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Statistics About the Surge of Spiritually Apathetic Americans

A December, 2011, article in USA Today analyzed a surge in a group of Americans called the "spiritually apathetic." They aren't atheists. Instead, according to the article, "They simply shrug off God, religion, heaven, or the ever-trendy search-for-meaning and/or purpose. Their attitude could be summed up as 'So what?'"

The article pointed to the following statistics from recent surveys:

  • 44 percent of respondents told a Baylor University study that they spend no time seeking "eternal wisdom," and 19 percent said, "It's useless to search for meaning."
  • 46 percent of respondents told LifeWay Research that they never wonder if they will go to heaven.
  • 28 percent told LifeWay that "it's not a major priority in my life to find deeper purpose."
  • 18 percent denied that God has a purpose or plan for everyone.

One professor of religion concluded, "The real dirty secret of religiosity in America is that there are so many people for whom spiritual interest, thinking about ultimate questions, is minimal."

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