One in three Americans define themselves as spiritual but not religious*. There are approximately 56 million religiously unaffiliated adults in the U.S yet “the share of U.S. adults who say they believe in God…[is] still remarkably high by comparison with other advanced industrial countries…at 89%”**. What is the difference between spirituality and religion? How do you define spirituality? Why is religious affiliation declining? A Pew survey found that about half of U.S. adults express reservations about the conduct of religious institutions, saying they are too concerned with money, power, and rules, and too involved with politics. Perhaps this could this be an explanation of the decline in religious affiliation even though most Americans agree that religious organisations perform positive functions in society. There are so many different religions and versions of each religion, might promoting spirituality over religion be helpful to break down barriers and connect people? What do you think?
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* BBC Point of View
** The Pew Research Religious Landscape Survey analysis in 2015
