are we (USA) really that religious? or do many feel coerced?

[stevebreeze]

Just reading through post in this forum, I saw a couple who indicated that they could not be open about their belief, or lack thereof. Are we really90% religious? not that many people go to church. If you did believe in God and then didn't bother to go to church I don't think you can relay believe to strongly. Are many people just submitting to peer pressure and giving lip service to a belief they don't have? I have talked to a priest who had beliefs virtually identical to mine. and I would describe myself as agnostic.

[fshrink]

1. 2 things:

Religion IS coercion.
I voted 1, because I do think that a huge majority of this country is fundamentally religious. No critical thinking. No philosophy in high school. No revolutionary movement, ever (except buried proletarian uprisings here and there)... Religion is like a thick cloud you enter in when you step in the US.

[trotsky]

2. Never in the history of this country...

has a majority of the population been regular churchgoers. Not in the idyllic 1950s, not in the pioneer days, not even in the colonial days.

Most - in fact, I'd go so far as to say nearly ALL - people have at least a little bit of freethinker in them. Almost no one believes EVERYTHING in their religion. Catholics who use birth control. Jews who eat cheeseburgers. And so on. And countless people who would rather get that extra hour or two of sleep on Sunday than drag their ass outta bed to be yelled at from a podium. ;-)