According to research by the General Social Survey, 1 out of every 10 Americans say they have no religious affiliation, but an additional 2 out of 10 can be classified as “religious liminals,” meaning they sometimes claim a religious affiliation and sometimes they do not (Bradley Wright, “20% of Americans Are on the Threshold of Religion,” The Exchange, Christianity Today)
These statistics mean that at the very least, one out of every three people we meet claim no strong tie to a religious belief, yet many of them may be open to a sincere discussion about faith because they are on the threshold (which is what “liminal” means) of believing something.
When we experience God’s kindness in not giving up on us, we are drawn to faith in God. We will also want others to experience this grace and kindness and will encourage them to believe, too. We shouldn’t give up on people who say they aren’t religious; they could be closer to belief than they think!
