“No, thank you, I’m spiritual but not religious” is what I hear sometimes when I offer chaplain services or someone finds out that I’m a minister. What does it mean to be spiritual but not religious and why is that becoming more and more widespread these days?
According to an article from americansurveycenter.org by Daniel Cox, “More than one-third (34 percent) of Generation Z are religiously unaffiliated, a significantly larger proportion than among millennials (29 percent) and Generation X (25 percent). Fewer than one in five (18 percent) baby boomers…” Let me restate those statistics:
| Generation | Reglious Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Generation Z | 66% |
| Millennials | 71% |
| Generation X | 75% |
| Baby Boomers | 82% |
There is a historic decline in religious affiliation among younger folks. According to the author, a large percentage of those Generation Z folks are agnostic or atheist.
My experience
In my affiliation with two CSL centers (churches), I have seen a marked decline in attendance at these centers starting pre-pandemic (Covid-19). The pandemic brought about significant losses in attendance at many centers even though a convenient online presence ramped up in that time period. It should be noted that some centers experienced an increase in attendance when shifting to online services. As we have begun to return to our centers in-person, the attendance numbers are not nearly as high as pre-pandemic. The center that I serve is starting to see a slow, steady increase in in-person attendance. What was the pre-pandemic decline all about?
My encounters with individuals and families have shown several reasons for the “no, thank you” response:
- There is a concern of being “preached to” from a philosophy based in fear.
- Beliefs are very personal to the individuals and they don’t want to be categorized or labeled.
- There is a lack of trust when the encounter is with a faith not matching their own identification.
My data is based on personal observations and does not come from a scientific study.
On to the future
More and more people are identifying as “spiritual but not religious.” As ministers and practitioners of spiritually based philosophies, we need to meet people there. We need to focus on Spirit having a human experience. In all fields of human interaction, we must treat the individual holistically and include the spiritual component. When I approach individuals and families as a chaplain from this space, I am well received and able to provide support when it is most needed. My advice to religious practitioners is to lead with this attitude and not shy away from exploring their spiritual needs even though they do not identify as religious.
