Reporter: THE NEW

BOOK'S TITLE SAYS IT

ALL, "GOD IS ALIVE AND

WELL."

AND FRANK NEWPORT, HEAD OF

THE GALLOP, HAS THE NUMBERS

TO PROVE IT.

WE HAVE WELL OVER 90% OF

AMERICANS IN OUR SURVEY

QUESTIONS SAY THEY BELIEVE

IN GOD.

SO RIGHT THERE IS EVIDENCE

THAT, AT LEAST IN THE MINDS

OF THE MAJORITY OF

AMERICANS, GOD IS QUITE

ALIVE.

Reporter: THE BOOK'S

FINDINGS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF

RELIGION IN AMERICA REST ON

MORE THAN 300,000 INTERVIEWS

CONDUCTED LAST YEAR AND IN

EARLIER YEARS.

SOME HAVE DECLARED THIS A

POST-CHRISTIAN AGE, BUT

NEWPORT SAYS NOT ACCORDING

TO THE DATA.

75% TO 80% OF AMERICANS

AND CHRISTIANS.

AMERICANS ARE RELIGIOUS AND

MAY BECOMING MORE RELIGIOUS

IN THE COMING YEARS.

Reporter: THE NEW

PRESIDENT OF THE COALITION

FOR AMERICA SHOWS A BIG

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN

CHURCH-GOERS AND BELIEVERS.

AMONG THE PROTESTANTS YOU

HAVE ABOUT 30% WHO GO AND

DON'T BELIEVE IN GOD.

Reporter: SHE CITES HER

OWN EXPERIENCE AS A

NON-BELIEVER, GOING TO

CHURCH.

I WENT AS AN EARLY TEEN

WITH GIRLFRIENDS.

I LIKED THE SOCIAL SIDE OF

IT AND GOT COKE AND LAY'S

POTATO CHIPS.

Reporter: SHE SAYS THE

NUMBER OF NON-AFFILIATED HAS

SOARED TO 20%, AND IT HAS

DOUBLED AMONG THE YOUNG.

THERE ARE QUITE A NUMBER

OF 10, 12, 14, 15-YEAR-OLDS

THAT WILL COME OUT AND SAY

THEY'RE ATHEIST.

WE CALL THAT THE RISE OF

THE NUNS.

NOT LIKE THE U.S. LYING THE

FLYING NUN, BUT PEOPLE WHO

SAY WHAT IS YOUR RELIGIOUS

IDENTITY, THEY SAY THEY

DON'T HAVE ANY.

AGE 23 IS THE LEAST

RELIGIOUS AGE, FROM 18 TO

DEATH.

Reporter: BUT HE SAYS

FAITH AND CHURCH ATTENDANCE

PICKS UP AS AMERICANS MARRY

AND HAVE KIDS AND AGE.

NEWPORT BELIEVE AS WORD OF

HIS GETS AROUND, IT MAY MAKE

RELIGION EVEN MORE POPULAR.

OTHER REASONS HE SEES A

BRIGHT FUTURE FOR FAITH,

THOSE OVER 60 ARE SIMPLY

MORE RELIGIOUS.

AND BABY-BOOMERS ARE

BEGINNING AN EXPLOSION.

AND MANY ARE IN THE BIBLE

BELT, AND NEWCOMERS TEND TO

PICK UP

THE REGIONAL

CULTURE.

BUT ROGERS LOOKS AT OTHER

WESTERN NATIONS AND THINKS

AMERICA MAY FOLLOW THEM AND

LOSE THEIR FAITH.

WE HAVE COUNTRIES IN

EUROPE, WHERE YOU HAVE ONLY

16% OF THE COUNTRY THAT

BELIEVE IN GOD.

Reporter: NEWPORT JUST

DIDN'T BUY IT.

I WOULDN'T SAY WE'RE

MOVING INTO A POST-CHRISTIAN

OR POST-RELIGION ERA.

ROGERS SAYS OF THE NUNS,

THEY ARE --

THEY ARE CONSIDERED THE

LARGEST RELIGION IN THE

DEMOCRATIC PARTY.

THE DELEGATES DOWN AT THE

DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION WANTED

NO MENTION IN THEIR

PLATFORM.

HE STARTED TALKING ABOUT

HOW IN HIS VIEW RELIGION

TRANSLATES INTO BASICALLY

DEMOCRATIC POSITIONS ON

ISSUES, LIKE QUALITY AND

COMPASSION FOR THE POOR, AND

THINGS LIKE THAT.

AND THAT SUGGESTED TO ME THE

POSSIBILITY THAT THE

DEMOCRATS MAY GET THE

CONTEST FOR THE RELIGIOUS

VOTER IN THE YEARS AHEAD.

Reporter: ROGERS

COUNTED IT IS STILL ABOUT

WING WINNING, AND SHE SAYS

THE G.O.P. COURTING THE

YOUNGER PEOPLE.

THEY'RE LOOKING AT THE

DEMOGRAPHICS, AND SEEING THE

GROWING NUMBER, ESPECIALLY

UNDER 30, AND THEY WOULD

LIKE TO STAY IN BUSINESS AND

WIN ELECTIONS.

Reporter: FOR MORE THAN

90% OF THE

PEOPLE WHO

BELIEVE IN

GOD,

BUT ONE

OF

THE

FASTEST GROWING GROUPS

IS THOSE WHO HAVE NO

RELIGION AT ALL.

PAUL STRAND, CBN NEWS,

WASHINGTON.