Chapter 3 the american religious heritage

American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group 1

OUTLINE
A.INTRODUCTION
B.BODY
I. Overview
I.1. Religion in general context
I.2. Freedom of religion
I.3. Others
II. Main content – Religious heritage
II.1. The development of Protestantism
II.2. The Protestant Heritage: Self-Improvement
II.3. Material success, Hard work, and self-discipline
II.4. Volunteerism and Humanitarianism
II.5. Born-Again Christians
II.6. The Religious Right
II.7. The National Religion
II.8. Some Religious destinations and festivals
C.CONCLUSION

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American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group 1

A.INTRODUCTION
American is well-known as the world's third or fourth-largest by total area and
the third most populous. It is one of the world's most ethnically diverse and
multicultural nations, the product of large-scale immigration from many countries.
However, it would be a mistake without talking about its stake in religious heritage
resulting in many traditional values. All of these combine and create a national

character.

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American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group 1

B.BODY
I. Overview
I.1. Religion in general context
From the beginning of the history, religion has played an important role in the
United States. The Catholic faith was first brought to the North American continent by
the Spanish in the 1500s and after that, many historical factors have led to the multireligions America.
Americans learn in their history classes that many of Europeans who originally
settle there were escaping religious persecution in their countries. The freedom of
religious practice become a factor that strongly motivated the formation of the
country- where there is no government interference on religious practice. There exists
a doctrine “ separation of churches and state”, meaning that the government is not to
give official support to any particular religion, nor to prevent individuals from
practicing their chosen religions. In combination with other factors, United States of
American became a promised land- a destination for people who want a free spiritual
life.
This may be the answer for the country pluralism on religions. Almost all of the
religions of the world are now practiced in the United States. Ninety percent of all
Americans say that they believe in God, although not all of them participate in
traditional religious organizations. About 80 percent of Americans are Christians, 2
percent are Jewish, and another 4 percent belong to other religious faiths such as
Islam, Buddhism, or Hinduism. Although the overwhelming majority of Americans
are Christians, all religious make important contributions to the American culture. The
immigrants have brought with them their traditional religions of East Asia like

Daoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, Shintoism and so on. And the Native American
religions are still studied and practiced right now. All the religions in the United
States are living in harmony with each other.
To be religious in America means different to different people. Generally, the
purpose of religion is perceived as providing spiritual guidance for people, helping
them to lead a life according to the tenets of their religion. For Christians, for
example, this means following the principles of brotherly love, forgiveness, charity
and humanity.“ Being religious” also means belonging to a place of worship like
church, temple or mosque. People are considered to be more religious than the
average if they participate in the activities more regularly. However, there still have
many people who do not belong to any religion. Those people normally do not believe
in any Surprise Being exists. Some of them may hold spiritual beliefs but do not
subscribe to any “organized religion” . However, generally speaking, religion related
activities still have a big immense influence on the American’s daily life.
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American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group 1

In comparison, Britain or Vietnam are also the countries with the quite high
level of religion diversity. There are many religions all live together in harmony
though a dominant religion may exist. In the Britain, Christianity holds 71.6% and in
Viet Nam, Buddhism takes more than 90 percent totally. There are many differences,
of course, about the history of appearance or the attitude of the people. For example,
in the United States, the religious communities were formed much latter than in the
Britain and Vietnam. All of these make the picture of religion vary from country to
country.
I.2. Freedom of religion
The fundamental American belief in individual freedom and the right of
individuals to practice their own religion is at the center of religion experience in the

United States. By limiting the power of the government and the churches and
eliminating a former aristocracy, they created a climate of freedom where the
emphasis was on the individual. The United States came to be associated in their
minds with the concept of individual freedom. This is probably the most basic of the
American values.
The United States is a multi-cultural immigrant heritage. The great diversity of
ethnic backgrounds has produced religious pluralism. Almost all of the religions of
the world are now practiced in the United States. Ninety percent of all Americans say
that they believe in God, although not at all of them participate in traditional religious
organization. About 80 percent of American are Christians, 2 percent are Jewish, and
another 4 percent belong to other religious faiths such as Islam, Buddhism, or
Hinduism. All the religions make important contributions to the American culture.
People of Hispanic origin now make up nearly one-half of the Catholic churches. The
Asian immigrants have brought with them the traditional religions of East AsiaDaoism, Confucianism, and Shintoism, as well as Buddhism. From the beginning of
its history until now, religion has played an important role in the United States.
That is the reason why the United States became the most religiously diverse
countries in the world.
In the comparison with Vietnam, it has religious freedom but some limitations in
religious practice. The Government does not officially favor a particular religion, and
virtually all senior government and CPV officials, as well as the vast majority of
National Assembly delegates, are formally “without religion”. The prominent

