According to an ancient Chinese proverb, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Very often, we focus not on those initial small steps but on giant leaps, often undertaken by government. Think, for example, of Franklin D. Roosevelt signing Social Security into law in 1935, a giant step that changed the lives of the elderly. Or Lyndon B. Johnson’s signature on the Medicare law 30 years later that did the same. Or the big steps contained in the just-passed American Rescue Plan, which, among other things, aims to reduce childhood poverty by 50 % . Each of these big steps impacts all of our lives.
But sometimes it’s the small steps we take that change the country in profound ways. In 2008, 56% of Americans believed that gay marri-ages should not be recognized as valid. That same year, 52 % of California voters voted to ban gay marriage, even as 61 percent backed Barack Obama  Four years later, Vice President Joe Biden endorsed gay marriage during a memorable appearance on “Meet the Press.” A few days later, Obama declared his position had “evolved.” Today, 67% say gay marriages should be recognized — an all-time high. Millions of first steps led to profound change.
Today another series of small steps are altering how we live and act. For the first time, the Gallup Organization reports that membership in a Christian church, synagogue or mosque has fallen from 61% in 2010 to 47%. Meanwhile, those who profess no religious preference grew from 8% to 21%  over the last decade. And among those who do express a religious preference, the number of congregants has declined from 73% to 60%.