Which I believe is what "establishment of religion" really means.

Furthermore, the established churches become dependent on the state subsidy and lose their fervor to spread the Word of God. I think that if American secularists really want to make religion less relevant to the daily lives of the American people, instead of making a federal case out of the Ten Commandments in a courthouse, or a Nativity scene in a public park, or the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance, what they should be doing is trying to repeal the Establishment Clause.

Gotta love the irony.

In many of these states, "official" religions receive tax breaks and/or subsidies that unrecognized religions do not. That can amount to a benefit of millions of dollars annually. Whether you receive it or are refused it, that sort of money rings my "meaningful" bell.

Take a look at the contortions the Scientologists have gone through in Germany seeking to be officially recognized... it was in the courts for years, but last time I look, that group was still out in the cold, and paying taxes.

It's *because* America is so religious that people feel threatened by Nativity scenes in the public square, rightly or wrongly. In a country where no one really gave a damn, "under God" in the Pledge would raise a shrug at best.

Notice how little kids feel free to joke about "under God" and similar religious themes, because they take their validity for granted--the opposite situtation from that in Europe, but for the same reasons. It's our heterogeneous (?) culture re: religion that makes a prayer before a school board meeting turn into a knife fight in the courts.

Actually in France last year the right-wing UMP banned students from wearing conspicuous religious paraphenalia in public schools. It garnered a huge controversey.

There was also significant criticism of the same UMP government's decision to put the tricolor at half mast after the pope's death.