[Karim]

Are Americans particularly religious people? I used to think that Americans were mostly secular, but every day I get the impression that in essence they are not (at least not as much as most Europeans and Asians). What role does religion play for Americans today? Does this vary from region to region? How does it affect your view of the world? How does it affect your view of politics?

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Name : Karim, Gender : M, Age : 23, City : Los Angeles, State : CA Country : United States, Social class : Middle class, 

[Jessica]

Though certainly the United States is a hodgepodge of cultures, Protestant Christianity is the dominant religious movement here. I am an agnostic and believe in the separation of church and state, one thing this country was supposedly founded on. However, I graduated from a public (government-funded) high school and a public university and was asked to bow my head in prayer to God at each graduation ceremony at least once. This is a manifestation of the dominant influence of Protestantism on this country. The only non-Protestant, religious president we have had has been Catholic (John F. Kennedy). We have had several agnostic presidents, but our country fears the powers of religion outside of Protestant Christianity. Personally I have a problem with fundamentalists of any religion - the Jerry Falwells and Osama bin Ladens of the world are all the same to me. I respect other spiritual endeavors, however, and hope that the average American does, too.

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Name : Jessica, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Bisexual, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 23, City : Huntsville, State : TX Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[JerryS]

American society is very broad, and any generalizations are going to apply rather poorly. We are much more diverse than most nations: even those nations with substantial minorities tend to have an 'official' culture. China, for example, has many minorities with different religions and languages and traditions, but there has always been an understood definition of what being 'Chinese' means. Egypt has Muslims and Christians, and as I understand it is officially secular, but Islam pretty much rules daily life. The United States is not like that. Even in colonial times, the people who founded the different colonies were as interested in separating themselves from each other as anything else. You had a Catholic colony, a Quaker colony and several colonies with different Protestant denominations. As a result, the government is officially unaligned and there is no consensus as to what the majority religion is. (Yes, most people are Christians; but while to a non-Christian that makes them all alike, to each other they are very different.) That being said, most Americans would say they are religious; it's the diversity that makes it seem otherwise to outsiders. A religious Jew, a religious Catholic, a religious Evangelical Baptist and a religious Muslim would share many core beliefs, but their practices would be very different. Fundamentalist Protestantism does predominate in the South and Midwest, and that's where you're more likely to see religious beliefs affecting local public policy.

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Name : JerryS, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Jewish, Age : 52, City : New Britain, State : CT Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, 

[Nikki20069]

I think most Americans are Christians, or claim to be, though the country has no official religion. Still, though, the words 'In God We Trust' are on our currency, and the Pledge of Allegiance (repeated by schoolchildren every morning) includes the phrase 'One Nation Under God.' Both these phrases were added in the 1950s because of McCarthyism, but many Americans become very defensive if there is talk of removing them. Another example is that our schools and public offices are generally closed on the major Christian holidays. I am not Christian and would prefer this to be a strictly secular country, but I definitely feel like I am in the minority on this. Nearly all the country's elected officials are Christian, and I think it would be very difficult for someone who is not Christian (or maybe Jewish) to get elected to a high office. Because so many public officials are Christian, they often seem to forget that there are a lot of non-Christians in this country. This leads to things like 'National Days of Prayer' that say they are for everyone, but which have a decidedly Christian slant. It may be easier for people of other monotheistic faiths (Islam or Judaism) to handle this kind of bias, but it can be difficult for pagans, agnostics or atheists.

I think the degree of religiosity and the particular brand of Christianity that is most prominent vary from region to region within the country. Cities tend to be a little less religious than rural areas, and the coasts a little less than the center of the country. There are also a lot more Jews in the northeast than in most of the country, so that religion comes into play more there. For example, in the northeast, many schoolchildren get vacation days for the major Jewish holidays, in addition to the major Christian ones. There are pockets of people of other religions throughout the country (Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus, Buddhists), but these are smaller, and usually only affect the local politics.

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Name : Nikki20069, Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 33, City : Seattle, State : WA Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, 

[Sunny27761]

I think in general most Americans would claim some sort of religion or spirituality, whether they are practicing or not. The role religion plays in the lives of Americans depends on the individual. I would say there is definite variation from one area of the country to another. For example, religion is probably a much bigger deal for someone in or from an area of the country some call the 'Bible Belt' than it would be for someone in a northern urban center. But again, the preference of the individual makes the most difference. Religion certainly does affect Americans' world and political views. And whether anyone would admit it or not, many political issues in the United States have some basis in differing relgious views (i.e. abortion, the death penalty, gay rights, social welfare, the Middle East).

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Name : Sunny27761, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Age : 23, City : New Orleans, State : LA Country : United States, Occupation : student, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Bosco]

It depends which American you are talking about. I am very religious myself. I come from a strict background of Roman Catholic Christians, and I whole-heartedly believe in my faith. I'm only 15 and I am sympathetic to others who choose not to be religious or are born into families that do not emphasize religion. Religion and family values are making a comeback, so to speak. The focus is shifting off portfolios and Priceline.com and onto religion and the family. This is a good thing, and I expect it to increase with Generation 9-11 (today's high school and college students) with time.