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American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group 1

traditional position of Buddhism does not others adversely, including those who do
not practice a religion.
In the comparison with the Britain : it is the freedom of the religious belief and

everyone shall have right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right
shall include freedom to have or adopt a religion or belief of his choice, and freedom,
either individually or in public or private.
I.3. Others
-United States is a place of worship
Over 3,000 large churches in the US currently draw crowds of more than 2,000
people to a service, making intimate community worship a thing of the past for
millions of Americans. But we’re interested in the largest of the large; the so-called
“big box churches” regularly attended by over 10,000 people. Raking in multi-million
dollar profits annually and giving new meaning to the phrase “go big or go home”,
these megachurches are the new face of worship for the modern age of America. In
the United Kingdom, it is also the place of worship with many churches.
In Vietnam: mostly are pagodas and temples such as Perfume Pagoda, Tomb of
Gia Long, Temple of Literature, But Thap Pagoda and over one hundred of temples
and pagodas in Vietnam attract thousands of people come each year, which make in
thousands dollars profit annually.
-The main clergy in United States
The main clergy in the United States is the pastor or Shepherd. There is a
tremendous difference between preaching for a church and serving as their pastor.
When a church calls a pastor, the people expect to do much more than preach. He is
also shepherd the flock. “ Feed the flock of God which is among you taking the
oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly, not for filthy lucre, but one of a
ready mind, neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being example to the
flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, he shall receive a crown of glory
that faith not away”

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American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group 1

In Vietnam: The monk, referred to as a Venerable Sir and is reportedly the
abbot of a pagoda in the provincial resort city of Nha Trang, is now believed to be the
man seen naked and making love to a woman in the video and photos.
In the United Kingdom: it is not same as the United State when the main clergy
is the priest.
-The United States with the national religious festival
One of most important national religious festival in the United States is the
Christmas day. In Christmas day, many people in the United States celebrate on
December 25. The day celebrates Jesus Christ’s birth. It is often combined with
customs from pre-Christian winter celebrations. Many people erect Christmas trees,
decorate their homes, visit family and exchange gifts, and many interesting activities.
In the United Kingdom, the national religious festival is also the Christmas day.
In Vietnam: one of the very important ceremonies that are celebrated in Hoi An
old town is the festival held on Buddha’s birthday. The day is celebrated on the 15 th
day of the 4th lunar month, and prayers and offering are made all over Vietnam. This
day is celebrated lavishly in the Phap Bao Pagoda. All the followers gather in front of
the pagoda to observe the religious rites and listen to the Vesak message, as well as to
speech given by the head monk of the pagoda. They afterwards offer food and gifts to
the children and the needy.
II. Main content – Religious heritage
II.1. The development of Protestantism
a. Protestantism in America.
Protestantism is the largest group of Christianity in the United States, with its
combined denominations accounting for about half the country's population. The
United States is also the home for 20% of the world's Protestants, or some 150 million
people, making it the country with the largest number of Protestants.
b. The development of Protestantism
-The Protestant branch of the Christian faith broke away from the Roman Catholic
church in Europe in the sixteenth century because of important differences in religious

beliefs
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American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group 1

-The Roman Catholic church was the center of religious life in western European
countries. The Catholic pope and the priests played the role of parent to the people in
spiritual. They told people what was right and wrong and they granted them
forgiveness for sins against God and the Christian faith.
-On the other hand, the Protestants insisted that all individual must stand alone before
God. If they sinned, they should seek their forgiveness directly from God rather than
from a priest speaking in God’s name. Every individual was solely responsible for his
or her own relationship with God.
-After broke away from the Catholic church, they found that they could not agree
among themselves about many beliefs. Therefore, the Protestants began to form
separate churches, called “ denominations”. There was much bitterness among some
of the religious groups in the 1600s and many Protestant denominations experienced
religious persecution. A number of people were even killed because of their beliefs.
The result was that many Protestants were ready to leave their native countries in
order to have freedom to practice their religious beliefs. Consequently, the early
settlers came to America, there were many Protestants seeking religious freedom.
-A large number of Protestant denominations were established in America. Some
denominations hoped to force their views and beliefs on others but not succeeded. The
idea of separation of church and state became accepted. With the Constitution in
1789, the establishment a national church was forbidden, there are no denomination
gaining control over the others. The Government and the church had to remain
separate. So a great variety of different Protestant denominations developed and grew.
Today, the various Protestant denominations have completely separate church
organization. The Protestantism has been a powerful force in shaping values and

beliefs of Americans.
The comparison between American, Britain and Vietnam
The United States
Denominations Protestants,
the
Catholic
church,
the southern Baptist
Convention,
the
United Methodist
church, the church
of God in Christ.

Britain
This group included
the
church
of
England, Church of
Scotland, Church in
Wales,
Protestant
and
all
other
Christian
denominations.

