On sfgate.com, the findings of a recent study from Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life explaining the fluidity of religious affiliation in America makes sense to me. Some of their findings.

Only 23 and 24 percent of former Catholics and Protestants, respectively, became unaffiliated because they thought science disproves religion. By contrast, 55 and 53 percent of former Catholics and Protestants, respectively, became unaffiliated because they believe that religious people are hypocritical, judgmental or insincere. The unaffiliated account for 16 percent of the adult population, even though only 7 percent of the population was raised without religion.

“The study shows the continued rise of the spiritual-but-not-religious category,” said Stephen Prothero, who teaches in the department of religion at Boston University and is the author of “Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know – and Doesn’t.”

The Pew site is a goldmine of information. It’s well worth a few hours of browsing!