The study also found that 73 percent of Nones came from religious homes 66 percent were described by the study as 'de-converts.' The Nones were most numerous among the young: a whopping 22 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds claimed no religion, up from 11 percent in 1990.

Those marking 'no religion,' called the 'Nones,' made up the only group to have grown in every state, from the secular Northeast to the conservative Bible Belt. The percentage of Americans claiming 'no religion' almost doubled in about two decades, climbing from 8.1 percent in 1990 to 15 percent in 2008. Among the findings released in 2009 from the American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS), one stood out. Recent studies have brought the trend to light. A faithful response requires that we examine the exodus and ask ourselves some honest questions about why. Among young adults in the U.S., sociologists are seeing a major shift taking place away from Christianity. These anecdotes may be part of a larger trend. Recently I learned that a former colleague in Christian publishing started a blog to share his 'post-faith musings.' Now that I'm in my early 30s, the stories of apostasy have slowed, but only slightly.

In addition to the more vocal ex-Christians were a slew of others who had simply drifted away. 'I'm sure they pray for me like that.'Ībout that time, I began encountering many other 'leavers': a basketball buddy, a soft-spoken young woman from my church's worship team, a friend from youth group. 'Growing up I had an uncle who wasn't a Christian, and we prayed for him all the time,' he said wistfully. How did his family react to his decision? I asked. I remembered watching him worship, eyes pinched shut with one slender arm skyward. An image flashed into my mind from the last time I had seen him.

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