Northern Ireland is losing belief.
And while a Queen’s University Belfast-led research project over the past three years has shown that, in the UK as a whole, there are now more atheists than believers in God, the signs are that young people are rapidly turning away from the church and seeking meaning in their lives along different paths.
In truth, it’s not a surprising development. The most recent census revealed that more and more people are identifying as having ‘no religion’.
But there will be plenty to ponder for churches as they continue to battle against dwindling numbers at services.
And the shift away from belief could have far-reaching consequences in the political world.
Young Protestants, the report suggests, are more likely to turn away from religion than young Catholics.
And that has meaning for our political parties which have broadly been based on milking one side of the community or the other for votes.
Unionist parties who continue to pedal a conservative approach in their politics linked to religious belief and tradition will face a tougher job in years to come.
Society has changed; religion has remained constant. But by sailing different courses, society and religion have been slowly parting ways over the past decade. But it could be about to speed up.
There will be a question over how faith can be made more relevant, how it can find a place in modern society, and how churches can stop the slide towards atheism and repurpose for the 21st century.
Some political parties, particularly on the unionist side, should be alarmed at the shift of young people brought up in Protestant families who no longer see their religion as important in their lives.
The Catholic Church in Northern Ireland does not, the academics suggest, have the same institutionalised power as in the Republic of Ireland. Young Catholics here are more likely to remain believers.
Whether we like it or not, religion and politics have always walked hand in hand in Northern Ireland. Where the grip starts to slip could herald an escalation in the shift of political power which we have witnessed over the past few years.
What the report does show is that young people today are no longer afraid to say they are non-believers. After decades of following the religious and cultural upbringing of their parents in early life, they feel no longer bound by tradition and are beginning to embrace freedoms.
That will be a challenge for both church and politics as the landscape of Northern Ireland continues to change.