3. Religion in Am..pptVIP

WASP--- White Anglo-Saxon Protestant盎格鲁撒克逊白人新教文化, is believed to be the basis of the mainstream culture of the United States. The Great Awakening of the 1740s, a “revival ” movement which sought to breathe new feeling and strength into religion, cut across the lines of Protestant religious groups, or denominations.　 18世纪40年代的宗教大复兴运动力图把新的感觉和新的力量注入北美各殖民地人民的宗教信仰中去。这次“复兴”运动打破了新教各派的界限。 随着欧洲各国移民的源源不断到来,北美定居者不断向西部荒野地区挺进,许多人宗教观念开始淡薄起来.这种情况引起宗教界的恐慌.一些宗教狂热分子从南向北兴起向群众布道运动,以增强大家的宗教信仰.这次复兴运动虽然没有达到预想的全部目的,但却唤醒了北美人民的民族意识,促进了美国革命的爆发. Religious liberty – The Declaration of Independence guaranteed the basic right of religious freedom and this right was a political necessity. The First Amendment to the U.S Constitution explicitly forbade the federal government to give special favors to any religion or to hinder the free practice, or exercise, of religion. When disputes about the relationship between government and religion arise, American courts must settle them. But American institutions presuppose a Supreme being (美国的社会风俗习惯都是以上帝的存在为前提的), therefore Christianity is often in practice, more favored than other religions. Protestant (Over 60% of Americans are said to be Protestant believers. ) The Baptists(浸礼教徒) are the largest Protestant group in America. They believe in adult baptism by immersion, symbolizing a mature and responsible conversion experience浸礼教徒主张成人全身浸水以表示成熟负责任的皈依经历。他们相信这种用”圣水”浸礼的人就获得了新生. They are concentrated particularly in the Southern Bible Belt (南部信仰原教旨主义的地区,如田纳西州各州,这里有”南部圣经地带”之称). White Baptists and black Baptists go separately to their own churches. The Methodists are the second largest Protestant group in the U.S. The Methodist Church has a form of service based on that of the Church of England.卫理公会派,该派属新教,起源于18世纪英国的牛津大学. 创始人John Wesley. Catholics The Catholic is the largest single religious group in the U.S. More than 26.2% of all Americans are now of the Roman Catholic faith. The majority of the Catholic are descendants of immigrants from