Belief In Life After Death Is On The Rise Across America, Even Among ‘Non-Believers’

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An article published in April (17, 2025) detailed how analysis by one professor found that belief in the afterlife is soaring amongst all people, not just those with a specific religious denomination.

Eastern Illinois University professor Ryan Burge analyzed almost fifty years worth of data collected through the General Social Survey, which asked a very straight forward question:

Do You Believe In Life After Death?

Respondents were able to answer a simple “yes” or “no” question. Despite a moderate uptick in recent years, the initial graph was arguably one of the most boring we’ve ever seen. Ever. Even Burge noted that “this graph is most certainly not going to go viral on social media” due to the lack of dramatic data provided.

“In that first data collection in 1973, about 76% of folks believed in something beyond this life. But by 1990, that figure had crept up to just about 80% and it continued to rise very slowly from there. Really, from 2000 all the way through 2022, the estimates are all basically the same,” Burge wrote in his analysis. (MORE NEWS: Experts Sound Alarm Over So-Called ‘Remarkable Religious Transformation’ Amongst One Generation)

Nones: Then vs. Now

Those who considered themselves religious “nones,” with zero conscious relationship with God, were initially evenly split when it came to belief in an afterlife. But something changed by the year 2000, when the number of non-religious people who believe in an afterlife shot up past 60%.

This number has remained consistently high since this time, with only a few other factors influencing the trend. Politics did seem to have some influence, with self-described liberals being less likely to be understanding the notion of an afterlife than their conservative counterparts. Educational attainment had a mild influence when controlled for higher educational attainment, which was more likely to lead to a belief in our afterlife.

“Said simply, controlling for these other factors, an educated person was more likely to believe that there was life after death than someone with less education,” Burge explained. (MORE NEWS: EXCLUSIVE: ‘Religious And Moral Beliefs’ Of Founding Fathers To Be Taught In State Schools)

Why Is This Happening?

“I think there’s a good reason for this, by the way. Those non-religious folks in 1973 were much more ‘hard core’ nones. It was difficult to be a secular person in the 1970s – they were less than 5% of the population. You couldn’t be a lukewarm atheist during this time period,” Burge wrote in his analysis. “But as the nones have grown, you get a lot more people in there who aren’t so committed to the cause of secularism. Recall that the 1990s were when the nones really began to rise quickly. A primary cause being an increase in political polarization. That generated a lot of refugees who felt spiritual, but rejected religion. That’s fascinating to me.”

The data comes amid a significant rise in syncretism, particularly amongst Millennials and pastors. The results support the previous research by CRC’s Dr. George Barna, who noted that the rise in syncretism “is another strong piece of evidence that the culture is influencing the American church more than Christian churches are influencing the culture.” All of these recurring studies suggest millions of Millennials are on the brink of a religious breakthrough, one we can share in together.

We are in the thick of a Great American Revival, with people of all ages, races, denominations, political backgrounds, wealth brackets, and more, joining together to make our nation a more Biblical place. Are you involved in this movement?

Bringing A Biblical Worldview To America

If you’d like to be more involved with shaping America’s future outside of the major election years, why not join our nationwide volunteer Action Partner leadership team of over 140 people, serving their states and communities. Action Partners are present in all 50 states, with leadership teams in 30, and more teams forming as we grow. Each state team includes a prayer coordinator, providing opportunities for connection and prayer. State Updates offer state-specific information, and while not available in every state yet, they are expanding.

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Being an Action Partner means gaining tools to impact the future for God, engaging with like-minded Christians, and finding encouragement in prayer and fellowship. If you’re interested in joining, register at www.actionpartners.org.

Keep Acting Local

Politicians you elect in your city, county, and state usually have a greater impact on your daily life than anyone in the federal government. During “off-years,” these local races send ripple effects throughout American communities. It is up to you to shape them.

It seems like every time we at Million Voices speak to lawmakers and their teams, they all tell us the same thing: if just 10 people in their district write letters about issues that matter to them, elected officials know they have a serious crisis on their hands. A thousand people could message that same lawmaker via email or social media, and it would mean nothing. But hand-written, or even printed and signed letters, will make your politicians take action (if they really care about your vote, that is).

Contacting your representatives should be easy, but there are myriad ways they can ignore your calls to action. That’s where we come in. 

Yes, Million Voices helps you with voter guides. Yes, we send letters from YOU directly to your elected officials because it’s the only way to guarantee they’ll listen to you. Yes, we publish data, articles, text messages, and help bridge the gap between education and civic action. But what do you want? Tell us today.

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Join us in our mission to advocate for religious freedom, support fair and secure elections, and uphold the values that this great nation was built upon. Tell us what you want from the next four years, and we will fight to make it a reality … again!