A much different place as a result . Losing my religion, its the inside story. Welcome to inside story. Im ray suarez. Weve known for a long time that americans are less religiously affiliated with each passing year. The percentage of people who, when asked to name their religious, say none, will soon be as large and larger as major religious groupings in this country. When senator ted cruz a candidate for president recently said any president who doesnt begin every day on his knees, isnt fit to be commander in chief of this country, i wondered, is that idea that a president must pray, that a president must be a godbeliever, one that will make sense to 20yearold voters . 30yearold voters . In a country growing as religiously diverse as this one. Al jazeeras john terret has this report on the pew centers latest study on religion in america. The religious landscape Study Suggests that overall americans are becoming modestly less religious. So were seeing some changes for example, some modest declines in the shares of americans who say they believe in god or who say they attend religious services regularly or pray regularly. Reporter 63 of those surveyed say theyre absolutely certainly god exists, whereas 71 said back in 2007 and theres a generational divide too. When we look at all the generations, sienl generatio sin of baby boomers, the Younger Generation particularly men millennials, are silent generation. Reporter 64 of generation d, 65 to 80, agree, whereas only 50 of younger millennials, say they are absolutely certain. Atheists agnostics or those who even believe in god who say they are unaffiliated. The religiously unaffiliated, we often refer to them as nones that is n. Nones. They are atheist, agnostic or anything in particular. This group has grown quite a bit in the u. S. The change shows up in politics as well. 19 back in 2007. Whereas down only a modest 5 . The take away, is that while the religious landscape studies suggest that there is some decline in religiousity, among those who are affiliated with religion, religiousity has remained very stable over this time period. So the u. S. Remains a nation of believers, a nation thats very religious comparatively speaking. Losing my religion this time on the program. Joining me is greg smith, associate director of research at the Pew Research Center with in its most recent findings on the secularist trend, found unaffiliateamericans becoming even more secular. What does that mean . It means youre seeing some very big changes staying place in the religious landscape. Growing number of people who say they dont rng define themselves with religion groups less thrieblg say religion plays a role in their lives or that pray regularly. Whats happening, because this group is becoming less religious as it grows, its tugging down on the nations overall rates of religious observance. Thats why were seeing modest declines in the share of americans who are highly religious. So if we had talked to these nones in years past, when a greater percentage of them did not report being as secular as they are, how would they be different . Would they have been adults who were raised attending religious services but choose not to now, people who have had families and parents who were religiously observant but not now . Help me understand that. Number 1 most of them were raised in a religious group as catholic, protestant, protestant or jewish or so on. Something to keep in mind when we talk about the religiously unaffiliated or ridges religious nones, some of them say religion is an important part of their lives. But the share who say those things, the share who say they dont believe in god is growing and the share who say that religion does not matter to them, is growing. As ive watched my own kids grow up ive noticed that more of my children friends come from houses where not only were they not raised in a religion but often one or both of their parents werent. Is that something that points to a future where you kind of get Critical Mass and more of those people marry each other and there isnt even the memory of religious observe answer in a household then. Its possible but looking into a future there are so many things that determine the future including things like differential fertility rates, and religious switching. Ridges switching is very common in the united states. The opposite is true, you have many people who are raised with no religion, who wind up identifying with a religion as adults. So these trends all kind of work at crosspurposes and point in multiple directions at the same time. But when you see just a seven year span, an 8 drop in the number who believe in god, freks for instance, its not hard to see where veefnl yo eventually o nonreligious americans. I dont know that we can look at the trends that have occurred in recent years and project them out into the future indefinitely. Because theres all these other factors that go into it. We have done some research at the Pew Research Center where our demographers have looked at religious belonging all around the world and they have looked at fertility raitle and th ratee and gender composition, and the growth of the nones is likely to continue through the coming decades out to 2050 but not at quite the same rate, perhaps level off at a quarter of the population. There are other things that can go into that that change but that is what the research looks at this time. Greg smith, thanks for joining us. Thank you for having me. Even with tens of millions of unaffiliated people, religion and religious identity play a role in the culture. For setting the countrys social thermostat. Will it always be that way or have the trends of secularization gone so far that appeals to religious faith will eventually be just one competing way of seeing the way ahead, rather than what its long