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Created page with "'''Unaffiliated''' is a term used to refer to individuals who are not aligned with a particular religion.<ref name=Definition>{{Cite web|title=The New Encyclopedia of Unbelief|ur..."
'''Unaffiliated''' is a term used to refer to individuals who are not aligned with a particular religion.<ref name=Definition>{{Cite web|title=The New Encyclopedia of Unbelief|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=YR4RAQAAIAAJ&q=unaffiliated+irreligious&dq=unaffiliated+irreligious&hl=en&ei=1m6uTdDDLKLa0QGT5KHCCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAg|quote=With respect to understanding the irreligious, however, the relevance of data on apostates depends upon the orientation they have adopted by the time they are studied (such as unaffiliated religious belief, no stated religious ...
|publisher=[[Prometheus Books]]|author=Tom Flynn; Richard Dawkins|accessdate=13 November 2010}}</ref><ref name="Meaning">{{cite web|url = http://pewforum.org/Topics/Religious-Affiliation/Unaffiliated/|title=Unaffiliated|publisher=[[Pew Research Center]]|quote=Pew Forum publications—including public opinion polls, demographic reports, research studies, event transcripts and interviews—about people who are unaffiliated with any particular religion. This group includes atheists, agnostics and people who describe their religion as “nothing in particular.”|accessdate=2010-12-02}}</ref> According to the [[Pew Research Center]], this group includes [[atheists]] and [[agnostics]].<ref name="Meaning">{{cite web|url = http://pewforum.org/Topics/Religious-Affiliation/Unaffiliated/|title=Unaffiliated|publisher=[[Pew Research Center]]|quote=Pew Forum publications—including public opinion polls, demographic reports, research studies, event transcripts and interviews—about people who are unaffiliated with any particular religion. This group includes atheists, agnostics and people who describe their religion as “nothing in particular.”|accessdate=2010-12-02}}</ref> However, not all individuals who are unaffiliated are [[irreligious]], although the association between the two terms is increasing.<ref name="Corrie E. Norman, Donald S. Armentrout">{{cite web|url = http://books.google.com/books?id=aHSqIWYQWjUC&pg=PA127&dq=unaffiliated+irreligious&hl=en&ei=YnOuTa6sKuPZ0QGM2J2QCQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAjgK#v=onepage&q=unaffiliated%20irreligious&f=false|title=Religion in the Contemporary South: Changes, Continuities, and Contexts|publisher=[[University of Tennessee Press]]|quote=Unaffiliated persons are not necessarily hostile to religion or even irreligious. Yet, as the proportion of unaffiliated persons grows, it will be increasingly difficult to assume that there is a religious base, such as Reed's orthodox Protestant consensus, supporting southern culture.|accessdate=2010-12-02}}</ref> Notably, some [[Christians]] do not identify with and often disdain the term ''religion''.<ref name=Christianity and Irreligion 1>{{Cite web|title=When Religion Becomes Evil: Five Warning Signs|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=6U_3ppYbJTQC&pg=PA33&dq=relationship+not+religion&hl=en&ei=8WquTe-NKeHd0QHZ36TDCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CEUQ6AEwBTgK#v=onepage&q=relationship%20not%20religion&f=false|quote=Stating it succinctly, they may say, "Christianity is not a religion; it's a relationship." Religion–that is, non-Christian religion–is viewed as a <u>merely</u> human construct and therefore flawed while Christianity is more authentic, therefore not a "religion." Karl Barth, the highly influential twentieth century German theologian, constructed his multivolume ''Church Dogmatics'' on this very distinction.|publisher=[[HarperOne]]|author=Charles Kimball|accessdate=13 November 2010}}</ref><ref name=Christianity and Irreligion 2>{{Cite web|title=How to Hear from God|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=iROjqori2MoC&pg=PT114&dq=relationship+not+religion&hl=en&ei=42quTfDADMS60QHtzpyxCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&sqi=2&ved=0CDwQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=relationship%20not%20religion&f=false|quote=Religious people are frequently those who follow formulas and do good works to earn God's favor but who don't have a close personal relationship with Him.|publisher=[[Hachette Book Group]]|author=[[Joyce Meyer]]|accessdate=13 November 2010}}</ref>
==Studies==
