I don't think we needed a Gallup Poll to tell us this. Actually, I think every institution - law, medicine, government, academia - has lost credibility and respect and, with it, the ability to influence American society.

I believe Elizabeth is correct. There is a genuine discrediting of all institutions. In addition, our materialism has trumped our faith; we are beginning to resemble Europe. What lies next? Something better, more life sustaining instead of "4 walls" to keep up.

Dave Borton
Milwaukee

What's interesting is that 54% of the same respondents say that religion is "very important" in their lives! That seems to be a clear contradiction of the thesis. So I'd say it's not so clear what these people are actually saying - i.e., what the concept of "religion" actually means to them.

I must disagree with the above comment, though. I would argue that "law, medicine, government, and academia" have all gained influence even as religion has lost it. (Possible exception of "academia," which I don't think has ever had huge influence on American life anyway.)

But again, it depends on what's meant by these terms - which isn't really very clear here, I don't think....

I'm not sure this speaks so much to mistrust of institutions as it does public perception and a sort of "state evangelicalism" as our national religion. The lead question isn't about actual influence but the perception of influence, which seems to wane during Democratic administrations and less religious Republican administrations.

Gallup reports that the individual religious belief has not shown the swings, and the perception swings correlate with the public evangelical faith of Presidents since Eisenhower. Interesting, however, that perception of religious influence declines even when Democratic presidents are heavily influenced by faith, like Carter and Clinton.

I see this poll more as confirming that Evangelicalism is our state religion, and it links it's power to who is in office rather than to how "the least of these" are served.

If it were not for television, the internet, and twitter to amuse and entertain us, we'd probably have become really upset by somthing by now. Who needs religion when we've got these opiates?

@Elizabeth - You might just have a point there. Thank you for bringing that up. I forgot to think about institutions when thinking of this matter.

@DB - I don't think the lack of the Evangelical/fundamentalist approach has much to do with it. They do have more growth than the mainline denominations but for entirely different set of reasons. People want control of some kind, which they unintentionally yield to through false certainty.

@BSnyder - What most people have a quarrel with is not God but with Theism, the Christian definition of God.

@Dirk - I think u got the right idea.

@Paul - that has little to do with it. Mind you, I said "little" and not "nothing."

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Evidence, Pangaio? Can you provide anything to back this statement up? (That "what most people have a quarrel with is not God but with Theism, the Christian definition of God," that is.) At the moment it's just an assertion.

I'm wondering who "most people" is, for instance. Perhaps you mean "most people" of a certain type, but I would doubt the statement is correct generally. I'm willing to be convinced, however....