Editing Alaska (section)

===Religion===
{{See also|Alaska Native religion|Shamanism among Alaska Natives}}
[[File:Sitka - St. Michael's Russian Orthodox Cathedral.jpg|thumb|[[St. Michael's Cathedral (Sitka, Alaska)|St. Michael's Russian Orthodox Cathedral]] in downtown [[Sitka, Alaska|Sitka]]|left|265x265px]]{{Pie chart|thumb=right|caption=Religious self-identification in Alaska per the [[Public Religion Research Institute]]'s 2020 survey<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 24, 2023 |title=2020 American Values Atlas: Religious Tradition |url=https://ava.prri.org/#religious/2020/States/religion/m/US-AK |access-date=March 30, 2023 |website=[[Public Religion Research Institute]] |archive-date=April 4, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170404161714/https://ava.prri.org/#religious/2022/States/religion/m/US-AK |url-status=live }}</ref>|label1=[[Irreligion in the United States|Unaffiliated]]|value1=37|color1=White|label2=[[Protestantism in the United States|Protestantism]]|value2=36|color2=DarkBlue|label3=[[Catholicism in the United States|Catholicism]]|value3=14|color3=Purple|label4=[[Eastern Orthodoxy in the United States|Eastern Orthodox]]|value4=4|color4=Yellow|label5=[[Mormonism in the United States|Mormonism]]|value5=2|color5=Teal|label6=[[Jehovah's Witness]]|color6=Green|label7=Other|color7=Gray|label8=|value6=1|value7=6}}Multiple surveys have ranked Alaska among [[List of U.S. states and territories by religiosity|the most irreligious states]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Green |first=Emma |date=2017-09-06 |title=The 20 States Where Non-Religious People Make Up the Greatest Share of the Population |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/09/no-religion-states-prri/538821/ |access-date=2023-09-16 |website=The Atlantic |language=en |archive-date=October 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002064510/https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/09/no-religion-states-prri/538821/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2008-09-04 |title=Survey Finds Alaskans Less Religious Than Other Americans |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2008/09/04/survey-finds-alaskans-less-religious-than-other-americans/ |access-date=2023-09-16 |website=Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project |language=en-US |archive-date=October 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002064510/https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2008/09/04/survey-finds-alaskans-less-religious-than-other-americans/ |url-status=live }}</ref>{{Multiple image
| align             = right
| image1            = ChangePoint building.jpg
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| image2            = Anchorage Baptist Temple.jpg
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| footer            = ChangePoint in south Anchorage (left) and Anchorage Baptist Temple in east Anchorage (right) are Alaska's largest churches in terms of attendance and membership.
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According to statistics collected by the [[Association of Religion Data Archives]] (ARDA) from 2010, about 34% of Alaska residents were members of religious congregations. Of the religious population, roughly 4% were Mormon, 0.5% Jewish, 0.5% Muslim, 1% Buddhist, 0.2% Baháʼí, and 0.5% Hindu.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://religions.pewforum.org/maps|title=Religion in America: U.S. Religious Data, Demographics and Statistics—Pew Research Center|date=May 11, 2015|website=Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project|access-date=November 18, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150506033840/http://religions.pewforum.org/maps|archive-date=May 6, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> The largest religious denominations in Alaska {{as of|2010|lc=y}} was the [[Catholic Church]] with 50,866 adherents; non-denominational Evangelicals with 38,070 adherents; [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] with 32,170 adherents; and the [[Southern Baptist Convention]] with 19,891 adherents.<ref name="www.thearda.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.thearda.com/rcms2010/r/s/02/rcms2010_02_state_adh_2010.asp |title=The Association of Religion Data Archives—State Membership Report |publisher=thearda.com |access-date=November 15, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212162841/http://www.thearda.com/rcms2010/r/s/02/rcms2010_02_state_adh_2010.asp |archive-date=December 12, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thearda.com/rcms2010/r/s/02/rcms2010_02_state_adh_2010.asp|title=The Association of Religion Data Archives—Maps & Reports|website=thearda.com|access-date=November 15, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212162841/http://www.thearda.com/rcms2010/r/s/02/rcms2010_02_state_adh_2010.asp|archive-date=December 12, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> Alaska has been identified, along with Washington and Oregon in the Pacific Northwest, as being [[Unchurched Belt|the least religious states in the United States]], in terms of church membership.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.adherents.com/Na/Na_472.html |title=Adherents.com |publisher=Adherents.com |access-date=June 2, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100505013647/http://www.adherents.com/Na/Na_472.html |archive-date=May 5, 2010 |url-status=usurped }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090116035021/http://www.adn.com/life/story/463303.html |archive-date=January 16, 2009 |url=http://www.adn.com/life/story/463303.html |title=Believe it or not, Alaska's one of nation's least religious states |newspaper=Anchorage Daily News |date=July 13, 2008 |url-status=dead |access-date=July 23, 2008 }}</ref>

