The religion and the society

Religion and society in the USA since the 1890s

Introduction:

« In God we trust »

This famous national motto – and yet officially passed in 1956 – shows the particular link existing in the USA between society and religion. Despite the great diversity of the American people, the religious aspect remains a fundamental social fact in the country.

How have religions been affecting the American society since the 1890’s ? Is religion a factor of integration in the context of melting-pot ?

1. A state based on a particular secularism

1. A secular state

In the USA, secularism is a principal of the Constitution; the 1st Amendment stipulates that Congress cannot create or favor a particular religion and that people are free to choose whatever religion they like. This is unsurprising, as many colonizers (for example: the Pilgrim Fathers) fled religious persecution; they did not want their country, once free of the British, to reproduce the conditions which they had been victims of. The first Amendment guarantees freedom of religion, of speech, of publication, and of gathering.

All Western countries are secular; the State is not supposed to interfere in the religious sphere and citizens are free to practice whatever religion they choose (religion is a private matter). There are different conceptions of secularism however: there are different degrees of separation between the State and religious institutions, and degrees of neutrality of the State as regards its interference in religious practices. For example, in France, the State has forbidden (since 2004) the wearing of veils by Muslim girls in State schools; this is not the case in the USA or the UK. Another example: in the USA, the President takes the oath during his investiture with his hand on the Bible.

The Constitution of the USA guarantees that State and Church are separate; this makes the country secular (= “laïque”). However, religion is much more present in society and political life than in countries like France. In 1990, 85% of Americans were Christian. In 2010, it was 75% (225 million people, including Protestants, Catholics and Orthodox). The majority of Christians in the USA are Protestant, 25% are Catholic.

Radiation pattern of the proportion of the various religions in the USA

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1. A protestant heritage

The first European settlers were mostly Protestant and the American nation’s early history is inextricably linked to Protestantism. Protestant ( “WASP”) values have largely defined the national identity and are still very important today even if the country is more pluralist. Indeed, it has several religions and also a rising number of atheists (people with no religion). 

Protestantism is a major branch of the Christian religion. It dates from the early 16th century (Reformation). There are about 500 million Protestants in the world. There are many movements, denominations, groups and churches within Protestantism.

The Christian religion defines most of the art, architecture, the calendar, the practices, values and festivities in the USA.

There are many minorities in the USA (it is a multicultural society), each with its religion and specific culture; these minorities have only become significant (numerically and in public life) in the latter half of the 20th century (because of immigration from a diverse number of countries).

Atheism has had less impact in the Unites States than in most European countries (for example: in France only 15% of the population actively practices a religion, and 25% is atheist).

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