God and Religion Under Attack

WASHINGTON, DC, Nov 28 — The fact is that Godless voters, mainly younger voters who identify as being politically unaffiliated or liberal Democrats, tend to vote against traditional American values. A poll conducted by the Pew Research Center found that just 51% of voters between the ages of 18-and-29-years of age believe in God. Meanwhile, a survey by the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School found that voters in the same age category indicated a preference for Democrats by a margin of 55% to 34%.

Earlier this year the Public Religion Research Institute [PRRI] issued a report on The Politics of Unaffiliated Americans. It pointed out that “One of the most dramatic social changes in the United States over the past 30 years has been the growing number of Americans with no religious affiliation, now nearly a quarter of the U.S. population. They are a key part of the Democratic Party’s base, with a slew of books studying them, advocacy groups representing them, and even a new media initiative speaking to them. Understanding this cultural change in the American religious landscape is important for understanding the future of politics amid major demographic shifts.”

The 65-plus population of the U.S. continues to grow at a rate of 10,000 a day but the population of new 18 year old voters is also growing at a fast pace. The Center For Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement reports that in the nearly two years since the election of President Biden, more than eight million teenagers have become eligible to vote. And their impact on the future of our elections can be seen in the recent midterm elections, according to CNN’s political analyst Harry Enten. As he put it, “Democrats would have gotten crushed this election without young voters.”

A recent Faith in America survey conducted by Marist Poll in behalf of the Deseret News found that fewer and fewer of us attended religious services over the past ten years. The poll also revealed that just over half of Americans say they believe in God triggering the loss of churchgoers, particularly among younger age groups. 

Certainly, America is still a mainly God-fearing country, reports the pollsters at Gallup. A survey they conducted a few months ago found that 81% of the U.S. population believes in God. But, although it is a big number, it is down from previous polls that showed much higher numbers of believers. In the 1950’s right up until 2011 belief in God hovered between 92% and 98% of the population. Gallup says, “A subsequent survey in 2013 found belief in God dipping below 90% to 87%, roughly where it stood in three subsequent updates between 2014 and 2017 before this year’s drop to 81%.”

But, perhaps the most important finding from its recent survey is that the biggest decline in Americans who believe in God in recent years has been “among young adults and people on the left of the political spectrum [liberals and Democrats].“

The Family Research Council declares that “militant atheists and progressives continue to target long existing crosses and historical markers of America’s religious heritage in public places. Teachers tell young schoolchildren they can’t read their Bible in school. Private citizens and the government alike are attacking religious expression by other citizens. Whether it’s a media backlash to merely expressing a faith position on sexuality, or the use of nondiscrimination laws to punish religious business owners for their decisions, threats to free speech and free exercise are heating up both in the courts and the public square.”