Vietnam

The
mainstream
protestant
denominations may
be roughly grouped
into nine families:
Anabaptist,
Anglican, Baptist,
Congregational,
Lutheran, Quaker,
Reformed.
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American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group 1

Rite, Scripture

Christians believe
in Jesus Christ
coexisted with God
Sunday is the day
set
aside
for
worship services,
praying in
the
church
They

generally
emphasize
the
doctrine,
justification
by
faith alone apart
from good works
and a belief in the
Bible alone as the
supreme authority
in matters of faith
and morals.

Christians believe in
Jesus
Christ
coexisted with God
Sunday is the day set
aside for worship
services, praying in
the church
They
generally
emphasize
the
doctrine, justification
by faith alone apart
from good work and
a belief in the Bible

alone as the supreme
authority in matters
of faith and morals.

Practically,
all
Vietnamese people
have an alter in their
home and business
where prayers are
offered to their
ancestors(
called
ancestor veneration)
They worship in
some
religious
celebrations such as
death anniversaries,
the starting of new
business, belief in
ghost and spirits in
common.

II.2. The Protestant Heritage: Self-Improvement
a. Self-improvement
Self-improvement or self-help is a self-guided improvement - economically,
intellectually, or emotionally - often with a substantial psychological basis. Many
different self-help groupings exist and each has its own focus, techniques, associated
beliefs, proponents and in some cases, leaders. "Self-help culture, particularly

Twelve-step culture, has provided some of our most robust new language: recovery,
dysfunctional families, and codependency”.
b. Protestant heritage
Protestantism has been a powerful force in shaping the values and beliefs of
Americans. One of the most important values associated with American Protestantism
in the value of self-improvement. Individuals are left alone before God to improve
themselves and ask for God’s guidance, forgiveness and grace.
The need for self-improvement reaches far beyond self-improvement in the
purely moral or religious sense. It can be seen in countless books which explain how
people can be happier and more successful in life. Books of this type are often
referred to as “self-help” books and many are best sellers. They are the natural
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American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group 1

products of a culture in which people believe that “God helps those who help
themselves”.
One of the most popular self-help books in the United States is “The Power of
Positive Thinking” written by a Protestant Minister, Norman Vincent Peale.
According to Peale, the key to self-improvement and success is self-confidence.
Americans buy hundreds of millions of self-help books a year. In addition,
Americans attend thousands of self-help seminars and support group meetings to help
them stop smoking or drinking, lose weight, be better parents, have happier
relationship and develop self-confidence.
In comparison with Britain and Vietnam

Main religion
Attitude of people
Doctrine

Self-improvement
II.3. Material success, Hard work, and self-discipline
The achievement of material success is apparently the most widely respected
form of self-improvement in the United States. The idea of mixing materialism and
religion may seem contradictory; religion is considered to be concerned with spiritual
matters, not material possessions. How can the two mix? All Americans believe in
God, the God will bring them the best thing and always try their best to work hard.
Some of the early European Protestant leaders believed that people who were
blessed by God might be recognized in the world by their material success. Other
church leaders in the United States, made an even stronger connection between
gaining material wealth and being blessed by God.
American religious leaders, however, never encouraged the idea of gaining
wealth without hard work and self-discipline. Only by hard work could these natural
resources be converted into material possessions, allowing a more comfortable
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American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group 1

standard of living. Many scholars believe that the emphasis on these two values made
an important contribution to the industrial growth of the United States. Protestant
leaders viewed the work of all people as holy, not just that of priests. They also
believed that the capacity for self-discipline was a holy characteristic blessed by God.
Self-discipline was often defined as the willingness to save and invest one's money
rather than spend it on immediate pleasures. Protestant tradition, therefore, may have
played an important part in creating a good climate for the industrial growth of the
United States, which depended on hard work and willingness to save and invest
money.
The belief in hard work and self-discipline in pursuit of material gain and other
goals is often referred to as “the Protestant work ethic” or “the Puritan work ethic..

Many religious groups in the United States share this work ethic, and even Americans
who have no attachment to a particular church are influenced by the work ethic in
their daily lives. Interestingly, in the last few decades, there has been a shift both in
the work ethic and in the meaning of work. Yankelovich and other researchers report
that in the past, most Americans did not expect their work to be interesting or
enjoyable. In the 1950s, for example, most people saw their jobs primarily as a source
of income. Now, by a margin of four to one, they expect their work to give them a
sense of personal satisfaction and fulfillment, in addition to their income. However,
they always work hard. The United States is the only industrialized country that does
not have a legal requirement for workers to have a certain number of paid vacation
days. Americans take an average of only two weeks of vacation time a year. And the
recent studies have painted a grim picture of the American working world: Longer
days, less vacation time, and later retirement: They are taking only 51% of their paid
vacation days. And 61% of those who do are working while they are on vacation.
Think about that for a minute – even when we are given a “budget” of days to spend,
we only spend half of it, on average. And you know how much Americans love
spending their budget.
In comparison with Britain and Viet Nam
Factor
Material success

