Church-Shopping: Why Do Americans Change Faiths?
By Amy Sullivan
Forty-three years ago, this magazine published a stark cover with the words “IS GOD DEAD?” stamped in red against an inky black background. The accompanying article predicted that secularization, science and urbanization would eliminate the need for religious belief and institutions before long. In modern society, only the weak and uneducated would persist in their faith. Yet rumors of religion’s demise turned out to be premature. Over the last few years, neo-atheists like Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens have taken up the cry again, encouraged by studies showing that the percentage of Americans who report no religious affiliation has more than doubled since 1990. But as a new report from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life shows, it is a mistake to conclude that more Americans are rejecting religion. Leaving church, it turns out, doesn’t mean losing faith.
