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WASHINGTON — 

The number of Americans who identify as Christian has declined steadily for years, but that drop shows signs of slowing, according to a new survey Wednesday from the Pew Research Center.

The Religious Landscape Study finds 62% of U.S. adults call themselves Christians. While a significant dip from 2007, when 78% of Americans identified as Christian, Pew found the Christian share of the population has remained relatively stable since 2019.

The rapid rise of the religiously unaffiliated — the so-called "nones" — has also reached at least a temporary plateau, according to Pew. Approximately 29% of U.S. adults identify as religiously unaffiliated, including those who are atheist (5%), agnostic (6%) or "nothing in particular" (19%).

"It's striking to have observed this recent period of stability in American religion after that long period of decline," said Pew's Gregory Smith, one of the study's co-authors. "One thing we can't know for sure is whether these short-term signs of stabilization will prove to be a lasting change in the country's religious trajectory."

By some measures, the U.S. remains overwhelmingly spiritual. Many Americans have a supernatural outlook, with 83% believing in God or a universal spirit and 86% believing that people have a soul or spirit. About seven in 10 Americans believe in heaven, hell or both.

Young adults are less religious than their elders

Despite this widespread spirituality, there are harbingers of future religious decline. Most notably, Pew found a huge age gap, with 46% of the youngest American adults identifying as Christian, compared to 80% of the oldest adults. The youngest adults are also three times more likely than the oldest group to be religiously unaffiliated.

"These kinds of generational differences are a big part of what's driven the long-term declines in American religion," Smith said. "As older cohorts of highly religious, older people have passed away, they have been replaced by new cohorts of young adults who are less religious than their parents and grandparents."

Michele Margolis, a University of Pennsylvania political scientist not affiliated with the Pew survey, has studied how religious involvement changes over a lifetime.

Young adults frequently move away from religion. "Then when you get married and have kids, this is a time where scholars have noted that religion is more likely to become important," Margolis said.

Margolis said one question going forward is whether the youngest American adults firmly reject organized religion, or if some of them will return to the religious fold as they age.

Between 2007 and 2024, Pew religious landscape studies haven't indicated that Americans are growing more religious as they get older.

Smith at Pew said "something would need to change" to stop the long-term decline of American religion, whether that's adults becoming more religious with age or new generations becoming more religious than their parents.

How partisan politics intertwines with religious identity

The long-term decline of U.S. Christianity and rise of the "nones" has occurred across traditions, gender, race, ethnicity, education and region. But it is much more evident among political liberals, according to Pew. The survey shows 51% of liberals claim no religion, up 24 points from 2007. Only 37% of U.S. liberals identify as Christian, down from 62% in 2007.

Penny Edgell, a University of Minnesota sociologist and expert adviser for the Pew study, said this religious and political sorting aligns with whether people "support traditional, patriarchal gender and family arrangements."

Edgell also notes that Black Americans defy the assumption that all Democrats are less religious than Republicans.

"More Black Americans percentagewise are Democrats, but their rates of religious involvement are still really high," Edgell said. "That has something to do with the way that religious institutions and politics have been intertwined in historically unique ways for different groups."

Roughly seven in 10 Black Protestants told Pew that religion is very important to them — about the same rate as evangelicals and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But Black Protestants are likely to identify as Democrats (72%), whereas evangelicals and Latter-day Saints are likely to identify as Republican (70% and 73%, respectively).

The Pew survey tracks many religious traditions

It's been nearly 10 years since the last Religious Landscape Study, which tracks religious data that the U.S. census does not.

The new survey found that a majority of immigrants to the U.S. are Christian (58%), but they also follow the upward trend of the religiously unaffiliated, with a quarter of foreign-born U.S. adults claiming no religion.

The number of Americans who belong to religions besides Christianity has been increasing, though it's still a small portion of the population (7%). That includes the 2% who are Jewish, and the 1% each who are Muslim, Buddhist or Hindu.