The United States
- Gaining wealth
always goes hand
in hand with hardworking and selfdiscipline.
They

Britain
It is a strong
connection between

gaining
material
wealth and being
blessed by God. By

Vietnam
- It is concept that
people are born
with a certain faith
and follow the
religious roots in
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American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group 1

believe that only by that, people can’t
hard work could be
active
in
these
natural achieving success
resources
be
converted
into
material
success,
allowing a more
comfortable

standard of living.
It
will
be
impossible to be
given anything if
people do not make
effort and “ God
helps those who
help themselves”
and the capacity for
self-discipline was
a
holy
characteristic
blessed by God
- Americans are
overstressed
and
overworked:
Longer days, less
vacation time, and
later retirement,

their
family.
Whatever they do,
they could not
escape
theirs.

Buddhism teaches
people the way of
accepting
and
living in harmony
with others so
Vietnamese have
fewer competitions
with others when
they work.
- People always
believe Buddhism
and pray for their
luck, wealth and
health
from
Buddhism.
Sometimes,
they
believe the luck the
Buddhism brought
for them rather than
what they can do
themselves.
- Because people
are not aggressive,
so
they
work
comfortably,

flexibly , but some
situations
have
neither the creation
nor the discipline in
the daily work.

II.4. Volunteerism and Humanitarianism
a. Improving oneself from helping other to share God’s bless

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American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group 1

Americans made a strong connection between gaining material wealth and
being blessed by God. They also believed that the capacity for self-discipline was a
holy characteristic blessed by God. Hard work and self-discipline help them gain
material wealth. The achievement of material success is probably the most widely
respected form of self-improvement in the United States.
The idea of self-improvement also includes the idea of improving oneself by
helping others. In other words, individuals make themselves into better person by
contributing some of their time or money to charitable, educational, or religious
causes that are designed to help others.
b. The other motive
Many Americans believe that they should devote part of their time and wealth
to religious or humanitarian causes in order to acceptable in the eyes of God and in the
eyes of other Americans.
Today, more and more Americans become involved in volunteer activities. Men
and women, whites and blacks, married persons and single … are willing to take part

in one or two organizations, contribute some of their time and money to charitable,
educational, or religious causes.
In the United States, just about everyone, at one time or another, has been a
volunteer. On any given day, millions of Americans give of their time and talents to
benefit their communities through volunteer service. Volunteering is so pervasive in
the United States that it can be observed daily in almost every aspect of life.
Many businesses encourage their employees to do volunteer work, and
individuals may get tax deductions for money given to charity.
c. Main organization: religious organization, educational organization, youth service
related organization, social or community service organization.
d. Popular activities for main organization
Collecting, preparing, distributing, or serving food , fundraising, and tutoring
or teaching were the activities volunteers performed most frequently for their main
organization. Men and women tended to engage in different main activities. Men who
volunteered were most likely to engage in general labor or coach, referee, or supervise

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American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group 1

sports teams. Female volunteers were most likely to collect, prepare, distribute, or
serve food ; fundraise ; or tutor or teach.
The main types of activities volunteers performed varied by educational
attainment. Persons with a bachelor's degree and higher were more likely than those
with less education to provide professional or management assistance or to tutor or
teach. Volunteers with less than a high school diploma were more likely to collect,
prepare, distribute, or serve food or engage in general labor than were those with
higher levels of education.
Parents with children under age 18 were more likely than those without children

under age 18 to engage mainly in volunteer activities that are frequently related to
children, including coaching, refereeing, or supervising sports teams…
In comparison with Britain and Viet Nam
American
-Having the idea of
improving oneself by
helping others.
-You can help other people
with
charitable,
educational or religious
causes.
-In the company, the staff
may get tax deduction for
money given to charity.

Britain
-Not having much the idea
of improving oneself by
helping people.
-You can help other people
by
organizing
a
fundraising event, working
in a charity shop.
-The staff don’t get tax
deduction with the aim to
dominate others.

Viet Nam
-Not having much the idea
of improving oneself by
helping others.
-You can help people with
all fields ( education,
health care, community
development…)
-The staff don’t get tax
deduction for money given
to charity.

II.5. Born-Again Christians
a.The meaning of born-again
The term “born again Christian” is an often misunderstood. If we look to its
original reference, we see that the meaning is not about a physical birth, but about
receiving a spiritual renewal. Since the original sin in the garden by Adam (Genesis
3), all mankind is born in a corrupted state by inheritance. It is by that our soul needs
to be reborn- made pure and righteous again- the way God created us to be. He
provides the way for this to happen, but because God gave us free will, we have a
choice to accept it or not.

