Timothy Dalrymple notices that atheism has an awful retention rate:

Although we often speak of the growth of the “Unaffiliated” or the “Nones,” very few of those are actually atheist or agnostics. 16.1% of Americans now identify as unaffiliated, but only ten percent of the unaffiliateds identify as atheists and only 15 percent as agnostics. The remaining 75% identify as nothing in particular.

Also, while there are more people joining the atheist and agnostic ranks than leaving, it doesn’t bode well for atheists that 60-70 percent of those who are raised atheist renounce their atheism. If it were so compelling a solution over the long term, one would think the retention rate would be higher.

So perhaps the atheists should be hitting the panic button? They’re winning converts, but no one seems to want to stay for long. Why can’t they convince their own children?