Of U.S. Christian adults, 40% are Protestant and 19% are Catholic. The remaining 3% in Pew's survey include Latter-day Saints, Orthodox Christians, Jehovah's Witnesses and smaller Christian groups.

The two largest Protestant denominations in the Pew survey remain the Southern Baptist Convention and the United Methodist Church – though both have lost many members since the first Religious Landscape Study in 2007.

The Pew Religious Landscape Study was conducted in English and Spanish between July 2023 and March 2024, among a nationally representative sample of 36,908 respondents in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The survey's margin of error for results based on the full sample is plus or minus 0.8 percentage points.

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After devastating wildfires tore through Los Angeles, the 97th Academy Awards are going forward.

Like the Grammys and other awards shows this year, the ceremony will be transformed by the fires and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has pledged to help its members and the broader film community recover.

Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s show:

When are the Oscars?

The Academy Awards will be held March 2, at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles. The show, to be broadcast live by ABC, is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Eastern/4 p.m. Pacific.

Who's hosting the Oscars?

Conan O’Brien is hosting the Academy Awards for the first time. O’Brien, the late-night host turned podcaster and occasional movie star, said upon the announcement: “America demanded it and now it’s happening: Taco Bell’s new Cheesy Chalupa Supreme. In other news, I’m hosting the Oscars.”

How have the wildfires altered the show?

The wildfires that consumed large parts of Los Angeles in early January led some to call for the cancellation of the Academy Awards. The academy twice postponed the announcement of nominations but never pushed the March 2 date of the ceremony. Academy leaders have argued the show must go ahead, for its economic impact on Los Angeles and as a symbol of resilience.

Organizers have vowed this year’s awards will “celebrate the work that unites us as a global film community and acknowledge those who fought so bravely against the wildfires.”

Still, the fires have curtailed much of the usual frothiness of Hollywood's awards season. The film academy canceled its annual nominees’ luncheon.

For many involved in the Oscars, the fires have been felt acutely. O'Brien's Pacific Palisades home survived but his family has been unable to go back to it. O'Brien's assistant and podcast co-host Sona Movsesian lost her home.

“I know so many people who lost their homes and I’m just, was ridiculously lucky,” O’Brien told The Associated Press. “So, we want to make sure that that show reflects what’s happening and that we put a light on the right people in the right way.”

Who's presenting at the Oscars?

More stars were added to the presenter lineup last week, including Selena Gomez, Oprah Winfrey, Joe Alwyn, Goldie Hawn, Ben Stiller, Ana de Armas, Sterling K. Brown, Willem Dafoe, Lily-Rose Depp and Connie Nielsen. They'll join the likes of Halle Berry, Penelope Cruz, Elle Fanning, Whoopi Goldberg, Scarlett Johansson, John Lithgow, Amy Poehler, June Squibb and Bowen Yang, as well as last year's acting winners — Emma Stone, Robert Downey Jr., Cillian Murphy, Da’Vine Joy Randolph — on the Oscar stage.

Though the academy initially said it would bring back the “fab five” style of presenting the acting awards, with five previous winners per category, organizers have reportedly abandoned those plans for this year’s ceremony. Nick Offerman will also be participating as the Oscars announcer.

Will there be any performances?

The academy has announced that, unlike previous years, the original song nominees will not be performed this time. That doesn't mean there won't be music, though.

Doja Cat, LISA of Blackpink, Queen Latifah and RAYE will be part of “showstopping performances celebrating the filmmaking community and some of its legends,” producers announced Monday, as will Wicked's Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. (The songs from Wicked weren't eligible for best song since, hailing from the Broadway musical, they aren't original to the movie.) The Los Angeles Master Chorale will also appear.

What's nominated for best picture?

The 10 nominees for best picture are: Anora, The Brutalist, A Complete Unknown, Conclave, Dune: Part 2, Emilia Perez, I’m Still Here, Nickel Boys, The Substance, and Wicked.

How to watch Oscar-nominated films?

