A GROWING number of Americans believe that religion’s influence in their country is on the wane, according to a new survey.
The Gallup Poll, conducted in December, suggests that the recent waning perception that religion is increasing in influence is:
Partially a result of the decline of Republican political strength throughout President George W Bush’s second term.
The report stated:
At the close of 2008, few Americans perceive that religion is thriving in US society, and a relatively small majority believe religion is relevant to solving today’s problems. These perceptions may stem in part from the political climate – characterized by a weakened Republican Party and the incoming Democratic administration – as well as from the overwhelming consensus that the main problems facing the country today are economic.
Just three years ago, half of the US adult population felt the influence of religion on American life was rising. Today, only a little more than a quarter believe so.
The Gallup Poll found that just 27 percent of Americans perceive religion’s influence to be on the upswing while 67 percent of Americans say religion as a whole is losing influence on American life.
Since 2005, the Gallup Poll has recorded a downward trend in those who believe the influence of religion is increasing. The record low for this perception was in 1970 when only 14 percent said religion was increasing in influence at that time.
The last time a majority of Americans felt the influence of religion was rising was in December 2001, just months after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, when 71 percent said religious influence was increasing – the highest percentage Gallup Poll recorded since 1957.
Previous polls show that there was a long period of doubt about the influence of religion during the Vietnam War era – from 1965 through 1975, according to the Gallup report. Then, in the 1980s, religious influence was perceived as growing when religious conservatism, or the “religious right,” was gaining prominence during the Ronald Reagan presidency.
In other major findings, the percentage of Americans who believe that religion can answer society’s problems is at an all-time low, with only 53 percent saying religion “can answer all or most of today’s problems.”
The poll comes during an economic crisis and at a time when the vast majority of Americans believe the U.S. economy is the nation’s greatest challenge.
Meanwhile, over the last several decades, the percentage of those who perceive religion as “largely old-fashioned and out of date” has been on a continuous rise. The latest poll found that 28 percent believe it’s old-fashioned.
Results of the latest poll are based on interviews with 1,009 national adults, aged 18 and older.
See full report here.
The Freethinker was founded in 1881 by GW Foote, an outspoken critic of religion. After the publication of 
January 1st, 2009 at 1:57 pm
From what I see, religion seems to be on the rise and people who were athiest have turned “big time” to the God of our fathers. The bible actually needs the missing parts that were omitted by the wicked church fathers restored and also life is progressive so the bible needs to be updated with progressive revelation. The Two Witnesses Mark and Elizabeth Prophet have come and gone and did restore the everlasting gospel for the new age, the next two thousand years of the aquarian age. Saint Germain the seventh angel in the book of revelation is our new age master of freedom. Jesus was the master of the piscean age, the age of self mastery. There have always been Prophets sent to prepare the way for a new age dispensation. Have a great and prosperous and enlightend New Year!
January 1st, 2009 at 2:29 pm
Hurray! Let’s try rational thinking for a change.
January 1st, 2009 at 2:42 pm
Doris Tracey. Which actual planet are you living on? The only supporters for your theories are those who make vast amounts of money from them. (Mainly in the USA).
Apologies if I misunderstood and you were being ‘ironic’.
January 1st, 2009 at 2:52 pm
*Practicing* religion is certainly declining…
Most of the people who are interviewed do not regularly attend church services, do not practice what they are *taught* and are no more than pathetic shells of belief.
Most have less knowledge of the bible than the typical atheist.
If you stand to defend your religion it seems it would behoove you to practice what you preach….Or STFU
January 1st, 2009 at 5:36 pm
Maybe this shift away from religion is simply down to urbanisation. America is often seen as ahead of the UK, but in one respect we’re way ahead – demographics. The vast majority of Brits live in large towns or cities. A sizeable, if shrinking, minority of Americans live in small towns (confusingly, these towns often style themselves Something City yet have a population of less than 20,000).
While there’s no law that says people who live in big cities can’t be religious bigots, in practice it’s easier to enforce social conformity – such as churchgoing – in small towns. Sarah Palin referred to small (implicitly white) towns as ‘the real America’. But it seems that what she considers the real America is dying, and with it will go fundie religion. Well, so I like to think.
January 1st, 2009 at 6:30 pm
I believe religion has its’ place in peoples’ lives on a personal level, but should not be used as a political tool. IMO, politicians have used Christianity, especially in America, to divide and conquer, and not as an instrument to make America and the world better. WWJD has been used as a political slogan to win elections, not to put into practice those things that Jesus actually represents.
January 2nd, 2009 at 9:56 am
If there is a decline, I can’t see the control freak mad mullahs, celibate men in frocks or corrupt TV evangelists letting go of their money making scams and mechanisms of bigotry with out a fight. They’ll try all of sorts of blackmail, bombs and sophistry to cling on to their power – Oh! I forgot, of course they already do that.
January 2nd, 2009 at 6:52 pm
the percentage of Americans who believe that religion can answer society’s problems is at an all-time low, with only 53 percent saying religion “can answer all or most of today’s problems.â€
Only? Only? Only 53% of Americans think religion can ‘answer’ all or most problems? That’s a hell of a lot of lunatics or idiots. (And what good does it do to ‘answer’ problems, the point is to solve them.)
January 3rd, 2009 at 11:57 am
I hope it is a real trend, and that it continues as it is. We desperately need to eradicate the iron-grip the RRRW has on this country.
