Declining American Religion

Connections

Decline of American Religion and the Rise of Marijuana Use

Name: Peter Sans

Instructor:

Institution: Hiram College

Date of Submission: 10-22-15

Introduction

Over the years, the United States of America has experienced a steady rise in a category of people who indicate “None” when asked about their religious affiliation. According to Grant (2014), this is a profound shift considering about two decades ago, only one in twenty Americans declared themselves unaffiliated with religion. However, the numbers seem to have shifted enough for the “Nones” to become significant. Interestingly, there has also been an increase in marijuana use among Americans over the years. The main purpose of this essay is to present a discussion about a possible connection between the decline of the religion in America and the rise of marijuana use.

The Decline of American Religion and Rise of Marijuana Use With the issue of declining American religion on the rise, Uecker (20007) notes that statistics gathered from various studies reveal that most Americans exhibit signs of declining religiosity as they approach their early adulthood. He goes on to explain that while there may be no particular reason attributed for the decline of religion. However, there may be a relationship between declining religion and rising

(2010) point out there have not been enough studies proving a relationship between religion and responsibility versus lack of religion and delinquency. However based on research studies conducted, evidence is mounting that an individual who engages in religion and participates in religious activities is less likely to get caught up in delinquent activities. Some of the harmful activities which participation in religious activities appears to prevent include smoking marijuana, cocaine use, alcohol, and illicit sexual