Why do you think the US is the most religious of the industrialized nations?

Question

"Despite the separation of church and state being enshrined in the US constitution, more than 40 per cent of US citizens said religious leaders should use their influence to try to sway policy-makers. In France, by contrast, 85 per cent of people said they opposed such "activism" by the clergy."
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0607-02.htm

“The United States is becoming unique among industrialized nations in the importance its society places on religion,” Miller continued. “It’s more important today that it has been in many, many years.”
“Religious beliefs are the most strongly held beliefs in our society,” said Dr. G. Howard Miller, associate professor of history and an expert in Christianity at The University of Texas at Austin. “They are absolutes, and absolutes are worth dying for.”.....scary!
http://www.utexas.edu/features/2005/religion/

Why do you think the US is the only nation left that puts so much importance and prestige on religious views?

"Today the American South is defined by evangelical Christianity - not just in terms of religion, but also politics, culture, and history."...Sad!
http://atheism.about.com/od/religioninamerica/American_Religion_Religious_Groups_History_Beliefs_in_America.htm

Why does this continue to be accepted?

Kotaro Z :
Do you think religious views play a role in that? Is religion holding our nation back?

Answer 1

A very powerful influence on the development of a strong church-going tradition in America is that the First Amendment prohibits the establishment of a national church.
The countries of Europe have traditionally had established national churches - C of E in the U.K., RC in France and many others, Lutheran in some, etc.
Since the national churches are funded by the government, they have no reason to be aggressive in seeking members. By contrast, churches in America depend strictly on contributions, so they must be out hustling members to put money into the plate. As a result, Americans have been pulled toward religion from the beginning by a hard-sell which originally threatened them with eternal damnation if they didn't "get saved," and which now has turned to a campaign of "there's them and there's us, and frankly they're not as good as us, so wouldn't you like to be one of us?"
The current trend is away from traditional structure, dressing up, organ music, etc., and into pop music, happy-clappy self-congratulation, and casual dress for the masses, with special evening Bible studies and so forth for the truly hard-core.
If the USA had had a national, government-funded church, it would probably by now have fallen into the same disregard as the national churches of Europe.

Answer 2

I believe it is this way, because the other industrialized nations have a longer history to draw from.

They understand that the idea that a country is blessed by God, doesn't stand up to the test of time.

In America we only have 270 years of experience and it supports the idea that we are a blessed nation. Once America is conquered or falls apart due to shoddy leadership, that view will change.

Answer 3

A crappy public education system that in general fails to teach rational thought, and currently, a former coke snorting alchoholic who conveniently got 'saved' in order to win votes from other people who also do what they want then want to take no responsibility for it.- THAT is setting an even worse precedent of lack of self-responsibility which is in accord with the values of a certain majority religion- you guess what religion that is. And there you have it- the American Taliban.

Answer 4

I hope you are right that we are the most religious of the industrialized nations. Of course, I don't agree with the separation of church and state enshrined in the US constitution. Our forefathers wanted the state out of the churches and knew there was no way to keep religion out of the state. We can't leave our beliefs at the door of the government chambers.

The United States my friend has always been UNIQUE! Whom God sets free is free indeed. We are endowed by our Creator who is our Protection and Provision. If we forget this we will be like all other nations. We are slowly forgetting it today with our Abortion being legal, because abortion is an abomination to God.

We kill our babies and we let thousands of immigrants into this country. SOMETHING IS WRONG IN AMERICA.

Dr. Miller is correct - Absolutes are worth dying for because Christ is absolute, sovereign and the Lord does not change.
We either choose to serve Christ or we choose to serve the devil. Only two religions - God or man.

God made the USA a Super Power, but we will come down quick when we forget this. It is God who gives the power to get wealth. It is God who is our strength. It is God who is our protection and provision. God is giving us wake up calls and America better wake up.

The God of America is the Lord Jesus Christ who died on Calvary's Cross and shed His blood for you and me. There is power in the name Jesus Christ of Nazareth. God is separating the sheep from the goats.

Answer 5

We know where we've been in this world. We've been through rebellion, civil distress, poverty, depression, war, famine, disease....and all that plus many more in only a couple hundred years...

In those times of tragedy, all we had was each other and religion. We believe(well some do) that the only thing that has kept us going through the hard times is God/gods/something we cannot understand.

Some people think that by keeping religion in our nation, we will continue to strive further.

Answer 6

It may be one of the most industrialized super powers but the United States is still by far lacking in other fields such as test scores, science, and technology.....

Answer 7

The U.S. follows Satan, the God of Moses. Revelation 13-10-18.

Answer 8

The US does not have true separation of state and church.
E.g.:
- money says "In God we trust"
- the president uses God an awfull lot in his speeches. Like he's incompetent to make his own point;

History made it so that the founding of the US was done by highly fundamentalist religious groups (e.g. Amish, Mormons, ...). They provided for an option to choose which religion as long as you chose one. they forgot the ultimate freedom choosing not to subject oneself to religious leaders.

Peer pressure is what keeps people religious.

Answer 9

Because of serious flaws in it's public school and education system dear.

In every modern civilized countries with an efficient public school system, religious superstitions and delusions are quietly fading away...

Answer 10

Actually, I think Russia is the most religious, being Eastern Orthodox and all.