America's Becoming Less Religious. Is Politics to Blame?

America is secularizing. The evidence is clear. The question of why is a little more murky. And for American Christians, one likely cause should be sobering—especially during election season. First, the facts. According to data from Gallup, Pew, and PRRI, the percentage of Americans who identify with any religion is in steady decline, as are those who believe in God, the devil, Heaven, Hell, or angels; who say religion is a very important part of their life; maintain membership in a church or synagogue; or attend church regularly. ...What’s driving religion’s declining influence? In truth, no single entity or factor gets all the blame (or credit, depending on how you feel about the situation). Not directly, anyway.