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Religion - Coggle Diagram
Religion
Rise of the religious right and political impact
Unexpected religious revival beginning in the 1970s
Political stance: conservative or right of center
Core social and moral issues:
Opposition to abortion (legalized by the Supreme Court)
Support for prayer in public schools (ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court)
High politicization and sharp public divisions over these issues
Continuous pressure on politicians regarding school prayer and constitutional amendments
Growth in political debates, tension, and occasional violence over abortion
Perceptions and history of American religion
Common misunderstanding by foreigners due to media neglect of religion
High visibility of churches in small towns surprising to outsiders
Roots in immigration history as a refuge from persecution
Great number of distinct religious denominations from diverse immigrant backgrounds
Demographics and statistics
Challenges in data gathering due to legal limits on mandatory government surveys
Data from a two thousand and two survey:
Seventy-six percent identified as Christian (fifty-two percent Protestant, twenty-four percent Catholic)
One percent identified as Jewish
One percent identified as Muslim
Over one thousand two hundred separate Protestant denominations
Trends from the American Religious Identification Survey:
Christian identification fell from eighty-six percent to seventy-seven percent between 1990 and 2001
Muslim population doubled
Slight decline in Jewish numbers
Growth in smaller groups like Buddhists and Hindus
Future outlook for religion in society
Uncertainty regarding the long-term influence of the religious right
Differing predictions for the future:
Trend toward European-style secularization if economic prosperity continues
Risk of a more authoritarian political atmosphere with less personal freedom
Likelihood of religion maintaining a powerful role due to historic importance
Note on distinct religious minorities for further study: the Amish, the Mormons, and the Seventh-day Adventists
United States religion compared to other modernized nations
High rate of religious membership:
About sixty percent of Americans belong to a religious organization
Much lower numbers in European countries (twenty-two percent in Great Britain, fifteen percent in Spain, seven percent in Italy, four percent in France)
Separation of church and state:
First Amendment to the Constitution guarantees freedom of worship
Same amendment establishes strict separation of church and state
Limits religion in the public sphere, government, and public schools
Contrast with some European nations lacking clear separation of religion and government
Religion historically viewed as a private matter with indirect political influence