Doubting disbelievers: A new approach to measuring religious uncertainty

April 1, 2019 | Daniel A. Cox

Key Points

  • Most Americans believe in God, but doubts are more common than is often reported. Nearly half (46 percent) of the public express some amount of uncertainty about the exis­tence of God.
  • Nonbelievers have doubts about God too. More than one-quarter of atheists report that they are not completely certain that God does not exist. Atheists express greater doubts about the existence of God than white evangelical Protestants do.
  • Religious doubting is particularly common among young adults. About only one-third (34 percent) of young people believe in God and are certain about their beliefs. Nearly 6 in 10 young adults express some degree of uncertainty about God’s existence.

Read the full PDF. 

Introduction 

A belief in God is among the most common religious beliefs held by the public. It is a belief that transcends most religious affiliations, including those who report having none. Theistic belief has also been quite stable over time even as the US has experienced an unprece­dented amount of cultural and demographic change.

By most measures, roughly 9 in 10 Americans report believing in God or a universal spirit. However, per­spectives on God are incredibly varied. A recent report by the Pew Research Center documented the diversity of beliefs about God, including the nature of God and God’s role in human affairs.1

There are also stark differences in the degree to which Americans are certain about their religious beliefs. Early measures of theistic belief that offered binary response options to questions about God con­veyed a level of certainty that subsequent research efforts began to question. A new research approach finds that doubts about God are even more prevalent than previous surveys suggest—a pattern that is evi­dent among believers and nonbelievers alike.

Read the full report. 

Notes

1. The Pew Research Center, “When Americans Say They Believe in God, What Do They Mean?,” April 25, 2018, http://www.pewforum.org/2018/04/25/when-americans-say-they-believe-in-god-what-do-they-mean/.

Survey Reports

Cartoon rendering of a series of different online dating app prospects, on phone screens

Daniel A. Cox
February 9, 2023

From Swiping to Sexting: The Enduring Gender Divide in American Dating and Relationships

The January 2023 American Perspectives Survey sheds some light on dating preferences, experiences, and perspectives. The national survey of more than 5,000 adults age 18 and older, including nearly 800 single adults, finds that Americans have strong dating preferences when it comes to living at home, being unemployed, and smoking.

Red leather-bound Qur'an on a wooden table with prayer beads and a light blue surgical mask draped over top.

Lindsey Witt-Swanson, Jennifer Benz, Daniel A. Cox
January 5, 2023

Faith After the Pandemic: How COVID-19 Changed American Religion

The Survey Center on American Life at AEI teamed up with researchers at NORC at the University of Chicago to measure religious affiliation and attendance both before the pandemic (2018 to March 2020) and again in spring 2022, revealing who remained at the pews, who returned to the pews, and who left.

A cartoon showing a vibrant office from the ceiling view.

Brent Orrell, Daniel A. Cox, Jessie Wall
October 25, 2022

The Social Workplace: Social Capital, Human Dignity, and Work in America

Over the past two decades, American social and civic life has been on an undeniable downward trajectory. New research finds that the workplace remains an increasingly important generator of social capital in the wake of this civic contraction.

Photograph of pro-choice protestors holding signs

Karlyn Bowman, Daniel A. Cox
October 4, 2022

Gender, Generation and Abortion: Shifting Politics and Perspectives After Roe

In the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, the issue of abortion continues to garner widespread public attention. Young women are following the debate over abortion rights closely and more intensely than other Americans. How will it affect their vote in the upcoming election and their approach to politics?