Friday, December 31, 2010

Near-Record High See Religion Losing Influence in America

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Americans' views of the influence of religion in the U.S. have fluctuated substantially in the years since 1957, when Gallup first asked this question. At that point, perhaps reflecting the general focus on family values that characterized the Eisenhower era, 69% of Americans said religion was increasing its influence, the most in Gallup's history.

Views of the influence of religion shifted dramatically in the mid-1960s. By 1970, in the midst of the protests over the Vietnam War and general social upheaval, a record 75% of Americans said religion was losing influence in American society. These views moderated in the years thereafter. At several points during the Reagan administration, a plurality of Americans returned to the view that religion was increasing its influence. By the early 1990s, Americans became more convinced again that religion was losing its influence. These views persisted until a sharp reversal after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, when a number of social and political indicators, including presidential and congressional approval and overall satisfaction with the way things were going, showed substantial increases.



Near-Record High See Religion Losing Influence in America

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

The new religion is atheism,new atheism, eastern philosophy, agnosticism,self-righteousness, hedonism, materialism, science-as-god religion, pullmyselfup by mybootstraps religion , you-name-it-religion..... h.h.