Check out The Pew Global Attitudes Project. This is not some hacky, extremist anti-American website. It is an American website funded by some of the richest Americans around and co-chaired by former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright no less!
If you’re into this kind of thing (like I am), you’ll find it very interesting. Some of the articles worth a read are:
- The Spread of Anti-Americanism
- A Year After Iraq War: Mistrust of America in Europe Ever Higher, Muslim Anger Persists
- Among Wealthy Nations: U.S. Stands Alone in its Embrace of Religion
The last one is very interesting. This is one conclusion that they derive from their stats:
Religion is much more important to Americans than to people living in other wealthy nations. Six-in-ten (59%) people in the U.S. say religion plays a very important role in their lives. This is roughly twice the percentage of self-avowed religious people in Canada (30%), and an even higher proportion when compared with Japan and Western Europe. Americans’ views are closer to people in developing nations than to the publics of developed nations.
If nothing else this certainly indicates that the US is currently the most fundamentalist Christian country in the west, but I guess everybody already knows that. What happened to their ideals of secularism?
Attie Heunis's Journey 
Religion is good business in the USA, and also serves the political agenda of the current government. As long as there is money involved in religion in the USA, it will be a major factor in peoples lives. It comes down to the “Sheeple” mentallity. People like to follow and be told what and how to do (no resonsibility involved) instead of thinking for themselves, and the USA has done a GREAT job at creating such people. If P-Diddy (DiddY) sais something is cool, or Paris Hilton endorse some fast food chain, people will flock to get part of the prestige that goes with using those products. It is all so fake…
If it’s funded my some of the richest americans, no doubt Michael Moore is a sponsor !!!
Nasty, nasty;, nasty…and such simplistic responses. Not every American flocks to places Paris Hilton frequents….most just don’t give a damn. We are all too busy leading our lives. I myself am an agnostic, but recognize the importance religion has played in the forming of America, and if you were honest, you’d admit most of your laws are based on Christianity or Judaic law…(though shalt not kill, steal, etc). Guess it’ll all have to be re-written..maybe in Sharia. Wonder how we’ll all do once all that ‘nasty’ relgion is gone. hmmmm? Signed a not so wealthy American.