Revised February 2011*

Americans change religious affiliation early and often. In total, about half of American adults have changed religious affiliation at least once during their lives. Most people who change their religion leave their childhood faith before age 24, and many of those who change religion do so more than once. These are among the key findings of a new survey conducted by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life. The survey documents the fluidity of religious affiliation in the U.S. and describes in detail the patterns and reasons for change.

The reasons people give for changing their religion – or leaving religion altogether – differ widely depending on the origin and destination of the convert. The group that has grown the most in recent years due to religious change is the unaffiliated population. Two-thirds of former Catholics who have become unaffiliated and half of former Protestants who have become unaffiliated say they left their childhood faith because they stopped believing in its teachings, and roughly four-in-ten say they became unaffiliated because they do not believe in God or the teachings of most religions.¹ Additionally, many people who left a religion to become unaffiliated say they did so in part because they think of religious people as hypocritical or judgmental, because religious organizations focus too much on rules or because religious leaders are too focused on power and money. Far fewer say they became unaffiliated because they believe that modern science proves that religion is just superstition.

Catholicism has suffered the greatest net loss in the process of religious change. Many people who leave the Catholic Church do so for religious reasons; two-thirds of former Catholics who have become unaffiliated say they left the Catholic faith because they stopped believing in its teachings, as do half of former Catholics who are now Protestant. Fewer than three-in-ten former Catholics, however, say the clergy sexual abuse scandal factored into their decision to leave Catholicism.

In contrast with other groups, those who switch from one Protestant denominational family to another (e.g., were raised Baptist and are now Methodist) tend to be more likely to do so in response to changed circumstances in their lives. Nearly four-in-ten people who have changed religious affiliation within Protestantism say they left their childhood faith, in part, because they relocated to a new community, and nearly as many say they left their former faith because they married someone from a different religious background.

The new survey is a follow-up to the “U.S. Religious Landscape Survey,” conducted by the Pew Forum in 2007 and released in 2008, and is based on recontact interviews with members of the largest segments of the population that have changed religious affiliation. This includes more than 300 interviews each with former Catholics who are now unaffiliated, former Catholics who are now Protestant, former Protestants who are now unaffiliated and those raised unaffiliated who now belong to a religious faith. The survey also includes nearly 300 interviews with people who have gone from one denominational family to another within Protestantism and nearly 1,000 interviews with people who still belong to the group in which they were raised. In total, the new survey allows for in-depth analysis of about eight-in-ten of those who now have a different religious affiliation than the one in which they were raised.²

One of the most striking findings from the 2007 Landscape Survey was the large number of people who have left their childhood faith. The 2007 survey found that more than one-in-four American adults (28%) have changed their religious affiliation from that in which they were raised. This number includes people who have changed from one major religious tradition to another, for instance, from Protestantism to Catholicism or from Judaism to no religion. If change within religious traditions is included (e.g., from one Protestant denominational family to another), the survey found that roughly 44% of Americans now profess a religious affiliation different from that in which they were raised.

The results of the new survey offer a fuller picture of the churn within American religion and suggest that previous estimates actually may have understated the amount of religious change taking place in the U.S. First, among the 56% of the population that currently belongs to the same religion as the one in which they were raised, one-in-six (16%) say there was a time in their life when they had a different faith than they have now. Combined with the 44% of the public that currently espouses a religion different than their childhood faith, this means that roughly half of the U.S. adult population has changed religion at some point in their life.³ Moreover, it is also clear that many people have changed religious affiliation more than once. For example, roughly two-thirds of those who were raised Catholic or Protestant but now say they are not affiliated with any particular religion have changed faiths at least twice in their life, including those who have changed within the unaffiliated tradition (e.g., from atheist to agnostic). The same is true for roughly half of former Catholics who have become Protestant, people who have changed denominational families within Protestantism and people who have become affiliated with a religion after having been raised unaffiliated.

The survey finds that religious change begins early in life. Most of those who decided to leave their childhood faith say they did so before reaching age 24, and a large majority say they joined their current religion before reaching age 36. Very few report changing religions after reaching age 50.

Religious commitment as a child and teenager may be related to the propensity to change religion. The survey finds key differences, for example, in the levels of teenage (ages 13-18) religious commitment between former Catholics who have become unaffiliated and those who have kept their childhood faith. Former Catholics who are now unaffiliated are much less likely than lifelong Catholics to have attended Mass regularly or to have had very strong faith as teenagers.

