It’s not whether you believe but how strongly

According to the latest Pew Research Poll, it is now the second largest religious group in America: people who have no religion. Officially they’re called the “Nones,” although that’s a little confusing. Perhaps “un-churched.”

The way it stacks up, according to the polls, Christianity is number 1, claimed by 71% of Americans of various denominations, followed by un-churched (which includes atheist, agnostic, or just uninterested) at 23%.

As for religious denominations, Protestants are about 46%, Catholics are 25%, former Catholics are 13%. One third of practicing Catholics are now Latino.

The other change is that unchurched people aren’t as passive as they once were. They’ve organized to fight what they consider to be intrusions of religion into public life. For example, The Satanic Temple is using the Religious Freedom Restoration Act to push abortion rights as a religious freedom issue.

As for religions that are growing, they include Islam and Judaism.

Of course, based on news coverage you’d think they were on the verge of taking over. But they’re tiny. Jews are now 1.9% of Americans and Muslims are still less than 1% &#8212 about equal with Hindus.

The Pew researchers made no mention of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster or Festivus worshippers &#8212 who tend to come out only around the holidays.

Actually, it’s probably time to update the poll questions. The important question today is not so much what people believe, but how intense those beliefs are.

I’d like to know the percentage of Americans who would refuse to serve a customer based on religion, or refuse to return a “Merry Christmas,” or who would drop everything to go off to fight jihad. Or who think it’s morally OK to tamper with a football.