U.S. Churches: Going the Way of GM?

Americans age 18 to 29 are becoming less religious, according to a comprehensive survey by LifeWay Christian Resources. USA Today's Cathy Lynn Grossman examines the results, reporting, "Most young adults today don't pray, don't worship and don't read the Bible. ... Many are unsure Jesus is the only path to heaven: Half say yes, half no." She says other such studies confirm "a steady drift away from church life."

LifeWay Christian Resources President Thom Rainer has some very frank, dour words on his reaction to the survey. He compares U.S. churches to beleaguered U.S. automaker General Motors, which has seen crashing sales numbers and has fought for survival even after a massive bailout from the government.

The Millennial generation will see churches closing as quickly as GM dealerships. ... many are either mushy Christians or Christians in name only ... Most are just indifferent. The more precisely you try to measure their Christianity, the fewer you find committed to the faith. ... We have dumbed down what it means to be part of the church so much that it means almost nothing, even to people who already say they are part of the church.