been in america, head and shoulders above other influences . Losing my religion, its inside story. At 9 30 america tonight top investigative reporting, uncovering new perspectives. Everything thats happening here is illegal. Then at 10 00 its reports from around the world. Lets take a closer look. Antonio mora gives you a global view. This is a human rights crisis. And at 11 00 news wrapup. Clear. Concise. Complete. Half a million fields will lie fallow. If we had another year of this severe drought, id say all bets are off. Youre watching inside story. Im ray suarez. Were looking at the growing number of religiously unaffiliated americans and asking what it means for the future. The socalled new atheists like sam harris, Richard Dawkins , Christopher Hitchins and if you want to laugh, bill maher, Madeline Murray ohare in the other century. Only arelative handful of the 535 members of congress, would say simply and straightforwardly, i doubt theres a god who created the world and intervene is in human affairs. Joining me now professor, has the way we talk about, the unaffiliated, the socalled nones, even caught up with how numerous they are in the country, how unexceptional they are . Theyre very ordinary folks. We have them as friends, neighbors, and colleagues, perhaps not yet as representatives in congress as you mentioned earlier. But they are thro. And theyre measured by the kind of expert polling that pew undertakes and they are growing. And it looks like these trends which have been going on for about 20 years are going to continue in the direction of less and less religiousity in the future. Have. You wouldnt know it professor looking at the future looking at the time republican president ial primary debates would you . Well, politics involves a lot of talk about god. But there are less and less signs that people, even mean the same thing by god, or as the pew report suggests, that people consult the bible about guidance on moral matters. In fact the pew report shows the younger an american is the less likely it is that theyll rely on their denomination or their bible to give them moral answers. Phil rouyhem bush, the world is shifting under our feet as we speak but how do people leave aside centuries of family tradition, leave aside what they were taught growing up, why is it so easy almost to shed that like changing your clothes . Well, i think that we are in a moment where people are looking around, exposed to many different ways of seeing the world. I think scientific advancements have been important in that but also, its about knowing different people and recognizing that my tradition is my tradition. But its not everybodys tradition. And maybe i have to start questioning my tradition. I will say that we are in a different moment politically because we do have a major candidate who has said he does not believe and thats bernie sanders. Which i think you know has probably really perhaps been a problem for his campaign ultimately. But we do have representatives who have said they dont believe. What i think is very interesting is, now you find secular people or humanists who are beginning to organize secular societies or humanist societies and they are gathering much in the way that religious communities gather, in some ways mirroring that. Reverend, if we went into a Reform Church in america, congregation a year ago we wouldnt have found a woman pastor. But that side, the people sitting there in the pews most likely would have had parents who were reformed, neighbors who were reformed but im guessing the people who come through your front door today, in the 21st century, in a very secular Upper West Side of manhattan come for a wider variety of reason is that fair . That is certainly fair. I think thats also fair to say of my own faith. I did thought grow up in a Reform Church in america. And commuted to this denomination. So im part of the trend of what were noticing here. And in our congregation we are looking at nones and believer believers meeting together and wanting to express the faith that it is curious, indulge and expressive along with doubt and belief. Youre a young person. Do you feel confident as we talk here today that in 20 years, in 50 years, that theres going to be a place for a congregation like yours, that there will be enough people to keep the lights on and the heat bill paid . Thats a great question. I think im noticing an anxiety among my colleagues in clergy, but thats unfortunate to me. Because i think this is a time of creativity. I think of the christian scripture in isaiah, behold i am doing a new thing. And if we follow that, allow for the spirit to guide us, to do not fear, but then, we can involve ourself in creative endeavors and brandnew ways. I think were going to see faith differently. Well, i want you all to stay right where you are. Stay with us. Im curious, the is increasing secularization a trend that only goes in one direction or one that can ebb and flow over time, as we just heard suggested, for the rest of the century are we looking at an america that will only become less religious over time and will the millions of immigrants and their children bring a vitality to the american pleurallist mix . Losing my religion, its the inside story. Stay with us. Welcomwelcome back to inside story. Im ray suarez. Were looking at the fast moving trend of increasing secularization in america, especially among the young. America has higher levels of professed god belief than other western democracies but the gap is narrowing. In 50 years will the u. S. Be like European Countries weefn established religions, where religious belief has shriveled, where churches are kept for their cultural, historic value but nothing else. Back with us, paul rauchenbush i do think we make a mistake by looking at this moving in one direction but in the past 20 