Despite a consistent decline in the share of adults in the United States who identified as Christians over the last 17 years, the trend appears to have slowed in the last five years of a long-term Pew Research study.

The slowdown may not last, however, as other data from Pew's third Religious Landscape Study shows America's youngest adults are significantly more likely to be unaffiliated with religion than their older counterparts, suggesting potential future declines in the "American religious landscape." 

After many years of steady decline, the share of Americans who identify as Christians shows signs of leveling off – at least temporarily – at slightly above six-in-ten, according to a massive new Pew Research Center survey of 36,908 U.S. adults.

The Religious Landscape Study (RLS) is the largest single survey the Center conducts, aiming to provide authoritative figures on the size of U.S. religious groups because the U.S. census does not collect that information.

A major new study on religious views in the United States finds – as Americans’ connection to organized religion continues to fade – there are deep divides over the appropriate role for religion in American public life, with sizable shares in favor of a more formalized role.

The Right Rev Mariann Edgar Budde made headlines this week after she used her sermon on Tuesday at the National Cathedral prayer service for the inauguration to implore Donald Trump to “have mercy upon” immigrants and LGBTQ+ individuals.

Budde, 65, is the first woman to serve as the spiritual leader of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. She has been leading the diocese since her election to the role in 2011. Before that, she served as the rector of St John’s Episcopal church in Minneapolis for 18 years.

Donald Trump at around midnight on Wednesday lashed out against a bishop who stood up to him at the National Prayer Service at the Washington National Cathedral the day before.

Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde appeared on a stage with 11 other faith leaders gave a speech where she asked that the world pray for "unity," which she said wasn't the same as "agreement, political or otherwise."

When he picked up the phone and heard it was a reporter on the line, Louisiana Pastor Tony Spell almost immediately began reciting the Declaration of Independence.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” Spell, the leader of Life Tabernacle Church in Baton Rouge told BuzzFeed News Thursday morning over the phone.

On Saturday, President Trump declared Sunday, March 15, a "National Day of Prayer for All Americans Affected by the Coronavirus Pandemic and for our National Response Efforts."

“I urge Americans of all faiths and religious traditions and backgrounds to offer prayers for all those affected, including people who have suffered harm or lost loved ones,” Trump said in his announcement:

President Donald Trump is unveiling new federal guidelines today to protect the constitutional right to pray in public schools.

The president previewed his idea earlier this month at the Evangelicals for Trump rally at the King Jesus International Ministry in Florida, saying he would take action to safeguard students' and teachers' First Amendment rights to pray in school.

"We will not allow faithful Americans to be bullied by the hard Left," Trump said.

Sen. Christopher Coons doesn’t get much sleep. Unlike most senators, the lawmaker from Delaware commutes to the capital via Amtrak, often returning home late at night to his wife, three kids, and two dogs.

John Inazu The thoughts and prayers debate after San Bernardino exposed the real dividing line in American society.