The importance of religion in the lives of Americans is shrinking

The importance of religion in the lives of Americans is on the decline.

However, for people who do still attend religious services, they say they're optimistic about the future of their house of worship. Those are among the findings of a new report from the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI).

Just 16% of Americans surveyed said religion is the most important thing in their lives, according to the PRRI study, down from 20% a decade ago.

Melissa Deckman, CEO of the Public Religion Research Institute, says that this data reflects...