Why are Americans more religious than Europeans?

Question

I was surprised to find that 12% of Americans are agnostic or atheist while in countries like Sweden, Finland, the UK, France, and Denmark agnostics and atheists make up 50% or more of the populaton. Why are Americans more religious? Is America's religiosity the reason why our country is much more conservative than other western industrialized nations?

Answer 1

Its education. The more educated you are, the less likely you are to be religious. Its also more likely that there are more agnostics/atheists in the states, but they don't want to be know as such because of the social stigma.

Answer 2

Good question. A complete answer would be rather complex. Short answer: European culture has suffered greater violent upheaval on it's own ground than has our country. Since the Napoleonic wars, and especially through the 20th century, those wars have caused a more severe "crisis of faith" within Europen intellectual culture. Even in more religious Ireland, Italy, and Spain, the Catholic church has long since become an "also ran." Even the Civil War in the U.S. cannot compare on sheer body count with European wars. (Example: in the battle of Stalingrad, WWII, more Russians were killed in five months than the U.S and Britain lost in the entire war!-- now that's some perspective).

Another reason: European culture has been more intellectually serious, IMO, on issues of spirituality, while in the U.S., religion remains an "opiate of the common people." The intellectual origins of protestantism (remember Luther nailing his criticisms to a church door) are deeper and more profound than in the U.S. The great schism in Europe was primarily over "meaning," while in the U.S. the culture wars have been over "values." That may be splitting hairs a bit, but I think it suggests why Europeans are generally less "driven" to believe in god.

Finally, religous culture in the U.S. has enjoyed different protections. While in Europe some legal protections for religion were abandoned (especially in the Eastern Sovient bloc) or reduced, in America the separation between church and state has been somewhat more porous.

And when the economic engine of capitalism and patriotism is combined with the "new evangelical/new protestant" notion of spirituality, that informal alliance has proven quite viable. Mega-churches are one good example of such a nexus.

So, there's some possibilities.

Answer 3

I think it is but i also think that you must take into account that many people in this country where not part of the survey and if everyone was forced to take part you would find that Americans might be about the same in religiousness as europeans. I think the reason Americans are more religious is because americans tend to prefer to remain ignorant of things instead of seeking out the answer to everything like europeans tend to. Americans would rather have a faith where they didnt need to do much or they could label themselves as part of it but europeans search more into the faiths before declaring themselves as one because they take a more scholarly approach. Americans also dont like change and fear the unknown along with any religion that isnt along the lines of christianity.

Answer 4

Americans have always been more religious and traditional than Western Europeans.

Their are several reasons why that is so, but that is simply the nature of things.

Answer 5

One fifth of Americans can't locate USA on a map of the world. The most powerful nation in the world has one of the worst education levels and highest religious belief levels in the world. Statistics don't lie.

Answer 6

Because of the south?

Answer 7

The culture

Answer 8

I think America, unfortunately, will soon follow Europe's lead.

Answer 9

Good luck with European because Muslim will take over in 50 yrs from now.

Answer 10

In Europe, the government of socialism became their "god" and took care of all needs. That's why their society is dying and being over-run with Muslims.