'Allergic reaction to US religious right' fueling decline of religion, experts say

Percentage of churchgoing Americans is steadily falling, and the swirl of rightwing politics and Christianity is playing a key role

Fewer than half of Americans belong to a house of worship, a new study shows, but religion - and Christianity in particular - continues to have an outsize influence in US politics, especially because it is declining faster among Democrats than Republicans.

Just 47% of the US population are members of a church, mosque or synagogue, according to a survey by Gallup, down from 70% two decades ago - in part a result of millennials turning away from religion but also, experts say, a reaction to the swirling mix of rightwing politics and Christianity pursued by the Republican party.