I think from personal experience and observation that Americans are divided on this. We are a very religious country, the exception to the rule that religiosity declines in more developed and richer countries. There is sort of a civil religion -- the idea is as long as you have some religion or another it's OK, whatever it is, especially if it is Judaeo-Christian, and as long as it isn't Islam.
For a lot of Americans, however, there isn't anything like a firm theology or if there is, people are pretty tolerant of other's odd religious beliefs, at least if these are Judeao-Christian. For example, I know lots of people who decide whether to be Catholic or Episcopal or Methodist, whatever, just on the basis of how the pastor and the congregation fit their needs, they couldn't care less about the precise theology. And for a lot of Americans belonging to a religion doesn't mean you have to have particular beliefs. I have known Divinity students (United Methodist) who thought that the idea that Jesus was literally resurrected or that there are any supernatural beings is absurd, and that God is a name for what is highest and best in us. Even where the clergy are supposed to believe something, as in Catholicism, a lot of the congregation believes what it likes.
It's harder to choose to be Jewish -- Jews make it hard -- but I knew several people who've done it. Even Jews have a lot of diversity amongst ourselves in terms of belief -- my own congregation is "humanist" -- that is, atheist, headed by a formerly Orthodox rabbi who lost his belief in G-d, as the Orthodox write it.
There is of course tremendous prejudice against and ignorance of Islam, worse since 9/11, but existing since I can remember. Probably since the Six Day War in '67.
Various New Age versions of "Eastern" religions or Wicca (as far as I can tell a wholly New Age phenomenon) are popular in certain corners of the granola set.
On the other hand there are at least 40 million evangelicals and/or fundamentalist Christians, at least some some substantial substantial subset of whom really do want impose their own beliefs on everyone and enforce them through law. This is true especially in the South and the rural parts of the country -- the "red counties."
Moreover, the Catholic Church, though most American Catholics are pretty laid back, has been quite rigid about the legal imposition of its sexual morality, especially with regard to abortion. In some diocese in the last election I think I heard the Bishop announced that Kerry voters would be damned because Kerry was pro-choice, which createda flap about the diocese's tax free status.
It would be interesting to know how big the subset of theocrats is, and get some assessment of the political strength of the organized minonity. I bet Chip knows this stuff, maybe he can share his research if he's lurking here.
--- Doug Henwood <dhenwood at panix.com> wrote:
> Bill Bartlett wrote:
>
> >In other words, Americans regard religion as a
> personal choice,
> >rather than the collective expression of beliefs
> and even culture of
> >the society.
>
> Sure - and we're eclectic! A little Catholicism, a
> little wicca, a
> little Buddhism. Mix and match to create your own
> personal religion!
>
> Doug
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