U.S. Jews losing faith, study finds
NEW YORK. October 6. KAZINFORM A survey of Jewish residents in the United States has found that 1 in 5 say they have no religion, and their ranks appear to be growing.
People in this category feel pride in being Jewish and a strong sense of belonging to the greater Jewish community. But they say their connection is based mostly on culture and ancestry, not necessarily on belief in God or observance of religious law. A large majority said remembering the Holocaust, being ethical and advocating for social justice formed the core of their Jewish identity.
The report, released by the Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project, is an in-depth look at how American Jewish identity has changed in recent decades. The findings track closely with a 2012 Pew report that found about 20 percent of Americans in general said they had no religious affiliation, an increase from 15 percent in the last five years. Pew estimated that the U.S. is home to 6.7 million Jews.
Secularism has long been part of American Jewish life, which includes movements such as the Society for Humanistic Judaism. However, the Pew survey found the percentage of Jewish citizens who say they are atheist, agnostic or have no particular religion is highest among younger American generations.
Source: JapanTimes