‘One Nation Under God’: Examining America’s Religious Beliefs

Many Americans have religious views but, according to a recent poll by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI), those beliefs are separated by a gap that is continually growing wider.

The poll examined Americans’ religious views state-by-state according to plurality, not majority. For example, as Vox reported, Catholicism is more common than other religions in Maryland, but is practiced by only 20 percent of the population. On the other hand, Mormonism is practiced by more than 50 percent of Utahns, but a significantly smaller number of Americans in general.

The poll found that the most common religious affiliations among Americans consisted of Catholic, White Evangelical Protestant, and ‘Unaffiliated’. This “unaffiliated” religion is most common in 13 American states. To say these people are atheist, however, would be incorrect.

“It’s important to clarify here that ‘unaffiliated’ is not a synonym for ‘atheist,'” Vox reported.

Of these “unaffiliated,” 36 percent claimed to be ‘agnostic’ and/or ‘atheist’, 39 percent identified as ‘secular,’ and 23 percent called themselves an ‘unattached believer.’

For more information about individual states’ religious statistics and opinions on other hot-button issues, visit The American Values Atlas.