US churches emptying out, YouTube mystics' influence grows
The United States is facing the most rapid religious shift in its modern history. Nearly 30 percent of adults now report that they do not subscribe to any religion - an increase of 33 percent since 2013, the website Axios reports.
At the same time, thousands of churches are closing, especially smaller ones. Young Americans (ages 18-29) are the most secular group - up to 38 percent are religiously inactive.
This trend is also changing the political map: the Democratic Party has an increasing number of secular voters, while Republicans are still strongly anchored among white Christians.
The phenomenon of the "great unchurching" is accompanied by the rise of alternative spirituality through platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, and even AI chatbots designed for prayer and confession.
(mja)