January 3rd, 2009 at 8:48 pm
they time is up
January 4th, 2009 at 9:59 pm
Atheism and agnosticism on the rise BIG TIME. Just wait til the oldest generation dies off. Religion is dying a slow, yet welcome, death. No mor Dark Ages and magic people in the sky.
January 4th, 2009 at 11:14 pm
** the god that damned America **
You know — the-god-of-the-state (GOTS).
The one-size-fits-all-god: the generic monotheistic moralistic world-maker and peeping Tom. It (by tradition He — certainly not She) gets a line on every US coin and bill. The in-whom-we-trust supernatural wonder worker.
Did America pray for divine providence? And, it got George W. Bush! Obviously, GOTS lacks nothing in irony.
Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld smote America harder than GOTS smote Egypt.
Dropping frogs out of a clear sky? Releasing burning hail? Turning the waters to blood? Destroying the first-born sons? Plagues of locusts eating up the harvest? Child’s play in a sandbox.
How about . . . ? Letting airliners drop out of a clear sky releasing liquid fire into towers which once rose to heaven. Destroying first-born sons in seven years of war. Turning the skies and the soil and the waters noxious across a whole planet. Plagues of insatiable greed eating up the childrens’ patrimony unto the 3rd generation.
Maybe America GOTS what was coming to it.
January 5th, 2009 at 11:26 am
to me, the lack of religious influence is a good thing.
Faith is nothing more than the act of being able to make decisions without having to think. george bush got elected into office, Twice, mainly because of the heavy christian community in the states.
“I don’t know much about him or his policies, but i will vote for him because of his faith” that qoute has exited the lips of many supporters of our soon to be former president.
if you are a person of faith, Truly asky yourself “Why is faith a good thing.”
i dont want to hear the answers, this is something to think about yourself. why is faith, the act of believing in something even though there is a sufficient lack of evidence something that is good, something that should be emulated, especially by those holding government office.
With much love and peace,
Schuyler Howland
January 5th, 2009 at 11:38 am
“53 percent saying religion “can answer all or most of today’s problems.â€
Thats still to damn much. Religion is dangerous. its causing people to think that if shit gets bad enough “God” will save us. For the sake of humanity, read your damn bibles, and realize they’re no more “holy” than a Virgin Mary burnt into morning toast.
America needs help moving out of the dark ages, please help. The Religious are sick, and we need to give them the antidote. please, inject reason into any religious person you can.
January 14th, 2009 at 6:56 pm
The slow death of religion is a good thing and it can’t come fast enough to suit me. Unfortunately, I shall not live long enough to see it, but I have seen such great progress. What will help? Speak up! Write letters. Put your money where your mouth is (I am now a life member of the FFRF). Above all, recognize that religion has occupied a privileged position on this country and that privilege must be stripped away. Religion DOES NOT DESERVE RESPECT.
February 5th, 2009 at 5:48 am
Maybe in 2013, when we’re all still here, a few more will come around.
February 11th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
Would a better way of finding out whether religion is declining not be to actually ask people if they’re religious than to ask them how they think the religious population is changing?
February 11th, 2009 at 9:09 pm
Hey Doris
You crazy people crack me up. Keep it coming; it’s better than TV.
March 2nd, 2009 at 8:08 am
Oh sweet simple Dorris… lol
I would like to see religion go away all together.. but us humans can’t deal with reality can we.
March 27th, 2009 at 8:43 am
Folks can be as religious as they want as long as it stays out of politics, I don’t really care if deluded people believe nonsense, it troubles me when they’ve become a political force. Maybe I’m just too idealistic, soon to be a disapointed optimist.
April 16th, 2009 at 3:19 am
Religion is for people who are too afraid to think for themselves and have been brainwashed since birth to unquestioningly believe nonsense of whatever flavor.
I don’t need religion, I have morals. To not harm others for fear of eternal punishment after death is wrong.
Not to mention, there is no god. Get over it.
I hate religitards.
January 25th, 2010 at 8:52 pm
If anyone would take the time to think about it, human beings are religious beings by nature, starting as far back as the stone ages. It doesn’t matter what we believe in, but the majority of the people on the planet are religious in one aspect or another. Religion does not belong in politics that is true. But everyone deserves to have something to believe in, even if you do not agree with them. To many people their morals come from religion, or the way they live. There is nothing wrong with someone being religious. Im christian but in no way do I think we can all be saved from harm, since according to our religion we have free will.
April 21st, 2010 at 6:07 pm
Thankfully, religion is dying…it’s use has been outgrown. But spirituality is on the rise. People are understanding the Truth more deeply by going within and connecting to the Divine. Everything evolves…our deeply held beliefs are no exception.
April 21st, 2010 at 7:56 pm
What the heck is “spirituality” and “the Divine”? Explain, please, Linn.
June 20th, 2010 at 3:37 pm
This does sound encouraging but when you consider that 40% of Americans subscribe to creationism and believe every word of the bible is the literal word of god, That’s scary.
If 40% are that extreme, how many others are at a lesser level of fundamentalist idiocy? Even today, over 90% state they would not vote for an atheists as president.
Then the respondents reporting “no religion” are doing so for an anonymous poll. How many of them publicly profess a religion out of fear of social, financial, or political repercussions?
I think the grip of the religious reich is still very much in control of America and will be for some time.