A new survey of American religion released this week shows that the number of those identifying as “no religion” has risen to 15%. But this does not mean that the USA is becoming atheist. The number of self-defined atheists among the “nones” hasn’t changed for years. Half are people who have left a religious denomination and still believe in God or a higher power.

The authors of the report, American Nones: Profile of the No Religion Population speculate that if the trend continues, the “nones” could soon outnumber the Catholic demographic, which currently stands at 24%.

The report finds this religion-free group already includes nearly 19% of U.S. men and 12% of women. Of these, 35% say they were Catholic at age 12.

In the 18 to 29 age group, the “nones” account for 22%. The researchers say that if this trend continues one in five Americans will have no religion — but not necessarily no faith — in 20 years.

The authors were Barry Kosmin and Ariela Keysar of Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut, who directed three editions of the American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS) over 18 years. The 2008 Survey, based on a sampling of 54,000 U.S. adults, also focussed on the 1,106 Nones, who answered extra questions about their beliefs and behaviours and views on God.

Barry Kosmin says his research shows that women are also less skeptical than men and less drawn to irreligious and anti-religious views. They are more likely to reject a secular upbringing. The Nones are the only “faith group” in the US who are mainly male. Even when they grow up with non-believing parents, girls are more likely to be religious than their brothers.

Most of the “Nones” come from people leaving religion rather than from being raised in an atheist household.

Barry Kosmin says that there are many misconceptions about the “Nones”. “They’re a stew of agnostics, deists and rationalists. They sound more like Thomas Jefferson and Tom Paine. Their very interesting enlightenment approach is like the Founding Fathers’ kind: skeptical about organised religion and clerics while still holding to an idea of God.” One quirky fact: 33% of Nones claim Irish ancestry, although the U.S. Census says only 10% of the USA does.

Ariela Keysar concludes in the report: “Nones are not a fringe group anymore and are now part of Middle America. They’re present in every socio-demographic group.”

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