The God-Shaped Hole

Is your religion “none” or “done”? God can still find a way into your heart.

You have probably heard about the “Nones.” It’s a term used by organizations such as the Pew Research Center for people who describe themselves as atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular” when surveyed about their present religion, if any. Religion? None.

Further questions on these surveys often reveal that many Nones are not necessarily hostile against organized religion. Some even describe themselves as “spiritual but not religious,” which implies they may have an inner hunger for connection with something or someone higher than themselves.

But lately, surveyors have identified a subgroup of the Nones they are calling the “Dones.” The term suggests that some in this cohort may have had a passing involvement with religion or spirituality, but now they are done with all of that, done with religion, and done with spirituality apart from religion. The Dones sweep in about a third of non-religious Americans. What is unique about ...