The “Faith in Flux: Changes in Religious Affiliation in the U.S.” found that more than 16 percent of all Americans were were unaffiliated.<ref name=Population>{{Cite web|title=Study: Ranks of religiously unaffiliated remain open to faith|url=http://www.abpnews.com/content/view/4035/53/|quote=The “Faith in Flux: Changes in Religious Affiliation in the U.S.” study involved in-depth interviews with more than 2,800 people who had responded to the earlier “U.S. Religious Landscape Survey," which found that more than 16 percent of all Americans were not affiliated with any particular religious group.|publisher=[[Associated Baptist Press]]|author=Robert Marus|accessdate=13 November 2010}}</ref>
According to the [[American Psychiatric Association]], "religiously unaffiliated subjects had significantly more lifetime suicide attempts and more first-degree relatives who committed suicide than subjects who endorsed a religious affiliation."<ref name=Religion>{{Cite web|title=Religious Affiliation and Suicide Attempt|url=http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/abstract/161/12/2303|quote=Religiously unaffiliated subjects had significantly more lifetime suicide attempts and more first-degree relatives who committed suicide than subjects who endorsed a religious affiliation. Unaffiliated subjects were younger, less often married, less often had children, and had less contact with family members. Furthermore, subjects with no religious affiliation perceived fewer reasons for living, particularly fewer moral objections to suicide. In terms of clinical characteristics, religiously unaffiliated subjects had more lifetime impulsivity, aggression, and past substance use disorder.|publisher=[[American Psychiatric Association]]|author=Michael Martin|accessdate=13 November 2010}}</ref> Moreover, individuals with no religious affiliation had fewer moral objections to suicide than believers.<ref name=Religion>{{Cite web|title=Religious Affiliation and Suicide Attempt|url=http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/abstract/161/12/2303|quote=Religiously unaffiliated subjects had significantly more lifetime suicide attempts and more first-degree relatives who committed suicide than subjects who endorsed a religious affiliation. Unaffiliated subjects were younger, less often married, less often had children, and had less contact with family members. Furthermore, subjects with no religious affiliation perceived fewer reasons for living, particularly fewer moral objections to suicide. In terms of clinical characteristics, religiously unaffiliated subjects had more lifetime impulsivity, aggression, and past substance use disorder.|publisher=[[American Psychiatric Association]]|author=Michael Martin|accessdate=13 November 2010}}</ref>
A comprehensive study by [[Harvard University]] professor [[Robert Putnam]] found that religious people are more charitable than their irreligious counterparts.<ref name="Relgion & Charity">{{cite web|url = http://pewforum.org/Religion-News/Religious-people-make-better-citizens-study-says.aspx|title =Religious people make better citizens, study says |publisher = [[Pew Research Center]]|quote=The scholars say their studies found that religious people are three to four times more likely to be involved in their community. They are more apt than nonreligious Americans to work on community projects, belong to voluntary associations, attend public meetings, vote in local elections, attend protest demonstrations and political rallies, and donate time and money to causes -- including secular ones. At the same time, Putnam and Campbell say their data show that religious people are just "nicer": they carry packages for people, don't mind folks cutting ahead in line and give money to panhandlers.|accessdate = 2007–10–18}}</ref><ref name="Relgion and Charity">{{cite web|url = http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/2010-11-15-column15_ST_N.htm|title =Religious people are 'better neighbors'|publisher = [[USA Today]]|quote=However, on the other side of the ledger, religious people are also "better neighbors" than their secular counterparts. No matter the civic activity, being more religious means being more involved. Take, for example, volunteer work. Compared with people who never attend worship services, those who attend weekly are more likely to volunteer in religious activities (no surprise there), but also for secular causes. The differences between religious and secular Americans can be dramatic. Forty percent of worship-attending Americans volunteer regularly to help the poor and elderly, compared with 15% of Americans who never attend services. Frequent-attenders are also more likely than the never-attenders to volunteer for school and youth programs (36% vs. 