Until the Freedom of Religion Act 1978，“spiritual leaders (of Native Americans) ran the risk of jail sentences of up to 30 years for simply practicing their rituals.” The traditional indigenous Sun Dance was illegal from the 1880s (Canada) or 1904 (USA) to the 1980s.

Church Attendance Gallup International indicates that 41% of American citizens report they regularly attend religious sendees, compared to 15% of French citizens, 10% of UK citizens, and 7.5% of Australian citizens.

In a 2006 online Harris Poll of 2，010 U.S. adults (18 and older) found that only 26% of those surveyed attended religious services “every week or more often”，9% went “once or twice a month' 21% went “a few times a year”，3% went “once a year”，22% went “less than once a year”，and 18% never attend religious sendees. An identical survey by Harris in 2003 found that only 26% of those surveyed attended religious sendees “every week or more often”，11% went “once or twice a month”，19% went “a few times a year' 4% went “once a year' 16% went “less than once a year' and 25% never attend religious services.

A Gallup Poll released in 2007 indicated that 53% of Americans would refuse to vote for an atheist as president, up from 48% in 1987 and 1999.

Ethnicity The table below shows the religious affiliations among the ethnicities in the United States, according to the Pew Forum 2007 survey. People of Black ethnicity were most likely to be part of a formal religion, with 85% per cent being Christians. Protestant denominations make up the majority of the Christians in the ethnicities.