May 15, 2024

The following information comes from somewhat older Pew Research articles (2011-2012) but it is new to me (I just found it on Reddit recently) and seems relevant today in the way various problems are handled.

See the article: The American-Western European Values Gap for even more insights.

Pew Individualism

Pew Military

Outside Success

Pew Religion

With these (and many other) vast differences between the average views of Americans and Europeans, it should be no surprise that we handle things differently.  Independence and success for America has conditioned its people to value freedom, self-determination, independence, and personal success.  When you’re on top, maybe it also seems like God must be on your side – and Americans seem to be more into God.  Various European nations have suffered military defeat and the loss of empires; it is no surprise they feel more at the whim of outside forces beyond their control, and have less faith in God.  This would lead to more support of welfare and less glorification of personal achievement (which may just be due to luck and outside forces, as opposed to determination and sacrifice and hard work.)

Because of my focus on end times Bible prophecy and the idea that it may unfold in the very near future – my thoughts are also taken to the the idea of the Great Apostasy.  When Christians – especially the American ones who mostly expect a pre-tribulation rapture to spare them from any suffering through horrible times on Earth – are faced with the grim realities of war, famine, economic collapse, and dictatorship under the Antichrist – when they feel that America is no longer exceptional and that God does not seem to be protecting them and they know they are suffering through the Great Tribulation – what will that do to their faith?

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