15%), a neighborhood or civic group (26% vs. 13%), and for health care (21% vs. 13%). The same is true for philanthropic giving; religious Americans give more money to secular causes than do secular Americans. And the list goes on, as it is true for good deeds such as helping someone find a job, donating blood, and spending time with someone who is feeling blue. Furthermore, the "religious edge" holds up for organized forms of community involvement: membership in organizations, working to solve community problems, attending local meetings, voting in local elections, and working for social or political reform. On this last point, it is not just that religious people are advocating for right-leaning causes, although many are. Religious liberals are actually more likely to be community activists than are religious conservatives.|accessdate = 2007–10–18}}</ref> The study revealed that forty percent of [[service of worship|worship service]] attending Americans volunteer regularly to help the poor and elderly as opposed to 15% of Americans who never attend services.<ref name="Relgion & Charity">{{cite web|url = http://pewforum.org/Religion-News/Religious-people-make-better-citizens-study-says.aspx|title =Religious people make better citizens, study says |publisher = [[Pew Research Center]]|quote=The scholars say their studies found that religious people are three to four times more likely to be involved in their community. They are more apt than nonreligious Americans to work on community projects, belong to voluntary associations, attend public meetings, vote in local elections, attend protest demonstrations and political rallies, and donate time and money to causes -- including secular ones. At the same time, Putnam and Campbell say their data show that religious people are just "nicer": they carry packages for people, don't mind folks cutting ahead in line and give money to panhandlers.|accessdate = 2007–10–18}}</ref><ref name="Relgion and Charity">{{cite web|url = http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/2010-11-15-column15_ST_N.htm|title =Religious people are 'better neighbors'|publisher = [[USA Today]]|quote=However, on the other side of the ledger, religious people are also "better neighbors" than their secular counterparts. No matter the civic activity, being more religious means being more involved. Take, for example, volunteer work. Compared with people who never attend worship services, those who attend weekly are more likely to volunteer in religious activities (no surprise there), but also for secular causes. The differences between religious and secular Americans can be dramatic. Forty percent of worship-attending Americans volunteer regularly to help the poor and elderly, compared with 15% of Americans who never attend services. Frequent-attenders are also more likely than the never-attenders to volunteer for school and youth programs (36% vs. 15%), a neighborhood or civic group (26% vs. 13%), and for health care (21% vs. 13%). The same is true for philanthropic giving; religious Americans give more money to secular causes than do secular Americans. And the list goes on, as it is true for good deeds such as helping someone find a job, donating blood, and spending time with someone who is feeling blue. Furthermore, the "religious edge" holds up for organized forms of community involvement: membership in organizations, working to solve community problems, attending local meetings, voting in local elections, and working for social or political reform. On this last point, it is not just that religious people are advocating for right-leaning causes, although many are. Religious liberals are actually more likely to be community activists than are religious conservatives.|accessdate = 2007–10–18}}</ref> Moreover, religious individuals are more likely than non-religious individuals to volunteer for school and youth programs (36% vs. 15%), a neighborhood or civic group (26% vs. 13%), and for health care (21% vs. 13%).<ref name="Relgion & Charity">{{cite web|url = http://pewforum.org/Religion-News/Religious-people-make-better-citizens-study-says.aspx|title =Religious people make better citizens, study says |publisher = [[Pew Research Center]]|quote=The scholars say their studies found that religious people are three to four times more likely to be involved in their community. They are more apt than nonreligious Americans to work on community projects, belong to voluntary associations, attend public meetings, vote in local elections, attend protest demonstrations and political rallies, and donate time and money to causes -- including secular ones. At the same time, Putnam and Campbell say their data show that religious people are just "nicer": they carry packages for people, don't mind folks cutting ahead in line and give money to panhandlers.