Despite sharing languages that are kissing cousins and their governments having that "special relationship" that they so like to brag about there are many, serious differences between the British and American peoples. Things such as warm beer, a Friday night curry, orderly queuing and the definition of football separate us.
Not the least of these differences in is their differing attitudes toward religion. One of the reasons I always note for my remaining here for fourteen years is that, as an atheist, I find that my religious beliefs, or perhaps better stated the lack thereof, are treated with more respect here and never with the scorn that was often the reaction in America.
Most Americans, by a sizable percentage, define themselves as religious. Now a new survey of British attitudes shows that not only are most British not religious, despite the fact that most people still identify themselves as Christian, but that more than 80% believe that religious faith does more harm than good versus only 16% who believe the opposite.
I would think that it will be a very long time, if ever, before this gap in thinking is closed.
Not the least of these differences in is their differing attitudes toward religion. One of the reasons I always note for my remaining here for fourteen years is that, as an atheist, I find that my religious beliefs, or perhaps better stated the lack thereof, are treated with more respect here and never with the scorn that was often the reaction in America.
Most Americans, by a sizable percentage, define themselves as religious. Now a new survey of British attitudes shows that not only are most British not religious, despite the fact that most people still identify themselves as Christian, but that more than 80% believe that religious faith does more harm than good versus only 16% who believe the opposite.
I would think that it will be a very long time, if ever, before this gap in thinking is closed.
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