Look at this graph, how religious belief takes a nose dive when the Internet moves into our lives...The current younger generation is far less religious than previous generations. The Internet has given people the ability to compare notes -- and that's not good for religion, which tends to thrive in bubbles where people's doubts can be stomped down by herd mentality. Western Europe has seen a sharp decline for many years. We are a bit behind, but the erosion of religion is finally happening here at a pretty good clip.
The graph of this index tells the story of the rise and fall of religious activity. During the post-war, baby-booming 1950s, there was a revival of religion. Indeed, some at the time considered it a third great awakening. Then came the societal changes of the 1960s, which included a questioning of religious institutions. The resulting decline in religion stopped by the end of the 1970s, when religiosity remained steady. Over the past fifteen years, however, religion has once again declined. But this decline is much sharper than the decline of 1960s and 1970s. Church attendance and prayer is less frequent. The number of people with no religion is growing. Fewer people say that religion is an important part of their lives. All measures point to the same drop in religion: If the 1950s were another Great Awakening, this is the Great Decline.
http://tobingrant.religionnews.com/2014/01/27/great-decline-religion-united-states-one-graph/
I don't share your charitable view of religion itself. The veneration of "faith" in fact-less, evidence-less nonsense has caused untold harm around the world. And the least religious countries (e.g. Scandinavia) are the best off.
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