Some of the nominees are still in theaters, but many of this year’s Oscar nominees are streaming on various platforms.

Who are the favorites?

More than most years, that’s a tricky question, but a front-runner had emerged after Anora took the top awards at the Producers Guild, Directors Guild and Independent Spirit Awards. The best picture race had been seen as unusually wide open, with Anora, Conclave, The Brutalist, A Complete Unknown and Emilia Perez all having legitimate hopes of winning — the hopes of Conclave further boosted by its Screen Actors Guild ensemble win.

In the acting categories, Demi Moore (The Substance) is favored for best actress, although Mikey Madison's BAFTA and Independent Spirit wins for Anora makes it more of a race. Adrien Brody (The Brutalist) is most likely in best actor — though SAG winner Timothee Chalamet could threaten — while Zoe Saldana (Emilia Perez) is the supporting actress front-runner and Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain) is the favorite for best supporting actor. None of those awards, however, is considered a definite lock.

What's the deal with ‘Emilia Perez’?

Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Perez, a narco-musical about a Mexican drug lord who undergoes gender-affirming surgery, comes in with a leading 13 nominations. The film, at one point, seemed like Netflix’s best chance yet to land the streamer its first best picture win. Its star, Karla Sofia Gascon, made history by becoming the first openly trans actor nominated for an Oscar.

But no nominee has had a rockier post-nominations Oscar campaign. After old offensive tweets by Gascon were uncovered, the actress issued an apology. The fallout, though, has badly damaged a movie that was already a divisive contender, and led Netflix to radically refocus its flagging campaign.

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Los Angeles — 

Former Vice President Kamala Harris stepped on the NAACP Image Awards stage Saturday night with a sobering message, calling the civil rights organization a pillar of the Black community and urging people to stay resilient and hold onto their faith during the tenure of President Donald Trump.

"While we have no illusions about what we are up against in this chapter in our American story, this chapter will be written not simply by whoever occupies the oval office nor by the wealthiest among us," Harris said after receiving the NAACP's Chairman's Award. "The American story will be written by you. Written by us. By we the people."

The 56th annual Image Awards was held at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in the Los Angeles area.

Harris, defeated by Trump in last year's presidential election, was the first woman and the first person of color to serve as vice president. She had previously been a U.S. senator from California and the state's attorney general.

In her first major public appearance since leaving office, Harris did not reference her election loss or Trump's actions since entering the Oval Office, although Trump mocked her earlier in the day at the Conservative Political Action Conference.

Harris spoke about eternal vigilance, the price of liberty, staying alert, seeking the truth and America's future.

"Some see the flames on our horizons, the rising waters in our cities, the shadows gathering over our democracy and ask 'What do we do now?'" Harris said. "But we know exactly what to do, because we have done it before. And we will do it again. We use our power. We organize, mobilize. We educate. We advocate. Our power has never come from having an easy path."

Other winners of the Chairman's prize have included former President Barack Obama, the late Rep. John Lewis and the late actor Ruby Dee.

NAACP Hall of Fame

Harris was honored during the ceremony along with the Wayans family. The family was inducted into the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame in recognition of pioneering contributions to film, TV, sketch and stand-up comedy that have shaped Hollywood for decades.

Keenen Ivory Wayans, Damon Wayans Sr., Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Kim Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr. each were recognized.

Marlon Wayans, whose guest appearance on Peacock's "Bel-Air" was up for an NAACP award, shared how Keenen Ivory Wayans sparked the family's rise.

"He raised us all like Jedis," he said. "We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for our big brother."

Marlon Wayans joked that when his brother told their mom he was leaving college for comedy, she said, "Boy, I've known you your whole life, and you ain't never said nothing funny. That's the funniest thing you've said."

The crowd erupted in laughter, a fitting tribute to a family that has kept audiences laughing for more than three decades.