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Name : Bosco, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 15, City : Norristown, State : PA Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : Less than High School Diploma, Social class : Upper class, 

[Rashid]

Many Americans usally just say they are whatever religion their parents are, because our society often makes us choose one in surveys, etc. But it does not mean they practice religion or that they are spiritual. For example, there is a joke that most people only go to church on Easter and Christmas. Overall, religion is still one of America's taboo topics, because most people do not know much about religions besides their own, making it hard to discuss. Religion in America definitely varies from region to region. In America there is a whole area called the 'Bible Belt' where religion plays a big role in everyday life. It also varies in different ethnic communities. For example, in the black community, religion plays a big role.

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Name : Rashid, Gender : M, Race : mixed race, City : Washington, State : DC Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, 

[Jay31088]

I'm from Europe and now live in the United States, and I can tell you without a doubt that Americans are much more religious than Europeans. I think the secular media is a reaction to these socially restrictive religious beliefs. In Europe, especially the United Kingdom, it's kind of 'uncool' to be religious - kind of like having no common sense or believing in Santa Claus. I think the United States needs more of a separation of church and state, because the country is so religious and there needs to be an awareness of the relgious right. This level of religiosity creates problems when dealing with laws such as abortion, birth control, etc. - often conforming to religious doctrine rather than creating practical solutions to real problems. I also find that in the United States there is a lot of separation due to religion. Jews and Muslims seem to 'stick to their own,' whereas Christians and Catholics intemingle a bit more. Having said this, I think Europeans are not without morals just because they're not religious.

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Name : Jay31088, City : New York, State : NY Country : United States, 

[Jamie]

There seems to be a lot more acceptance of religion over there in America. Few Americans seem surprised when I tell them I believe in a God. Here in the UK, very few people are religious. Atheism is the 'norm' and if you have a religion people think you're strange. Religion in the UK is usually kept secret for fear of ridicule.

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Name : Jamie, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 26, City : Torbay, State : NA Country : United Kingdom, Occupation : designer, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class, 

[Fi21795]

No way! The americans just say they are religious but they don't act like it. Or actually they do, but only when it seems to be suitable for their purposes.

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Name : Fi21795, City : Vihti, State : NA Country : Finland, 

[Charles32267]

Though fundamentalists are always trumpeting how secular and Godless American society is, I agree with most of the other posters that the vast majority of American is Protestant Christian and shares a core of values derived from that faith. However, I wanted to point out that, though Americans have been drifting from well-established Christian denomenations, I feel there is a void in the American mindset that requires authoritative instruction on moral matters. Note the huge explosion of things like self-help instruction, new-age movements, 'magick', the re-creation of Wicca (though the UK shares some of the blame for that one) - in addition to the migration to foreign-based religions - everything from trendy Tibetan Buddhism to wacky cults like the Moonies. Note also the truly remarkable outpouring of neo-Christian, para-Christian, and genuinely new and weird religions America has spawned. Mormonism. Scientology. 7th Day Adventists. Branch Davidians. Jehovah's Witness. And, of course, Christian Fundamentalists with a capital 'F' - who I believe, frankly, are the most misguided set of organized believers on Earth today. Even those of us who reject organized religion of any sort are often those clamoring for restrictive (and unconstitutional) moral legislation like hate crime laws. I suppose what I'm saying is that Americans, considered as a mass of people, are an enormous herd of sheep suffering from a proliferation of shepherds, some more (and some less) scrupulous than others. We are infinitely susceptible to belief, and all too unlikely to think instead. In closing, let me briefly say I apologize if you fall into one of the above faiths and feel offended. Please feel free to imagine me roasting in Hell or its nearest analog in your belief system.

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Name : Charles32267, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 24, City : Albuquerque, State : NM Country : United States, Occupation : Architect, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class, 

[Gina-G23846]

I'd like to address a few points made among these responses... 1.) National Days of Prayer seeming to have a Christian slant - probably because most of the people in the Nation happen to be Christians! Maybe the title 'Day of Reflection' should be used, but I suspect it would still seem to have a 'Christian' feeling about this. 2.) 'One Nation Under God' - Yes, it has to do with Communism. It was added to the Pledge of Allegiance during the 1950's (think: Cold War). Basically, the intention was to distinguish between ourselves and Communists in the sense that our Founding Fathers intended not for the government to be the highest authority in the land, but for God (or the Divine, or Higher Morality) to be the the authority, and for us to mold our government accordingly. That is why we have the democratic process - if we believe an existing law is morally wrong, we have the freedom and the means to try to bring about a change. History has shown this freedom sadly lacking in most Communist nations. (Also, in our education, we always learn about McCarthy and McCarthyism, but we are never taught he was right - do a search on the 'Venona Transcripts'.) (3.) 'Separation of church and state' is not in our Constitution. The following passage is in the First Ammendment: 'Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;..' Basically, it says our nation has no official national religion, and we can't make one. No one can legally force someone to practice another religion (or any religion at all), and no one can legally prevent someone from freely practicing his or her religion. Kind of funny that the only part of the First Ammendment that most people remember is the 'freedom of speech' part. (Which, by the way, is there specifically to protect political speech, although we apply it to most kinds of speech and expression, and it does not protect the individual from the lawful consequences of his or her speech, such as being told he or she sounds like a moron.)

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Name : Gina-G23846, Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 26, City : Washington, State : DC Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, 

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