When a person decides to abandon God, what happens?

When a nation abandons God, what happens?

In 1863, WV decided not to rebel like other states; will WV repeat that decision?

Scripture offers a direct warning:

“So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.”
— Romans 1:24–25

A Nation at a Crossroads

Is today’s news just a repeat of the warning of Isaiah?

The data surrounding modern American religiosity reveals a dramatic cultural shift. The trends are steep, rapid, and historic.

Declining Religious Commitment

Fewer than half of Americans now say religion is an important part of their daily lives, a 17-percentage-point drop since 2015, one of the largest declines measured globally, according to a new Gallup poll.

Why it matters:
The U.S., once unusually religious among wealthy nations, is experiencing profound cultural changes that stand to reshape politics, social ties, and even national identity.

The Numbers

• In the latest Gallup Poll, only 49% of U.S. adults say religion is essential to their daily life—down from 66% in 2015.

• This decline is among the steepest measured anywhere in the world since 2007.

• The U.S. is quickly approaching the OECD median, where only 36% of adults call religion important.

Gallup researchers Benedict Vigers and Julie Ray note:

• “Such large declines are rare.”

• Only 14 out of 160+ countries have seen drops over 15 percentage points in the past decade.

• The U.S. now sits in a strange place—less religious than much of the world, but more devout than most wealthy nations.

Global Comparison

Only a small number of wealthy nations have experienced sharper declines:

• Greece (2013–2023): –28 points

• Italy (2012–2022): –23 points

• Chile, Turkey, and Portugal show declines similar to the U.S.

Churches Closing and Identities Shifting

• An unprecedented 15,000 churches in the U.S. may shut their doors this year—far more than the number expected to open.

• 29% of Americans now identify as religiously unaffiliated.

• 62% identify as Christian, down from 78% in 2007 (Pew Research Center).

Yet Faith Still Pulls Weight

Even in decline, American Christianity remains influential.

• President Trump received 85% of the white evangelical vote and 57% of the white mainline Protestant vote in 2024 (PRRI).

• The U.S. no longer fits any standard global belief category: it has medium-high Christian identity but only middling religiosity.

The Next Generation

Gen Z women are increasingly turning away from organized religion and are leading the exodus from Christianity, according to PRRI CEO Melissa Deckman.

Despite stories of Gen Z men returning to church, the data offers little evidence of a large-scale movement capable of reversing the decline.

The Cultural Bottom Line

The United States is experiencing one of the most dramatic cultural transitions on the planet—shifting from a faith-centered nation to one where religion no longer defines daily life for most people.

Methodology:
Gallup Poll, June 14–July 16, 2025; 1,000 adults aged 15+; ±4.4% margin of error at 95% confidence.

Where Is the Good News?

A Feb 2021 West Virginia University Study, "Religion in West Virginia" found that 78.6% of West Virginians identified as Chritian so that is 16 percentage points better than the national average. Amid warnings and decline, Scripture offers a clear path forward:

“Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to every prayer made in this place.”
— 2 Chronicles 7:14–15 (NLT)