People change religions early and often.  That is a conclusion from a recently published report regarding American’s religious affiliation changes from The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. 

In reading the report, I saw some things that I think may help us better succeed in our missionary objectives and in retaining converts.  I also noticed several points that may be of interest to parents and leaders of youth regarding keeping young people strong in the faith.  Young people are among the most likely to change religious affiliations or fall away from church altogether.  This report gives some interesting data points explaining why that change of religion happens.

The report is called Faith in Flux: Changes in Religious Affiliation in the U.S., and was published on April 27, 2009. The report discusses:

1. why people change from one religion to another
2. why people stop going to church
3. why non-religious people start practicing religion

Why people change from one religion to another

The data in the report shows that about half of American adults will change their religion at some point in their life.  Of those that change religion, about a third change only once, about a third change religions twice, and another third change religions three or more times in their life.  Most of the people who change from one religion to another do so early in life, generally before the age of 24.  People over the age of 50 rarely change religion according to the report.

The Pew report dives into why Americans change religious affiliation, and it turns out to be for a variety of reasons.  The top reason people give for leaving a former faith is that they “just gradually drifted away from their childhood religion.”  The second most cited reason for leaving their religion is that “their spiritual needs were not being met.”  See the full list of reasons in the chart below.

Why people stop going to church

The group that has grown the most in recent years due to religious change is the number of people that stop going to any particular church (the “unaffiliated” group as the Pew report calls them).  It’s interesting that very few people say they stopped going to church because they believe science disproves religion or that religion is just a superstition.  But they do admit a waning of faith is generally the reason why they stop going to church.

“Two-thirds of former Catholics who have become unaffiliated and half of former Protestants who have become unaffiliated say they left their childhood faith because they stopped believing in its teachings, and roughly four-in-ten say they became unaffiliated because they do not believe in God or the teachings of most religions.”

The survey had another startling revelation on why people stop going to Church.  For those people who grew up in a Church and are now “unaffiliated,” 90% of them report a weakening of their faith in the year or two prior to the change.

“The numbers are even lower among those who have become unaffiliated, with only 10% of former Catholics and 11% of former Protestants saying they had very strong faith just before leaving their former religion. This is consistent with another of the survey’s key findings – that among both former Protestants and former Catholics who are now unaffiliated, more than seven-in-ten say they just gradually drifted away from their childhood religion.”

Why non-religious people start practicing religion

According to the report, 16% of adults say they are currently unaffiliated with any particular religion.  This is despite the fact that only 7% were raised without religion.  The interesting thing here is that most people who were raised unaffiliated with religion now belong to a church.  Rather than remaining unaffiliated with a church, the people raised without religion tend to have a religious awakening in their early adulthood and join a church. 

Whether a person is joining a church after having never gone to church or after previously having attended a different one, the top reasons for joining a new religion are generally the same.  Most people say they have joined a church because 1) they “enjoy the religious services and style of worship,” and 2) they “felt called by God.”  Not surprisingly, many of those joining a church for the first time also cite reasons related to “personal spirituality” as an explanation for why they have now became involved with a religion.

Conclusion

This report gives us many insights into ways to do missionary work more effectively and ways to keep our children from falling away from the faith.  After studying this report, below are the takeaways that I have learned.  See if you agree or disagree.  Either way, let me know.

• All other things being equal, our missionary efforts are going to be more effectively focused at younger people. Of course some older people join the church.  I have heard the stories and even participated in such conversions.  But young people tend to be more open to change, particularly regarding religion.
• Statistically speaking, people raised without a church are very likely to have a religious awakening. We should not be shy about sharing our religion with those people who were raised unaffiliated with a religion.  We should be ready, willing and able to share the gospel of Jesus Christ to the humble seeker of truth.
• Be aware of signs that people’s faith is slipping.  Often times they will be very open about it.  Share your testimony and strengthen one another’s faith. Fulfill your callings, do your home teaching, find opportunities to serve those in need. “Lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees.” (D&C 81:5)
• Our youth are the most susceptible to a slow decline in faith. So beware of our children, and other church members as well, gradually drifting away from the church. This is the most common way people fall away from active participation in religion.   This is one of the reasons why strengthening families is so important.

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