The family has a long list of credits. Keenen Ivory Wayans created the sketch comedy series "In Living Color" in 1990 and directed the 2000 slasher spoof "Scary Movie," which was written by Marlon Wayans and Shawn Wayans, who also wrote and starred in "White Chicks" in 2004. Damon Wayan's had a starring role in the 1995 comedy "Major Payne," and currently co-stars with son Damon Wayans Jr. in the CBS sitcom "Poppa's House," which was nominated for an NAACP Award. The pair also were nominated for their acting on the show.

Damon Wayans Jr. has acted in two of the most critically acclaimed comedies in recent years: "Happy Endings" and "New Girl." Kim Wayans, a comedian, actor and director, also received praise for her work in the 2011 drama "Pariah."

Entertainer of the year

Keke Palmer expressed her surprise after her name was called as winner of the coveted entertainment of the year.

"Oh my gosh. Guys, I didn't think I was going to win," said Palmer, who paid homage to fellow nominee Cynthia Erivo's Oscar-nominated performance in "Wicked."

Palmer starred in the buddy comedy "One of Them Days," which debuted No. 1 at the box office last month. She also won an Emmy for her hosting efforts on NBC's "Password."

"It's such an amazing category to be in with all these people," Palmer said. "It's a beautiful night. It's Black History Month, y'all. It's so important we all come here together and celebrate one another with one another."

Other nominees included Kendrick Lamar, Kevin Hart and Shannon Sharpe.

Awards recognize LA residents impacted by wildfires

Image Awards host Deon Cole honored residents of the nearby Altadena neighborhood who were affected by January's devastating Los Angeles-area wildfires.

A video of the fire devastation played before actor Morris Chestnut took the stage.

"Homes were lost, stores destroyed, countless lives shattered and over two dozen souls gone forever," said Chestnut, a Los Angeles native who referenced impacted areas such as Altadena, the Pacific Palisades and Malibu.

"But what was not lost is the spirit of our community," said Chestnut, who noted 22 Altadena residents attended the show on Saturday. Many in the audience stood and applauded.

Cole shifted tone and brightened the mood with a comedic prayer for Kanye West's wife to find more clothes after her barely-there Grammys look and for Shannon Sharpe to finally size up his T-shirts.

The opening act was a lead-up to the evening's first award: Queen Latifah as best actress in a drama series for her role in "The Equalizer."

Chappelle honored

Dave Chappelle was honored with the President's Award for his "thought-provoking humor."

Accepting the award, Chappelle talked about the NAACP's push against negative portrayals of Black people in media and the importance of representation.

"Every opportunity we get, we just keep chipping away at this monster of a machine," he said.

Past recipients of the President's Award include Jay-Z, Lauryn Hill, Usher, Rihanna and John Legend.

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The papal thriller "Conclave" won best ensemble and Timothee Chalamet took best actor at the 31st Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday, a pair of twists that added a few final wrinkles to an unusually unpredictable awards season.

In winning the guild's top award, Edward Berger's Vatican-set drama triumphed just as the Catholic Church was praying for the health of Pope Francis, who remained in critical condition Sunday after an asthmatic respiratory crisis. "Conclave" dramatizes the fictional election of a new pope. Earlier in the evening onstage, Isabella Rossellini shared the cast's best wishes for Pope Francis.

All the momentum going into the SAG Awards was with Sean Baker's "Anora," which had won with the producers, directors and writers guilds. Now, with "Conclave" winning with the actors and at the BAFTAs, what will nab best picture in a week's time at the Academy Awards is, again, anyone's guess.

"Wow," said "Conclave" star Ralph Fiennes taking the stage. "I've not been elected to speak. I've been designated to speak on behalf of our conclave, our ensemble."

That wasn't the only surprise in the ceremony held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles and streamed lived by Netflix. Chalamet's best actor win upset "The Brutalist" star Adrien Brody and put the 29-year-old on course to possibly win his first Academy Award.

Chalamet looked visibly surprised when his name was announced at the ceremony. But once he reached the staged, the "A Complete Unknown" star spoke with composure and confidence.

