why are americans so conservative and religious compared to europeans?

Answer 1

It's a holdover from the Puritans that settled the US

Answer 2

I don't believe we are.. I think there is a strong progressive movement in this country. The conservative movement has been growing for a long time but what conservative has come to mean and what it actually is .. are to very different things. There is a fascist element in our society now that is excited about the prospect of world domination.. we as a nation have to be aware of them and not let them take over completely and it's close at this point. I am a conservative but I am not a NeoCon .. as for a comparison with Europe I am not so sure it can be made anymore. Even places like Holland are beginning to change their ultra progressive standards for more guarded approaches to governance.. Terrorism or the over pronunciation of it has been very effective in scaring the whole world into compliance.. but even that is starting to erode. God is the strong arm that is wielded by the unjust.. sorry but more death and ruin have come at the hands of the "righteous" than any other movement.. like now.. the gentleman above me hit it dead on when he said it makes it easy .. he's right if I say I am moral and conservative then I no longer actually have to justify my actions because I am "moral" but like all word games you can make something mean whatever you want it too.. it doesn't hold any water. The most Corrupt people in our wonderful country hide behind a cross... that is not to say that all religious people are foul by any means. In fact some of the greatest goods being done right at this very moment are based in religious efforts.. however they are less vocal and that's not who we're talking about.

Answer 3

Interesting question. I have always wondered that myself. I think one of the primary reasons Europeans are more secular has to do with the fact that they are an older civilization and have therefore seen the deleterious effects of a society run on religious dogma. There liberal inclination probably has to do with the fact they are not as isolated from other cultures as we are. Go to any place in Europe, and then travel in any direction for more than 500 to 600 miles and you can be in a different country, speaking a different language. Do the same thing in the United States and you will be just in another state that shares the same language and mores as the place you came from.

Usually in places that deal with greater diversity, there is a greater necessity to accept plurality. That is why the East and West coasts in the United States, where most of the immigrants reside, you have a greater proclivity to be liberal than conservative.

It is also very interesting that in conservative strongholds like “Middle America”, where little diversity exists, there is a dearth of talent and innovation, while in places where diversity is fostered, such as the coastal areas of the United States and in Europe, you have the source of most of the inventiveness, artistry and intellectualism.

Answer 4

Europeans are like ships lost at sea. They lack morals and confuse idleness with success. Countries like France live in a fantasy world where they think they really have value. The reality is the country is a total waste. They use the world as one big bank. They take payoffs from tyrants and let Iran and other rouge countries do what they want in exchange for big bucks. Since there no longer is a middle class in Europe the wealthy bribe the poor to keep them from robbing them. Social programs reward those who lack any motivation to do something with their lives. The idle time breeds depravity and has turned the masses away from religion.

Answer 5

"conservative and religious" is a pre-packaged set of ideas. by saying they are "conservative and religious" people don't have to think on their own. their opinions are the same ones their spokespeople in the media espouse. And they can pretend to be wise, moral and upstanding with little or no effort on their part. Europeans are just the same, only with different pre-packaged ideas for the most part.

In any country, the rare person who thinks for themselves, who examines all the evidence before making a decision is looked on as a troublemaker, and shunned by the majority because he is not in lock-step with the masses.

Answer 6

The more prosperous one becomes...whether through hard works, sweat equity or even inheritance, the more one wants a stable government...and society. Less influence by government, taxes, and less change in general provides stability. Politicians try to socially engineer, take from rich to give to poor by nature...that is why we have a graduated tax code...the higher income producers do get taxed a higher percentage...and total dollars. Wealthy people believe more good can be done by direct charity than by a government that is often corrupt or wasteful. Some wealthy are quite greedy too..and want lax regulations, or want to manipulate the system...but there are plenty who give back too.

Americans tend to believe that ethical monotheism, One "Just" god whose values we aspire to is a good model for our children...but we are not generally fanatical about religion and don't take the bible literally...(some do), but not most Americans. Most want to live by the golden rule...do unto others as you would have done unto you. We also respect life...and its preservation. Americans hope that there is a purpose to the world...and many believe that purpose may be revealed in the teachings of the Bible...but few have the courage to try to live fully in its words and spirit (either Jew or Christian).

Answer 7

Smart people left Europe and came to US. So did smart people from around the world.

That's why Americans don't care what a bunch of Old Worlders think.

Only kidding.

I guess it's because in the US there is still a sense shared by most people that they can set their own agenda and succeed.

In Europe, it seems that most people look to some government bureaucracy for their direction. That's what Jimmy Carter called malaise. (At least that's how it looks from the west side of the pond.) Bureaucrats don't care about you. They just care about the bureaucracy.

Answer 8

Could it be because American history had a lot to do with religious persecution, you know, the Pilgrim Fathers, Quakers, the Amish all settled in the USA and exported this rigid thinking into the New World.

Answer 9

Our country was founded by people who might have been considered the religious zealots of their day. So, we tend to act on the religious and conservative side - in some ways anyawy.

Answer 10

Too many Americans have succumbed to the worldwide spread and influence of religious fundamentalism. Europeans, I believe, have been more resistant to it.

Answer 11

that's in contrast to Europe is any distinctive. genuine, in case you seem at Holland, Sweden, Germany and a few others then yeah, they do no longer seem to be as religious, yet once you seem at Switzerland, Italy and a few others they're loopy *** religious. i'm beneficial it relatively is the comparable in us of a, there could be states the place the % of non secular human beings is smaller than in others, even nonetheless, universal, us of a is greater religious sure i think of.