|accessdate = 2007–10–18}}</ref><ref name="Relgion and Charity">{{cite web|url = http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/2010-11-15-column15_ST_N.htm|title =Religious people are 'better neighbors'|publisher = [[USA Today]]|quote=However, on the other side of the ledger, religious people are also "better neighbors" than their secular counterparts. No matter the civic activity, being more religious means being more involved. Take, for example, volunteer work. Compared with people who never attend worship services, those who attend weekly are more likely to volunteer in religious activities (no surprise there), but also for secular causes. The differences between religious and secular Americans can be dramatic. Forty percent of worship-attending Americans volunteer regularly to help the poor and elderly, compared with 15% of Americans who never attend services. Frequent-attenders are also more likely than the never-attenders to volunteer for school and youth programs (36% vs. 15%), a neighborhood or civic group (26% vs. 13%), and for health care (21% vs. 13%). The same is true for philanthropic giving; religious Americans give more money to secular causes than do secular Americans. And the list goes on, as it is true for good deeds such as helping someone find a job, donating blood, and spending time with someone who is feeling blue. Furthermore, the "religious edge" holds up for organized forms of community involvement: membership in organizations, working to solve community problems, attending local meetings, voting in local elections, and working for social or political reform. On this last point, it is not just that religious people are advocating for right-leaning causes, although many are. Religious liberals are actually more likely to be community activists than are religious conservatives.|accessdate = 2007–10–18}}</ref> Nevertheless, the study found that religious people are somewhat less tolerant of free speech and dissent than were non-religious people.<ref name="Relgion and Charity 2">{{cite web|url = http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/2010-11-15-column15_ST_N.htm|title =Religious people are 'better neighbors'|publisher = [[USA Today]]|quote=On the one hand, religious Americans are somewhat less tolerant of free speech and dissent.|accessdate = 2007–10–18}}</ref>
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://pewforum.org/Topics/Religious-Affiliation/Unaffiliated/ Pew Research Centre: Unaffiliated]
{{Atheism}}
[[Category:Atheism]]
[[Category:Religion]]
|publisher=[[Prometheus Books]]|author=Tom Flynn; Richard Dawkins|accessdate=13 November 2010}}</ref><ref name="Meaning">{{cite web|url = http://pewforum.org/Topics/Religious-Affiliation/Unaffiliated/|title=Unaffiliated|publisher=[[Pew Research Center]]|quote=Pew Forum publications—including public opinion polls, demographic reports, research studies, event transcripts and interviews—about people who are unaffiliated with any particular religion. This group includes atheists, agnostics and people who describe their religion as “nothing in particular.”|accessdate=2010-12-02}}</ref> According to the [[Pew Research Center]], this group includes [[atheists]] and [[agnostics]].<ref name="Meaning">{{cite web|url = http://pewforum.org/Topics/Religious-Affiliation/Unaffiliated/|title=Unaffiliated|publisher=[[Pew Research Center]]|quote=Pew Forum publications—including public opinion polls, demographic reports, research studies, event transcripts and interviews—about people who are unaffiliated with any particular religion. This group includes atheists, agnostics and people who describe their religion as “nothing in particular.”|accessdate=2010-12-02}}</ref> However, not all individuals who are unaffiliated are [[irreligious]], although the association between the two terms is increasing.<ref name="Corrie E. Norman, Donald S. Armentrout">{{cite web|url = http://books.google.com/books?id=aHSqIWYQWjUC&pg=PA127&dq=unaffiliated+irreligious&hl=en&ei=YnOuTa6sKuPZ0QGM2J2QCQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAjgK#v=onepage&q=unaffiliated%20irreligious&f=false|title=Religion in the Contemporary South: Changes, Continuities, and Contexts|publisher=[[University of Tennessee Press]]|quote=Unaffiliated persons are not necessarily hostile to religion or even irreligious. Yet, as the proportion of unaffiliated persons grows, it will be increasingly difficult to assume that there is a religious base, such as Reed's orthodox Protestant consensus, supporting southern culture.