Decline in Religious Significance for Americans

A new report by the Public Religion Research Institute shows that just 16% of Americans surveyed said religion is the most important thing in their lives, down from 20% a decade ago. The report also found that participation in houses of worship continues to decline, with 28% of respondents saying they "seldom" attend religious services, and 29% saying they "never" attend. However, for people who do still attend religious services, they say they're optimistic about the future of their house of worship. Black Protestants are the only Christian group in which a majority believes that congregations should get involved in social issues even if doing so means having difficult conversations.