Religion Takes a Big Decline

Despite the claims of the Christofascists that America is a "Christian nation" and that they represent a majority of Americans, the reality is that religiosity has declined sharply and currently is at the lowest level ever measured. For those of us who long for the day when Christofascists are political and social outcast, the obvious hope is that religion's decline continue and/or accelerate.  Here are some highlights from Religion News Service:

Religiosity in the United States is in the midst of what might be called ‘The Great Decline.’ Previous declines in religion pale in comparison. Over the past fifteen years, the drop in religiosity has been twice as great as the decline of the 1960s and 1970s.

Last year brought a continuation of this decline. 2013 was a new low for the level of religiosity in the country.

How do we track this massive change in American religion? We start with information from rigorous, scientific surveys on worship service attendance, membership in congregations, prayer, and feelings toward religion. We then use a computer algorithm to track over 400 survey results over the past 60 years. The result is one measure that charts changes to religiosity through the years.

The graph of this index tells the story of the rise and fall of religious activity. During the post-war, baby-booming 1950s, there was a revival of religion. Indeed, some at the time considered it a third great awakening. Then came the societal changes of the 1960s, which included a questioning of religious institutions. The resulting decline in religion stopped by the end of the 1970s, when religiosity remained steady. Over the past fifteen years, however, religion has once again declined. 

But this decline is much sharper than the decline of 1960s and 1970s. Church attendance and prayer is less frequent. The number of people with no religion is growing. Fewer people say that religion is an important part of their lives.

In 2013, we saw continued declines in religiosity. The importance of religion in people’s lives? Down. Church attendance? Down. People who say they are “no religion”? Up. The result: 2013 had the lowest level of religiosity of any year we can measure.

Bob Felton at Civil Commotion suggest some of the causes for religion's decline which seem on target:

There are doubtless many things at work here; certainly, education has played a role. No less important though, I am sure, is the relentlessly vile behavior of His publicists [i.e., the "godly Christian crowd]. Stressed, marginalized, ridiculed — the Pious are showing their true colors, and it ain’t pretty.