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3 in 4 Say Religion Is Losing Its Influence in the U.S.

Since the 1960s, the majority of Americans have reported they believe the influence of religion on American life is decreasing; however, Gallup has seen many instances in which the percentage has represented the opposite viewpoint. This occurred most notably in December 2001, a mere three months after September 11, when Gallup reported that 71% of Americans believe the influence of religion is increasing. Now, 12 years later, the tables have turned again.

According to a recent Gallup poll, 77% of Americans say religion is losing traction in the United States.

However, additional questions in the survey revealed that many people see this decrease in influence as a negative trend. When asked if they believed more religion would benefit American life, a shocking 75% of Americans said yes. A large chunk of the percentage came from devoted churchgoers, but over half of those who rarely attend church and a third of those who never attend contributed to the large percentage.

Gallup views this statistic as a positive direction for the U.S.: “The fact that most Americans think the country would be better off if more Americans were religious shows that many of those who believe religion is losing its influence may think this is a negative state of affairs.