Kirsten Vera presents a book review of "The Nones" authored by Ryan Burge. The author has a Ph.D. in political science and is a pastor. Hence, Burge is proficient to write about religion in America, and he has amassed abundant knowledge to communicate data to readers. Burge believes that statistics are crucial in modern society; hence data in untrained hands can be dangerous thing. He strives to give unbiased information by ensuring the facts are unbiased and easily understandable. The book primarily focuses on the Mainline Protestants, which consists of the largest denominations, including the United Methodists, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Presbyterian Church (USA), the Episcopal Church, the American Baptist Church, the disciples of Christ, and the United Church of Christ.

The significant decrease in the Mainline Protestants started in 1972. They lost a third of their members, dropping to just 19 percent in 1988. Since then, the decline has slowed somewhat. By 2004, they were below 15 percent and then in 2016 fell into the single digits—9.9 percent of the population. Mainline Protestants are prevalent among those who have middle-class jobs and ask for lower taxes. In 1976, Mainline Protestants constituted 30.8 percent of Americans, with none of the other seven religious traditions breaking 30 percent of the population. Social desirability bias is one of the primary difficulties affecting religious identity and survey participants, highlighting the "right" response about their affiliation even if it does not match their actual ideas or behaviors. Social scientists must consider desirability bias as a valid component while gathering data. Burge contends that over time the pressure of social desirability bias will lessen, making it less complicated to get more trustworthy data.

The decrease in Mainline Protestants may be linked to the societal changes happening currently, making going to church less important and less socially acceptable. Demographics related to race and age have an impact on the diminishing numbers of Mainline Protestants, mainly because they are predominantly white and aging. Burge suggests that the social and political climate and secularization are some other reasons for disaffiliation. Finally, Burge believes that it is crucial to present data in a way that is understandable to the reader, especially those without a social science background.

In the final chapter of the book, the author delves into the factors that we can control and the ones that are beyond our control. Along with providing an overview of the situation, the author highlights the two main factors that cannot be altered - globalization and secularization. Burge states that these two factors are impossible to contain due to the increased interconnectedness that results from globalization and the social progression that stems from secularization. Burge asserts that any attempts to inhibit globalization by imposing tariffs on imported goods are equivalent to the futile efforts made to stop secularization by posting the Ten Commandments in American courthouses.

From analyzing the data, I believe that the United States is experiencing a shift towards a secular culture similar to that of Europe, albeit at a slower pace. The evidence suggests that the US is undergoing both political and social transformations, resulting in decreased church attendance and a reduced emphasis on religion in our day-to-day lives. The primary causes of this shift in religious affiliation towards nones are secularization, politics, and the internet.

The relationship between politics and religious affiliation has a significant impact on secularization. Burge notes that the rise of the religious right and evangelicalism in the early 1990s corresponded with a sudden acceleration in the rise of nones. This suggests that people who are not far-right may be discouraged by the influence that religiously-linked organizations have on political ideologies. As a result, more individuals are likely to disaffiliate from religious organizations, with liberals being twice as likely and political conservatives being the least likely. This disparity is significantly greater compared to previous years.

In my opinion, the integration of politics and religion has diluted the image of religion to some extent. Instead of choosing a candidate based on religious beliefs, Americans are selecting a church based on its alignment with their political views. This shift towards secularism is backed by the internet, which is a platform that exposes people to different beliefs and challenges their faith. As a result, I believe that the US is becoming secular like Europe but at a slower rate.