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The great unchurching of America

Axios · 🇺🇸 public United States · · 713 words · By Russell Contreras
Digital Spirituality Secularization Political Demographics
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The article discusses a rapid increase in religiously unaffiliated adults in the United States and the subsequent closure of many churches. It explores how this shift affects political campaigning and the rise of digital or non-institutional spiritual alternatives.

Propaganda risk 20%
Claims checked 11
Techniques found 2
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center86%
Right14%

7 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

is undergoing its fastest religious shift in modern history, marked by a rapid increase in the religiously unaffiliated and numerous church closures nationwide.

Why it matters

Why it matters: The great unchurching of America comes as identity and reality are increasingly shaped by non-institutional spiritual sources — YouTube mystics, TikTok tarot, digital skeptics, folk saints and AI-generated prayer bots.

Common ground

It's a tectonic transformation that has profound implications for race, civic identity, political persuasion and the ability to govern a fracturing moral landscape.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Exaggeration / Hyperbole: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

The article discusses a rapid increase in religiously unaffiliated adults in the United States and the subsequent closure of many churches. It explores how this shift affects political campaigning and the rise of digital or non-institutional spiritual alternatives.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://axios.com/2025/12/26/great-unchurching-america-religiously-unaffiliated

analyticsAnalysis

20%
Propaganda Score
confidence: 95%
Minor concerns. Some persuasive language detected, but largely factual.

