American Faith in Organized Rel. at All-Time Low; Only 44% of Americans Have Confidence in Rel.

The Huffington Post website reports today (July 13, 2012) that -- according to a new Gallup poll -- the number of Americans who have faith in organized religion is at an all-time low.

Only 44 percent of Americans today have a lot of confidence in organized religion, compared to 66 percent in 1973 when organized religion or church was the highest rated institution in Gallup's "confidence in institutions measure."

The consistent decline in religion may be tied to scandals associated with televangelist preachers Jim Baker and Jimmy Swaggart, as well as the 2002 child molestation charges and cover-ups in the Catholic Church.

The new poll showed Protestants being more confident in organized religion than Catholics, since 56 percent of Protestants had a lot of confidence in organized religion, compared to only 46 percent of Catholics.