Data point I’ve been pondering 📉: As belief in God or a universal spirit has trickled down over the past 2 decades, *absolute certainty* in that belief has declined at a faster rate. That means that, among those who still believe today, fewer say they are absolutely certain. What to make of that?
"Here's the trend I've been thinking about all week. Since 2007 the share of Americans who say they believe in God or universal spirit has fallen nine percentage points. But the share who say they're absolutely certain in that belief has fallen 17 points, about twice as much. So among those who still believe, which is more than eight and ten Americans, today fewer say they're absolutely certain. I find that fascinating. As a former seminary student and pretty spiritually educated person, I know that faith is something many people may feel absolutely certain about, as we still see more than half of Americans. But I also know that uncertainty is pretty central to many people's conceptions of faith, with the lack of certainty being the heart of what faith is. Sometimes good survey questions don't just give us answers, they also provoke deeper questions or curiosities. So I'm curious, do you have thoughts on this greater decline in absolute certain belief about God? Let me know your thoughts in the comments."
💬 Discussion
Data point I’ve been pondering 📉: As belief in God or a universal spirit has trickled down over the past 2 decades, *absolute certainty* in that belief has declined at a faster rate. That means that, among those who still believe today, fewer say they are absolutely certain. What to make of that?