what % of the us believe in god?
89%
why is the us different in regards to religion vs development?
Duncan and Godard, usually the more technologically advanced a country gets, the more that religion declines. but the us has been able to achieve both, religion and development economically. us is one of the few countries that is both rich and very religious. more people self identify
why is there less formal membership of region than in the uk?
because there is no national religion, most people practise on their own
what does separation of church and state mean?
result of the demographic base of the country when it was first established, there were so many different religions when the us was founded due to it being made up of immigrants. no state religion was established to prevent free exercise of religion and there was no law stopping people practising religion. wanted to stop religious persecution they had experienced in the uk
in 2020, what % of the us population are actually members of a church?
47% due to no state church
why did the us pop want a separation between state and church?
because they associated a religious state, with oppression, authority, class and hierarchy and it being undemocratic. this is due to their experience with an established church in the uk.
what is public religion concept?
a shared religiosity, sense of faith that goes beyond denominations. faith is part of national culture and identity of the us people.
what are 6 examples of the concept of public religion or a national culture within the us?
a reference to a non specific 'god' in the founding documents, in the declaration of independence and the us constitution. the dollar bills 'in god we trust', semi official motto. pledge of allegiance, 'one nation under god'. churches and chaplains in the military. Christmas tree of the white house lawn despite the 1st amendment. presidents often seen praying or attending church despite separation, and saying god bless america.
what are the 3 main competing pulls on american religion? t, e, p
tolerance, evangelicalism and prejudice
what is religious tolerance, as a competing pull in american religion?
tolerating other religions and not interfering with the lifestyle of other people. open religious prejudice is not that common recently as they have faith in faith. religion in usa is left to the individual. first pull on religious practise
what is evangelicalism, as a competing pull in american religion?
rise in evangelicalism, they want to bring sinners back to Christ, a competing pull on religious practise, against religious tolerance, as it aims to convert people to a certain religion. evangelicals are a large group. rise in Christian conservatism.
what is flexidoxy?
mixture between ,freedom and flexibility, and longing for rigor and orthodoxy on the other. factor in what Americans seek in religion. diverse outlook on religion,
how can religion be both a private matter and be present in politics, despite a separation of state?
limited formal involvement in state, however it remains large in politics as many of the politicians are religious and use it as a way to set policies. constitutionally separate but in reality the lines are blurred. religion is separate in government but not politics
what is religious prejudice in regards to religious practise pulls?
direct pull against religious tolerance. religious freedom was established in 1791 in the first amendment and equal protection in the 14th amendment in 1868. despite this religious and ethnic communities have faced prejudice, separation causes ignorance and can lead to prejudice between religions
what is civil religion?
an interpretation of the impact of public religion in the us. an idea of a nonsecular religion that includes everyone in the us, not based on a god but on a shared sense of values and ideals and faith in america. Americans take a religious interpretation on symbols of the american creed, for example the flag. unchecked patriotism and can cause issues in encouraging prejudice as it sneaks in concepts of Christianity disguised as this american creed and american values. sets a tone for who is american and who is not, issues with immigrants. reinforces american religiosity, reunited by faith.
examples of civil religion?
the american dollar bill saying in god we trust and the saying god bless america and the pledge of allegiance saying one nation under god
why is civil religion critisised? 3 points
its hard to define, cant be distinguished from public religion very well and can be seen as unchecked patriotism or american pride. excludes large sections of the population