It’s good to be specific. That’s why Jesus spoke in parables. We remember what we’re told when the message puts down roots: a lost sheep, a sower of seed, a wayward son. No matter how great the idea, generalities evaporate. Specifics come to life.

Is religious faith in the United States fading into a vapor of generality? That’s the trend revealed in a new study by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. About one in five American adults today is what’s become known as a “none” — someone who doesn’t belong to any organized religion.