Percent Distribution by Religious Affiliation

One interviewee had this to say about religion My childhood preference was Baptist. This preference was socially driven because most people whom I knew attended the Baptist church. However, I no longer consider that a preference. Another interviewee asserts I have been a member of almost every conceivable traditional religion. I have now decoupled from traditional religion. One interviewee identified himself as a non-practicing Roman Catholic, while another commented, I am a Protestant and that is about as much of a distinction as I make. Some interviewees were ambivalent about traditional religions. Another interviewee reported this transformation  

that is not what church is supposed to be about... When I was experiencing marital problems, I called my minister and he came by once... Another minister who was to come to talk with us never came. Nobody was concerned that we were having marital problems... 

I started attending another church... but the minister ended up in jail... If there are mles, no matter what denomination you belong to, then you ought to follow them... I am a stickler 

Beyond Small Numbers Voices of African American PhD Chemists 

One notable characteristic of religious practice in the United States is the almost completely separate worship practices of African Americans and whites (Schaefer, 2000). According to Lincoln and Mamiya (1990), a black sacred cosmos emerged historically that cut across denominational lines. They posit that regardless of denomination a qualitatively different cultural form of Christian expressions is found in most black churches. Moreover, the authors contend that there has always been a small sector of unchurched black people - young African American males or maverick types determined to resist the powerful social control of black churches in the small rural towns and in urban areas. One interviewee cautiously stated  

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