|accessdate=2010-12-02}}</ref> Notably, some [[Christians]] do not identify with and often disdain the term ''religion''.<ref name=Christianity and Irreligion 1>{{Cite web|title=When Religion Becomes Evil: Five Warning Signs|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=6U_3ppYbJTQC&pg=PA33&dq=relationship+not+religion&hl=en&ei=8WquTe-NKeHd0QHZ36TDCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CEUQ6AEwBTgK#v=onepage&q=relationship%20not%20religion&f=false|quote=Stating it succinctly, they may say, "Christianity is not a religion; it's a relationship." Religion–that is, non-Christian religion–is viewed as a <u>merely</u> human construct and therefore flawed while Christianity is more authentic, therefore not a "religion." Karl Barth, the highly influential twentieth century German theologian, constructed his multivolume ''Church Dogmatics'' on this very distinction.|publisher=[[HarperOne]]|author=Charles Kimball|accessdate=13 November 2010}}</ref><ref name=Christianity and Irreligion 2>{{Cite web|title=How to Hear from God|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=iROjqori2MoC&pg=PT114&dq=relationship+not+religion&hl=en&ei=42quTfDADMS60QHtzpyxCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&sqi=2&ved=0CDwQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=relationship%20not%20religion&f=false|quote=Religious people are frequently those who follow formulas and do good works to earn God's favor but who don't have a close personal relationship with Him.|publisher=[[Hachette Book Group]]|author=[[Joyce Meyer]]|accessdate=13 November 2010}}</ref>
==Studies==
The “Faith in Flux: Changes in Religious Affiliation in the U.S.” found that more than 16 percent of all Americans were were unaffiliated.<ref name=Population>{{Cite web|title=Study: Ranks of religiously unaffiliated remain open to faith|url=http://www.abpnews.com/content/view/4035/53/|quote=The “Faith in Flux: Changes in Religious Affiliation in the U.S.” study involved in-depth interviews with more than 2,800 people who had responded to the earlier “U.S. Religious Landscape Survey," which found that more than 16 percent of all Americans were not affiliated with any particular religious group.|publisher=[[Associated Baptist Press]]|author=Robert Marus|accessdate=13 November 2010}}</ref>
According to the [[American Psychiatric Association]], "religiously unaffiliated subjects had significantly more lifetime suicide attempts and more first-degree relatives who committed suicide than subjects who endorsed a religious affiliation."<ref name=Religion>{{Cite web|title=Religious Affiliation and Suicide Attempt|url=http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/abstract/161/12/2303|quote=Religiously unaffiliated subjects had significantly more lifetime suicide attempts and more first-degree relatives who committed suicide than subjects who endorsed a religious affiliation. Unaffiliated subjects were younger, less often married, less often had children, and had less contact with family members. Furthermore, subjects with no religious affiliation perceived fewer reasons for living, particularly fewer moral objections to suicide. In terms of clinical characteristics, religiously unaffiliated subjects had more lifetime impulsivity, aggression, and past substance use disorder.|publisher=[[American Psychiatric Association]]|author=Michael Martin|accessdate=13 November 2010}}</ref> Moreover, individuals with no religious affiliation had fewer moral objections to suicide than believers.<ref name=Religion>{{Cite web|title=Religious Affiliation and Suicide Attempt|url=http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/abstract/161/12/2303|quote=Religiously unaffiliated subjects had significantly more lifetime suicide attempts and more first-degree relatives who committed suicide than subjects who endorsed a religious affiliation. Unaffiliated subjects were younger, less often married, less often had children, and had less contact with family members. Furthermore, subjects with no religious affiliation perceived fewer reasons for living, particularly fewer moral objections to suicide. In terms of clinical characteristics, religiously unaffiliated subjects had more lifetime impulsivity, aggression, and past substance use disorder.|publisher=[[American Psychiatric Association]]|author=Michael Martin|accessdate=13 November 2010}}</ref>
