Will religious pluralism ruin the United States?

Question

Millions of Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus are moving to the United States making a substantial presence for the first time in the country's history.

Most, if not all previous immigrants were Christians from Europe and Latin America. Times are different today.

Many millions more Americans are becoming less religious, are atheists or have left the Christian faith.

The United States is now THE LEAST CHRISTIAN it has ever been in its history.

Racial differences were painful enough for this country.

But, will the religous differences be the final downfall for America as Christians try to defend the nation's "traditions" while Secularists, Atheists, Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims naturally assert themselves over the next several decades?

I think the religious differences will provoke inevitable conflict, - wrong or right - and that it will be unfortunate. This new wave of "Eastern" immigration will have social ramifications for the years to come.

Thoughtful answers on future impact of religious pluralism on America, please.

Answer 1

This country was founded on religious pluralism.

The First Amendment of the Constitution prohibits the government from establishing a "national" religion and, by extension, from promoting one religion over the other.

As people immigrate to this country, they might maintain the faiths of their homelands, but eventually they or their descendants become Americanized culturally.

As the variety of viewpoints increases, so does the variety and quality of ideas, and that will help the country to continue to prosper.

Ask yourself: Would we be better off if the government prohibited all religions except Christianity? And if the government endorsed Christianity, which variety should it select? Catholicism? Protestantism? And if the government selected Protestantism, which denomination should it choose?

Also, most of the debate about immigration to the U.S. these days is focused on Latin America, especially Mexico. The vast majority of Mexicans are Christian Catholics.

The best approach, I believe, is to live your life as best you can -- and let others live theirs according to their own choosing.

The main rule is the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. If everyone followed that, there'd be no more war.

Answer 2

Change will always create growing pains. This country wouldn't be the diverse, powerful, knowledge laden cultural monster it is today without so many different inputs. The idea that the country is now less christian is solely a result of our country's Christianinty being challenged. We are arguably more religious now with religious debates being brought to the forefront and religion being such a large part of politics and government right now. Bottom line, just because someone doesn't agree with your love for JESUS doesn't make them wrong or bad. Let people live their lives without your beliefs being forced on them. The Secularist, Atheists etc. are not out to convert you. As a cristian have you felt a huge battle against the Jewish community? by the way... learning about other's beliefs does not cause you to lose your faith, it will only enrich your mind.

Answer 3

I think you cannot separate or encapsulate the United States of America from the rest of the world on this issue. You can view it as a microcosm of the larger world picture, if you like. But, we are in a global environment now, and 'religious pluralism,' as you term it, which has always existed in the world, is impacting every country. And, far from keeping our religious views within our country's boundaries, Americans have historically taken Christianity to other countries for centuries now, in the form of missionaries, and in the form of war.

Religious differences have always had the tendency to tear countries apart; now, with advances in technology and our global environment, it has a tendency to tear the world apart. You cannot accurately point fingers at Eastern religions as being more disruptive than Western religions. With very few exceptions, they all have violent histories, and nothing indicates the human taste for violence has changed. If the world is ruined by conflict over religious differences, the US will no doubt be at the forefront.

Answer 4

Well according to Human History such diversity has never before existed so we'll see. The Romans succeeded in keeping their empire intact by forcing other races and religions to accept they were best and destroyed whole generations when they felt the need. Imagine a dog kennel with all sorts of different breeds of dogs. Now imagine the food supply and clean water supply will diminish because the fast-breeding "chiuhahuas" overpopulate. The other much larger breeds who are superior to the teeny pups must decide if they will eat the numerous ones or die themselves. Maybe the superior breeds will just lay back and die, but I don't think so.
P.S. To counter the idiots attempting to convince you that religion is bad and the U.S. was founded on secularism I will go on. look at the dollar bills, read the constitution, say your Pledge of Allegiance. Do you find Christianity in the very core and foundation of America? Yes, of course you do because America is a Christian society founded by Caucasian Protestants. And yet all of this was declared the most anti-religious society of all time. The founders thought Christianity was a cornerstone of a good society and merely wished to pray differently. (For religion's effect on a civilized society observe the jungle tribes who had none. They still struggle to coalesce without bloodshed.) That pretty much summarizes it.
P.S.S. I enjoyed answering this question. Some things need to be said.

Answer 5

"The United States is now THE LEAST CHRISTIAN it has ever been in its history. "

what does this mean? how could anyone make such a statement, when there were limited methods for census taking in the past?

you note that the racial differences were painful... but you ignore the obviousness of race and the part it plays in this conflict. how do i know you are a christian or whatever, unless you swath yourself in emblems of your faith or simply tell me?

many millions of americans need to realize that faith is personal. i can't have it for you, nor should you expect me to help you with your free exercise. even jesus said that people should pray to themselves... we would do well to keep that in mind.

Answer 6

Actually, the US Military has had a Muslim Corps in its Chaplain's Corps for quite sometime, now. But, to answer the question, directly, so long as people make an issue out of religion, there will be contension, no matter where you live. It is far better to speak of love, than of hate. Anyone can draw a sword, but a truly educated and enlightened man or woman will refrain from violence, or from advocating it.

Answer 7

America has never been a Christian nation. Many evangelicals point out references that the founding fathers made to God, but don't realize that many of the fathers believed in the distant impersonal God of diesm. At the times they say we were the most religious we were commiting our biggest crimes, taking large portions of land away from the indiginous people who lived on them.

An influx of non-Christians and any decline in the number of Christians will not ruin something that never existed.

Answer 8

Strange how the founding fathers of this country weren't even Christian, but were deists. Strange how secular the US has always been with emphasis on science and the enlightenment. There was and still is little emphasis on religion in the public. Thank your president for bringing a Christian neocon revival back.

Answer 9

As long as the state does not intervene and take sides, there is no reason why people should not be able to live together in peace, even if they belong to different religions.
Unless, of course, the set of militant fundamentalist Christians that seem to be in the ascendant just now, are allowed to gain the upper hand in the long run.

Answer 10

We need freedom from religion, not freedom for it.
Religion is the worst thing to happen in the history of mankind.
Period.