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American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group 1

The phrase “born again” is also used as an adjective to describe individual
members of the movement who espouse this belief, as well as the movement itself
(“born-again Christian” and the “born-again movement”).

b. The experience of born-again
Perhaps the most dramatic example of the idea of self-improvement is the
experience of being “born-again”. Some individuals who have had this experience say
that when they truly opened their hearts to God and Jesus Christ, their lives were so
completely changed, it was like being born again. Whether they identify themselves as
born-again Christians, Evangelicals, mainline Protestants or Catholics, they tend to
hold conservative religious beliefs. Estimates are that one-third to one-half of all
American consider themselves to be religious conservatives, although they do not all
have the same beliefs. For example, Democratic President Jimmy Carter and
Republican President George W. Bush have both spoken publicly about their bornagain experiences.
Many of those who are religiously conservative are also politically
conservative. Since the 1980s, they have been gaining numbers and political strength
in the United States.
In comparison with Britain and Viet Nam
United States

-When people truly opened their hearts to God and Jesus Christ, their lives were so completely chan
-Many of those who are religiously conservative are also politically conservative. Since the 1980s, t

II.6. The Religious Right
Many of those are religiously conservative are also politically conservative.
Since the 1980s, they have been gaining numbers and political strength in the US.
Under such name as the religious right or Christian coalition, these individuals have
joined together to oppose legalized abortion or to support prayer in the public schools,
among other issues.
Religious right or Christian right is a term used mainly in the United States to
describe right-wing Christian political factions that are characterized by their strong
support of socially conservative policies .Christian conservatives principally seek to
apply their understanding of the teachings of Christianity to politics and public policy

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American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group 1

by proclaiming the value of those teachings or by seeking to use those teachings to
influence law and public policy.
In the United States, the Christian right is an informal coalition formed around a
core of white evangelical Protestants with uneven support from conservative
Catholics. The Christian right draws additional support from politically
conservative mainline Protestants, Jews, and Mormons. The movement has its roots in
American politics going back as far as the 1940s and has been especially influential
since the 1970s. Their influence draws, in part, from grassroots activism as well as
their focus on social issues and ability to motivate the electorate around those
issues. The Christian right is notable today for advancing socially conservative
positions on issues including school prayer, intelligent design, stem cell
research, homosexuality, contraception, abortion, and pornography.
a. Defining the Religious Right
The movement generally referred to in the United States as the Religious Right
came of age in the late 1970s. While the Religious Right is extremely diverse and
shouldn't be characterized in simple terms, the movement as we have come to know it
is an ultraconservative religious response to the sexual revolution and other events
that are seen, by Religious Right proponents, as being connected to the sexual
revolution--and an attempt to effect this religious response as public policy.
b. Power of religious right
Overall analysis of the political power of the Christian right organizations is
hard to find. Even analysis of particular facets or organizations is difficult to come by.
The few works collected here have all taken different facets of the religious right,
either different strategies used by them or different areas of policy of importance, and
studied those. In the end, they show a slightly contradictory image, one of both power

on some levels, and complete powerlessness on others. In particular, Lugg and Clifton
found areas of Christian right strength, while Wald and Corey below (and to a lesser
extent Clifton) found areas of Christian Right weakness.
Lugg’s work is useful for showing one area where the Christian Right has long
had most of its victories: education. Lugg’s conclusion is that the Christian Right has
great influence in this field, and even their judicial losses turn into “minor moral
victories” and have helped train activists for bigger fights.
These victories all come in from lobbying local leaders, in this case school
boards, to change curricula. This particular study is a case study of one county’s
decision to include a class on the Bible as history, using a curriculum and text
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American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group 1

developed by a Christian right organization, the National Council on Bible
Curriculum in the Public Schools. The school board had a majority of members who
belonged to the Christian Coalition. When the ACLU sued, Pat Robertson's American
Center for Law and Justice gave representation to the school board. A compromise
was reached by the judge, but in the end the school board ended up having to give up
more than the outraged parents. Overall, though, the Christian right won a victory,
because the “Bible as history” courses were soon adopted in 67 other school districts
in Florida. This shows that they are much more successful with strategies involving
grassroots organizing, and less so with legal strategies.
This is, overall, consistent with the findings of Romancing the GOP: Assessing
the Strategies Used by the Christian Coalition to Influence the Republican Party by
Brett M. Clifton. He sees three possible means by which the Christian Coalition could
influence the Republican Party, and he seeks to find out how well they do so. His
research is devoted to policy expertise (which corresponds to an informational
strategy), financial clout and electoral mobilization (which both correspond to the