A comprehensive study by [[Harvard University]] professor [[Robert Putnam]] found that religious people are more charitable than their irreligious counterparts.<ref name="Relgion & Charity">{{cite web|url = http://pewforum.org/Religion-News/Religious-people-make-better-citizens-study-says.aspx|title =Religious people make better citizens, study says |publisher = [[Pew Research Center]]|quote=The scholars say their studies found that religious people are three to four times more likely to be involved in their community. They are more apt than nonreligious Americans to work on community projects, belong to voluntary associations, attend public meetings, vote in local elections, attend protest demonstrations and political rallies, and donate time and money to causes -- including secular ones. At the same time, Putnam and Campbell say their data show that religious people are just "nicer": they carry packages for people, don't mind folks cutting ahead in line and give money to panhandlers.|accessdate = 2007–10–18}}</ref><ref name="Relgion and Charity">{{cite web|url = http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/2010-11-15-column15_ST_N.htm|title =Religious people are 'better neighbors'|publisher = [[USA Today]]|quote=However, on the other side of the ledger, religious people are also "better neighbors" than their secular counterparts. No matter the civic activity, being more religious means being more involved. Take, for example, volunteer work. Compared with people who never attend worship services, those who attend weekly are more likely to volunteer in religious activities (no surprise there), but also for secular causes. The differences between religious and secular Americans can be dramatic. Forty percent of worship-attending Americans volunteer regularly to help the poor and elderly, compared with 15% of Americans who never attend services. Frequent-attenders are also more likely than the never-attenders to volunteer for school and youth programs (36% vs. 15%), a neighborhood or civic group (26% vs. 13%), and for health care (21% vs. 13%). The same is true for philanthropic giving; religious Americans give more money to secular causes than do secular Americans. And the list goes on, as it is true for good deeds such as helping someone find a job, donating blood, and spending time with someone who is feeling blue. Furthermore, the "religious edge" holds up for organized forms of community involvement: membership in organizations, working to solve community problems, attending local meetings, voting in local elections, and working for social or political reform. On this last point, it is not just that religious people are advocating for right-leaning causes, although many are. Religious liberals are actually more likely to be community activists than are religious conservatives.|accessdate = 2007–10–18}}</ref> The study revealed that forty percent of [[service of worship|worship service]] attending Americans volunteer regularly to help the poor and elderly as opposed to 15% of Americans who never attend services.<ref name="Relgion & Charity">{{cite web|url = http://pewforum.org/Religion-News/Religious-people-make-better-citizens-study-says.aspx|title =Religious people make better citizens, study says |publisher = [[Pew Research Center]]|quote=The scholars say their studies found that religious people are three to four times more likely to be involved in their community. They are more apt than nonreligious Americans to work on community projects, belong to voluntary associations, attend public meetings, vote in local elections, attend protest demonstrations and political rallies, and donate time and money to causes -- including secular ones. At the same time, Putnam and Campbell say their data show that religious people are just "nicer": they carry packages for people, don't mind folks cutting ahead in line and give money to panhandlers.|accessdate = 2007–10–18}}</ref><ref name="Relgion and Charity">{{cite web|url = http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/2010-11-15-column15_ST_N.htm|title =Religious people are 'better neighbors'|publisher = [[USA Today]]|quote=However, on the other side of the ledger, religious people are also "better neighbors" than their secular counterparts. No matter the civic activity, being more religious means being more involved. Take, for example, volunteer work. Compared with people who never attend worship services, those who attend weekly are more likely to volunteer in religious activities (no surprise there), but also for secular causes. The differences between religious and secular Americans can be dramatic. Forty percent of worship-attending Americans volunteer regularly to help the poor and elderly, compared with 