While most Americans still celebrate Christmas as a cultural holiday, ironically, more and more are doing so in an entirely secular manner.  In fact, by all accounts, there has been a shocking rise in the number of people ditching Christianity, people sociologists apparently call "nonverts."

The Pew Research Center now estimates that Christians will be a minority in America by 2070 if current trends continue.  And that will be the end of America, as it was founded on natural law, biblical values, and the Judeo-Christian work ethic, the very reasons it was the most successful nation in history.

Stephen Bullivant, a practicing Catholic who teaches at St. Mary's University in London and the University of Notre Dame in Sydney, recently spoke to Grid News as to why Americans are leaving Christianity in droves.  (Bullivant's new book, Nonverts: The Making of Ex-Christian America, was released in the U.S. on December 1.)  He said that a kind of "cultural whiplash" — from religion to secularism — has taken place in the United States much faster than it has in other parts of the world.

Bullivant noted that this will be difficult to reverse, as the largest demographic of nonverts are younger adults, who are overwhelmingly likely to raise their children as "nones" — people from nonreligious families.  Only a tiny percentage of nonverts ever return to religion, nor do a significant percentage of "nones" embrace religion at any point in their lives.

By 2021, 42 percent of young adults (compared with 29 percent of all adults) weren't religiously affiliated, a figure that has increased dramatically just since the early 2000s.  This is sad.  And problematic.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around the country.  Snow, lights, and decorated trees with gifts under them abound.  Tunes such as "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" and "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" are in the air.

Might it not be better if more of us were singing "O Holy Night"?

And falling on our knees.

In any case, merry Christmas.

And may God bless us, everyone.

Image via Max Pixel.