US Protestants Lose Majority Rank for First Time; Percentage of US Protestant Adults Is 48 Percent

For the first time in American history, the United States does not have a Protestant majority, a study released today (October 9, 2012) shows, according to the Associated Press website.

The percentage of Protestant adults in the U.S. has reached a low of 48 percent, the first time that Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life has reported -- with certainty -- that the number has fallen below 50 percent.

The drop comes at a time when no Protestants are on the U.S. Supreme Court and the Republicans have their first presidential ticket with no Protestant nominees.

One of the major reasons for the Protestant drop is the huge increase in the number of American adults who say they have no religion.The Pew study found that about 20 percent of Americans say they have no religious affiliation -- an increase from 15 percent in the last five years.