Culture of the United States

This article very generally discusses the customs and culture of the United States; for the "culture" of the United States, see arts and entertainment in the United States.

Religion

Main article: Religion in the United States

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Historically, United States religious tradition has been primarily Protestant Christianity, but this tradition coexists in a public sphere where religious plurality and secularism are the norm. For example, the United States Constitution enshrined individual freedom of religious practice, which courts have since interpreted to mean that the government is a secular institution, an idea called "separation of church and state".

Related Topics:
Protestant Christianity - United States Constitution - Separation of church and state

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While the many Christian sects have the most adherents, many other faiths are also popular. No one religion holds sway over the entirety of the population. "Culture wars" often have roots in religious differences, but religious violence is virtually nonexistent and roundly condemned by religious as well as non-religious individuals. U.S. people as a whole attend religious services more often than do their peers in most Northern European countries. In fact, the U.S. is rare among industrialized nations in that most of its citizens consider themselves religious.

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According to the 2001 American Religious Identity Survey (ARIS), 76.5% of United States residents, or 159 million people, identify themselves as Christians; 13.2% or 27.5 million identify as non-religious or secular. Other faiths represented include the 1.3% (or 2.8 million) of U.S. people who identify themselves as Jewish; 0.5% (1 million) who identify themselves as Muslim; 0.5% (1 million) who identify themselves as Buddhists; 0.5% (991,000) who identify as agnostic; 0.4% (902,000) who identify as atheist; 0.4% (766,000) identify as Hindu; and 0.3% (629,000) who identify as Unitarian Universalist.

Related Topics:
American Religious Identity Survey - Christians - Jewish - Muslim - Buddhists - Agnostic - Atheist - Hindu - Unitarian Universalist

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According to the same study, the major Christian denominations (making up the vast majority of faiths actively practiced in the United States) are (in order): Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Pentecostal (aka charismatic or evangelical), Episcopalian, Latter-Day Saints, Church of Christ, and Congregational.

Related Topics:
Catholic - Baptist - Methodist - Lutheran - Presbyterian - Pentecostal - Episcopalian - Latter-Day Saints - Church of Christ - Congregational

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According to other studies, as reported by the Statistical Abstract of the United States, Americans' self-reported religious affiliations are 56% Protestant Christianity, 27% Catholic Christianity, 2% Judaism, 1% Orthodox Christianity, 1% Mormon Christianity, 5% "other specific", and 8% "other" or "did not designate." Some 68% of Americans are members of a place of worship, and 44% attend that place of worship regularly.

Related Topics:
Statistical Abstract of the United States - Protestant - Catholic - Judaism - Orthodox Christian - Mormon

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