The chapter explores the reasons behind the decline in religious beliefs among Americans, focusing on factors like disagreements with teachings on LGBTQ individuals, mental health issues, and societal distrust of institutions. It discusses the impact of changing family structures on religious identity formation, the prevalence of belief in God despite declining church attendance, and the rising population of atheists and agnostics in America. Additionally, it analyzes the influence of politics on religious identification and the shift in moral values within certain religious groups.
Americans are becoming less religious and two new surveys out just last week punctuate just how quickly that’s happening. According to the Public Religion Research Institute, 26 percent of Americans now consider themselves unaffiliated with any religion. That’s up from 21 percent a decade ago and just 6 percent in the early '90s. According to Gallup, the number of Americans who attend religious services weekly or nearly every week has fallen from 42 percent in 2000 to 30 percent now.
In this installment of the 538 Politics podcast, Galen speaks with a roundtable of experts on religion and society about why the decline has happened and what it portends for American communities, networks and politics. Joining the podcast are Melissa Deckman, CEO of the Public Religion Research Institute; Ryan Burge, Professor of Political Science at Eastern Illinois University and a Baptist Pastor; and Daniel Cox, Director of the Survey Center on American Life.
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