(June 18, 2016 at 5:24 pm)madog Wrote: I won't comment on what the actual situation is in the USA, I am on the outside looking in so my perception is skewed, the reason why I ask.
I've never been to US and I don't consider myself an expert in any way, but I'm inclined to think, that American apparent religiosity is mainly a failure of education. In Europe even religious people seem to be familiar enough with science and history, not to have to rely on literal interpretations of religious teachings for their cosmology, biology and such.
(June 18, 2016 at 5:24 pm)madog Wrote: As Regards Ireland it is a secular state ......
...where secular authorities traditionally allowed for a huge influence of religion on their policies, as is still the case in a great number of nominally secular states. Ban on divorce and contraception was entirely motivated by religion.
As religious as Americans may appear - USA is a secular country. And sure - historically there were times, when puritan religious morality had strong influence on politics - like the whole prohibition "experiment" - but at least you couldn't go to jail for a pack of rubbers in recent history.
"The fact that a believer is happier than a skeptic is no more to the point than the fact that a drunken man is happier than a sober one." - George Bernard Shaw