"The truth is, this was 5 ½ years of my life," said Chalamet. "I poured everything I had into playing this incomparable artist, Mr. Bob Dylan, a true American hero. It was the honor of a lifetime playing him."

He then added: "The truth is, I'm really in pursuit of greatness. I know people don't usually talk like that, but I want to be one of the greats."

The other Oscar favorites — Demi Moore, Zoe Saldana and Kieran Culkin — all won. The SAG Awards are closely watched as an Oscar preview. Their picks don't always align exactly with those of the film academy, but they often nearly do.

The last three best ensemble winners — "Oppenheimer," "Everything Everywhere All at Once" and "CODA" — all went on to win best picture at the Oscars. All but one of the SAG acting winners of the last three years has also won the Oscar. (The sole exception was Lily Gladstone, who won SAG's award for female actor last year for "Killers of the Flower Moon," but the Oscar trophy went to Emma Stone for "Poor Things".)

Moore seemingly solidified her Oscar chances by following up her Golden Globe win for her performance in "The Substance." Moore, whose campaign was boosted by her speech about being pigeonholed a "popcorn actress," has traded awards with "Anora" breakthrough Mikey Madison.

"What we believe is so much more powerful than what we think," said Moore. "The saying, 'I'll believe it when I see it' — the reality is when I believe it, I will see it."

The SAG Awards unfolded against the backdrop of the aftermath of the devastating wildfires that began in early January. Those fires forced the guild to cancel its in-person nominations announcement and launch a disaster relief fund for SAG-AFTRA members affected. Host Kristen Bell introduced attending firefighters as "the most attractive tables" among a sea of stars.

Jane Fonda, 87, given the guild's Life Achievement Award, provided the evening with its most passionately political moment. Fonda, a famed activist, spoke indirectly about President Donald Trump's administration.

"We are in our documentary moment," said Fonda. "This is it. And it's not a rehearsal."

Fonda added that "woke just means you give a damn about other people."

"A whole lot of people are going to be hurt by what's happening, by what's coming our way," said Fonda. "We are going to need a big tent to resist what's coming at us."

Jean Smart, who had advocated for canceling award shows because of the wildfires, won best female actor in a comedy series for "Hacks." Smart didn't attend, but participated in a pre-taped introduction as her character, Deborah Vance.

Also not in attendance: Martin Short, though he upset Jeremy Allen White to win best male actor in a comedy series for "Only Murders in the Building." The Hulu series also won for best comedy ensemble.

"Wait, we never win. This is so weird," said Selena Gomez. "Marty and Steve (Martin) aren't here because, you know, they don't really care."

Colin Farrell won his first SAG award, for his performance in "The Penguin" and also became the first winner ever introduced, by Jamie Lee Curtis, as "the man who gave me COVID at the Golden Globes." Farrell bounded to the stage and promptly responded, "Guilty as charged," before blaming Brendan Gleeson for giving it to him.

The night's first televised award went to Culkin, who has won just about every award in the category for "A Real Pain." Gripping the SAG trophy, he could quickly tell the difference.

"It is funny that the heaviest of all awards is given by actors," said Culkin, who characteristically riffed his way through a rambling acceptance speech before swearing sincerity: "Believe it or not, this actually means a lot to me."

Netflix's "Emilia Perez," which has seen its awards hopes largely dashed by controversy over old tweets by lead actor Karla Sofia Gascon, took home the award for best female supporting actor, for Oscar favorite Saldana.

For Netflix's second time around streaming the awards, it inserted ads sporadically, like a traditional broadcast. Last year, downtimes were occupied by backstage interviews. Audio issues occasionally marred the broadcast, including brief interruptions of Fonda's speech.

After romps at the Emmys and Golden Globes, "Shogun" kept up its dominance. The FX series won best drama series ensemble, along with acting awards for Hiroyuki Sanada, Anna Sawai and for best stunt ensemble. The corresponding award for film went to the stunt performer ode "The Fall Guy."

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