and 15% of citizens demonstrated nonreligious attitudes and naturalistic worldviews, namely atheists or agnostics. The number of self-identified atheists and agnostics was around 4% each, while many persons formally affiliated with a religion are likewise non-believing.

A 2023 poll by the Pew Research Center found that 4% of Americans in the United States self-identified as atheists. This is an increase from 3.1% of Americans in 2014. However, in 2014, 9% of Americans agreed with the statement "Do not believe in God" while 2% agreed with the statement "Do not know if they believe in God". According to a poll by non-profit PRRI in 2023, 4% of Americans were atheist and 5% were agnostic. Polling by Gallup in 2022 showed that 17% of respondents replied "No" when asked "Do you believe in God?" in a binary fashion, but when worded differently in 2023, Gallup found that 12% of respondents replied they "Do not believe in" God and 14% replied they were "Not sure about" the existence of God. According to Gallup, there are variations in their polling results because they ask about God in three different wordings, each with a different result.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Religion in Oregon</span> Overview of the religion in the state of Oregon

Religion in the state of Oregon is remarkable in the United States, with its population ranking among the highest of religiously unaffiliated adults in the entire nation. According to a 2014 report by the Pew Research Center, 31% of Oregon's population was religiously unaffiliated, making it the second-highest percentage after that of Vermont.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Religion and politics in the United States</span>

Religion in the United States is remarkable in its high adherence level compared to other developed countries. The First Amendment to the country's Constitution prevents the government from having any authority in religion, and guarantees the free exercise of religion. Many faiths have flourished in the United States, including imports spanning the country's multicultural heritage as well as those founded within the country, and have led the United States to become the most religiously diverse country in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church attendance</span> Core practice in Christian denominations

Church attendance is a central religious practice for many Christians; some Christian denominations, such as the Catholic Church require church attendance on the Lord's Day (Sunday); the Westminster Confession of Faith is held by the Reformed Churches and teaches first-day Sabbatarianism, thus proclaiming the duty of public worship in keeping with the Ten Commandments. Similarly, The General Rules of the Methodist Church also requires "attending upon all the ordinances of God" including "the public worship of God". The Lutheran Christian theologian Balthasar Münter stated that church attendance is the "foundation for the Christian life" as "the Christian Bible and the sacraments provide the framework for the faith"; he also states that it is important for believers because it aids in the prevention of backsliding, as well as offers "the company of other believers". Until 1791, the Kingdom of Great Britain required attendance at church services of the Church of England at least twice a year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Protestantism in the United States</span>

Protestantism is the largest grouping of Christians in the United States, with its combined denominations collectively comprising about 43% of the country's population in 2019. Other estimates suggest that 48.5% of the U.S. population is Protestant. Simultaneously, this corresponds to around 20% of the world's total Protestant population. The U.S. contains the largest Protestant population of any country in the world. Baptists comprise about one-third of American Protestants. The Southern Baptist Convention is the largest single Protestant denomination in the U.S., comprising one-tenth of American Protestants. Twelve of the original Thirteen Colonies were Protestant, with only Maryland having a sizable Catholic population due to Lord Baltimore's religious tolerance.

The relationship between the level of religiosity and the level of education has been studied since the second half of the 20th century.

New religious movements in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States have a history going back to the 19th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Decline of Christianity in the Western world</span> Decline Christian affiliation within Western society

The decline of Christianity in the Western world is the decreasing Christian affiliation in the Western world. While most countries in the Western world were historically almost exclusively Christian, the post-World War II era has seen developed countries with modern, secular educational facilities shifting towards post-Christian, secular, globalized, multicultural and multifaith societies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christianity in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex</span>

The Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex is located inside of the Bible Belt, and is home to three of the twenty-five largest megachurches in the country. According to Pew Research as of 2014, the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex has the largest Christian population by percentage out of any large metropolitan area in the United States at 78%. 46.8% of metroplex residents are highly religious, and 29.6% are moderately religious. In a 2017 survey, 37% of metroplex residents reported reading the Bible in the past week and strongly agreeing that the Bible is accurate, the 25th highest percentage among U.S. cities.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Finke, Roger; Scheitle, Christopher (2005). "Accounting for the Uncounted: Computing Correctives for the 2000 RCMS Data". Review of Religious Research. 47 (1): 5. doi:10.2307/4148278. JSTOR   4148278. Archived from the original on 2012-02-04. Retrieved 2011-12-12.
  2. ↑ Wright, Richard A (1986). "Reviewed work(s): Big Structures, Large Processes, Huge Comparisons by Charles Tilly". Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. 484: 184–185. doi:10.1177/0002716286484001043. JSTOR   1045222. S2CID   220789101.
  3. 1 2 "All Denominations--Rates of Adherence Per 1000 Population (2000) *Adjusted*". The Association of Religion Data Archives. Retrieved 2009-01-16.
  4. 1 2 Newport, Frank (April 27, 2006). "Church Attendance Lowest in New England, Highest in South". Gallup. Retrieved 2010-01-22.
  5. ↑ "North American Religion Atlas". Indiana University Purdue University-Indianapolis.
  6. ↑ Wilson, Charles Reagan & Mark Silk (eds.), Religion and Public Life in the South: In the Evangelical Mode, AltaMira Press, 2005, pg. 151. ISBN   0-7591-0635-5
  7. ↑ Newport, Frank (July 28, 2008). "Belief in God Far Lower in Western U.S." Gallup. Retrieved 2010-01-22.
  8. ↑ Nigel Barber (13 November 2014). "Why Religion is so Weak in Maine". Huffington Post. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
  9. ↑ Lin, Joanna (March 16, 2009). "New England surpasses West Coast as least religious region in America, study finds". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 2010-01-22.
  10. ↑ Kosmin, Barry A.; Keysar, Ariela (March 2009). "American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS 2008)" (PDF). Trinity College. p. 17. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-17. Retrieved 2010-01-22.
  11. ↑ Kosmin, Barry A.; et al. (2009). "American Nones: The Profile of the No Religion Population" (PDF). Trinity College. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-10-07. Retrieved 2010-01-22.
  12. ↑ Newport, Frank (August 7, 2009). "Religious Identity: States Differ Widely". Gallup. Retrieved 2010-01-22.
  13. ↑ Pew Research website, In U.S., Decline of Christianity Continues at Rapid Pace, article dated October 17, 2019
  14. ↑ North Carolina Baptist website, The Vanishing Bible Belt: The Secrets Southern Churches Must Learn to Stay Health, article dated February 10, 2021
  15. ↑ Business Insider website, MAP: From the Bible Belt to the Rust Belt, the United States has 13 distinct ‘belts’ , article by Mark Abadi, Shavanne Gal and Lloyd Lee dated February 20, 2023
  16. ↑ World Population Review website, Least Religious States, retrieved 2024-07-07
  17. ↑ Graphs About Religion website, Which States are the Least Religious (2022)
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