A recent study reveals that many apparent non-believers within the UK and other large Western nations hold spiritual beliefs despite lacking formal religious affiliation.
In the UK, around 1 / 4 (24%) of non secular ‘nones’ imagine in God, in comparison with 27% in Germany, 20% in France, 25% in Canada, and 45% within the US. The term ‘nones’ refers to people who find themselves religiously unaffiliated and who discover as “nothing particularly” in terms of religion.
The lowest figure among the many nations studied was Hungary, with 9% of nones saying they believed in God, in keeping with the Pew survey conducted across 22 countries from January to May 2024.
Not only do a lot of nones actually imagine in God, however the research also revealed that even amongst those that do profess a spiritual affiliation, there are some who don’t actually imagine in God.
In the UK, 85% of the religiously affiliated imagine in God, while in each Germany and the USA, 91 per cent of those that said they were affiliated to a faith said they believed in God. The lowest figure was Sweden, where only 59 per cent of the religiously affiliated believed in God. In Colombia and Brazil, 100% of the religiously affiliated said they believed in God.
The importance of faith is unsurprisingly low amongst nones. In the UK, only 13% of nones consider religion very or somewhat essential, in comparison with 14% in Germany, 10% in France, 9% in Canada, and 19% within the US.
Belief in an afterlife is more prevalent than belief in God amongst nones. In the UK, a 3rd of nones imagine in an afterlife, in comparison with 30% in Germany, 36% in France, 43% in Canada, and 42% within the US.
Gender differences are also notable: women are generally more more likely to hold spiritual beliefs. In the US, 63% of female nones imagine parts of nature can have spirits, compared with 46% of male nones.
Similar trends appear in Canada (56% women vs. 32% men) and France (57% women vs. 42% men). In the UK the figure was 31% of male nones compared with 49% of female nones.
Despite their lack of non secular affiliation, some nones engage in spiritual practices. In the UK, 19% of nones pray no less than occasionally, in comparison with 23% in Germany, 16% in France, 29% in Canada, and 55% within the US. Around a 3rd (34%) of British nones say they go to spiritual services no less than occasionally.
On religion’s societal impact, UK nones are particularly critical. A striking 83% imagine religion encourages superstitious considering, and 67% say it mostly hurts society. Only Greek (74%) and Australian (73%) nones ranked higher than the UK in believing that religion hurts society.
Other Western nations were characterised by high proportions of nones who feel the identical – two thirds in Canada and the Netherlands, and nearly two thirds (64%) in Germany. By contrast only a fifth of Singaporean nones hold the identical view.
The Pew report said: “‘Nones’ in Europe are inclined to be especially more likely to voice negative views of faith. For example, most religiously unaffiliated adults in Spain say that religion encourages superstitious considering (77%) and intolerance (71%), and that it mostly hurts society (62%).
“However, in a handful of nations in other regions, religiously unaffiliated persons are more positive about religion.
“In Brazil, Singapore and South Africa, for example, only a few quarter or fewer of ‘nones’ say religion mostly hurts society. Majorities of ‘nones’ in these countries say religion mostly helps society.
“As a general pattern world wide, though, ‘nones’ are way more likely than adults with a spiritual affiliation to precise negative views about religion.”
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