Dr. Ryan Burge

That's not many dinner parties in my life. My name is Dr. Ryan Burge and I am a guy who looks at religion data all day long.

That's not many dinner parties in my life. My name is Dr. Ryan Burge and I am a guy who looks at religion data all day long.

That's not many dinner parties in my life. My name is Dr. Ryan Burge and I am a guy who looks at religion data all day long.

I was a pastor for almost 20 years. Three different American Baptist churches in rural Illinois. And the last church I was a pastor at actually closed down last July because we didn't have enough members to sustain ourselves.

I was a pastor for almost 20 years. Three different American Baptist churches in rural Illinois. And the last church I was a pastor at actually closed down last July because we didn't have enough members to sustain ourselves.

I was a pastor for almost 20 years. Three different American Baptist churches in rural Illinois. And the last church I was a pastor at actually closed down last July because we didn't have enough members to sustain ourselves.

Well, it's hard to be a growing church in a declining town, in a declining region. We were also part of the mainline tradition, which is the more like moderate flavor of Protestant Christianity, which has been in, you know, real decline now for 50 years.

Well, it's hard to be a growing church in a declining town, in a declining region. We were also part of the mainline tradition, which is the more like moderate flavor of Protestant Christianity, which has been in, you know, real decline now for 50 years.

Well, it's hard to be a growing church in a declining town, in a declining region. We were also part of the mainline tradition, which is the more like moderate flavor of Protestant Christianity, which has been in, you know, real decline now for 50 years.

Yeah, so Pew spends a lot of time and resources on getting religion questions right. And it kind of creates like the benchmark, the barometer, which all other surveys that talk about religion try to use that as sort of like the measuring stick of, did we get it right or did we get it wrong?

Yeah, so Pew spends a lot of time and resources on getting religion questions right. And it kind of creates like the benchmark, the barometer, which all other surveys that talk about religion try to use that as sort of like the measuring stick of, did we get it right or did we get it wrong?

Yeah, so Pew spends a lot of time and resources on getting religion questions right. And it kind of creates like the benchmark, the barometer, which all other surveys that talk about religion try to use that as sort of like the measuring stick of, did we get it right or did we get it wrong?

The Pew numbers on like the share of Americans who are Christians or non-religious is sort of considered to be like the most authoritative source on these things. So, as far back as we have survey data, Christianity has been in decline in America. So, since the early 1970s. General Social Survey started in 1972. About 90% of Americans were Christians in that first wave.

The Pew numbers on like the share of Americans who are Christians or non-religious is sort of considered to be like the most authoritative source on these things. So, as far back as we have survey data, Christianity has been in decline in America. So, since the early 1970s. General Social Survey started in 1972. About 90% of Americans were Christians in that first wave.

The Pew numbers on like the share of Americans who are Christians or non-religious is sort of considered to be like the most authoritative source on these things. So, as far back as we have survey data, Christianity has been in decline in America. So, since the early 1970s. General Social Survey started in 1972. About 90% of Americans were Christians in that first wave.

And then over time, it just continued to decline, decline. It's almost like every year you expect it to just be one point lower than the prior year, two points lower than the prior year.

And then over time, it just continued to decline, decline. It's almost like every year you expect it to just be one point lower than the prior year, two points lower than the prior year.

And then over time, it just continued to decline, decline. It's almost like every year you expect it to just be one point lower than the prior year, two points lower than the prior year.

Aber das Interessante ist, dass die Mehrheit der Amerikaner, die nicht religiös sind, auch aufgewachsen ist. Wir sahen einen unglaublichen Aufstieg. Wir nennen sie die Nonnen, N-O-N-E-S, nicht-religiöse Menschen. Sie gingen von 5% von Amerika bis zu fast 30% von Amerika im Jahr 2022. Also gehen Nonnen von 5% zu 30%, Christen gehen von 90% bis zu 60%, 62%, 63%.

Aber das Interessante ist, dass die Mehrheit der Amerikaner, die nicht religiös sind, auch aufgewachsen ist. Wir sahen einen unglaublichen Aufstieg. Wir nennen sie die Nonnen, N-O-N-E-S, nicht-religiöse Menschen. Sie gingen von 5% von Amerika bis zu fast 30% von Amerika im Jahr 2022. Also gehen Nonnen von 5% zu 30%, Christen gehen von 90% bis zu 60%, 62%, 63%.