Grim News from the Secular Data Lab: Less than Half of Christians Believe in a Single Creator
Believers in churches are becoming increasingly isolated.
In a world plagued by crises, what do people still believe in? Trust is dwindling, as many surveys indicate. In the government, in the media, in public transportation, and most importantly: in (their own) religion. Secularization continues to advance. This is evident in a new study from the Federal Statistical Office (BfS).
The impact of this trend is particularly felt by the national churches. The decline in membership is significant. Figures released in January for the year 2023 reveal serious developments: 67,000 people have left the Roman Catholic Church, double the number from 2022. The reformed church saw 40,000 departures, a third more than in 2022.
This should come as no surprise. Only half of Catholics now believe in a single God, while among the reformed, it’s only 40 percent. The situation is different for Islam: Nine out of ten Muslims are convinced that there is only one God.
This has consequences: Non-religious individuals now constitute the largest belief group. Their share is 36 percent. This is particularly noticeable in cities, where their share is around 57 percent in Basel, and nearly half in Geneva and Zurich.
Catholics make up 31 percent of the population. The decline is especially drastic among the reformed: In 1970, they accounted for 49 percent and were the largest denomination in the country. They now stand at only 19.5 percent.
But why are so many citizens abandoning their religious affiliation? The reasons are varied. The two most cited reasons are: 28.1 percent never had a faith or have lost it, and 26.4 percent disagree with the statements made by religious communities.
Go woke, go broke?
This indicates that many Swiss people, for example, may have been baptized but never felt devout. Moreover, Christians, in particular, are dissatisfied with their national churches. This is likely due to the numerous cases of abuse, especially in the Catholic Church. Additionally, believers may feel put off by the politically progressive stance of these institutions. Go woke, go broke?
The numbers reveal that dissatisfaction led to 38 percent of Catholics leaving, compared to only 13 percent of the reformed church.
When it comes to practicing faith, there are significant differences: 37 percent of Muslims pray daily, while a fifth attend a religious event at least weekly.
Only a quarter of Catholics pray regularly, and just 9 percent attend church weekly. The figures are almost identical for the reformed church.
At the same time, the proportion of people who never attend a religious service is highest among the Muslim community at 46 percent. This is followed by members of other religious communities (37 percent) and reformed individuals (34 percent).
This suggests that faith is either intensely practiced or not at all. Surveys show that over the last decade, there has been an increase in Muslims praying at least monthly (up by 12 percentage points) and a 7 percentage point increase among the group of “other Christian faith communities.”
This could indicate a religious backlash: While monthly prayer among Catholics and reformed believers has decreased overall, the percentage has increased among those aged 15 to 24.
And one thing remains constant: In so-called difficult moments in life or in the event of illness, religion or spirituality continues to play a somewhat or very important role for the majority of the population (56 and 52 percent, respectively). This brings a somewhat reconciliatory note to the discourse.