Which statement about Americans' confidence in organized religion is NOT supported by the data?

• A. Confidence has generally remained stable over the years
• B. More than 60% had confidence in 1973
• C. Confidence significantly declined from 1973 to 2013
• D. There was an overall increase in lack of confidence

Answer: (C)

The statement that confidence significantly declined from 1973 to 2013 is not supported by the data. Historical data typically indicate that while there may have been fluctuations in confidence levels throughout the years, the overall trend from 1973 to 2013 does not show a consistent or significant decline. The decline in confidence in organized religion has been observed in specific contexts or amongst certain age groups rather than as a blanket trend over the entire population during those years. This suggests that while a decline might occur among some segments of the population, it does not reflect the overall confidence levels across all Americans, thus making this statement inconsistent with the broader data on public confidence in organized religion.