Similarly, currently unaffiliated former Catholics are somewhat less likely than those who have remained Catholic to say they had very strong faith as children. On other measures, however, such as participation in youth groups or religious education classes, there are few differences in childhood religious commitment between those who have remained Catholic and those who have left the Catholic Church to become unaffiliated.

The survey also finds major differences in childhood religious practices and commitment between lifelong Protestants and those who have left Protestantism to become unaffiliated. Former Protestants who are now unaffiliated are less likely to have regularly attended worship services as a child and even less likely to have attended regularly as a teenager. They also are much less likely to report having attended Sunday school or having had very strong religious faith as a child or a teenager.

The faith of most people who have changed religions was on the wane in the year or two prior to leaving their childhood religion, with few saying they had very strong faith during this time. Among those who left Catholicism and are now Protestant, for example, fewer than one-in-four (23%) say their faith was very strong just prior to leaving the Catholic Church. Among those who switched from one Protestant denominational family to another, only 30% say their faith was very strong just prior to leaving their childhood religion. The numbers are even lower among those who have become unaffiliated, with only 10% of former Catholics and 11% of former Protestants saying they had very strong faith just before leaving their former religion. This is consistent with another of the survey’s key findings – that among both former Protestants and former Catholics who are now unaffiliated, more than seven-in-ten say they just gradually drifted away from their childhood religion.

Reasons for Changing Religions

The new survey includes two types of questions that probe the reasons people change religious affiliation. Respondents received a set of closed-ended (yes-or-no) questions that asked whether or not various reasons factored into their decision to leave their former religion and join their current one. Respondents also were asked open-ended questions that gave them the opportunity to explain in their own words the main reason they left their former religion and joined their current one.

In response to the yes-or-no questions, people give a diverse array of reasons for changing their religion. For instance, the most common reason for leaving Catholicism cited by former Catholics who have become Protestant is that their spiritual needs were not being met (71%). A similar number of former Catholics who have become Protestant say they left their former religion because they found another faith they liked more; nearly six-in-ten of those who changed denominational families within Protestantism also say this. Not surprisingly, many who have changed religion say they left their former religion because they stopped believing in its teachings. For example, nearly two-thirds of former Catholics who have become unaffiliated say they left the Catholic Church because they stopped believing in its teachings. This sentiment is also expressed by half of former Catholics who have become Protestant as well as half of former Protestants who have become unaffiliated.

When asked in the open-ended question to explain in their own words the main reason they are no longer part of their former religion, roughly half of former Catholics who are now unaffiliated give an explanation related to religious and moral beliefs. The same is true of roughly four-in-ten former Catholics who have become Protestant and former Protestants who have become unaffiliated.

By contrast, those who have changed denominational families within Protestantism are much less likely to cite beliefs as the main reason for leaving their former religious group; the same is true for those who have become affiliated with a religion after having been raised unaffiliated. Instead, those changing within Protestantism tend to cite likes and dislikes about religious institutions, practices and people (32%) as the main reason for leaving their former faith. Life cycle changes also figure prominently for this group, with nearly three-in-ten mentioning marriage, family or other changes in their life as reasons for their departure from their childhood faith. Many (25%) of those who have become affiliated after having been raised unaffiliated cite reasons related to personal spirituality as an explanation for why they first became involved with a religion.

These and other topics are explored in greater detail in the remainder of this report, which focuses on the largest segments of the U.S. population that have changed religious affiliation. The first section looks at those who have entered or departed the ranks of the unaffiliated. The second section takes a detailed look at those who have left Catholicism. And the third section examines the reasons why people change affiliation within Protestantism.

Key Findings

Entering and Leaving the Ranks of the Unaffiliated

The category of people who are unaffiliated with any particular religion has grown more rapidly than any other religious group in recent decades. According to the 2007 Landscape Survey, 16% of American adults say they are currently unaffiliated with any particular religion, compared with only 7% who were raised unaffiliated.

About half of those who have become unaffiliated say – in response to the survey’s yes-or-no questions – that they became unaffiliated, at least in part, because they think of religious people as hypocritical, judgmental or insincere. Large numbers also say they became unaffiliated because they think that religious organizations focus too much on rules and not enough on spirituality, or that religious leaders are too focused on money and power rather than truth and spirituality. Another reason cited by many people who are now unaffiliated is the belief that many religions are partly true but no single religion is completely true. Fewer people, however, say they became unaffiliated because they think modern science proves that religion is just superstition, indicating that the belief that science disproves religion is a less important reason for becoming unaffiliated than disenchantment with religious people or institutions.