“grassroots” strategy). To test strength in a given area, he surveyed local Republican
Party heads and Christian Coalition heads, and did some in-depth interviews. These
surveys and interviews focused both on overall influence, and influence based on his
three areas. His findings are that, because of both expertise and mobilization, the
Christian Coalition has clout within the Republican Party, but that their fundraising is
less important.
Somewhat disagreeing with this assessment are the findings of Kenneth Wald
and Jeffrey Corey, who have found that the policy expertise quality is not so
influential when Christian right activists are put into a place to actually create policy.
This is a case study, where several Christian right activists were put on to the 19971998 Florida Constitutional Revision Committee. He found that, despite the fact that
they made up roughly one-fourth of the delegates, they experienced the least
satisfaction and had the most of their recommendations rejected. (The commission
was made up of, roughly, half Democrats and half Republicans, with the Republicans
split in half between moderates and Christian Right activists).
These studies are all very useful for helping show where the Christian right is
strong. It seems pretty obvious that it is most strong in the mobilization and in fielding
local candidates (for example, school boards), and not so strong at making policy
decisions. However, none of these works studied changes in strength over time, nor
are any of the methods applicable to studying it. Moreover, other than Clifton’s study,
none of these were very rigorous. They are also, again excluding Clifton’s study, very
focused in space and scope. If we are seeking a broader picture of the religious right,
these studies contribute very little.
c. The Future of the Religious Right
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American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group 1

It would be naive to say that the Religious Right as an organized movement no longer
poses a threat to civil liberties, but it no longer poses the most serious threat to civil

liberties, if it ever did. As the general atmosphere of obedience following the
September 11th attacks demonstrated, all demographics can be manipulated by fear.
That some religious conservatives are more motivated than most by the fear of a
potentially hedonistic, nihilistic culture, and sometimes do foolish things based on that
fear, should not be surprising. The proper response to that fear is not to dismiss it, but
to help find more constructive ways to respond to it--and to expose the way that
charlatans, politicians, and hatemongers blatantly exploit that fear for their own
selfish, and sometimes destructive, purposes.

In comparison with Britain and Viet Nam
The United States

Britain

Viet Nam

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American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group 1

Many
American
are
religiously
conservative
and are also politically
conservative. Since the
1980s, they have been
gaining numbers and

political strength. They
have joint together to
oppose legalized abortion
or to support prayer in the
public schools, among the
issues.

Crucially,
evangelical
activists have so far failed
to
take
over
the
conservative party, despite
the existence of groups
like
the
conservative
Christian
fellowship.
Britain’s religious and
political
demographic
make such a scenario
highly
implausible.
However there is the ongoing campaign against
same-sex marriage which
may be doomed but which

has gala vanished a lot of
religious support.

The constitution, legal
code, and a 2003
communist 2003 party
central
committee
resolution on religion
provide for freedom of
belief and worship, as
well
as
non-belief;
however, the government
require the registration of
all activities by religious
groups and used this
requirement to restrict
activities
that
are
regarded as a threat to
party authority of the
government in certain
case.

II.7. The National Religion
a. The mixture of patriotism and religious ideas
In the countries from which the American colonists emigrated, dominant values

of the nation were often support by an organized nation church. American Protestants
made certain that no organized national church would exist in their young country.
Americans have developed a number of informal practices that combine
national patriotism with religion. A number of scholars have referred to these
practices as the “national religion” of the United States. The main function of this
national religion is to provide support for the dominant value of the nation.
The informal national religion in the United Sates mixes patriotism with
religious ideas in song and in ceremonies that proclaim God’s blessing on America, its
basic values, and its actions as a nation. The national religion can be observed on
many occasions when Americans gather together- on national holidays, at political
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American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group 1

conventions, and especially at sports events. Before a ballgame, the players and fans
stand up for the national anthem, and sometimes a religious leader will offer a prayer.
This practice is taken so seriously that in 1996, the National Basketball Association
(NBA) actually suspended a professional basketball player who refused to stand
during the national anthem.
The NBA stated that he could not play in games unless he agreed to follow
their rule requiring players to stand in a respectful manner during the national anthem.
Patriotic songs such as "God Bless America," "America the Beautiful," and "My
Country Tis of Thee" are as well known to most Americans as their national anthem.
These songs are sung frequently on public occasions and may also be sung at
Protestant worship services, expressing the idea that the United States has received
Gods special blessing. Expressions of the national religion can also be seen when the
United States sends military forces overseas; the Gulf War provided good examples of
the mixing of prayer and patriotism.
In America, people event had a slogan “In God, we trust”. "In God We Trust"