15% of Americans who never attend services. Frequent-attenders are also more likely than the never-attenders to volunteer for school and youth programs (36% vs. 15%), a neighborhood or civic group (26% vs. 13%), and for health care (21% vs. 13%). The same is true for philanthropic giving; religious Americans give more money to secular causes than do secular Americans. And the list goes on, as it is true for good deeds such as helping someone find a job, donating blood, and spending time with someone who is feeling blue. Furthermore, the "religious edge" holds up for organized forms of community involvement: membership in organizations, working to solve community problems, attending local meetings, voting in local elections, and working for social or political reform. On this last point, it is not just that religious people are advocating for right-leaning causes, although many are. Religious liberals are actually more likely to be community activists than are religious conservatives.|accessdate = 2007–10–18}}</ref> Moreover, religious individuals are more likely than non-religious individuals to volunteer for school and youth programs (36% vs. 15%), a neighborhood or civic group (26% vs. 13%), and for health care (21% vs. 13%).<ref name="Relgion & Charity">{{cite web|url = http://pewforum.org/Religion-News/Religious-people-make-better-citizens-study-says.aspx|title =Religious people make better citizens, study says |publisher = [[Pew Research Center]]|quote=The scholars say their studies found that religious people are three to four times more likely to be involved in their community. They are more apt than nonreligious Americans to work on community projects, belong to voluntary associations, attend public meetings, vote in local elections, attend protest demonstrations and political rallies, and donate time and money to causes -- including secular ones. At the same time, Putnam and Campbell say their data show that religious people are just "nicer": they carry packages for people, don't mind folks cutting ahead in line and give money to panhandlers.|accessdate = 2007–10–18}}</ref><ref name="Relgion and Charity">{{cite web|url = http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/2010-11-15-column15_ST_N.htm|title =Religious people are 'better neighbors'|publisher = [[USA Today]]|quote=However, on the other side of the ledger, religious people are also "better neighbors" than their secular counterparts. No matter the civic activity, being more religious means being more involved. Take, for example, volunteer work. Compared with people who never attend worship services, those who attend weekly are more likely to volunteer in religious activities (no surprise there), but also for secular causes. The differences between religious and secular Americans can be dramatic. Forty percent of worship-attending Americans volunteer regularly to help the poor and elderly, compared with 15% of Americans who never attend services. Frequent-attenders are also more likely than the never-attenders to volunteer for school and youth programs (36% vs. 15%), a neighborhood or civic group (26% vs. 13%), and for health care (21% vs. 13%). The same is true for philanthropic giving; religious Americans give more money to secular causes than do secular Americans. And the list goes on, as it is true for good deeds such as helping someone find a job, donating blood, and spending time with someone who is feeling blue. Furthermore, the "religious edge" holds up for organized forms of community involvement: membership in organizations, working to solve community problems, attending local meetings, voting in local elections, and working for social or political reform. On this last point, it is not just that religious people are advocating for right-leaning causes, although many are. Religious liberals are actually more likely to be community activists than are religious conservatives.|accessdate = 2007–10–18}}</ref> Nevertheless, the study found that religious people are somewhat less tolerant of free speech and dissent than were non-religious people.<ref name="Relgion and Charity 2">{{cite web|url = http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/2010-11-15-column15_ST_N.htm|title =Religious people are 'better neighbors'|publisher = [[USA Today]]|quote=On the one hand, religious Americans are somewhat less tolerant of free speech and dissent.|accessdate = 2007–10–18}}</ref>
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://pewforum.org/Topics/Religious-Affiliation/Unaffiliated/ Pew Research Centre: Unaffiliated]
{{Atheism}}
[[Category:Atheism]]
[[Category:Religion]]