The Pew Research Center in 2014 determined 62% of the adult population practiced Christianity. Of the Christian denominations, Catholicism was the largest Christian group. When Protestant denominations were combined, Protestantism was the largest Christian tradition, with Evangelicalism being the largest movement within the Protestant group. The unaffiliated population made up the largest non-Christian religious affiliation at 37%. [[Atheism|Atheists]] made up 5% of the population and the largest non-Christian religion was [[Buddhism]]. In 2020, the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) determined 57% of adults were Christian.<ref>{{Cite web |title=PRRI – American Values Atlas |url=https://ava.prri.org/#religious/2020/States/religion/m/US-AK |access-date=2022-09-17 |website=ava.prri.org |archive-date=April 4, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170404161714/https://ava.prri.org/#religious/2020/States/religion/m/US-AK |url-status=live }}</ref> By 2022, Christianity increased to 77% of the population according to the PRRI.

Through the Association of Religion Data Archives in 2020, its Christian population was dominated by [[Nondenominational Christianity|non/inter-denominational Protestantism]] as the single largest Christian cohort, with 73,930 adherents. Roman Catholics were second with 40,280 members; throughout its Christian population, non-denominational Christians had an adherence rate of 100.81 per 1,000 residents, and Catholics 54.92 per 1,000 residents.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=2020 Congregational Membership |url=https://www.thearda.com/us-religion/census/congregational-membership?y=2020&y2=0&t=1&c=02 |access-date=2023-04-15 |website=Association of Religion Data Archives |archive-date=April 19, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230419105607/https://thearda.com/us-religion/census/congregational-membership?y=2020&y2=0&t=1&c=02 |url-status=live }}</ref> Per 2014's Pew study, religion was seen as very important to 41% of the population, although 29% considered it somewhat important.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |date=May 11, 2015 |title=Adults in Alaska |url=http://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/state/alaska/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160114210213/http://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/state/alaska/ |archive-date=January 14, 2016 |access-date=January 1, 2016 |website=Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project}}</ref> In 2014, Pew determined roughly 55% believed in God with absolute certainty, and 24% believed fairly certainly. Reflecting the separate 2020 ARDA study, the 2014 Pew study showed 30% attended religious services once a week, 34% once or twice a month, and 36% seldom/never.<ref name=":0" /> In 2018, ''[[The Gospel Coalition]]'' published an article using Pew data and determined non-churchgoing Christians nationwide did not attend religious services often through the following: practicing the faith in other ways, not finding a house of worship they liked, disliking sermons and feeling unwelcomed, and logistics.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Carter |first=Joe |title=Why Christians Don't Go to Church (and Why They Must) |url=https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/americans-christians-dont-go-church-must/ |access-date=2023-04-15 |website=The Gospel Coalition |date=October 13, 2018 |language=en-US |archive-date=April 19, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230419170251/https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/americans-christians-dont-go-church-must/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1795, the first [[Russian Orthodox Church]] was established in [[Kodiak Island Borough, Alaska|Kodiak]]. Intermarriage with Alaskan Natives helped the Russian immigrants integrate into society. As a result, an increasing number of Russian Orthodox churches gradually became established within Alaska.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://vilda.alaska.edu/u?/cdmg11,4904 |title=An early Russian Orthodox Church |publisher=Vilda.alaska.edu |access-date=June 2, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080225102019/http://vilda.alaska.edu/u/?%2Fcdmg11%2C4904 |archive-date=February 25, 2008 |url-status=live }}</ref> Alaska also has the largest [[Quaker]] population (by percentage) of any state.