The Pew Research Center reported in 2021 that about three in ten U.S. adults are now religiously unaffiliated. This trend has been going on for well over half a century, and the secularization evident in American society shows no signs of slowing down. The Pew survey found that the religiously unaffiliated share of the public is six percentage points higher than it was five years ago and 10 points higher than a decade ago.

The Pew researchers posit numerous reasons for the shift, and their statistical data is interesting. The number of religiously unaffiliated people has been increasing for decades. But beyond what the Pew research shows, there may be a deeper and more meaningful reason for the shift. So how does a country whose official motto is “In God we Trust” no longer believe in God?

To that question, a most fascinating and somewhat revolutionary answer was suggested by Rabbi Steven Pruzansky, former rabbi of Congregation Bnai Yeshurun in Teaneck, at a lecture on” Israel and the Era of Redemption” that he gave in New York in December 2023.

Pruzansky noted that while there has been an increase among the religiously unaffiliated, there has also been a corresponding decrease in morality. October 7 showed that the world can’t even appreciate moral values that are eminently clear. The notion of my truth within progressive culture has turned absolute morality into whatever you want it to be. Someone once defined my truth as “a pretentious substitute for non-negotiable personal opinion.”

Pruzansky asked what has changed. What seismic event occurred to change the world so much? Why did the percentage of atheists in the United States rise from 1% to 10% in such a short period of time? Fifty years in world history is almost overnight. There was indeed this shift, but why?

The Gemara in Megilla 29a writes, “At every place they were exiled, the Divine Presence, the Shechina went with them.” When the Jews went to Babylonia, the Divine Presence went with them. Not only was the Divine Presence exiled, but it also didn’t return to the Land of Israel when the Jews themselves did return to build the Second Temple. This is clear from the Gemara in Yoma 21b, which says that the Divine Presence was one of five things that existed in the First Temple but not in the Second Temple.

While God went into exile with the Jews, it says in Nitzavim 30:3, “Then your God will restore your fortunes and take you back in love. God will bring you together again from all the peoples where your God has scattered you.” Rashi comments that the rabbis learned from this pasuk that while the Divine presence dwells with Israel in all the misery of their exile, when they are redeemed (i.e., when He speaks of their being redeemed), He makes Scripture write “Redemption” of Himself (i.e., He makes it state that He will be redeemed) — that He will return with them.

Rabbi Pruzansky said that a great change occurred in 1967 with Israel’s miraculous victory in the Six-Day War. With the return of Jewish sovereignty over Jerusalem, the Divine Presence left the exile and returned to the Land of Israel. The Jews were redeemed, and God returned with them to Israel. Now that the Divine Presence is no longer in exile, His influence is no longer there, which has led to this moral decline.

Jews had prayed daily, “And may our eyes behold Your merciful return to Zion. Blessed are You, God, Who returns His Divine Presence to Zion” (Shemoneh Esrei). And in 1967, those prayers were answered.

The catchphrase “Elvis has left the building” was used by public address announcers after Elvis Presley’s concerts to disperse audiences who lingered in hopes of an encore. Rabbi Pruzansky says the Divine Presence has left the exile, and there will be no encore.

The fact that the Divine Presence has returned from exile means that His presence and influence have been diminished. And with that lack of divine influence on the world order, morality has also declined, explains Rabbi Pruzansky.

Nothing demonstrates this moral decline more strongly -than the recent hearing in which the presidents of three of the most prestigious American universities couldn’t admit that calling for the genocide of the Jewish people is considered harassment.

Elvis has long left the building and won’t be coming back. And if Rabbi Pruzansky is correct, the Shechina has left the exile. It can be hard to notice this phenomenon, but at the same time, if one looks around and contemplates for but a few moments, it becomes pretty clear: the Divine Presence has returned to Zion.

Ben Rothke lives in New Jersey and works in the information security field. He reviews books on religion, technology, philosophy and science. Follow him on X at @benrothke. His new book was just published, “The Definitive Guide to PCI DSS Version 4: Documentation, Compliance, and Management.”