At the same time that the ranks of the unaffiliated have grown, the Landscape Survey also revealed that the unaffiliated have one of the lowest retention rates of any of the major religious groups, with most people who were raised unaffiliated now belonging to one religion or another. Those who leave the ranks of the unaffiliated cite several reasons for joining a faith, such as the attraction of religious services and styles of worship (74%), having been spiritually unfulfilled while unaffiliated (51%) or feeling called by God (55%).

One of the key findings of the Landscape Survey was that the unaffiliated population is a very diverse group. Not all those who are unaffiliated lack spiritual beliefs or religious behaviors; in fact, roughly four-in-ten unaffiliated individuals say religion is at least somewhat important in their lives. The new survey shows that a significant number of those who left their childhood faith and have become unaffiliated leave open the possibility that they may one day join a religion. Among both those who were raised Catholic and Protestant who are now unaffiliated, for example, roughly one-in-three say they just have not found the right religion yet.

Leaving Catholicism

One-in-ten American adults is a former Catholic. Former Catholics are about evenly divided between those who have become unaffiliated and those who have become Protestant, with a smaller number leaving Catholicism for other faiths. In response to the yes-or-no questions about why they left the Catholic Church, nearly six-in-ten former Catholics who are now unaffiliated say they left Catholicism due to dissatisfaction with Catholic teachings on abortion and homosexuality, about half cite concerns about Catholic teachings on birth control and roughly four-in-ten name unhappiness with Catholicism’s treatment of women.

The reasons for leaving Catholicism given by former Catholics who have converted to evangelical Protestantism differ in some important ways from those offered by former Catholics who have joined mainline Protestant churches.⁴ Most former Catholics who are now evangelical Protestants, for example, say they left Catholicism in part because they stopped believing in Catholic teachings (62%) and specifically because they were unhappy with Catholic teachings about the Bible (55%). These sentiments are expressed by far fewer converts to mainline Protestantism (20% stopped believing in Catholic teachings and 16% specifically were unhappy with Catholic teachings about the Bible), who instead are much more likely to say they left Catholicism because they married a non-Catholic (44%) or because they were dissatisfied with the priests at their parish (39%).

Changing Within Protestantism

The single largest group in the U.S. adult population that has changed affiliation is made up of those who have changed from one Protestant denominational family to another. Overall, 15% of Americans were raised as Protestants and now belong to a different Protestant faith than the one in which they were raised. More so than for those in other groups, those who change affiliation within Protestantism tend to do so because of life cycle changes. In response to the survey’s yes-or-no questions, nearly four-in-ten within this group say they left their childhood denominational family because they moved to a new community, and one-third say they left their former faith because they married someone from a different religious background. Those who have changed within Protestantism also are less likely than others to say their decision to leave their childhood faith was motivated by a loss of belief in the religion’s teachings. Nevertheless, majorities of those who have changed affiliations within Protestantism say they left their childhood faith in part because they found another religion that is preferable (58%) or because they were spiritually unfulfilled in their former faith (51%).

¹ Throughout this report, analyses of the reasons respondents give for leaving their childhood faith and joining their current faith do not include those who say they changed religions as minors as a result of their parents’ decision. See Q.2 and Q.15 in survey topline for details. Back

² The survey excludes respondents from the following religious traditions as defined in the 2007 Landscape Survey: “other Christian,” “other world religions” and “other faiths.” It also excludes “converts” within the ranks of the unaffiliated (e.g., those who were raised atheist and are now agnostic, or those who were raised agnostic and are now nothing in particular), as well as those who gave an ambiguous current or childhood religion in the original survey. See survey methodology for details. Back

[(44-1)+(9-5)=47]

⁴ The recontact survey did not include enough interviews with formerly Catholic members of historically black Protestant churches to be able to examine them separately. Back

*Revised February 2011 to correct minor reporting errors in responses to Q.3 and Q.16, the open-ended questions that asked respondents why they left their childhood religion and joined their current religion. Due to double-counting, some reasons for leaving and joining religions were overstated in the previous version. (return to text)

Revised February 2011*

Becoming Unaffiliated

The biggest gains due to change in religious affiliation have been among those who say they are not affiliated with any particular faith. Overall, the 2007 “U.S. Religious Landscape Survey” found that 16% of the adult population is unaffiliated, with the vast majority of this group (79%) reporting that they were raised in a religion as children. In total, more than one-in-ten American adults and more than a quarter of all those who have changed religions have become unaffiliated after having been raised as part of a religious group.

