The Rise of "Nones"

The 20th century was a time where 9 in 10 Americans believed in God and were part of an organized religion. When the 90's came about that statistic changed. People that didn't identify with an organized religion (nones) started to come out of the dark. Dereck Thompson, the author of the article, mentions how Americans were becoming less interested in religion because of the GOP. Thompson points to the 70's where the religious right gained traction. The religious right was becoming concerned with the rise of secularism due to "the sexual revolution, the Roe v. Wade decision" and "the nationalization of no-fault divorce laws." This was where christians started to really get involved in politics. This is where the GOP and the religious right became one. This brought forth Ronald Reagan, Bush Sr, and other election victories. This ended up making liberal democrats extremely uncomfortable, Thompson writes, " it disgusted liberal Democrats, especially those with weak connections to the Church. It also shocked the conscience of moderates, who preferred a wide berth between their faith and their politics." He then goes on to mention how politics is the main factor for this rise in secularism, he says, "Religion has lost its halo effect in the past three decades, not because science drove God from the public square, but rather because politics did." Thompson goes on to say that American families were extremely affected because of this social change, he writes, "The past half century has dealt a series of body blows to American marriage. Divorce rates spiked in the ’70s through the ’90s, following the state-by-state spread of no-fault divorce laws. Just as divorce rates stabilized, the marriage rate started to plummet in the ’80s, due to both the decline of marriage within the working class and delayed marriage among college-educated couples." Thompson ends with the concept of meaning. People left the church, but are finding meaning somewhere else, he states, "Those, like me, who have largely rejected this package deal, often find themselves shopping à la carte for meaning, community, and routine to fill a faith-shaped void. Their politics is a religion. Their work is a religion. Their spin class is a church. And not looking at their phone for several consecutive hours is a Sabbath. American nones may well build successful secular systems of belief, purpose, and community. But imagine what a devout believer might think: Millions of Americans have abandoned religion, only to re-create it everywhere they look."

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