inspired fourth stanza poem "Defense Don McHenry (Fort McHenry of Defence) of
amateur poet Francis Scott wrote in 1814 when he was 35 years old. The poem was
set to music and became the National Anthem Star-Spangled Banner (Flags Stars
Stripes) of America. The mixture of patriotism and religious ideas were expressed in
“Pledge of Allegiance” in some version. In 1954 “I pledge allegiance to my Flag and
the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and
justice for all”.
Some observers of American society believe that the various practices that are
called the national religion can have harmful effects. Sometimes these practices can
help to create a climate in which disagreement with current national practices is
discouraged or not tolerated. In the 1960s, for example, some citizens considered the
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American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group 1

young people who protested against the war in Vietnam to be "un-American." They
told the young protesters, "America—love it or leave it." This phrase became a slogan
that illustrated their excessive patriotism. When the national religion helps to create a
climate that encourages excessive conformity with prevailing national practices, it can
have a harmful effect. However, it usually serves a different function: to express the
belief of most Americans that it is important to be a nation of people who believe in
God and are loved and protected by God. The earliest Protestant settlers believed that
by coming to America, they were carrying out God's plan. This belief gave them
confidence that they would succeed. Today, Americans still need to believe that their
nation will continue to succeed, and the national religion helps to answer this need by
reminding them of their religious heritage. It is a means of maintaining their national
self-confidence in a rapidly changing world.
b. In comparison with Britain and Vietnam
In the United Sates, the informal national religion mixes patriotism with

religious ideas in songs such as: “God bless America”, “America the beautiful”, “my
country tis of three” and the ceremonies that proclaim God’ blessing on America, its
basic values, and its actions as a nation. The national religion can be observed on
many occasions, especially at sports events.
In the United Kingdom, the national region is observed in songs such as the
British anthem “God save the Queen” and the national holidays such as Saint David’s
day, Christmas day.
At the same point of view, religion seems to be one of the most personal issues
to almost British. Christians do not want religion to influence their public life. They
do not want to talk about religion in public or describe themselves as belonging to any
particular religion and also rarely attend any public religious service or activities.
Despite of the fact that the United Kingdom issued The Equality Act 2010 which
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American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group 1

formed the basis of anti-discrimination law in Great Britain (It requires equal
treatment in access to employment as well as private and public services, regardless of
the protected characteristics of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil
partnership, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation), the government does
not have adequate to avoid conflict and head to the tolerance of religion or religious
communities in the country..
In Vietnam, the national religion is observed in songs such as Lay Phat Quan
Am, and the Buddhist’s birthday (the 8 th of Aril-lunar calendar). A large proportion of
Vietnamese show “religion-less” as their official status. Perhaps in some small
communities, especially religious ones, one person can know exactly whether people
around them belong to any religion or not, but in urban area people’s beliefs are
perhaps less well-known to neighbors and authorities. Almost people are irreligionists
(81,69%)…

The government does not officially favor a particular religion, and virtually all
senior government as well as the vast majority of National Assembly delegates, are
formally “without religion”. However, many party and government officials openly
practice traditional ancestor worship, some visit Buddhist pagodas. The prominent
traditional position of Buddhism does not affect religious freedom for others
adversely, including those who do not practice a religion.
II.8. Some Religious destinations and festivals
America is the country which has many religions. Almost all of the religions of
the world are now practiced in the United States. Among these religions, Christianity
is the most popular one, with about 80 percent of Americans identifying themselves as
Christian. Christianity was introduced to the Americas as it was first colonized by
Europeans beginning in the 16th and 17th centuries. Immigration further increased
Christian numbers. Today most Christian churches in the United States are Mainline
Protestant, Evangelical, or Roman Catholic.

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American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group 1

Beside Christianity, there also has 2 percent of American who is Jewish, and
another 4 percent belong to other religious faiths such as Islam, Buddhism, or
Hinduism.
Although the country may not have a reputation for religious landmarks,
America is home to more than just secular city halls and strip malls. Whether or not
you practice a faith, visiting these beautiful and historic United States religious spots
may provide inspiration. Here are some religious wonders for people to see in the
United States:
a. Temple Emanu-El in New York City
With a sanctuary that stands 103 feet tall, 100 feet wide and 175 feet long and

