Indoctrination! That is the simple answer. Get them while they are young and unable to use reason. Believe or burn in hell is very hard to overcome when that is indoctrinated as a child. Fear, guilt and intellectual laziness keeps it all afloat. I still have dreams of hell and I have not believed in that nonsense since age 15.

It’s competitive. Immigrants brought remnants of their culture’s religion. They used it to organize and remain connected. But America is great - bigger is better ... my church is newer, shinier, taller, fancier ...has more - and more expensive vehicles in it’s massive lot.. We must be right because, obviously - ‘god has blessed us!

And, it was promoted by the government like never before in order to ‘fight the godless communists.’ And.. it’s used to justify the consumption of our planet. It’s become a test of Patriotism - God & Guns (minus gays) - That’s America!

I am American and wonder that myself...

I do know that all of our lives we hve been told that we are a part of "the greatest country in the world", and soon after god is usually given credit for that. Of course the statement of the U.S. beign the greatest country in the world hasn't been true for quite some time... if it ever realy was true. I guess it woudl depend on how a person measured "greatness".

The U.S. has been the most powerful country, although we are quickly slipping. It is a pretty common thing fo the most powerful to believe they are favoied by god or the gods, when their power is just temporary in the big scheme of things. From this perspective, I think it is esier for those who are not powerful to give up god, or the gods, than it is for the powerful to do so. With poer comes fear, and fear of a loss of power will keep people believing in the god(s) they believe made tham powerful.

why questions are hard to answer. THe US is very diverse. Looking from afar you are hearing the loudest of the squeaky wheels as we do here. NOt everyone is wildly religious

Long answer: fear of death + indoctrination + lack of science education + tribalism + intellectual flabbiness

Short answer: old habits die .

Why do we also have so many guns in the hands of private citizens? And so many aircraft carrier battle groups? And so many nuclear weapons? I think it all stems from the same thing.

In most countries, churches are tied to the government, and there are very few choices.

Freedom of Religion has been around in the USA since the 1790's, so any church is allowed to embellish and morph the bullshit in the Bible to attract the most followers.

You should read "Fantasyland" by Kurt Andersen.

If I recall correctly I think de Tocqueville thought it is because of separation of from the government.

Maybe because America chose hocus pocus and belief in invisible people over science and experimentation? Anybody can believe. It is easy and does not dedtract from "me-time"

I don't know for sure, but when someone finds out please let us know! All kidding aside, I think it's more of a regional thing--the south is really heavy on , as is a good portion of the midwest. I'm not sure how to phrase this without condescending to anyone, but I feel as though the more "simple" a person is (not necessarily uneducated, mind you), the more they seem to believe in and/or rely on divine intervention to help them make sense of the world. Just my HO.

An excellent question - a friend of mine breast fed in public in Australia; I understand that is unacceptable in many US states. What is that about?

The United States of America was the first country founded largely on the Protestant religion which from the Roman Catholic point of view was heresy. The Roman Catholics had been in control for a thousand years in Europe so this was a major break from the control of the Pope and many Protestants fled Europe in order to escape religious persecution from the Catholic majority. This may have lead to the deep religious roots in America as it was founded by various sects of what would have been viewed as religious extremists. Plenty of historic evidence of the extreme nature of some of these 'new' religions.

I had read that it is at least partially rooted in separation of church and state.State is never free. In countries, most now and certainly in the pasr, with designated worship, believing feet are nailed down, and it is much more to redefine position. In the US, it's simply a matter of: "I'm not with ".

Long answer: fear of death + indoctrination + lack of science education + tribalism + intellectual flabbiness

Short answer: old habits die .

The American war machine has been killing innocent people since Viet Nam and is in the process of destroying much of the middle East. Perhaps provides redemption for a populace that turns a blind eye or worse endorses the barbarism of the American empire.

I hear this kind of question asked often by people from New Zealand and Australia. I'm getting very tempted to move down there! I'm wondering what allows for the more secular society, or at least a society that is more accepting of non-religiosity, where you are?

I think it's very much a result of the Puritan ethic that set the foundation for the Constitution and American society. Some founders were wise enough to allow room for democracy, growth, and change, but conservatives have challenged changes ever since, some convinced we'll only be happy if we go back to the old ways of doing things.

America is a big place, and we have our fair share of idiots and people unwilling to look beyond the scope of what they've been raised to believe.

I suppose because some of the first colonists were religious sects fleeing persecution in England. One group, the Puritans, were particularly Draconian. I think many Americans retain some of their mentality.

Nope.

America is so religious because the dominant, most vocal types of people in America are at best only moderately intelligent.

The United States part of America was thought of as haven for religion by Pilgrims and Puritans.

America has seen two streams of Biblical Christians come to her shores. These were the Pilgrims and the Puritans. The Pilgrims for the most part were separatists and inclined to live out their Christianity privately and with a primary focus on the Gospel and missions. As we have seen, the Puritans were the more politically active Christians. Back in the 1500's and 1600's they were the reformers of the established English Church.
[endtimepilgrim.org]

The original premise for the Separation of Church and State in the Constitution was for the preservation of religious belief (not to preserve government) in light of the French Revolution which made France a secular state. Religion wanted some guarantees in the New World that it would not be restricted by government. So religion has always enjoyed a privileged standing in the USA and it's influence grew stronger that now it challenges the separation of power.

large pdf warning