Study finds sharp drop in Americans who are 'absolutely certain' God exists

Americans are becoming less and less religious, according to a Pew Research Center study released Tuesday. Taking measure of the U.S. religious landscape in 2014, the survey found that "nones" — a growing minority that says they do not belong to an organized faith — are on the rise even as the certainty that God exists has fallen since Pew last tested the waters in 2007.

However, compared to other "advanced industrial countries," Pew learned that the number of American adults who believe in God is still remarkably high, even as it's dipped to 89 percent from 2007's 92 percent. The bigger drop came in the "certainty" that God exists: In 2007, 71 percent of Americans could say they were certain, whereas only 63 percent reported being so today.

In addition to the rise of religious nones (who now make up 23 percent of the U.S. population, compared with the 77 percent of Americans who identify with a faith), millennials are also effecting the overall climate of the religious landscape. Compared to older generations like the Baby Boomers, far fewer millennials are certain God exists (only about one half report that they are), with just four in 10 millennials saying religion is important to them or that they pray every day.

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But religion aside, Americans may be making gains spiritually. In a jump since 2007, six in 10 Americans now report that they feel a deep sense of "spiritual peace and well-being" regularly, while 46 percent feel a deep sense of "wonder about the universe" at least once a week.