Religion in USA in 50 Years

Esquire asked for my forecast of where America will be religiously in 50 years, I initially declined: how should I know? It's up to God. Christ may return first. But, pushed harder, here's what I'm likely to say unless Worldmagblog commenters tell me I'm nuts: -- If trends continue, theologically conservative congregations will grow and theologically liberal ones decline because of conversions but also because of basic demographics. Fundamentalists, pentecostals, and conservative evangelicals tend to have lots of kids; members of "mainline" churches and other theological liberals often have one or none. Immigration from Mexico and points south will bolster not only the Catholic church but conservative Protestant ones. --Among Jews, Orthodox Judaism is likely to increase and Reform Judaism decline, partly because of similar reasons of family size. Buddhism will increase because of immigration from Asia and also because it will be a haven for some kids turned off by Christianity or Judaism. Not many Americans will convert to Hinduism, so its future depends on whether immigrants from India come. The future of Islam in America is particularly hard to predict because it depends on what happens internationally: If Islam is successful in Europe or if it seems to...