LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY sunfell)

Religious Divide Cited for US, European Political Differences

While faith-based organizations play a significant role in American politics, the experts said, similar organizations in Europe are far less influential. The political influence of American faith-based groups also appears connected to the importance individual Americans place on religion.

According to recent findings by the Pew Global Attitudes Project, sponsored by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, 59 percent of Americans identified religion as an important part of their lives. In contrast, 11 percent of the French, 14 percent of Russians and 33 percent of Britons said religion was important to them.

"Europe is decidedly a post-Christian society," said Dr. Richard Lessner, executive director of the Family Research Council's American Renewal Project. "Faith is far less important in the daily lives of Europeans. Their institutions are not rooted in a particular faith point-of-view. They are thoroughly secular societies, with a very different national history from the national history of America."

I know that when I was living in Germany and the UK- the discussion of religious beliefs was considered distasteful and even vulgar. A British friend of mine expressed her unhappiness at being accosted by a prosetlyser while visiting in the US. Such things just aren't done there- and when they do happen, they are not welcomed.

Sunfell