The Religious Aspects of the US
The United States is highly considered one of the most Christian nations in the world, and a large portion of its population claims they follow the faith.
Source: Wikimedia
Some have even gone as far as to say the nation was founded on the principle that people’s rights come from a Christian God, yet this is highly debated. However, it doesn’t change the fact that over two-thirds of the nation identify as Christian.
Pew Research Center Releases Data
Several years ago, Pew Research related data comparing the level of Christianity in the US to that of Western Europe.
Source: Freepik
While the majority of people on both sides of the Atlantic claim to be Christian, a small number don’t. In Germany and the United Kingdom, 23% claim to have no affiliation. In the States, around a quarter of the population claims the same.
Differences Between European and US Christians
Despite a few similarities, the data sourced from Pew Research suggests Americans are more religious than their overseas allies.
Source: Wikimedia
One notable difference is that around 68% of American Christians pray on a daily basis, whereas, on average, only around 18% of Christians in Western Europe pray each day.
Religious Nones in the US
An interesting factor witnessed in the data is that over 27% of religious nones, a term used to group together agnostics and atheists, or those who believe in “nothing in particular,” claim to believe in God with absolute certainty.
Source: Wikimedia
In Western Europe, however, this number drops to around 3% on average.
Non-Religious Americans Are More Religious
Pew Research used the data compiled from various studies and came to the conclusion that non-religious Americans could be considered just as religious as relatively religious Western European Christians.
Source: Freepik
“In fact, by several measures of religious commitment, religiously unaffiliated people in the U.S. are as religious as – or in some cases even more religious than – Christians throughout Western European countries,” said Pew Research’s study.
Americans Believe in the Biblical God
According to data sourced by Pew Research, American Christians are more likely to believe in the existence of God as he is described in the Bible.
Source: Freepik
In a separate 2017 study, over 55% of the Americans who participated in the questioning claimed this was the case.
Western Europeans' Lower Level of Belief in the Biblical God
In comparison, only around half of the US number, or 27% of Western Europeans on average, believe in the existence of a god as described in the bible.
Source: Freepik
Even in Portugal, which is recognized as one of Europe’s most religious countries, only around 35% believe in the existence of a God as described in the Bible.
Americans Believe in a Higher Power
When researchers asked Americans and Western Europeans whether or not they believed in any kind of higher power, again, the US appeared more religious.
Source: Freepik
Only 10% of Amercians refuse to believe there is no higher power. Whereas on average, 26% of Western Europeans believe there is no higher power of any kind.
The Traits Associated With God
Biblical scholars often make reference to three traits that are heavily associated with God.
Source: Freepik
These are: he “loves all people regardless of their faults,” “knows everything that goes on in the world,” and “has the power to direct or change everything that goes on in the world,” and it appears Americans believe this more than their Atlantic neighbors.
Americans Believe in the Three Traits of God
The data collected by Pew Research suggests that around 60% of Americans believe in the previously mentioned traits and that God is all-powerful.
Source: Freepik
In comparison, only around 25% of Western Europeans believe in the three traits. However, in nations such as Sweden and Denmark, this drops to around 13%
Is America Really More Religious?
When it comes down to the data, it’s hard to deny that Amercians appear to be a lot more religious in traditional terms when compared to Western Europeans.
Source: Freepik
As portions of Europe slowly move away from Christianity, America’s deeply set roots may ensure the nation’s citizens continue to follow the faith for many centuries to come.