For example, you put yourself through university by studying hard and working full time. Then someone says, you should thank god for giving you the strength. Like wtf do you mean, I busted my ass day in and day out but I’m supposed to thank god for it?
I think this is far more normalized in the US to bring god into everything. After all, it’s one nation, under god. And in god they trust! It’s on the money after all, thoughts and prayers. And lordy, the language is full of religious references, from oh my god gosh golly to dang darn dammit. There is also the performative “I was praying for” whatever, jeez, Jesus help me. I’m already irritated by all these religious vestiges in the language.
Piety is also this sort of monstrance required for political office in the US. Even when it’s quite unbelievable, like in the case of 47 who would only own a bible if he could sell it. And if you’re not a Catholic or some Protestant, you have you be Mormon or Islamic just enough to tick the religious box. But we might draw the line at Scientology because that’s all just made up nonsense, isn’t it.
I find it offensive when people just assume I believe in any god. The older I get the more I think Christopher Hitchens had a point when he said that ardent believers in monotheist religions are predisposed to vote for and follow authoritarian leaders. One god, one fuehrer.
Theres a reason the authoritarian right loves the religious crowd. Easy grift.
Not at all. I work with a lot of immigrants and wherever religion is heavily involved in the culture they come from, god or gods always get the credit. Jesus, Yahweh, Allah, Ganesha, Buddha, Holy Spirit, it doesn’t matter. It’s all the same different rules.
It happens with any people that are heavily bound to religious practices, routines and rituals. Some places are much less religious than others, but that’s been my experience working with about a a hundred different people that aren’t from where I was born