A question for my American friends?

Question

Why do so many people in the US feel that they have to make their religious beliefs public?
In Europe very few people will talk about their beliefs and will keep them to themselves.Nobody really cares if you're religious or not and we are generally happy for people to believe what they want to believe.
Yet whenever I see something on tv from America (talk shows etc) it seems that god has to be mentioned every 5 minutes(ok I know that's an exageration but you get my drift)
Why is it that America seems to be the most fundamentalist christian country in the world?

Answer 1

Well, it's complicated. Let's start with the fact that the fundamentalists have made BIG investments in televangelism, and other forms of in-your-face evangelism. I suppose you could say we are the victims of our own prosperity. And of course, since we have the First Amendment, there's not much anyone can do to shut them up, except if you can demonstrate that they're really a hazard. Like the ones that picket the funerals of military men because they are "supporting a country that tolerates homosexuality." The lunatic fringe has to go pretty far before they are sanctioned.

So with the fundies being so up-front, others (such as witches, pagans, atheists) who are the primary targets of the fundies need to speak up in response. I mean, they figure they will just go ahead and violate the Constitution, and wait for the response to wind its way through the courts.

There is a large swath of the southeast, and much of the midwest and the west, that are basically assumed to be dominated by Christians, and generally pretty conservative ones, at that. And of course the Mormans pretty much own the State of Utah. Now, it may in fact be the case that there is no actual fundamentalist majority, but they are noisy. They pay for billboards to make their points -- some of them really crude, some rather clever -- and even the politicians who are not themselves fundies know that there is a sufficiently large voting block that they could ruin anyone who does not pander to them.

I keep hoping things have gotten bad enough that the so-called Religious Right is now going to experience a backlash and get their butts kicked in the next couple of elections.

Want to come and help?

Answer 2

Hey my friend, the disease contaminates all over the place of this globe. I'm living very far away from America and observed a lot of religious (born again or other christian or muslims) men from many countries and all of them have had a delusion of grandeur feeling their superiority by showing that they are the instrument of their god.

Answer 3

I really don't know. It bugs me that some people make such a big deal about who believes in what, but... it's out of my hands. But what you have to understand is that the smallest groups get the biggest attention. There are NOT a lot of Fundamentalists in America- they just get a lot of attention.

Answer 4

I don't know, but as an American, I'm pretty tired of it. What does it have to do with anything? Nothing! Do you really think god made you win that Grammy? I don't think so.

Along with st.alia (above), I also seriously considered moving to England after Bush was elected the second time. I decided to stay, though, because I would at least like to finish college before I move away. I haven't ruled it out though.

Answer 5

It is more of the freedom of speech, and supposedly our history of freedom of worship.
I always wondered as an American if the Spanish Inquistition had something to do with that.
As for the talk shows, etc. I have to agree with you even as an American. We are fundamentalist compared to other nations.

Answer 6

I don't know why, but I'll just say that it scares the **** out of me.

After the second bush election and all these crazies getting airtime and schools getting involved in lawsuits about teaching complete tripe (i.e. creation)...I thought about moving. Luckily, my husband is an english citizen, so if we ever do give up on this country we have an "easy in" with a sane country (as long as they stop following bush's lead that is).

Answer 7

The remarkable outgrowth of freedom of speech is the freedom to try and talk over others, the freedom to be loud, the freedom to push your beliefs on others, the freedom to be a fool in public or not. We lack a history of religious wars, so we are perfectly willing to fight it out in public and in the legislatures. We are free, we are free to ignore the lessons of history.

GOD IS GREAT!!!!!!!!

Oops, forgot for a second I am atheist.....was watching Oprah.

Answer 8

You are so right! America is full of Fundamentalists that are pushing their ideas, and trying to influence our government. We all would be so much better off without them.

You must remember that these Fundies came from Europe to find religious freedom. Now, they do not want others to have it.

Answer 9

This is a more recent trend in the US... it wasn't like this in the 60s, 70s, or even 80s, although I think it started in the 80s. Now it is a big and lucrative business, made trendy by mass marketing.

You should see the marketing machine for Christian music directed at teens. It features only the most attractive adolescents, crying with joy, and looking ever so "cool." And it's selling better then Ron Popiel's gadgets...

Answer 10

Good question. And the sad thing is most moderate Christians in the UK tend to now be following the same example. All that crap the Archbishop of Canterbury seems to be spouting now would've never happened 50 years ago.