We always want to think that we’re the outliers, we’re not the average person. Well, guess what? Statistically, you are the average person. That’s how statistics work. For most people, if they were raised religious, they’re still religious as adults. And if they were raised nonreligious, they’re nonreligious as adults. They might move a step back or forth on the religious continuum. 

Radical conversion is so rare and random that you can’t predict it. There are always outliers, and they comment on the graphs I publish that what I show doesn’t apply to them. I’m glad to hear it, and certainly you can always transcend the median and the mean, but the median and the mean are the median and the mean for a reason. 

What’s behind the numbers of declining faith participation?