2023 PRRI Census of American Religion

[Jeffret]

The PRRI has released their study on religious identity and diversity for 2023. As always, it is extremely well-done and highly informative. The most significant findings are that the numbers of religiously unaffiliated (sometimes referred to as "nones") has climbed to 27%, more than a quarter of the country. White Christians have declined to 41%, down from 57% in 2006. White evangelical Protestants have declined 4 percentage points to 13% in 10 years.

A really fascinating section of the study is where they break down various aspects of religious identity by each county in the country.

Some observations:

Hemant Mehta's look at it from an atheist perspective is quite interesting: Survey: White Christianity is declining while the religiously unaffiliated keep growing

Latter-day Saints have remained pretty constant at 2% of USA population in self-reported surveys for some years. Another recent PRRI survey (last year, I think), found them at 1.5%, which was one of the first drops below 2% that I have seen. This latest survey reports Latter-day Saints at 1%. Though, I think their pie chart shows them at 2%. So, presumably, some rounding error in the middle, but the text is probably more accurate.

Their map of where Latter-day Saints live is interesting. It clearly shows the Morridor.

Their map of religious diversity is fascinating. It is lowest in the deep South and rural areas and highest in urban centers, the West Coast and the Northeast. I find it interesting that religious diversity is quite high in most of Utah. Utah County, where BYU is located, is a notable outlier in Utah, where there is low diversity. Surprisingly, on a county basis, Utah seems to have more religious diversity than Colorado.

The map of white Catholic identity is intriguing. There is one county in the middle of Nevada that is 55% white Catholic and is a strong outlier from everything else around it.

Younger Americans are More Religiously Diverse. And the number of unaffiliated has risen noticeably in all age categories.

[deacon blues]

This is a fascinating survey, and offers so many angles to view religion in the United States. For me it was fascinating to view the median age of the various religious groups. I was surprised that LDS median age went from 44 to 42. This is the opposite of what I'm seeing in the Salt Lake Valley where I live.

[Angel]

I wish there was another label for the unaffiliated. Humanism? Autonomous?

[2bizE]

This is a fascinating survey, and offers so many angles to view religion in the United States. For me it was fascinating to view the median age of the various religious groups. I was surprised that LDS median age went from 44 to 42. This is the opposite of what I'm seeing in the Salt Lake Valley where I live.

I suspect the decrease in median age from 44 to 42 may have something to do with the Covid pandemic. There were a number of older LDS folks who died during the pandemic, whereas younger deaths were uncommon.

[Hagoth]

I can't say I'm sad to see the number of white Evangelicals decreasing, relative to Unaffiliated. Hopefully that means the sway of white nationalism is beginning to wane.

[Jeffret]

I wish there was another label for the unaffiliated. Humanism? Autonomous?

Humanism already kind of means something, so it doesn't work as a sufficient catch-all for all of the unaffiliated. Autonomous might kind of work.

The biggest weakness with "unaffiliated" is that it frames from the whole from the perspective of belonging to a religion. But, that's kind of the whole point of the survey so :shrug:.

[Jeffret]

I suspect the decrease in median age from 44 to 42 may have something to do with the Covid pandemic. There were a number of older LDS folks who died during the pandemic, whereas younger deaths were uncommon.

It's certainly possible.

It's also possible that it's within the margin of error, especially given how relatively small the LDS population is to begin with.

[moksha]

That part of the population listed in the census as LDS seems most mysterious. Claiming to be of "Kolobian" descent (from a galaxy far far away), they came to earth only 6,000 years ago, long after the ascent of modern humans. These mysterious people first beamed into an area near Independence Missouri at a transport site they named, "Adam-ondi-Ahman".

In outward appearance, they seem human but will behave apoplectically if asked to consume coffee, tea, or alcohol.

[Angel]

I wish there was another label for the unaffiliated. Humanism? Autonomous?

Humanism already kind of means something, so it doesn't work as a sufficient catch-all for all of the unaffiliated. Autonomous might kind of work.

The biggest weakness with "unaffiliated" is that it frames from the whole from the perspective of belonging to a religion. But, that's kind of the whole point of the survey so :shrug:.

Exactly, I'm not antisocial, I'm not an outcast, I have many secular affiliations.

Autonomous -

Will quote from AI input (I support using AI, it can do a great job of combining many voices and summarizing ideas)

"Immanuel Kant's Formula of Autonomy is a formulation of the Categorical Imperative that states, "So act that your will can regard itself at the same time as making universal law through its maxims".

Kant's theory of autonomy is based on the idea that rational beings are capable of self-determination through a freely chosen moral law. He believed that the only reasons for action that are truly self-given are the demands of morality. Kant believed that all morality is derived from the protection and promotion of rational consciousness in each individual.

Kant's theory of autonomy also includes the idea that each person must be treated as an end in themselves, and not just as a means to some other end."