Religious Change Over the Life Cycle

The majority of both former Catholics (64%) and former Protestants (58%) who have become unaffiliated report having done so as adults. Among those who became unaffiliated as minors, most say it was mainly their own decision to do so rather than their parents’ choice.

Among the currently unaffiliated, large majorities of both former Catholics and former Protestants report attending worship services at least once a week as children (74% and 64%, respectively). However, regular church attendance drops dramatically by adolescence for both groups, and very few unaffiliated people report regularly attending worship services now, as adults. Unaffiliated former Catholics and former Protestants are equally unlikely to say they regularly attend worship services as adults.

Only 30% of former Catholics and 18% of former Protestants who are now unaffiliated report that they had very strong faith as a child. All three unaffiliated groups (former Catholics, former Protestants and those who were raised unaffiliated) continue to express low levels of religious faith as adults.

Former Catholics who are now unaffiliated are just as likely as lifelong Catholics to have participated in religious institutions and practices such as religious education classes (68% and 71%, respectively) and religious youth groups (32% for both groups). By contrast, just more than half of former Protestants who have become unaffiliated say they attended Sunday school, compared with roughly two-thirds of lifelong Protestants. And only about one-third of former Protestants who are now unaffiliated say they participated in religious youth groups (36%), compared with roughly half of lifelong Protestants.

Reasons for Becoming Unaffiliated

When asked whether a list of specific reasons were important factors in their decision to become unaffiliated, a significant proportion of those who have become unaffiliated after being raised in a religion say they simply do not believe in God or the religious teachings of most religions. About four-in-ten former Catholics and former Protestants who are now unaffiliated say this is an important reason they became unaffiliated.

Many of those who have become unaffiliated, however, remain open to the possibility that they could someday find a religion that suits them; roughly one-in-three agree they just have not yet found the right religion.

Very few people say they have become unaffiliated with religion in response to events going on in their lives, such as moving to a new community, getting married, losing a loved one or getting separated or divorced. Instead, strong majorities of those who have become unaffiliated say there are certain problems with religion, and most of those who identify these problems say they were important reasons they became unaffiliated. For instance, across all religious upbringings, roughly three-quarters of those who have become unaffiliated say religious people tend to be hypocritical and judgmental rather than sincere and forgiving. And most of these, including 55% of those raised Catholic and 53% of those raised Protestant, cite this as one of the reasons they became unaffiliated.

Three-in-four former Catholics (75%) and former Protestants (76%) who have become unaffiliated say that many religions are partly true but no religion is completely true. Most of those who agree with this statement say this is an important reason they became unaffiliated, including 48% of former Catholics and 43% of former Protestants. About seven-in-ten (73% of former Catholics and 71% of former Protestants) say that religious organizations focus too much on rules and not enough on spirituality, with nearly half saying this is an important reason they became unaffiliated. A slightly smaller fraction of those who have become unaffiliated say that religious leaders are more concerned with money and power than they are with truth and spirituality, and about four-in-ten say this is an important reason they decided to become unaffiliated.

In contrast to opinions on these questions, majorities of those who have become unaffiliated disagree with the idea that science proves religion is just superstition. Only 32% of former Catholics and the same percentage of former Protestants agree that science proves religion to be superstition, and fewer still (less than a quarter) say it was important in their conversion.

When asked to explain in their own words the main reason they chose to become unaffiliated, both former Catholics and former Protestants provide very similar answers. Among both groups, religious and moral beliefs are the reason most often cited for becoming unaffiliated; 45% of former Catholics and 42% of former Protestants say this. For example, one-fifth of former Catholics (20%) and more than one-in-ten former Protestants (12%) say they became unaffiliated because they do not believe in their former religion (or in any religion). Criticisms of particular religious institutions, practices and people were somewhat less common (30% for former Catholics and 25% for former Protestants). Only 4% of former Catholics and 6% of former Protestants say they became unaffiliated mainly in response to things going on in their lives, such as marriage and family or relocation to a new community.

