Nicholas Kristof wrote a column in yesterday’s New York Times that gets the decline of religion in America right, but the reason wrong. Here is my quick response:

Nicholas Kristof presents an implausible explanation of the decline of religion in America.( Aug. 24). He cites the embrace of Trump and other political factors. But if this were true, liberal religion would be in less decline than conservative religion, whereas the reverse is the case. The actual explanation is simply the slow unfolding of the Death of God—it is hard for modern people to accept conscious entities doing miracles. Theism could adapt by moving away from wonder-working god(s), such as in the process theology of Alfred North Whitehead, but has been unable or unwilling to do so. In any event, the phenomenon has nothing to do with politics.