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SALT LAKE CITY -- A new survey says it's a pretty common thing for Americans to change religions at some point in their lives.
A study by the Pew Research Center shows Americans change religions early, often and for many different reasons.
Forty-four percent say they switched from their childhood faith. Most did it before age 24.
Most of those raised unaffiliated now are affiliated with religion. Others changed faiths because of a move, marriage or to meet spiritual needs.
The survey mainly looked at Catholics, Protestants and the unaffiliated. Most were changing from one Protestant faith to another, like Baptist to Methodist. Catholicism had the greatest net loss.
Researchers said The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had segments too small to survey.
Researchers say this shows the trend is not a massive move away from religion but rather turning to other faiths.
E-mail: mrichards@ksl.com
