Ten years ago, 20% of Americans said that religion "is the most important thing in their life." Today, that number has fallen to 16%, according to a new study from the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI). We're definitely going to hell. That's OK with me though—I know the boss.
From NPR:
The report, titled "Religion and Congregations in a Time of Social Upheaval," surveyed more than 6,600 adults from all 50 states. Despite the deep political divides in the U.S., the majority of churchgoers — 56% — do not believe their own church is more politically divided than five years ago.
Deckman says that this could be due to sorting that has already taken place: People tend to affiliate with congregations that align with their political beliefs, in part to avoid conflicts they experience in broader society[…]
Participation in houses of worship continues to decline, according to the study. Twenty-eight percent of respondents said they "seldom" attend religious services, and 29% of respondents said they "never" attend religious services. A decade ago, those figures were 22% and 21%, respectively.
(via Next Draft)
