Are we a secular nation, or a religious one?
Secularism is in decline; what does that mean for society?
Susan Quinn | April 17, 2026
For the better part of the 21st century, secularism and religion have been involved in mortal combat. Even before that time, the Enlightenment insisted that we had surpassed the need for religion. But the facts on the ground today are surprising and encouraging regarding secularism and religion.
Those people who have held to secularism comprise a diverse group: many of them had little to no religious exposure while growing up. Others had parents who expressed disdain for religion, and they kept the tradition going. Still others had difficulty relating to religion and took the secular path, which made no demands on them. And finally, the pressures from the secular community encouraged them to desert religion and adopt secularism, which they claimed had its own set of values.
Secularism, over time, has presented its own challenges. By denying the existence of God, the secularists are free to adopt their own morality; sometimes those values sound remarkably like religious values, although they will deny any connection. Others will say they have compiled their own collection of values, which may or may not be ethical or moral. Even worse, those values may very well be narcissistic, reflecting a slide into believing they are their own God.
But the times they are a-changin’! For one thing, secularism is declining in popularity world-wide:
Secularism, it seems, is in rapid decline globally with the much-vaunted secular age nearing its end amid a rising tide of religiosity and a corresponding decline in the number of people who profess a lack in faith.
The so-called ‘seculars’ or ‘unaffiliated’ — atheists, agnostics, and people do not identify with any particular religion — are believed to be fighting an existential battle to stay relevant.
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https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/04/are_we_a_secular_nation_or_a_religious_one.html