How religious is America?

[moustafa]

I have heard a lot about 'America's religiousness'. I do know a lot of Americans and proprotionately there are more 'believers'. Amazingly, I find Brits to be even more so, but they are very private about their beliefs.

I have never been to America. So can you tell me if you really think this opinion is true? Are Americans really 'abnormally' religious compared to Mainland Europe? Is it a legacy of their Anglo-Saxon Puritan roots, or does other factors play a part? I know for a fact that Black and Hispanic Americans are more religious. So do they 'cover' for the whole of America, and is it so as a result that White Americans are generally less religious than these religious segments?

[Whoha]

probably half and half.

[notyoueither]

Religion for most people here is a private matter. The vast majority who are religious would not dream of making a large issue of it in public.

BTW, America is a larger place than I think you meant.

[notyoueither]

Re: How religious is America?

Originally posted by moustafa
I know for a fact that Black and Hispanic Americans are more religious.

BTW, from where does this fact come?

[DanS]

Let's put it this way. Weekend mass is often full. I guess that protestant churches are equally well attended.

However, I note that some parts of mainland Europe are more religious than others. For example, compare France to Poland.

[Alexander's Horse]

Re: How religious is America?

Originally posted by moustafa

So can you tell me if you really think this opinion is true? Are Americans really 'abnormally' religious compared to Mainland Europe? Is it a legacy of their Anglo-Saxon Puritan roots, or does other factors play a part?

They are the most religious by a long way. I put it down to two things.

Firstly, many ethnic groups, starting with the Puritans in fact, went to America to escape religious persecution. That continued right into the 20th century. So there is a strong emphasis on religion as part of personal freedom in the American culture. Contrast this with Australia where religion is associated with the establishment and the ruling class. Very few go to church in Australia. Its like going to see the boss.

Secondly, many Americans seem to have started to believe they have a unique mission in the world, a God's chosen people kind of idea. There was a similar upsurge in religiosity at the height of the British Empire, when the Brits believed they were doing the work of God. The hymn Land of Hope and Glory, and yes this hymn was once sung in English churches, sums it up: "God, that made thee mighty, make thee mightier yet!"

Seems rather quaint now. Contrast this with Australia which provides fearsome foot soldiers for whoever is in charge. We don't go to church much

I however go to church

[Vince278]

We are very religious on a personal level but with a country this diverse it would be impossible to generalize. We are also mostly tolerant due to the diversity of the population and tradition going back to the colonial era. By percentage we are:

Protestant - 52%
Catholic - 24%
Non-religious/Secular - 13%
Mormon - 2%
Don't know ( ) - 2%
Judaism - 1.5%
Islam - 0.5%
Buddhism - 0.5%
Agnostic - 0.4%
Hindu - 0.4%
Atheist - 0.4%
Wiccan - 0.1%
and many others - the rest%

[Sandman]

Re: How religious is America?

Originally posted by moustafa
I have heard a lot about 'America's religiousness'. I do know a lot of Americans and proprotionately there are more 'believers'. Amazingly, I find Brits to be even more so, but they are very private about their beliefs.

Brits are not religious at all. Only about 10% of UK citizens attend church regularly.

BBC Link

[moustafa]

Vince,

Why are non-religious/secular and agnostics defined separately? Doesn't agnosticism imply a degree of 'secularness'?

notyoueither,

I learned it from statistics based articles. I can't cite right now, but it clearly showed that African-Americans and Hispanics are much more religious than American Whites, except for the Southern part where the distribution is equal. I learned it last semester while writing a socioeconomic article. You can probably find the article in Google (Scholar).

Sandman,

I don't consider 'going to church' a measure of religiosity, rather the internal faith of the people. I might have an unrepresentative sample but most Brits I know are very religious in a silent way. I have never been to Britain though. BTW most 'Brits' I know are 'English', so it might be England I am pointing to.

[Footie Mad]

I've gotten impression that it's the norm to say "grace" before dinner in America, is this correct?

[Sandman]

Originally posted by moustafa
Sandman,

I don't consider 'going to church' a measure of religiosity, rather the internal faith of the people. I might have an unrepresentative sample but most Brits I know are very religious in a silent way. I have never been to Britain though. BTW most 'Brits' I know are 'English', so it might be England I am pointing to.

If faith doesn't affect behaviour, is it even important?

[Mao]

Originally posted by Sandman


If faith doesn't affect behaviour, is it even important?

It can still affect behavior without people physically going to church. ie: things like giving to charity, doing good deeds, etc. etc. Church isn't the be all end all of "being religious" IMHO.

[Dr Strangelove]

Well, I'm about to head off to church even though we just got a couple inches of snow on the ground last night.

Polls that I've seen indicate that American hispanics tend to be less religious than American whites or blacks.

Maybe the reason why Americans are more religious than Europeans is that we didn't have a state religion, so here religion was never associated with oppressive regimes.

[Jon Miller]

yeah, I think not having a state religion has done religion in America and lot of good

I think there is a lot of bad identity with religion in europe from the time (sometimes current) of state religion

Jon Miller

[Elok]

Actually, there were several state religions in the colonial days. Virginia, for example, was strictly Anglican for some time. And of course the Pilgrims started a Puritan theocracy, not a secular state, at Plymouth Rock.