Very good news, it is the tendency!

Happy news indeed

Who really knows what the numbers are? People can, and do, say one thing but believe in a completely different thing. I don't care who believes what, but when that belief, or lack of belief, inspires harmful behavior, then I've got a few issues to discuss.

Except evangelical numbers of unconnected churches is up. They build mega centers with gyms and all sorts of shit - daycare, etc, and worse is their indoctrination. You don't have to go to church to believe bullshit. Actually, some of the "more progressive" church writers are worried, like those who actually think, that the core tenets are changing I'm a trumpie style so as to hate outsiders and the evils of socialism, etc.

Only counts organized religion, does not take into account a variety of belief systems which are not organized into "Churches", nor does it address the reams of people who see themselves as "Spiritual", a term loosely equated to various mental states and emotive states.

It is a decline in organized Christians, disorganized ones will flourish for a LONG time if history tells us anything. Some pagans still pay Homage to Egyptian and Norse Gods, for the culture more than the reality I find.

People like to feel like they belong to something, to a peer group. Since Atheism is a non thing, has no beliefs and is simply a collection of people who do not believe in a God(s), it has little binding quality. Like Dawkins said "a herd of cats".

When critical thinking becomes THE standard of global society, then you will see religion die. I do not expect to see that anytime soon.

The reason people want to go to heaven in not because everyone is there; but because no one is..

Interesting! Maybe in the next decade the non religious will double in size.

Yes, but the "spiritual but not religious" numbers are vastly on the rise.

And many of those 45% who say they go to church at least once a month are lying. They may go Christmas, Easter, or both...and tell themselves that's close enough to once a month to lie to a pollster.

Checking "none" really doesn't mean anything considering that one of the things they can tick is usually agnostic/atheist. "None" just means they don't identify with an established religion; it doesn't mean they don't believe in a God.

There is a place for religion for some people. Some folks need an invisible friend who loves them. I'm okay with that and some churches do humanitarian work. I just don't like to be discriminated against or be forced to pay their taxes.

What a very pretty picture. Love the fall colors. Makes me want to go to church.

Overall, good news but "claim no religious affiliation" is less good then "identify as lacking a belief in a supernatural (not of the natural (real)) god?"

This question does not address people who without attending organized religions, believe in his/her version of a supernatural faith based (belief without evidence) sky-daddy that tells him/her who to fear what to do etc.

I don’t know. Good news is something like “Scientists find cure for...”