Rodney Stark's attempt to put a brave face on the decline of religion in the U.S. ("The Myth of Unreligious America," Houses of Worship, July 5) is understandable but ultimately unconvincing. He claims that America is not really becoming more secular because most of the 20% of Americans with no religion still believe in a God.

But when we look at behavior, instead of stated beliefs, we see that America is even less religious than polls suggest. While 40% of Americans claim weekly church attendance, direct studies...