They wish.

The research included the choice "nothing in particular". That is very different than saying "none". A number of "non-denominational" churches have sprung up in recent years.And some people move freely back and forth among several denominations over the years.

A telling point is at the end of the article. Today's young people are more inclined to associate with a church through its mission projects than attend a Sunday morning worship service.

No doubt the progs at the NYT consider this a feel-good article.

“A lot of the younger people are very spotty in their attendance at worship, but if we have a mission project, they’re here,” said Ms. Lindner, the pastor of a Presbyterian church in New Jersey. “They run the soup kitchens, they build the houses in Habitat for Humanity.”

Moral therapeutic deism. Better than oogedy-boogedy religion?

The Elmer Gantrys of retail religion have run off many of the faithful.

In spite of much agnosticism in the ranks, organized religion has built and staffed an amazing number of hospitals, schools and charitable institutions.

We can thank the Catholics for higher education in general.

I am not formally religious but here in the Northeast, it is not at all difficult to understand why so many older "mainstream" Protestant denominations are on the decline. They've become limp mouthpieces for an Obama-type agenda and in addition they are breathtakingly boring. You have to have a reason to belong to a religion and Protestant denominations in this part of the country don't give you one.

Wishful thinking on the part of the NYT, as it tries to pull people onto its secular bandwagon.

They don't abandon their faith. That is in Christ and is enduring. But they do abandon the churches that become increasingly political and no longer adhere to Christ's principles.

maybe I am an old fogey, but I don't want to hear low rent garage bands and so called praise music, ever, let alone Sunday morning. Rattled brains are in no position to hear the still, small voice.

I am also not interested in amateur attempts at multimedia presentations, or even a simple projector screen.

Hopefully these are just my local issues, I've attended several churches..once...looking for something that I cannot find.

Bear in mind the news source and the delibrate infiltration of most organized religion by sharletans bent of pushing gay marraige. Thats why the official organized faiths are in sharp decline. People are just going elsewhere.

The results of years of 'nonjudgmental' liberal Protestant denominations standing for nothing,

As well as not giving believers any internal peace or the faith to sustain them during life's trials and tribulations, or having a faith that gives them JOY.

Just a place to 'go to church'.

#9 - I couldn't agree more. I detest "happy clappy" church services. Five hundred years of ecclesiastical music, and we have to listen to limited-talent kids play guitars and bang drums and chant mind-numbing, repetitive lyrics? And don't even get me started on the "progressive" agenda spouted from the pulpit.

Atheism must be a New York Slime Yankee thing , no wonder they are going out of business the poor dears ...

our church has outgrown the building three times in the last 20 years even after going to two services on Sunday .. Everybody in my large family are Christians and are the happiest most loving people on this planet ... We cling to our guns and religion, remember …

When Obozo cancelled the White House national Day of Prayer and acted like the anti-Christ with his homo thing we just prayed for him … to be gone and shortly he will be ... pray for this nation and God will heal our land