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Recently, I've written articles exploring various aspects of our spiritual journeys as Americans. I've examined our thoughts on prayer and delved into questions about the Bible's authenticity. Is it the literal Word of God or a human construct? Or does it perhaps fall somewhere in between—if such a middle ground is possible?

This article considers the decline in religious affiliation and the broader shift away from religion in American society.

An Axios article from March of this year took a look at the changing religious landscape in the US. Here are a few key takeaways.

• Only 53% of Americans say that religion is important in their lives, down from 72% in 2013
• 26% of Americans describe themselves as religiously unaffiliated, up 5% from 2013
• Catholics as a whole continue to lose more members than they gain — and are seeing the largest declines in affiliation of any religious group.
• 18% of Americans said they became unaffiliated after growing up in a particular religious tradition.

Many cited their opposition to their former religious traditions' teachings on LGBTQ+ issues for their departure.

While Americans may be shifting away from traditional religious settings, evidence suggests they still maintain spiritual sensibilities. A Pew Research study from December 2023 reported the following data:

• 7 in 10 American adults describe themselves as spiritual in some way.
• 83% of all U.S. adults believe people have a soul or spirit in addition to their physical body.
• 81% say there is something spiritual beyond the natural world, even if we cannot see it.

What do you think?

Is religion losing its influence on America?

Is that a good thing, or bad?

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