New global research reveals that despite the declining global favorability of organized religion, belief in concepts like the afterlife and nature spirits remains stronger—a trend consistent across countries and faiths.

Submission Statement

Also, while older people are more likely to believe in organized religion, it is younger people who are more likely to believe in general spiritual concepts like spirits in nature.

I’m not surprised by this. Although it’s only anecdotal evidence, I’ve personally come across many people who describe themselves as having spiritual beliefs, but who say they have no belief in the major faith they were brought up in.

I wonder if this is a trend that will continue, and have implications for the future. How many of these people are there? As a bloc are they perhaps the world’s largest religious group, or will they be in the future?