Americans See Religion as a Force for Good Despite Waning Influence

St. Patrick's Cathedral, the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York in New York City, on Sept. 8, 2015. Spencer Platt/Getty Images

A majority of Americans have a favorable view of religious organizations despite their declining influence on society, according to a new poll from the Pew Research Center.

Fifty-five percent of Americans say that churches and religious organizations do more good than harm in U.S. society as opposed to 20 percent who say the opposite, according to the poll released on Nov. 15.