Reasons for Leaving Childhood Religion

When asked a separate series of yes-or-no questions about why they left their childhood faith, more than seven-in-ten former Catholics and former Protestants (71% each) who are now unaffiliated say they just gradually drifted away from the faith, making this the most commonly offered reason by both groups. Many also say they left their former religion because they stopped believing in its teachings, with nearly two-thirds of unaffiliated former Catholics (65%) and half of unaffiliated former Protestants (50%) saying they left their childhood religion for this reason. Among both groups, roughly four-in-ten say they departed their former faith because their spiritual needs were not being met. Roughly three-in-ten former Catholics (29%) and more than one-third of former Protestants (36%) were unhappy with their former religion’s teachings about the Bible. Most of those who express concerns about the religion’s teachings on the Bible say their former religion interpreted the Bible too literally, with only a few saying their former faith did not follow the Bible literally enough.

Most unaffiliated former Catholics (56%) say dissatisfaction with the Catholic Church’s teachings about abortion and homosexuality contributed to their decision to leave, and about half (48%) say the same about the Catholic Church’s position on birth control. Additionally, nearly four-in-ten say they left Catholicism because they were unhappy with the Catholic Church’s treatment of women, and nearly as many (33%) express discontent with its teachings on divorce and remarriage. Roughly one-quarter of unaffiliated former Catholics name the clergy sexual abuse scandal, discontent with the Catholic Church’s rule that priests cannot marry and dissatisfaction with church teachings on poverty, war and the death penalty as motivating factors for having left their childhood faith.

One-in-five unaffiliated former Catholics (19%) and former Protestants (20%) say they left their childhood religion because they were uncomfortable with the sense of community at their congregation. Interestingly, most former Protestants who take this view say their congregation was too close (13%), with too many people involved in other people’s business, while fewer (4%) say there was not enough sense of community at their congregation. Among former Catholics, 10% say there was not enough feeling of community and 5% say their former parishes were too close, with too many people involved in others’ private lives.

Leaving the Ranks of the Unaffiliated

Paradoxically, the unaffiliated have gained the most members in the process of religious change despite having one of the lowest retention rates of all religious groups. Indeed, most people who were raised unaffiliated now belong to a religious group. Nearly four-in-ten of those raised unaffiliated have become Protestant (including 22% who now belong to evangelical denominations), 6% have become Catholic and 9% are now associated with other faiths. Overall, 4% of the total U.S. adult population now belongs to a religious group after having been raised unaffiliated.

Almost one-third (32%) of those who have become religiously affiliated after an unaffiliated childhood joined their current faith as a minor, including 19% who did so before reaching age 13. But only 10% of those who have become affiliated with a religion after an unaffiliated childhood say it was mostly their parents’ decision.

Compared with those who have remained unaffiliated, the formerly unaffiliated attended religious services more regularly as children and teenagers. Those raised unaffiliated who joined a faith are more than twice as likely as those who have remained unaffiliated to say they attended worship services at least once a week as a child (23% for those who have joined a religion vs. 10% for those who remain unaffiliated), and almost four times as likely to say they attended religious services regularly as a teenager (23% vs. 6%). While worship service attendance stayed very low into adulthood for those who remained unaffiliated, it more than doubled among those who joined a faith, up 28 percentage points from childhood and teenage years to 51% as adults.

Those raised in no religion who converted to a faith also experienced a great strengthening of faith from childhood to adulthood. Only 10% say they had very strong faith as a child (the same as those who stayed unaffiliated), but this grew 53 percentage points for those who are now affiliated, to 63% as adults, the largest increase for any group of converts or nonconverts.

When asked whether a series of specific reasons helped lead to their first becoming affiliated with a religious group, most (51%) say they did so because their spiritual needs were not being met. Nearly as many (46%) say they found a religion they liked more than being unaffiliated. Far fewer cite life cycle reasons such as marriage (23%), moving to a new community (15%), losing a loved one (10%) or becoming separated or divorced (6%) as a reason for beginning to associate with a religion.

As with other groups of converts, enjoying the services and style of worship of a new faith stands out as the reason most commonly cited for joining their current faith by those who were raised without any religious affiliation. Nearly three-quarters (74%) cite this as an important reason for their conversion. A majority of those raised unaffiliated (55%) say they felt called by God to join their current faith. Just over a quarter (29%) say they were attracted by a particular minister or pastor, and the same proportion say they were asked to join by a member of the religion.

When asked about the main reason they joined their current faith, many (30%) of those raised unaffiliated mention liking things about religious institutions, organizations and people, such as feeling a connection with a particular church. Roughly one-in-four (24%) joined their faith because they agreed with its religious and moral teachings, with nearly as many (22%) volunteering that they joined their current religious group because something in their lives changed, such as marriage or other family reasons. One-fifth (19%) say they joined their current religion for personal spiritual reasons.

