These sources look into the varying levels of religious observance across the United States, highlighting how these differences shape the nation’s spiritual landscape. Utilizing data from the U.S. Census Bureau, polling organizations, and other sources, SmileHub, a charity research firm, created a ranking of America’s most religious states. This ranking is visually represented on a map published by Newsweek.
SmileHub:
Nationally, 68% of adults consider religion to be either moderately or very important in their lives.
Alabama: The Most Religious State
Alabama tops the list with an overall score of 64.50, deeply embedded in the Bible Belt. The state is predominantly Christian, with 86 percent of its population adhering to the faith, according to Pew Research Center. Religion significantly influences Alabama’s political decisions, as exemplified by a recent ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court. However, despite its top position, Alabama’s religious observance is reportedly declining, particularly within the Southern Baptist Convention.
Newsweek:
In May, the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest denomination in Alabama, announced that its membership had fallen for the seventeenth consecutive year, dropping to 753,653 members in the state from nearly one million in 2016.
New England: The Least Religious Region
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Maine ranks as the least religious state, with a score of 9.61 out of 100. The entire New England region, including Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont, occupies the bottom tier of SmileHub’s rankings. The decline in religious observance in these states is attributed to their academic culture and liberal political leanings. Pew Research predicts that the unaffiliated population in the U.S. may grow significantly by 2070, suggesting that New England might be at the forefront of this secular trend.
Newsweek:
Among other things, the methodology incorporated per-capita religious adherents, the prevalence of religious education and career opportunities, as well as the number of faith-based organizations, resulting in an overall score for each state out of 100.
Sources:
Map Shows the Most Religious US States
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
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