Unpacking the Varieties of Nonbelief within US-Based Marginalized Populations

The present study sheds light on the unique experiences of demographically diverse nonbelievers who do not fit the “stereotypical” privileged-atheist schema on which most nonbelief research has centered (Zuckerman 2009). Using data from 888 nonbelieving participants with marginalized identities (either people of color and/or LGBTQ+ identities), we conducted latent profile analysis (LPA) to identify subgroupings of our secular sample. Profiles were estimated using the continuous variables that addressed aspects of belief and practice (i.e., salience of nonbelief, New Age beliefs, religious service attendance). Additionally, categorical variables assessing current/prior beliefs about God and secular community involvement were also used to estimate profiles. These analyses resulted in three profiles with distinct characteristics across the variables of interest: (1) Adamant Nonbelievers (n = 549, 61.82%), (2) Ambivalent Maybelievers (n = 132, 14.86%), and (3) Spiritually Inclined (n = 207, 23.3%). The role of more internalized, individual-level factors (i.e., intolerance of uncertainty, pressure to conceal one’s secular beliefs) and demographic differences within these profiles are discussed alongside directions for future research.