 *Revised February 2011 to correct minor reporting errors in responses to Q.3 and Q.16, the open-ended questions that asked respondents why they left their childhood religion and joined their current religion. Due to double-counting, some reasons for leaving and joining religions were overstated in the previous version. (return to text)

Revised February 2011*

While the ranks of the unaffiliated have grown the most due to changes in religious affiliation, the Catholic Church has lost the most members in the same process; this is the case even though Catholicism’s retention rate of childhood members (68%) is far greater than the retention rate of the unaffiliated and is comparable with or better than the retention rates of other religious groups. Those who have left Catholicism outnumber those who have joined the Catholic Church by nearly a four-to-one margin. Overall, one-in-ten American adults (10.1%) have left the Catholic Church after having been raised Catholic, while only 2.6% of adults have become Catholic after having been raised something other than Catholic.

Former Catholics are about evenly divided between those who have become Protestant and those who are now unaffiliated with any religion, with fewer now adhering to other faiths. Among Catholics who have become Protestant, most now belong to evangelical denominations, with fewer associated with mainline Protestant denominations and historically black churches. (For an explanation of how Protestants were broken down into evangelical, mainline and historically black churches, see the original “U.S. Religious Landscape Survey” report.)

Departures and the Life Cycle

Almost half of Catholics who are now unaffiliated (48%) left Catholicism before reaching age 18, as did one-third who are now Protestant. Among both groups, an additional three-in-ten left the Catholic Church as young adults between ages 18 and 23. Only one-fifth who are now unaffiliated (21%) and one-third who are now Protestant (34%) departed after turning age 24. Among those who left the Catholic Church as minors, most say it was their own decision rather than their parents’ decision.

Among people who were raised Catholic, both former Catholics and those who have remained Catholic report similar levels of childhood attendance at religious education classes and Catholic youth group participation. Additionally, one-quarter of lifelong Catholics say they attended Catholic high school, somewhat higher than among former Catholics who have become Protestant (16%) but roughly similar to former Catholics who have become unaffiliated (20%).

At least three-quarters of people raised Catholic say they attended Mass at least once a week as children, including those who later left the Catholic Church. But those who have become unaffiliated exhibit a sharp decline in worship service attendance through their lifetime: 74% attended regularly as children, 44% did so as teens and only 2% do so as adults. For those who are now Protestant, attendance also dropped between childhood (79% attended weekly) and adolescence (60%). As adults, however, weekly church attendance has remained stable among this group (at 63%). Among lifelong Catholics, weekly church attendance dropped from 86% during childhood to 69% during adolescence and continued to decline between adolescence and adulthood (to 42%).

While 46% of lifelong Catholics report having had very strong faith as children, only 35% of Catholic converts to Protestantism and 30% of those who have become unaffiliated say the same. For all three groups, strength of faith declined at least slightly between childhood and teen years, dropping 12 percentage points among lifelong Catholics, 13 points among those who are now Protestant and 18 points among those who are now unaffiliated. From teenage years to adulthood, however, reports of very strong faith increased dramatically, from 22% to 71%, among former Catholics who have become Protestant. Among lifelong Catholics, 46% say they now have very strong faith. Former Catholics who are now unaffiliated exhibit no change in strength of faith between adolescence and adulthood.

Reasons for Leaving Catholicism

When asked to say whether or not each of a number of specific items was a reason for leaving Catholicism, most former Catholics say they gradually drifted away from Catholicism. Nearly three-quarters of former Catholics who are now unaffiliated (71%) say this, as do more than half of those who have left Catholicism for Protestantism (54%).

Majorities of former Catholics who are now unaffiliated also cite having stopped believing in Catholicism’s teachings overall (65%) or dissatisfaction with Catholic teachings about abortion and homosexuality (56%), and almost half (48%) cite dissatisfaction with church teachings about birth control, as reasons for leaving Catholicism. These reasons are cited less commonly by former Catholics who have become Protestant; 50% say they stopped believing in Catholicism’s teachings, 23% say they differed with the Catholic Church on issues such as abortion and homosexuality, and only 16% say they were unhappy with Catholic teachings on birth control.

Perhaps not surprisingly, those who express dissatisfaction with the Catholic Church’s teachings on birth control, among those who are currently unaffiliated and Protestant alike, overwhelmingly contend that the Catholic Church is too strict and conservative on this issue; very few say the Catholic Church is too relaxed and liberal about birth control.

