Americans have a lot of pride. Some call it patriotism, others call it annoying. We have this obsession with defining ourselves, constantly posting our lives on social media and sharing our opinions left and right, as if it means anything significant.
In 2015, The Public Religion Research Institute released a survey over what constitutes someone as an authentic "American." In response to an overwhelming sense of prejudice, Matthew Bulgar wrote a report discussing the survey's results.
Bulgar's report over the Public Religion Research Institute survey was just another article written about people not doing things the "right way." What's new? Americans can go back in forth all day about who belongs and who doesn't, but at the end of the day, does it really matter? We're all going to die, anyway.
History has shown that humanity will always find something to fight about, so in the sense of contributing to the argument, my stance is that our nation was built on the idea of finding unity in diversity. But American pride squashes any hope of growing towards a cultural melting pot; there are too many "xenophobic remarks" over newcomers in our country or condemning the "religiously unaffiliated" because it isn't the "American way."
Bulgar is also right to point out that America does not have a national religion. I am a Christian, but I am fully aware that no one will ever listen to you share about your beliefs if you're shoving them down their throat. People of all faiths are equally significant, and it saddens me that "53% believe only Christians can be true Americans."
Now, what do I believe makes someone an American? It is my opinion that if you are a functional member of society and contribute economically, you are considered to be an "American." Regardless of someone's language, race, religion, sexual orientation, or whatever else there is that people use as an excuse to be prejudice, anyone can belong. But I also believe we need to stop overanalyzing statistics and how people go about their business and just be. Whatever happened to 'live and let live?'
