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Religion is simply a large part of this nation's history. Though, i think it is very regional. In suburban DC, it seems very religious people are in the minority. I think most believe in god but the amount of people who attend church is rather low. Most people im somewhat close with however do not believe in god. Rural areas tend to be very religious.
The most religious areas are the least diverse areas. These people only are confronted with, say, Baptists, everywhere in their area. Their upbringing, Bible School, etc, their social staple, (church,) and their entire life is designed around having religion there. There isn't much to kill your dogma, doctrine, beliefs, etc.
The most diverse areas are the least religious. When you have 5 people on the same block of traditionally other backgrounds and religions, you are exposed to different ideas, which counter any one religion, therefore ruining the perception that your religion is the way of life. Plus, most religions are "chosen" religions, so you have to battle with the thought that you might be saved but none of your friends will be because they aren't your religion, etc.
You see the holes in religion when you don't live in a religiously homogenous area like the south.
Because Americans are easy to brainwash. Just look at how many voted for Obama. Personally I LOVE not being religious it has freed me from so much crap.
Guilt and accountability? The Bible was not written in the south 200 years ago. As for brainwashing as you spin it is actually being educated by reading the Bible for yourself. Or studying it with others who read it out loud. UGH people get a clue.
It's probably more sensible to ask why religion is so minor in Europe and Canada. Much of the world is way more religious than the US and in the Western Hemisphere most of our nations are as religious as the US or more.
So why is Christianity so minor in Europe? Well Europe experienced a good deal of religious wars that may have alienated people from religion. Also many of the European nations had "state churches" which either became linked to disdained governments or otherwise compromised themselves to irrelevance. There's also the Napoleonic wars which maybe brought some of the French secularism to much of Europe. Europeans also lost confidence in their own traditional values due to the devastation of two World Wars. Another might be that in Europe the State tends to be the main source of charity. People feel gratitude and connection to the State rather than Churches.
Much of this wouldn't fit Canada, but the part about the State might. Also they had some conflicts between Catholic Quebec and Protestant provinces which might have led to a reduction in religion to reduce conflict. Also Canada is more connected to European ways and trends than the US as its independence is newer. Still Canada, I admit, is a bit of a puzzle to me.
Some of this will also give you part of the answer of why "Christianity is huge", from your vantage point, in the US. Like we didn't have religious-wars, state-churches, clerical-states, and churches help the poor here. Although there are nations that are likely more religious than the US, but not so publicly religious as the US. That can be explained by an area where the US is a bit unique. The US is probably the largest nation to have our religiously devout be majority or plurality Protestants. In Europe the remaining nations to be pretty religious are pretty much all either Catholic or Orthodox. (Although some nations have devout Protestant areas like the Hebrides in Britain or the Dutch Bible-Belt. And it seems like maybe one of the Baltic nations does have a fairly strong Lutheran church, if so they could be an exception) In addition US Protestantism has become increasingly Evangelical due to the decline of "Mainline Protestants." (Essentially "Liberal Protestant" denominations that used to be kind-of part of "The Establishment." So like the United Church of Christ, Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, United Methodist Church, the main Presbyterian Church, and Episcopalians if you count Episcopalians as Protestant) Evangelicals are therefore more of the smaller-pie that is "Protestantism in America" as Evangelical declines have been minor or non-existent compared to the Mainlines. So the US's Christianity, in demographics, is maybe more like that of the Caribbean or South Pacific than it's like Poland or Paraguay. If you go to the more Catholic or Orthodox parts of the US you might see it be much less Evangelical. Possibly those places would be more like what you'd see in some of the more religious European nations such as Croatia, Malta, Poland, or Romania.
Because Americans are easy to brainwash. Just look at how many voted for Obama. Personally I LOVE not being religious it has freed me from so much crap.
Or how many voted for George W Bush, or how many believe that FoxNews is fair and balanced (or truthful), or how many think the Occupy movement is all doper hippies, or how many have no idea of where their food comes from other than it's wrapped in plastic at the supermarket or how many think that the world is ending (again for the umpteenth time) in 2012.
The point is Americans by and large are ignorant boobs who by and large give little thought to anything but consumption. Brainwashing would indicate an ability to concentrate and engage.
The most religious areas are the least diverse areas. These people only are confronted with, say, Baptists, everywhere in their area. Their upbringing, Bible School, etc, their social staple, (church,) and their entire life is designed around having religion there. There isn't much to kill your dogma, doctrine, beliefs, etc.
The most diverse areas are the least religious. When you have 5 people on the same block of traditionally other backgrounds and religions, you are exposed to different ideas, which counter any one religion, therefore ruining the perception that your religion is the way of life. Plus, most religions are "chosen" religions, so you have to battle with the thought that you might be saved but none of your friends will be because they aren't your religion, etc.
You see the holes in religion when you don't live in a religiously homogenous area like the south.
A diverse city like NYC with a diverse European population has alot of Catholics from different parts of Europe. So even different sorts of Catholicism. Very religious city in my opinion. You don't have to be a Conservative Bible Thumper to be overly religious. That has always been the medias stereotypical religious trope. Those darn "Crazy Bible Thumping Christian".
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Personally I LOVE not being religious it has freed me from so much crap.
