Editing California (section)

=== Religion ===
{{Main|Religion in California}}
{{see also|List of cathedrals in California}}
{{Pie chart
| thumb = right
| caption = Religious self-identification, per [[Public Religion Research Institute]]'s 2021 ''American Values Survey''<ref>{{Cite web |last=Staff |date=February 24, 2023 |title=American Values Atlas: Religious Tradition in California|url=https://ava.prri.org/#religious/2021/States/religion/m/US-CA|access-date=April 4, 2023 |website=[[Public Religion Research Institute]]}}</ref>
| label1 = [[Catholic Church in the United States|Catholicism]]
| value1 = 34
| color1 = Purple
| label2 = [[Protestantism in the United States|Protestantism]]
| value2 = 27
| color2 = Blue
| label3 = [[Jehovah's Witnesses|Jehovah's Witness]]
| value3 = 1
| color3 = Teal
| label4 = [[Mormonism]]
| value4 = 1
| color4 = Lightblue
| label5 = [[Irreligion in the United States|Unaffiliated]]
| value5 = 28
| color5 = White
| label6 = [[Buddhism in the United States|Buddhism]]
| value6 = 2
| color6 = Yellow
| label7 = [[American Jews|Judaism]]
| value7 = 1
| color7 = Pink
| label8 = [[Hinduism in the United States|Hinduism]]
| value8 = 1
| color8 = Orange
| label9 = Other
| value9 = 5
| color9 = Black
}}
The largest [[religious denomination]]s by number of adherents as a percentage of California's population in 2014 were the Catholic Church with 28 percent, Evangelical Protestants with 20 percent, and Mainline Protestants with 10 percent. Together, all kinds of Protestants accounted for 32 percent. Those unaffiliated with any religion represented 27 percent of the population. The breakdown of other religions is 1% Muslim, 2% Hindu and 2% Buddhist.<ref name="pew2014">{{Cite web |last=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=May 12, 2015 |title=America's Changing Religious Landscape, ''Appendix D: Detailed Tables'' |url=http://www.pewforum.org/files/2015/05/Appendix-D-Detailed-Tables.pdf |access-date=June 5, 2015 |publisher=Pew Research Center |archive-date=May 28, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150528123026/http://www.pewforum.org/files/2015/05/Appendix-D-Detailed-Tables.pdf }}</ref> This is a change from 2008, when the population identified their religion with the Catholic Church with 31 percent; Evangelical Protestants with 18 percent; and Mainline Protestants with 14 percent. In 2008, those unaffiliated with any religion represented 21 percent of the population. The breakdown of other religions in 2008 was 0.5% Muslim, 1% Hindu and 2% Buddhist.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Religious Affiliation by State in the U.S |url=http://religions.pewforum.org/pdf/report-religious-landscape-study-full.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://religions.pewforum.org/pdf/report-religious-landscape-study-full.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live |access-date=June 24, 2010 |website=U.S. Religious Landscape Study |publisher=[[Pew Research Center]] |page=103}}</ref> The ''[[American Jewish Year Book]]'' placed the total [[American Jews|Jewish]] population of California at about 1,194,190 in 2006.<ref>Ira M. Sheskin and Arnold Dashefsky, "Jewish Population of the United States, 2006", ''[[American Jewish Year Book]] 2006'', Volume 106 [https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/US-Israel/usjewpop.html]</ref> According to the [[Association of Religion Data Archives]] (ARDA) the largest denominations by adherents in 2010 were the [[Catholic Church]] with 10,233,334; [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in California|The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] with 763,818; and the [[Southern Baptist Convention]] with 489,953.<ref name="www.thearda.com">{{Cite web |title=The Association of Religion Data Archives &#124; State Membership Report |url=http://www.thearda.com/rcms2010/r/s/06/rcms2010_06_state_adh_2010.asp |access-date=December 16, 2013 |publisher=thearda.com |archive-date=December 17, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131217000142/http://www.thearda.com/rcms2010/r/s/06/rcms2010_06_state_adh_2010.asp }}</ref>
[[File:Cathedral of San Carlos Borromeo (cropped2).jpg|thumb|The [[Cathedral of San Carlos Borromeo (Monterey, California)|Cathedral of San Carlos Borromeo]] in Monterey, built 1791–94, is the oldest [[parish]] in California.<ref>Clark, Donald T., Monterey County Place Names: A Geographical Dictionary (Kestrel Press, Carmel Valley, CA, 1991).</ref>|left]]
California has a large Catholic population due to the large numbers of Mexicans and Central Americans living within its borders. California has twelve dioceses and two archdioceses, the [[Archdiocese of Los Angeles]] and the [[Archdiocese of San Francisco]], the former being the largest archdiocese in the United States.

A [[Pew Research Center]] survey revealed that California is somewhat less religious than the rest of the states: 62 percent of Californians say they are "absolutely certain" of their belief in God, while in the nation 71 percent say so. The survey also revealed 48 percent of Californians say religion is "very important", compared to 56 percent nationally.<ref name="Helfland 2008">{{Cite news |last=Helfand |first=Duke |date=June 24, 2008 |title=State has a relaxed view on religion—Survey finds Californians are less certain about the existence of God than others in the U.S |work=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-jun-24-me-faith24-story.html |access-date=December 27, 2009}}</ref>