Among former Catholics who are now Protestant, 71% say they left Catholicism because their spiritual needs were not being met, making this the most commonly cited reason for leaving the Catholic Church among this group. A similar number (70%) say they left the Catholic Church because they found another religion they liked more. Having found a religion they liked more than Catholicism is cited by almost equal numbers of formerly Catholic evangelical and mainline Protestants (70% and 69%, respectively). By contrast, lack of spiritual fulfillment is a particularly common impetus for leaving Catholicism among those who are now members of evangelical Protestant churches (78%) but is cited less often by former Catholics who have become members of mainline Protestant churches (57%).

The survey finds other interesting differences between those who have left Catholicism for evangelical and mainline Protestant churches. Most converts to evangelicalism (55%), for instance, say that dissatisfaction with teachings about the Bible was a reason for leaving the Catholic Church, compared with only 16% among current mainline Protestants. The two groups also express concerns of a different nature about the Bible. Most evangelicals who left Catholicism over concerns about teachings on the Bible (46% of all formerly Catholic evangelicals) say the Catholic Church did not view the Bible literally enough. Mainline Protestants, however, are not only much less likely to say concerns about the Bible led them away from Catholicism, but those who were led away by such concerns are also much more evenly divided as to whether the church viewed the Bible too literally (6%) or not literally enough (8%).

Mainline Protestants are much more likely than their evangelical counterparts to say they left Catholicism because they married a non-Catholic (44% vs. 22%) or due to dissatisfaction with the priests at their parish (39% vs. 23%). In addition, nearly one-third of formerly Catholic mainline Protestants (31%) say unhappiness with the Catholic Church’s treatment of women led them away from Catholicism, compared with only 11% among evangelicals.

Overall, fewer than three-in-ten former Catholics agree that the clergy sexual abuse scandal played a role in their departure from the Catholic Church (27% among those now unaffiliated, 21% among those now Protestant). About one-in-five former Catholics (19% of those now unaffiliated and 20% of those now Protestant) say they left Catholicism due to discomfort with the feeling of community at their parish. Those who take this view tend to say their parish did not have enough sense of community. Significant minorities, however, say their parish community was too close, with too many people involved in other people’s business.

When asked to explain in their own words the main reason for leaving Catholicism, upwards of four-in-ten former Catholics (48% of those who are now unaffiliated and 41% of those who are now Protestant) cite a disagreement with the Catholic Church’s religious or moral beliefs. Among former Catholics who have become Protestant, nearly one-in-five (18%) say their departure was due specifically to discomfort with the Catholic Church’s teachings about the Bible. This view is particularly common among former Catholics who now belong to evangelical Protestant denominations (24%). One-fifth (21%) of those who are unaffiliated volunteered specifically that they do not believe in the Catholic religion (or any religion) and an additional 4% indicated a lack of belief in God altogether.

Likes and dislikes about religious institutions, organizations and people are also cited by large numbers of converts as the main reason for leaving Catholicism; nearly four-in-ten former Catholics who are now unaffiliated (36%) say they left the Catholic Church primarily for these reasons, as do nearly three-in-ten former Catholics who are now Protestant (29%). Somewhat fewer former Catholics (5% of those who are now unaffiliated and 17% of those who are now Protestant) say they left Catholicism mainly due to changes in their lives, such as getting married or relocating to a new area. Among former Catholics who now belong to mainline Protestant denominations, however, nearly three-in-ten (29%) name these as the prime reasons that motivated their departure.

Reasons for Joining Current Religion

In addition to asking converts why they left their childhood religion, the survey also inquired as to why converts became part of their current religion. When asked why they joined their Protestant denomination, former Catholics most commonly cite enjoying the religious services and the style of worship of their new faith, with fully eight-in-ten (81%) expressing this point of view. Feeling called by God to join their current faith was also mentioned by a majority (62%) of those raised Catholic who have since become Protestant. Those who now belong to evangelical denominations are especially likely (74%) to say this was an important factor in their conversion, compared with just 31% who switched to a mainline Protestant faith. Three-in-ten former Catholics who have become Protestant say they were attracted by a particular minister or pastor, and the same proportion say they joined their new religion because a member invited them.

More than one-quarter of former Catholics who are now Protestant (28%) say they joined their current faith because they married a member of their current religion. This reason for joining is particularly common among former Catholics who are now mainline Protestants (41%). It is much less common among evangelical Protestants (23%) and even less so among those who are now unaffiliated (10%). Across all groups, relatively few former Catholics say they joined their current religion because they relocated, lost a loved one or became separated or divorced.