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thearda.com/mapsReports/maps/map.asp?state=101&variable=201 |title=Association of Religion Data Archive |publisher=Thearda.com |access-date=June 2, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120113080504/http://www.thearda.com/mapsReports/maps/map.asp?state=101&variable=201 |archive-date=January 13, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2009, there were 6,000 Jews in Alaska (for whom observance of [[halakha]] [[Jewish law in the polar regions|may pose special problems]]).<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110128024235/http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2011/tables/11s0077.pdf Table 76. Religious Bodies—Selected Data]. U.S. Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2011.</ref> Alaskan Hindus often share venues and celebrations with members of other Asian religious communities, including [[Sikhism|Sikhs]] and [[Jainism|Jains]].<ref>{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090201151519/http://caia.arctic.us/?Shri_Ganesha_Mandir_of_Alaska |archive-date=February 1, 2009 |url=http://www.caia.arctic.us/?Shri_Ganesha_Mandir_of_Alaska |title=Shri Ganesha Mandir of Alaska |publisher=Cultural Association of India Anchorage |last1=Kalyan |first1=Mala |url-status=dead |access-date=September 26, 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hindumandir.us/west-coast.html#AK |title=Hindu Temples on West Coast USA |publisher=Hindu Temples in USA—Hindu Mandirs in USA |access-date=June 2, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100616130334/http://www.hindumandir.us/west-coast.html |archive-date=June 16, 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090201151459/http://caia.arctic.us/?Holi_%2F_Baisakhi_Celebration%3A |archive-date=February 1, 2009 |url=http://www.caia.arctic.us/?Holi_%2F_Baisakhi_Celebration%3A |title=Holi / Baisakhi Celebration |publisher=Cultural Association of India Anchorage |url-status=dead |access-date=September 26, 2009 }}</ref> In 2010, Alaskan Hindus established the [[Sri Ganesha Temple of Alaska]], making it the first Hindu Temple in Alaska and the northernmost Hindu Temple in the world. There are an estimated 2,000–3,000 Hindus in Alaska. The vast majority of Hindus live in Anchorage or Fairbanks.

Estimates for the number of Muslims in Alaska range from 2,000 to 5,000.<ref>{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090116035850/http://dwb.adn.com/news/alaska/ap_alaska/story/8656236p-8548061c.html |archive-date=January 16, 2009 |url=http://dwb.adn.com/news/alaska/ap_alaska/story/8656236p-8548061c.html |title=First Muslim cemetery opens in Alaska |first1=Julia |last1=O'Malley |website=Anchorage Daily News |date=February 20, 2007 |url-status=dead |access-date=August 30, 2008 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090215202834/http://engagingmuslims.alaskapacific.edu/ |archive-date=February 15, 2009 |url=http://engagingmuslims.alaskapacific.edu/ |website=engagingmuslims.alaskapacific.edu |title=Engaging Muslim: Religion, Culture, Politics |url-status=dead |access-date=August 30, 2008 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.humanitynews.net/index.php/main/more/alaskan_muslims_avoid_conflict/ |title=Alaskan Muslims Avoid Conflict |publisher=Humanity News |date=July 7, 2005 |first1=Robert |last1=Howk |access-date=June 2, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090113085537/http://www.humanitynews.net/index.php/main/more/alaskan_muslims_avoid_conflict/ |archive-date=January 13, 2009 }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> In 2020, ARDA estimated there were 400 Muslims in the state.<ref name=":1" /> The [[Islamic Community Center of Anchorage, Alaska|Islamic Community Center of Anchorage]] began efforts in the late 1990s to construct a mosque in Anchorage. They broke ground on a building in south Anchorage in 2010 and were nearing completion in late 2014. When completed, the mosque was the first in the state and one of the northernmost mosques in the world.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://english.aljazeera.net/video/americas/2010/12/20101225111741183159.html |title=Mosque milestone for Alaska Muslims—Americas |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=December 25, 2010 |access-date=May 29, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110204061054/http://english.aljazeera.net/video/americas/2010/12/20101225111741183159.html |archive-date=February 4, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> There is also a [[Baháʼí Faith|Baháʼí]] center,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.akbahai.org/ |title=Alaska Bahá'í Community |access-date=January 16, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190117013401/http://www.akbahai.org/ |archive-date=January 17, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> and there were 690 adherents in 2020.<ref name=":1" /> Additionally, there were 469 adherents of [[Hinduism in the United States|Hinduism]] and [[Yoga]] altogether in 2020, and a small number of [[Buddhism in the United States|Buddhists]] were present.