I think this trend is going to change in the 2nd half of the century. I think we're going to see an exodus from cities back to country living and agrarian society. The reason for this is AI doing manufacturing/production and there's only so many jobs for so many people. When one person can push a button and do the production that 50 or more used to do, those 50 or more people are going to have to go somewhere. I imagine they'll find themselves in healthcare and warehouse type jobs. So when people leave the cities & suburbs, I definitely see a rise in religion (in particular Christianity). My projection could definitely be completely wrong. But what I can see happening.

During the Covid pandemic, churches that remained open (often having to fight legal challenges) made significant gains in membership. Some churches doubled or tripled.

There is still a strong desire to "gather in His name"

The timeline is precise. The 90's are when many different versions of the Bible arose with most being redacted to side with social issues and to counter Biblical teachings from the RSV of 1948 and the KJV which were condemning of contemporary social mores.

Seminaries started pumping out social gospel warriors instead of ministers of the faith.

Denominations that hadn't split already over these matters began their long slow march toward schism. And those who had faithfully supported churches in record numbers, the WWII generation began to die out, leaving fickle Boomers as the largest number of members and a generation split between liberalism and conservatism in the church.

Why attend churches that lie to you about what the Bible says?

And why did seminaries head left in a hurry? Because most were attached to universities which received Federal subsidies and wanted to keep them. Meanwhile denominations took money from the government's 1000 points of light and found that the programs they started with it wouldn't remain funded if they deviated from political positions.

In short the faithful were outnumbered by those who attended church for social reasons, those who had political agendas, and were asleep when denominational leaders sold them on false doctrine and lies.

Christians, meaning those who faithfully adhere to Biblical teachings and actually believe in the Son of God and His return have never been the majority of those claiming the faith. So when churches started offering what you could get on the news every night people quit coming. And cell phones replaced face to face encounters and skype did as well and then COVID taught everyone that being together was risky, and boom. You get what we're seeing.

Meanwhile the faithful soldier on, working to help those in need, contributing to the healing of the sick, ministering to the prisoners and strangers within our gates, and faithfully teaching their families to love God with their whole hearts and their neighbors as themselves. And most importantly, trying faithfully to witness Christ to a world of scoffers.

So what's new that hasn't happened since Christ was actually among us? Pretty much nothing. The world is still sick and lost. But some people in it are not!

Good post JR

Another huge win by the MOB. The OP is gone.