Churches, like other political groups, often rely on perceptions of reality, not reality itself. Judging from the public perception, almost everyone in this country goes to church on Sunday, and is quite religious.
Yet the chances are far better than 50% that you personally didn't go to church last weekend. How can I know this? Simple: I've measured the percentage of people who actually attend church in my area. During the spring of last year, I measured the actual church attendance of three local townships, visiting each and every church. Then I compared this number to population of those 3 townships. The shocking truth is this: over 85% of the people in my area DON'T go to church. I think my area is a good sample of what the real America is like.
Now of course, not everyone who stays away from church is an atheist or agnostic. Some are sick or otherwise can't make it. Some are undoubtedly lukewarm theists. However, I suspect that a fair number of that 85% are non-believers. People who think that church is quite frankly a waste of time. Or worse. People who think that churches are little more than tax-free businesses set up to keep priests and pastors employed. People who view religion as the spreading of outdated superstition. People who doubt that a god exists to hear prayers or take care of the weak, the sick or the dying. People who know that if there is a job to do, there's nobody but ourselves to get it done.
If you feel this way, you are not alone. You're not a freak. You are not
depraved. There are others of us out here who think like you. If you live
in Upstate New York, why not join with us, and help make intellectual honesty
more respectable?