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“Dr. Ryan Burge has helped us understand that just because someone says they have no religious affiliation, that kind of doesn’t tell us enough about them,” Plake said. “They’re not all the same group of people.”
Along with the 10 percent of nones who’ve accepted Jesus are 25 percent who are open or curious about Jesus or the Bible. Conversely, 64 percent of nones are not curious about the Bible or Jesus, and 40 percent are hostile to the Bible.
“We’ve been concerned that this movement towards no religious affiliation would then become a further movement towards becoming atheist or people who are really opposed to the Gospel,” Plake said, “and we’re not really seeing that.”
Rather, many nones are still exploring their faith, and others will come to a place of exploration, researchers believe.
Churches can reach out to nones by recognizing they’re receptive to the Gospel at key areas in their lives, including during periods of disruption or when they’re struggling with anxiety or emotional needs.
“As a former pastor, I’m thinking, OK, how can we do church in a way that reaches out to our community,” Plake said, “and welcomes people who might be struggling with these issues.”
Among other characteristics of nones:
— 7 percent read the Bible three to four times a year.
— 3 percent agree “the Bible is totally accurate in all of the principles it presents,” compared to 38 percent of the general public.
— 8 percent say their religious faith is very important in their life today, compared to half of the general public.
— 40 percent believe the Bible was written to control or manipulate people.
State of the Bible is based on a nationally representative survey conducted for ABS by NORC at the University of Chicago, using the AmeriSpeak panel.
Findings are based on 2,506 online interviews conducted in January 2024 with adults in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
This article has been republished with permission from Baptist Press.