Why is America so religious compared to Europe?
Whose fault is it? and what's with the creationist movement?
I thought the founding fathers had a secular vision?
In England we don't give a toss if someone doesn't believe in God, in fact it's seen as normal, church is for all our old grannies and grandads who don't know how to use the internet and educate themselves. We don't even label ourselves as atheist particularly.
Since I came here unfortunately to the "bible belt" I got told I will burn in hell, I'm wicked, I will produce retarded children (nice christians) just for not believing in a God, the church signs everywhere are really shocking sometimes, the amount of religion tied up in politics is crazy, and being asked to go to church is just really annoying and the tv on Sundays is full of it, and driving through Georgia is like being on another planet, can't find any real music on the radio stations.
Thoughts please....
Comments
It's nobodies "fault" really....
The fact of the matter is....Europe used to be a very religion-dominated place. People would be executed for not believing in a certain religion. Religion was everywhere, and you had to follow it.
People escaped to America for religious freedom. The founding fathers did have a secular vision, and America was not as religiously oppressed as Europe was.
Fast forward now, and Europe is very lax when it comes to religion, while Americans are still arguing over same-sex marriage, women's rights, and separation of church and state.
Another example....Christianity used to be outlawed in China. China was very atheistic. Christians had to be hidden. Now it is becoming legal across the country. Christianity is popping up all over China now.
When people are oppressed by X, they will stray away from X if they get a chance. If people are given freedom to do what they want with Y, they will drift towards Y.
Reverse psychology on a mass scale, I suppose.
Though, in general, humanity is drifting towards atheism on a worldwide scale to begin with. It's the most logical outcome, what with the current rate of scientific advancement and whatnot. Clearing up all the superstitions and myths and bla bla bla. But the rate at which this happens....depends on the culture, the country, the factors I mentioned above, and many other things.
Oh, and regarding the bible belt.....I live here as well. Moved down here from NY. People are very nice, and I'm pretty open about my lack of religion (and my attraction to the same-sex as well) and nobody really cares (or if they have, I haven't seen any signs of it.)
I think it depends on where you are in the bible belt, and the people you are around. Not everybody is horrible and intolerant down here. (Though there is still an assload of racism in my area. Yeesh.)
Welcome to America! Yes, we are a religious country. Moreso than any European country that I know of, including Italy.
More to the point, America's religiousity revolves heavily around two main focal points: (1) sex, and (2) money.
When someone in the U.S. says, "I don't think s/he is a very moral person," the speaker is usually not talking about the subject's kindness, generousity, or even honesty. "Moral" has somehow come to be defined as "prudish". Therefore, the dishonest ****** who donates nothing to any charity and bullies everyone s/he can is "moral" in American parlance as long as "s/he" doesn't have sex with anyone besides his/her wife.
Anyway, I'm sorry that you've been told some horrible, incorrect things by some ignorant, immoral people. But to answer your original questions, America is religious because we started out as a country where religious pilgrims (Mayflower) and later waves of Puritans, Jews, and Pennsylvania Dutch (actually Germans, but who's counting?) came because they wanted to practice their stringent beliefs in peace. So their descendants are naturally more religious than the secular Europeans who found a way to live in Europe with less stringent beliefs.
Maybe it has to do with so many religious people going to America when it was still new...many coming from Europe.
I'm not sure. Everyone(almost) believes in god here where I live. I think it's environment and the fact that you're just told that god is real and that's that. Where I'm from(california) most of my peers aren't very religious and very few tell me that I'll go to hell. I don't really care though. It doesn't bother me, in fact, it kind of amuses me. I guess I'm just use to it. Anyway, I apologize that you have to suffer through all that. I doubt any atheists or agnostics want to be grouped as religious just because of where they live . Just have fun with the religious folk by asking them things they can't really answer like, "If god is all powerful and hates evil and satan, then why doesn't he get rid of it/them?" Please, try to ignore them. They're not worth the time
God is a fact. Do you know what else is a fact? There are no atheists in foxholes. Think about that. And, by the way, I am highly educated.
The original Americans that came here after the most original American Indians were mostly Europeans who believe in God and they were the one who drafted the US Constitution. No one has dared make changes and so it is here more than the English or Europeans who are more concern about surviving from what the Buddhists,Sikhs, Hindus, Islam, Christian and some Jewish can offer in their place.
It's not nearly as bad in other parts of the country.
For example, in California, rarely does somebody approach me with religion talk.
Europe is never like america..but then again,atheism is growing fast in america...
It's called cruel irony
See, by allowing freedom of religion, some wacky sects prospered more than they could have under an established religion. It is members of some of these same sects that want theocracy now.
Religion=Control.
Fault? It`s designed that way.
Under-educate the population and religion is a wonderful way to extricate money from and exert power over them.
Western world religion ranking - Number 1
Western world general education rating - Number 31
The higher the standard of general education the lower the religiosity of the people.
They obviously like being a bit thick, being told what to think, beating babies with the religion stick, having invisible friends and being shouted at by a man with a hairpiece and a shiny suit once a week.
The fact that most of us cannot tell them from Yemenis, Iraqis and Saudis in that regard doesn`t seem to put them off either.
It`s obviously one of those freedoms that us foreigners are so jealous of and why we all want to live there really.