When asked why they chose to become unaffiliated with any particular religion, roughly four-in-ten former Catholics indicated they just do not believe in God or the teachings of most religions (42%). Many former Catholics who are now unaffiliated, however, remain open to the possibility that they could some day find a religion that suits them; one-third say they just have not found the right religion yet.

 *Revised February 2011 to correct minor reporting errors in responses to Q.3 and Q.16, the open-ended questions that asked respondents why they left their childhood religion and joined their current religion. Due to double-counting, some reasons for leaving and joining religions were overstated in the previous version.(return to text)

Revised February 2011*

Eight-in-ten adults who were raised Protestant are still Protestant, and about two-thirds of this group (or 52% of all those raised Protestant) are still members of the same family of denominations (e.g. Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, etc.) in which they were raised. The other third (28% of all those raised Protestant) are now members of a new family of Protestant denominations. However, one-fifth of those raised Protestant have left Protestantism altogether; most of them are now unaffiliated (13%), with smaller numbers having become Catholic (3%) or members of other faiths (4%). This section of the report takes a closer look at the large group of people (15% of the overall population) who have changed faiths within Protestantism (e.g., those who were raised Presbyterian and are now Episcopalian, or those who were raised Methodist and are now Baptist).

Most people who have changed faiths within Protestantism say they left their childhood faith before turning age 24 (56%). And relatively few report having changed religion as older adults. Only 22% of those changing within Protestantism say they joined their current religion after age 35.

When it comes to church attendance and strength of faith from childhood to adulthood, those who have changed faiths within Protestantism tend to closely resemble Protestants who still belong to their childhood faith. Members of both groups report a decline in church attendance over their lifetime. Roughly three-quarters say they attended church at least once a week as a child. Among those who have changed faiths within Protestantism, this figure drops to 64% in the teenage years and to 53% in adulthood. Among Protestants who still belong to their childhood faith, 63% attended religious services regularly as teenagers and 50% do so as adults.

In contrast to this drop in reported levels of church attendance over the life cycle, those changing within Protestantism say their level of faith has increased with time. More than two-thirds (69%) say their faith is very strong as an adult, while roughly one-third (35%) say their faith was very strong as a child, similar to the proportion saying it was very strong as a teen (32%). Interestingly, a very similar proportion of Protestants who still belong to their childhood faith say their faith as an adult is very strong (65%), and the arc of their faith follows a very similar pattern.

When asked whether a series of specific reasons were among those motivating them to leave their childhood religion, the most common reason cited by those changing within Protestantism is having found another religion that is preferable (58%). A majority of Protestants who changed denominational families within Protestantism (51%) also cite a lack of spiritual fulfillment as a reason for leaving their childhood faith.

Four-in-ten of those who changed faith within Protestantism say they just gradually drifted away from their childhood religion, and a similar number say they left their childhood faith because they were not satisfied with the atmosphere at worship services. Many who change religion within Protestantism also cite life changes as at least partly responsible for their decision to leave their childhood faith; more than a third (37%) left their former faith because they moved to a new community and a similar number left because they married someone from a different religious background (33%). By comparison, relatively few who changed within Protestantism say they left their former religion because they stopped believing in its teachings (15%).

The survey finds a similar pattern in the reasons converts within Protestantism give for joining their current faith. The vast majority (85%) say they joined their current denominational family because they enjoy the services and style of worship. Roughly a third (36%) say they joined because they were attracted by a particular minister or pastor and a similar number (30%) say a member’s invitation to join was an important factor in their decision. Half of those changing faiths within Protestantism (50%) say they felt called by God to join their new faith.

About three-in-ten (28%) of those who changed within Protestantism say they made the transition to their current faith because of marriage, and 38% say moving was an important reason for their religious switch. Divorce, separation and death of a loved one are rarely cited as reasons for joining a new faith among this group, with less than 10% naming each.

When asked to state in their own words the main reason for having switched religions, those changing within Protestantism tend most often to cite likes and dislikes about religious institutions, practices and people. Life cycle changes also figure prominently for this group, with more than one-in-five mentioning marriage or other family reasons as motivations behind their religious change. Fewer say they were motivated to switch religions because of their religious beliefs.

*Revised February 2011 to correct minor reporting errors in responses to Q.3 and Q.16, the open-ended questions that asked respondents why they left their childhood religion and joined their current religion. Due to double-counting, some reasons for leaving and joining religions were overstated in the previous version. (return to text)