Society also gains from the self-flattery provided by religious belief. A majority of Americans report that religion plays a “very important” role in their lives, a proportion unique among developed nations. Religion plays a crucial role within countries and cultures all over the world. Religion assures a greater reward in the afterlife to worldly failures than to successful life. Jefferson expressed his fervent belief in the importance of the separation of religion and government in many personal letters and official documents, but one of the most famous instances was in his letter to the Danbury Baptists. Many of the British North American colonies that eventually formed the United States of America were settled in the seventeenth century by men and women, who, in the face of European persecution, refused to compromise passionately held religious convictions and fled Europe. In 1957, when Robert Ellwood was fresh out of divinity school, he became pastor of an Episcopal church in a small town in Nebraska. . . Religion in the United States is characterized by both a wide diversity in religious beliefs and practices and by a high adherence level. Religion plays a crucial role for a person in giving a cultural identity. Man unites himself with the Infinite and feels ennobled. Today, religion has assumed a more narrow-minded approach. However, understanding religion in the broad sense highlights the following important points about it in society: Cultural Identity. The United States is generally regarded as a fairly religious nation. A majority of Americans report that religion plays a very important role in their lives, a proportion unique among developed countries.Freedom of religion in the United States is guaranteed in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. —Richard Hughes, Myths America Lives By “Deistic beliefs played a central role in the framing of the American republic. In his famous Plymouth Rock speech of 1820 he said, Lastly, our ancestors established their system of government on morality and religious sentiment. In the US, the coming together of many different peoples of different origins has created a diverse religious environment. Religion in the United States is characterized by a diversity of religious beliefs and practices. While the country has followers of every major religion, nearly half (46.5%) of the residents identify as Protestant Christians. (2) Religion enhances self-importance. Daniel Webster understood the importance of religion, and especially the Christian religion, in this form of government. Religion can serve the dual role of ideology as well as institution. Religion expands one’s self to infinite proportions. Although this church in … [The] founding generation viewed religion, and particularly religion’s relation to government, through an Enlightenment lens … In a 2009 survey administered by the Gallup Organization to 114 nations, 65% of Americans answered yes when asked, “Is religion an important part of your daily life?” (Crabtree, 2010). Religious liberty in America is a key part of the boldest and most successful experiment in freedom the world has known. Crabtree, S. … The strength and diversity of religion in the United States is due almost entirely to the full protection of religious liberty, or … .