It started with fear through puritan ideals but I think lately its become a matter of power and control, maybe to feed some level of bigotry for some people as well. I've seen a fair enough number of Christians holding that fire and brimstone threat and heavily pass card gloat over others enough to think it's more that then it is fear these days.

The Puritans wee one of the first groups to settle this country. People that came after them felt pressure to conform to the people that were already here. This has lead to an outsize influence in the subsequent waves of immigrants.
Or maybe it was aliens.

Money money money !!!!!

From the country that gave us fast food...It's easier to ascribe all the difficult stuff to God rather than apply critical thinking, or worse not know.

Because they are idiots, perhaps ???