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The share of Americans who do not identify with a religious group is surely growing: While nationwide surveys in the 1970s and \u201980s found that fewer than one-in-ten U.S. adults said they had no religious affiliation, fully 23% now describe themselves as atheists, agnostics or \u201cnothing in particular.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n
But there are differing ideas about the factors driving this trend \u201d\u201c and its implications for society. While it appears the U.S. is becoming less religious, some contend that\u2019s not necessarily the case. Instead, they say, the growth of the \u201cnones\u201d\u009d may simply indicate that people who are not religious are becoming more forthright and willing to say they have no religious affiliation, perhaps because being a \u201cnone\u201d\u009d has become more socially acceptable.<\/p>\n
Do survey data support this notion? The answer is yes \u201d\u201c but only partly.<\/p>\n