Seven in 10 Americans say religion as a whole is losing its influence on American life. This is a near-record high percentage since Gallup began asking the question more than 50 years ago.
According to the Gallup poll, released Wednesday, 54 percent of Americans say religion is "very important" in their lives, down slightly from the past two decades. Meanwhile, the percentage of Americans who say religion is "not very important" continues to edge upward and is currently at 20 percent.