by Moon Lion
I was wondering if anyone had done a study that would show how many pagans there were in the US. In doing a web search I came across a site for the City Univeristy of New York. This site showed the results of one the most comprehensive surveys of religion in the US. They had performed the survey in 1990 and again in 2001. The changes in the numbers of adherents to the various faiths in the US were extremely interesting.
Christians showed about a 0.05% growth in numbers, but a 9% decrease in percentage of the total population.
Muslims showed an impressive 109% growth during that time.
However, the survey showed that between 1990 and 2001 there was a 1675% growth in PAGANISM!!! 1675%!!! The number of pagans went from about 35,000 to over 550,000!
Here’s a link to the study:
http://www.gc.cuny.edu/studies/key_findings.htm
This kind of growth is incredible - and the thing that makes it most impressive is pagans don’t seek converts!! You’ll never see a pagan missionary or have them knock on your door to give you pamphlets. Pagans don’t try to find converts - the converts seek out the pagans!
I doubt there has ever been this kind of phenomenal growth of a non- proselytizing
religion in history before. Religions that use missionaries and/or force people
to convert by threat of violence have probably had this kind of growth before,
but a religion that makes no effort to convert people has probably never had
this happen before!
(This is just a guess though).
Here’s another link that looks at the issue in more detail: How Many
Pagans?
http://www.paganspace.org/perspectives/answer.php?question=2
If this growth rate was to continue, (which I don’t believe it possibly
could), the entire US would be pagan in under 40 years.
Looks like the Old Gods are back in a big way!