Why So Many Americans Switch Religions

The Christian Science Monitor recently published an article describing the results of a new Pew forum survey titled “Faith in Flux." This survey examined how many Americans switch their religion in their lifetimes and why. It states that roughly half of all Americans change their religious denomination at least once in their lives, 28% join a new religion, and 16% remain unaffiliated. Many of those who are unaffiliated aren’t necessarily secular—they just haven’t found the “right religion” yet.
The article states that many people leave their religions at a young age, usually before 24. This makes sense since many people at that age are students in university settings and are exposed to new ideas and ways of thinking. The actual reasons for leaving differ for each person. Roman Catholics, for example, leave because they don’t agree with church doctrine. Young people may leave because they don’t agree with the church’s official position on abortion; clergy may leave because of the requirements of celibacy. Protestants, on the other hand, tend to leave because of “life changes” like moving, getting married, or sometimes because they don’t agree with church doctrine either.
Unsurprisingly, the article states that the “unaffiliated” is the fastest growing group in the past two decades. Some members of the unaffiliated group stopped going to church because they felt that religion was too “hypocritical.” One woman sought spirituality in her life and was disinterested in religion because it was “man-mad dogma.”
Despite all this, there are still individuals who seek religion in their lives because they seek community or spiritual fulfillment.
The Catholic church lost the most members and the Protestant Church is on the verge of losing more members. Immigration is a major reason why the number of Catholic church members is still relatively high and it’s also one of the reasons why Protestants are not the major religious group in the US anymore.
These statistics show that the US is still fluctuating religiously and that religious groups in this country are continuing to expand over the years. I definitely believe immigration will continue to shape religion in the US. More minority religions will emerge as a direct result of immigration, and Protestantism will no longer be the majority religious group. The numbers prove that more and more Americans are looking for unaffiliated or independent churches for spiritual guidance and I think the rates are only going to increase in the coming years. As for religion in the US, it’s obvious that religion will always be an important element in our American culture and will continue to shape the way we identify ourselves as a people.