Among the 65% who call themselves Christian, "many are either mushy Christians or Christians in name only," Rainer says. "Most are just indifferent. The more precisely you try to measure their Christianity, the fewer you find committed to the faith."

Key findings in the phone survey, conducted in August and released today:

*65% rarely or never pray with others, and 38% almost never pray by themselves either.

*65% rarely or never attend worship services.

Her decision has been "stayed" pending an appeal, so the National Day of Prayer will be held May 6. President Obama will issue a call for prayer. But it may be the last time he does so.

"The judge has, in effect, declared 250 years of American Christian heritage is unconstitutional," declared Alan Sears, President of the Alliance Defense Fund.

Songwriter Bill Withers wrote: "Sometimes in our lives, we all have pain, we all have sorrow. ... Lean on me, when you're not strong and I'll be your friend. I'll help you carry on, for it won't be long 'til I'm gonna need somebody to lean on."

The Rev. Billy Graham was more daring at the 1995 prayer service for the 168 victims of the bombing at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. The world's most famous evangelist even quoted an explicitly Christian hymn.

A few weeks ago, the Wall Street Journal reported on the critical need to move these people back to permanent shelter. What almost all media miss, as did the WSJ, is that a major obstacle is the widespread conviction that the spirits of the wandering dead prohibit such a move: There are many homes otherwise quite inhabitable.