News brief:
The share of people without a religious affiliation is rising across the Mountain West. The group, called the “nones,” includes atheists, agnostics and those who say they don’t have any religion in particular. Almost a third of U.S. residents are now a part of that demographic.
“I think it's probably the largest cultural shift in American life over the last 50 years,” said Ryan Burge, a pastor and professor of political science at Eastern Illinois University. “The data says about 40 million people are not going to church now that did 30 years ago.”
Burge said this group is growing rapidly for many reasons, including shifts in politics and education. Major scandals among church organizations may also be playing a role, along with a general splintering in American society.
No matter the reason, people are abandoning religion, and Burge said this shift is going to have major impacts. He added that it’s unclear what other institutions can replace the connections and charity that church often provides.
“Church is just where people gather together voluntarily on a regular basis and hang out and build connections and relationships. It's where people find spouses. It’s where you find a job. It’s where you find childcare,” Burge said. “I think that one of the overarching meta narratives of the last 20 years is just an absolute collapse in American community.”
Burge recently calculated what states have seen the largest increases in “nones” population. In 2008, just 18 percent of Utah residents identified as “nones.” Last year it was 38 percent, one of the highest rises in the country.
New Mexico saw its share of “nones” increase from 25 percent in 2008 to 47 percent last year. Colorado’s “nones” demographic rose from 32 percent to 45 percent, Nevada’s rose from 34 percent to 47 percent, Idaho’s rose from 32 percent to 40 percent and Wyoming’s rose from 31 to 37 percent.
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNR in Nevada, KUNC in Colorado and KANW in New Mexico, with support from affiliate stations across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
