Belief that religion is LOSING its influence hit 50-year peak after inauguration of Barack Obama

Since 1957—more than half a century ago–Gallup has been asking Americans whether they think religion is increasing or losing its influence on American life.

In all that time, the largest percentage of Americans who said they thought religion was increasing its influence on American life came in the first polling Gallup conducted on the question following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and the largest percentage who said they thought religion was losing its influence came–less than eight years later–in the first polling Gallup conducted on the question after the 2009 inauguration of President Barack Obama.

In polling done Dec. 14-16, 2001 (the first Gallup survey on the question after the 9/11 attacks), 71 percent of Americans said they thought religion was increasing its influence on American life, and 24 percent said they thought religion was losing its influence on American life. (Two percent said they thought the influence of religion was staying the “same” and 3 percent said they had no opinion.)

That was the only time in 53 years of polling on the question that more than 70 percent of Americans had told Gallup they thought religion was increasing its influence on American life.

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