Up to 15,000 churches are predicted to close in the U.S. amid religious changes

In the United States, up to 15,000 churches are expected to close this year. This is due to significant changes in the religious landscape of the country, resulting in a shrinking number of parishioners and financial hardship for many congregations. As Axios reports, these processes reflect profound shifts in American society.

The predicted mass closure of temples is a consequence of long-term trends in American society. In recent decades, the country has experienced a significant outflow of believers from traditional Christian denominations, while the number of people who do not identify themselves as belonging to any religion (the so-called «religiously unaffiliated») has been steadily increasing. This leads to a decrease in attendance and donations, making the maintenance of many parishes unprofitable.

Experts note that these changes affect not only large cities, but also rural regions, where churches have traditionally played a central role in public life and were important social centers. The phenomenon of «religious shift» poses new challenges to religious organizations, requiring them to adapt to the changing needs and beliefs of the population, as well as to find new models of functioning to maintain their influence and significance.

Earlier we reported that a new sociological study in the United States revealed growing contradictions in the views of Americans on the Bible and the foundations of the Christian faith. According to the results, almost half of the respondents consider the Holy Scripture a collection of myths, not the Word of God. At the same time, a significant proportion of respondents also doubt the divinity of Jesus Christ, although they recognize the Bible as an authoritative guide to life.