By Bill Donohue | April 5, 2021 | 3:07pm EDT A cross stands in the Colosseum. (Photo credit: Kaveh Kazemi/Getty Images) Scholars rightly take umbrage when pundits and activists exploit their work for political purposes. The latest example, at least in religious circles, is the way in which a new book, "Secular Surge: A New Fault Line in American Politics," is being received by militant secularists. The authors, David Campbell, Geoffrey Layman, and John C. Green—all of whom have distinguished records—maintain that the number of Americans who no longer claim a religious affiliation is growing quickly, accounting for a secular surge. The data support their thesis.