Are Americans Religious?

History tells us that as societies become more industrial and more technological, they also tend to become more secular (less religious). This has happened to some ex­tent in the U.S. but probably less so than in Europe. Roughly two-thirds of American adults are members of a church or synagogue. However, only about 40% to 45% say that they attend religious services on a weekly basis. What about the younger generation? Responses to a study of more than 1,000 children (ages 6 to 14) revealed that 95% be­lieve in God, almost 50% go to religious services weekly, and about 80% pray. According to another poll, 90% of Americans believe in God, and 80% believe in life after death.

Generalizations about what religion really means to Americans are quite difficult to make. Religious participation varies immensely depending on many factors, including race, age, social class, economic condition, amount of education, and region of the country. For example, African-Americans attend church in greater numbers than any other race, with about 53% reporting attendance within the prior week. Older people, married people with children, and middle-income people are also more regular church­goers than younger people, single people, the poor, and the rich. States such as Okla­homa, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Alabama report higher weekly church attendance than other areas of the country. These states are in the area of the country commonly called the Bible Belt. Many people in this area are religious fundamentalists-that is, they be­lieve in the literal truth of the Bible. Also, they take their religion very seriously, so their religious views influence their attitudes toward many secular matters.

Clearly, many people who believe in God do not participate much in organized religion. Still, religion is important in several ways. It provides a personal identity, social contacts, and important rituals. Social groups, close friendships, and marriages are often formed with members of one's own religion. (However, intermarriage is increas­ingly more common.) In the U.S., religion provides the customs and ceremonies that mark life's most important events-the naming of a baby, coming-of-age ceremonies, weddings, and funerals. Perhaps most important, many religions promise the believer some form of eternal life, which is a great comfort, especially to the old and the sick.

The major American religions also provide the comfort of a personal God to turn to in times of trouble. However, Americans have never believed in simply waiting for God to solve their problems. In the U.S., religious faith lives side by side with a strong belief in free will and an admiration of self-reliance. Ben Franklin (the great eighteenth-­century writer, inventor, and statesman) said, "God helps them that help themselves." During World War II, this same idea was expressed in the saying, "Praise the Lord, and pass the ammunition." Americans do not believe in accepting misfortune as God's will. They count on their own actions to improve the quality of life. Some turn to their reli­gious leaders for advice in dealing with family problems or making important decisions in their lives. But secular advisers such as psychiatrists and psychologists have mostly taken over the counseling role.

If organized religion can fulfill so many human needs, why have so many people rejected it? Some feel that science now answers many questions that were once explained only by religion. (But many scientists are themselves religious and argue that the beauty and order of the universe are evidence of a divine creator.) Some point to all the pain and suffering in the world and say that if a personal, all-powerful God really existed, human life would be less painful. (Believers respond that God doesn't cause the cruelty that people show to one another.) Some people believe in God but dislike the rigid rules of organized religion. Many religions require followers to give up certain pleasures. Some people see no purpose in the willpower required. Finally, there is great competi­tion for people's limited amount of leisure time, and many people prefer other activities to sitting in church.

Those who do make it to religious services regularly now have a new argument to make to their absent friends. Research has revealed that people who attend church serv­ices regularly live longer and enjoy better mental and physical health. Why? Two of many possible reasons are these: Churchgoing provides social support, and religious faith re­duces stress. And less stress is something nearly all Americans seek and need.

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