Retention rates on religious (and nonreligious) belief.

[rug]

http://nineteensixty-four.blogspot.com/2012/06/reverts-catholics-who-left-and-came.html

[Jim__]

1. It's an interesting chart - but it's hard to grasp any information about national trends from it.

Looking at this chart:





It looks like Catholics ar retaining their percentage of the population. But, then, looking at this chart:





It looks like they are retaining their rate mainly due to the high rate of immigration of Catholics. I'm not actually sure what to make of the whole thing.

[cbayer]

2. I think the number in the atheist category is pretty meaningless.

Here is an explanation for how the number was derived:

In these data there are 432 weighted respondents who say they were raised as Atheists. A total of 131 of these individuals self-identify as an Atheist at the time of the survey resulting in an estimated retention rate of 30%. However, there were a total of 1,387 Atheists (weighted) identified in the survey (equivalent to 1.6% of the adult population). What these findings reflect is that in the U.S. Atheists are for the most part "made" as adults after being raised in another faith. It appears to be much more challenging to raise one's child as an Atheist and have them maintain this identity in their life. Of those raised as Atheists, 30% are now affiliated with a Protestant denomination, 10% are Catholic, 2% are Jewish, 1% are Mormon, and 1% are Pagan.

[2ndAmForComputers]

3. As Jim and cbayer noted, the supposedly rosy picture for believers that stat shows is fiction.

Recommended reading: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0393310728

[ButterflyBlood]

4. The Protestant denomination numbers are probably a little misleading

A lot of those who left simply went to a different Protestant denom, which often isn't too different. American Protestants tend not to have lots of "brand loyalty".

[mr blur]

5. Atheism of course is not a faith.

*yawn*

[LeftishBrit]

6. What's the difference between Atheists and Nones?

And neither of them is really a faith.

What is 'Holiness' by the way?

[rug]

7. Revivalist.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holiness_movement

[cbayer]

8. Big difference, imo.

The "nones" are those who answer none when asked about specific religious affiliation but still identify as having religious and/or spiritual beliefs. It has been reported to be the fastest growing segment in the US.