seating for 2,500 people, New York's Temple Emanu-El is one of the largest Jewish
temples in the world. Inside, Temple Emanu-El is full of color. The ceiling is painted
and gilded, its arches are lined with mosaics of glass and marble, and there are more
than 60 stained glass windows. The temple is also home to a museum that houses
artifacts important in Jewish history.
b. Islamic Center of America in Dearborn, Michigan
Although it is a modern mosque in Michigan, inspiration for the Islamic Center
of America came from venerable houses of worship in Turkey, India and other
countries. With a stone-carved edifice and fiberglass dome, the mosque's design is
distinct. Inside, visitors will find crystal chandeliers, imported granite and a prayer
room decorated with Islamic motifs.
c .Memorial Presbyterian Church in St. Augustine, Florida
Memorial Presbyterian Church may be beautiful, but it's the story behind the
building that often touches visitors the most.
The church is dedicated to Jenny Louise Benedict, the daughter of tycoon
Henry Morrison Flagler, who built the church in 1889. Flagler had always had a
special place for St. Augustine in his heart, investing heavily in the city after visiting
with his first wife, Mary. And when his beloved daughter died after complications
from childbirth, Flagler knew the Presbyterian church he was planning to build in
town would be erected in her honor.
The structure's detailed design draws influence from the churches of Europe,
including Venice's St. Mark's Basilica. It features wood-carved walls, stained-glass
windows, a peaceful sanctuary and a prominent dome that inspires guests to lift their
eyes toward the heavens.
Beside these 3 notable places, America also has Palace of Gold in Moundsville,
West Virginia; Salt Lake Temple in Salt Lake City, Utah and Bahá'í House of
Worship in Wilmette, Illinois which have very creative and attractive designs.
About festivals and events, each year, there are lots of religious festivals
celebrated in America as it is very diverse and consists of 53 different states. Among
them, Lent, Easter and Christmas are the main ones because Christianity is the most

popular religion in the country. The Christian year is divided up with events which
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American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group 1

remind us of the life of Jesus. It begins with the season of Advent, at the very end of
November.
Lent is the period of six weeks 40 days (not including Sundays) leading up to
Easter, the most important festival in the Christian calendar. During the 40 days of
Lent, Christians remember the time when Jesus went into the desert to fast and pray
before beginning his work for God. Lent is a time of giving things up. For Christians,
it is one way of remembering the time Jesus' fasted in the desert and is a test of selfdiscipline. There are many foods that some Christians do not eat in Lent, such as meat
and fish, fats, eggs, and milky foods. Some Christians just give up something they
really enjoy such as cakes or chocolate.
Easter is the most important festival in the Christian calendar. It celebrates the
resurrection from the dead of Jesus, three days after he was executed. The Easter story
is at the heart of Christianity. In countries where has large Christian population, Easter
is often a public holiday. As Easter is always a Sunday, many countries in the world
also have Easter Monday as a public holiday. Good Friday, which occurs two days
before Easter Sunday, is also a public holiday in many countries, as well as in 12 U.S.
states. Chicken, eggs, cake, sand buckets, face painting, toys, balloons, bubbles and
loved ones are all people need to have a happy Easter.
Christmas is celebrated on the 25 December. Christmas is a Christian holy day
that marks the birth of Jesus who Christians believe to be the Son of God. On
Christmas day, the story of Jesus' birth (the nativity) is often retold by children
through 'Nativity Plays'. Church services often include carol singing - these are happy
songs which tell the Christmas story. Some Christians start Christmas Day with a
midnight communion service (midnight mass). The celebration of Christmas is often
accompanied by the giving and receiving of presents and cards which reminds

Christians of the gift of Jesus, the son of God, beginning his earthly life.
In addition, there are also some famous religious festivals in the U.S. which is
organized annually such as:
- Sonshine Festival in Willmar, Minnesota (1982 – 2014) and in Somerset, Wisconsin
(2015);
- LifeLight Festival - Sioux Falls, South Dakota;
- Cornerstone Festival - Bushnell, Illinois;
- Creation Festival - George, Washington The Gorge Amphitheater and Mount
Union, Pennsylvania Agape Farm;…

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American Culture _ Religious Heritage _ Group 1

C.CONCLUSION
Religion in the United States is characterized by a diversity of religious beliefs
and practices. Various religious faiths have flourished in the United States. A majority
of Americans report that religion plays a very important role in their lives, a
proportion unique among developed countries. The majority of Americans identify
themselves as Christians, while close to a quarter claim no religious affiliation.
Throughout this paper, it is clear that Protestantism has been a powerful force in
shaping the values and beliefs of Americans. One of the most important values
associated with American Protestantism is the value of self-improvement. The idea of
self-improvement includes not only achieving material gain through hard work and
self-discipline but also the idea of improving oneself by helping others or sometimes
called volunteerism or humanitarianism. And the experience of being “born again” is
perhaps the most dramatic example of the idea of self-improvement. National religion
is also mentioned as the combination of national patriotism and religion. The informal
national religion in the United States proclaims God’s blessing on America, its basic

values and its actions as nation.
In conclusion, America’s Protestant heritage seems to have encouraged certain
basic values that members of many diverse non-Protestant faiths find easy to accept.
This has helped to unite many different religious groups in the United States without
requiring any to abandon their faiths. Cultural and religious pluralism has also created
a context of tolerance that further strengthens the American reality of many different
religions living peacefully within a single nation.

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