years it has only moved in one direction. Could there be ebbs and flows in the coming century . I think its interesting to think in retrospect about the first and second grade awakenings. Moments of fear that everyone was losing their religion as we were saying and becoming heath heathens and whatever. Im not sure were not going to have or have blossom ing of faith. What i am concerned about is we understand each other. My hope i fear is that the i want to make sure that there is ways for people to talk to one another so we can live well together in a society. Professor shook thats something we do have to get the knack of if were going to be if were really going to be a mix, not only of nonchristian religions which are growing in number but also people with no religion and everybody wants a moral base a place to stand from which to talk to other people. I think thats right. And i agree with the other panelists and we can see this by looking at younger americans who are leading the way. Millennials are already 80 million americans among us more than even the baby boomers and they are demanding values. Studies say they are leaving conservative religions and liberal religions over ethics an questions of civic value and big questions. So the millennials arent leaving the church because theyre abandoning values. Quite the opposite. Their values are leading the way and i think an interest in spirit yulity and uauality and wonder, we need to listen to young people to find out the values that they are prioritizing and to think about how organizations for them either religious or secular are going to be exemplifying those values, they are going to walk away if they are not hearing what they need to hear. Could there be a Silver Lining here that not only churches but other religious bodies will have to make a more coherent better argument to the world, to the country to be affiliated . That just assuming that people are going to come back because their parents did, and their grandparents did, just isnt going to work anymore so you have got to bring your a game . I think thats why this is an exciting time to be a minister. I myself am an older millennial. And im in conversation with our jewish and muslim friends and people of no faith. And theres a religious fluidity that im finding among my colleagues. People who care about our traditions but care about compassionate connection across the spectrum of people. And i think thats what were going to be having to engage over the next few years here. I wonder whether that weakens your argument for orthodoxy. Because youre so not you personally but the church and other religious bodies are so worried about people, coming, at all, that the commanding orthodoxy is just way, way down on the list of to dos. Well, i would actually say that its part of orthodoxy. As a christian minister im called to love god and love my neighbor as myself. And ive said this in a lot of interfaith programs im involved in. Im obligated to be in a relationship with my interfaith neighbors that deepens my own faith in christianity while expanding shared experiences. Professor even as the number of nones increases will religious teaching still have a tremendous influence in the kind of place we are . The things we talk about . Even the way we mark the year . Well, no doubt, america s culture is quite religious but becoming pluralistic. I think we need to stop die cot die cot mizing. , these things arent going to go away. So what we need to do is to try make sure that america is giving especially younger people opportunities to put their values into practice, those that wont are going to be judged and theyre being judged right now. So even though Andy Williams is still belting out o holy night at the mall its duali. Ill be back in a moment with a final thought on religion in america and a america less religious, stay with us, its inside story and send us your thoughts on twitter ajinsidestoryam. Or follow me and get in touch raysuareznews. Tell us about your own lives and that of your family. Do you think of america as a less religious place in the coming decades . Wed love to hear what you have to say. I dont know if its a particularly american trait. But we sure do love to misremember our history. Sometimes in order to understand today and the past. Contrary to whats widely said, americans arent always getting less religious, less observant, less filthed. In the first half of the 19th century, americans were much less church affiliated. I cant help but think that we arent a great deal less religious than we were in recent decades. All weve done is remove the social sanction to not be religious. The pressure of sitting with your family in chump as if pose for a Norman Rockwell painting, isnt there anymore. Nobodys taking attendance. Not being filthed will not block your rise in business, your ability to make contacts, your participation in the social scene. I welcome that change, its the kind of time when religious bodies can finally tell who their real friends are instead of having their head counts swelled by the unwilling and the reluctant and winning various social arguments by the force of numbers rather than the validity of the cause. We in churches mosques and synagogues will have to to work harder in the 21st century and smarter to have a role in the culture and convince others of the value of what we believe and if we cant do that, well have to shut our doors. Im ray suarez and thats the inside story. Why would he do that . Why would he do Something Like this . Shock and disbelief, an armed couple suspected of killing 14 people in a mass shooting in california are identified. Hello. This is al jazeera live from doha. Also ahead on the program, brittain launches its first air strikess in syria just hours after green light from the parliament. Brazil opens impeachment