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Exaggeration / Hyperbole 70% confidence
Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing exaggeration / hyperbole helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 11 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 4
help Insufficient Evidence 2
verified Verified By Reference 2
verified Verified 1
info Single Source 1
schedule Pending 1
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Claim 1: “Nearly three in 10 American adults today identify as religiously unaffiliated — a 33% jump since 2013, according to the nonpartisan Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI).”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results confirm the PRRI data: one source explicitly states 'Nearly 3 in 10 U.S. adults now say they have no religious affiliation, a 33% increase since 2013', and another confirms the growth from 21% in 2013 to 27% in 2023.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Georgia ( JOR-jə) is a state in the Southeastern, South Atlantic, and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the northwest, North Carolina and South Carolina to the northeas…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_(U.S._state)
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The North American B-25 Mitchell is an American medium bomber that was introduced in 1941 and named in honor of Brigadier General William "Billy" Mitchell, a pioneer of U.S. military aviation. Used by…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_B-25_Mitchell
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Permesta was a rebel movement in Indonesia. It was founded on 2 March 1957 by civil and military leaders in Eastern Indonesia. Initially the center of the movement was in Makassar, which at that time …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permesta
+ 3 more evidence sources
help
Claim 2: “Devotees to unofficial Catholic Latino folk saints such as Santa Muerte and Jesús Malverde have also become increasingly prominent outside official religion, with tens of millions of devotees across the Americas.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided or found for this claim.
verified
Claim 3: “About four in ten Americans ages 18 to 29 identify as religiously unaffiliated (38%), an increase from 32% in 2013, PRRI said.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists of Wikipedia entries for Breitbart and Delaware, which are completely irrelevant to the claim about PRRI data on 18-29 year olds.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The demographics of Los Angeles are determined by population surveys, such as the American Community Survey and the United States census. According to 2019 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the City of L…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Los_Angeles
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Religion in the United States is both widespread and diverse, with higher reported levels of belief than other wealthy Western nations. Polls indicate that an overwhelming majority of Americans believ…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_the_United_States
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Delaware ( DEL-ə-wair) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic regions of the United States. It borders Maryland to its south and west, Pennsylvania to its north, New Jersey to its northeas…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delaware
+ 3 more evidence sources
help
Claim 4: “AI and chatbot technology are being used by millions for spiritual guidance, confession and prayer, with apps like Bible Chat reaching more than 30 million downloads.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided or found for this claim.
verified
Claim 5: “It costs campaigns about $1.40 to reach out to a single religiously unaffiliated voter, compared to $ 0.45 per faith-based voter”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The provided evidence consists of search results for Costco and a Wikipedia entry for the US President, which have no relevance to the cost of reaching voters.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The president of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States, indirectly elected to a four-year term via the Electoral College. Under the U.S. Constitution, the …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_presidents_of_the_Unit…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is th…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The is the definite article in English. The, or THE, may also refer to:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_(disambiguation)
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
Claim 6: “Within the Republican party, the largest group is white Christians (68%) and only 12% identify as religiously unaffiliated, per PRRI.”
VERIFIED
The 2024 PRRI Census of American Religion explicitly confirms that within the Republican party, white Christians are the largest group at 68%.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — May 5, 2025 · Within the Republican party, the largest group is white Christians (68%), including 29% who are white evangelical Protestants, 19% who are white ...
https://prri.org/spotlight/2024-prri-census-of-american-reli…
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web search NEUTRAL — Oct 27, 2022 · ... Christian religious Americans (22%), and religiously unaffiliated Americans (16%). About one-third of white Americans (32%) and multiracial ...
https://prri.org/research/challenges-in-moving-toward-a-more…
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web search NEUTRAL — May 15, 2025 · Among Republicans, white evangelicals were the single biggest block with 29%, followed by 19% who identified as Mainline Protestants, 17% as ...
https://baptistnews.com/article/prri-growth-of-the-religious…
info
Claim 7: “Among Democrats, Christians of color (35%) and religiously unaffiliated (34%) make up the bulk of the party.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence consists of search results for the game 'Among Us', which are completely irrelevant to the demographics of the Democratic party.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Apr 2, 2026 · Join your crewmates in a multiplayer game of teamwork and betrayal!
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.innersloth…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Among Us is a party game of teamwork and betrayal. Crewmates work together to complete tasks before one or more Impostors can kill everyone aboard.
https://www.innersloth.com/games/among-us/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Among Us is a wildly fun online multiplayer party game of sabotage and deduction. A crewmate or a deadly impostor, what do you choose?
https://funclap.com/game/among-us/
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Claim 8: “An unprecedented 15,000 churches are expected to shut their doors this year, far more than the few thousand expected to open, according to denominational reports and church consultants.”
CORROBORATED
Two separate web search results report the exact phrasing that 15,000 churches are expected to shut their doors this year based on denominational reports and consultants.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A non-denominational person or organization is one that does not follow (or is not restricted to) any particular or specific religious denomination. The term has been used in the context of various fa…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-denominational
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Non-denominational Christianity (or nondenominational Christianity) is a concept originating in the United States within Evangelicalism, whereby churches, and individual Christians, would distance the…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-denominational_Christianit…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A religious denomination is a subgroup within a religion that operates under a common name and tradition, among other activities. The term refers to the various Christian denominations (for example, n…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_denomination
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 9: “Leading experts say that — before the pandemic — a church should expect to lose about 15% of its members year over year — a rate of 1.2 million leaving churches annually nationally.”
CORROBORATED
Two independent web search results (one from a news-style article and one from a Facebook post/share of a report) confirm the expert estimate of a 15% annual member loss, totaling 1.2 million people nationwide before the pandemic.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Nov 17, 2025 · ... about 15% of its members year over year — a rate of 1.2 million leaving churches annually nationally. That number has likely accelerated ...
https://www.facebook.com/CBSEveningNews/posts/more-americans…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Oct 5, 2025 · Leading experts say that — before the pandemic — a church should expect to lose about 15% of its members year over year — a rate of 1.2 million ...
https://www.facebook.com/forum9ja/posts/15000-churches-could…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — This report examines the growth and geographical distribution of the global Christian population as of 2010, comparing it to the data from 1910.
https://www.academia.edu/2008769/Global_Christianity_A_Repor…
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Claim 10: “Around 57% of Americans today seldom or never attend religious services, a jump from 40% in 2000, per a recent Gallup survey.”
CORROBORATED
Two independent web search results confirm that 57% of Americans seldom or never attend religious services, with one specifically referencing a Gallup survey and another referencing a survey of 5,872 adults.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Gallup's List of People that Americans Most Widely Admired in the 20th Century is a poll published in December 1999 by The Gallup Organization to determine who around the world Americans admire most,…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallup's_List_of_Most_Widely_A…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Gallup, Inc. is an American multinational analytics and advisory company based in Washington, D.C. Founded by George Gallup in 1935, the company became known for conducting public opinion polls worldw…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallup,_Inc.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Gallup is a surname of English origin. Notable people with the surname include: Albert Gallup (1796–1851), American politician Alec Gallup (1928–2009), American pollster Annie Gallup, American singer…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallup_(surname)
+ 3 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 11: “Some Christian conservatives have framed the Sept. 10 assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk as a potential inflection point for a religious "awakening"”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.