Why is USA more religious than Western Europe?

Question

WindAtMyBack · Accepted Answer

I don't know if this is true. If you had said all of Europe instead of Western Europe I know for sure it's not true. There are several countries in Europe that are more religious than the US. One list I saw recently showed something like 18-19 countries in Europe that are more religious than the US (mostly east and south Europe).

You have to be careful with any claims of how religious a population is. I find that the numbers are usually overly inflated. Very often the numbers come from the religious institution itself, which almost always inflate the numbers.

When it comes to self reporting, a lot of people claim they are religious simply because they were brought up that way - even though they have not prayed, read their religious books, or gone to a service in years or decades. So claims of religion is very different from actually practicing the religion.

It's very difficult to define and measure how religious different countries are.

KostasKouvalis · Accepted Answer

I think in Western Europe there's more of a separation of church and state. Also, a lot of European countries have had wars over religion and there have been more religious scandals. A lot of young people in Europe see the hypocricy and lies of the church, so it's hard for them to take it seriously and no longer see any benefit from practicing religion.

Also, most of Western Europe is Catholic and Catholics don't go knocking on people's doors trying to get them to convert. Sure, the priests are annoyed that not as many young people are attending mass, I've seen it personally, but they aren't gonna force you to attend mass or convert if you don't want to. Hell, even in the Protestant countries, I've never heard of Christians knocking on people's doors to try to get them to join the church, like the Protestants over here in the U. S. do. Christians in Europe, mind their own business. If you don't harass them, they won't harass you.

Jessica405 · Accepted Answer

Probably goes back to the Mormon (Latter Day Saints) pioneers. Emigrated from UK and Europe because of persecution by the Christian church. I had some laterat family lines that emigrated to SLC in Utah via Wyoming.

Darklydarkened · Answer

Low education, the country is founded by puritens, which are the most backwards, bigot bunch christianity had ever spawned into civilisation

Fractioned sense of community, lack of unitarian state, very low educational standards, openly allowing "religious communities and cults" to function so long they do not disturb general public order.

List is long I guess

DrPepper12 · Answer

Cuz Americans are insular, moronic, effectively illiterate, hypocritical, fearful, violent, slavish, anti-intelectuals, parochial, arrogant, hostile to science, absolutist people that turn to fairy tales rather than have the courage to admit that they are enthrall to a paleolithic delusion that now only operates as a way to organize their hate & bigotry.

beefcakebradybatson · Answer

It was built on overtly religious principles.(Hypocritically given its genocide of the First Peoples and 405 years of oppression of African Americans which has continued only somewhat abated since we [I'm saying "we" since my mother and lots of other relatives were born and currently reside Stateside] were stolen from Africa.)

Lynx122 · Answer

Cause religion can still be used to make some americans do what they're told. But in western Europe people were like nah we're good.

OddBeMe · Answer

Because us is secular. Same as commie nations last century. More secular, more religious.

KrakenAttackin · Answer

Well, the Muslims invaders of Western Europe are pretty religious.

katiesmuff · Answer

What makes you think we are?

PsychicBoobs · Answer

They are less intelligent.

Dargil · Answer

Why is Europe less religious than the USA?

Anonymous · Answer

Islam is very big in Europe

Why is USA more religious than Western Europe?

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