Religion in the United States

Despite official separation of church and state, many churches in the U.S. take strong stances on political subjects.

Percentage of population claimed by religious groups

Status of Religion in the United States

Religion is a significant part of the culture of the United States. The United States is one of the most religious first-world nations in the world. Gallup International indicates that 41% (2001[1]) of American citizens report they regularly attend religious services, compared to 15% of French citizens, 7% of UK citizens, and 25% of Israeli citizens. The largest participant religion in the United States is Roman Catholicism. Although church attendance in Europe has seen decline, it has risen in America since its founding. In 1776 only about 17% of Americans were churched, and by 1850 that percentage had doubled. In the early 20th century slightly more than half of the U.S. population was churched, and adherence rates have recently been a bit over 60%. [2]

The First Amendment guarantees right to freedom of religion. It also ensures that the government does not act in the interest or disinterest of religion. Some scholars have argued that this "free market" of ideas forces American pastors to cut overhead and market faith in new and more effective ways. [3] Culture "wars" often have roots in religious differences, but major incidents of religious violence are rare.

Political Influence of Religion in the United States

Politicians frequently discuss their religion when campaigning and many churches and religious figures are highly politically active. However, to keep their status as tax-exempt organizations they must not officially endorse a candidate. The considerable majority of presidents have had some affiliation with Protestant Christianity, several early holders of the office being Deists, with at least four Unitarians and a single Roman Catholic. (See the list of U.S. Presidential religious affiliations.)

Table of religious bodies in the United States

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The table below represents selected data as reported to the U.S. Census Bureau. It only includes the voluntary self-reported membership of religious bodies with 60,000 or more. The definition of "church member" is determined by the religious body. It should also be noted that a growing sector of the population (14%)[4] Tables 67-69 does not identify itself as a member of any religion.

Religious affiliation

Percentage of population claimed by religious groups

Self-Described Religious Identification of US Adult Population: 1990 and 2001 [5]
All figures after adjusting for refusals to reply, which jumped from 2.3% in 1990 to 5.4% in 2001

See also

• United States religious history
• Buddhism in the United States