section_path: Demographics/Religion
section_name: Religion
paragraph_text: Religion
  
  The First Amendment guarantees the free exercise of religion in the country and forbids Congress from passing laws respecting its establishment. Religious practice is widespread, among the most diverse in the world, and profoundly vibrant. The country has the world's largest Christian population. It has the fourth-largest population of Roman Catholics; Pope Leo XIV of Chicago, Illinois is their current head. Other notable faiths include Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, many New Age movements, and Native American religions. Religious practice varies significantly by region. " Ceremonial deism " is common in American culture.
  
  The overwhelming majority of Americans believe in a higher power or spiritual force, engage in spiritual practices such as prayer, and consider themselves religious or spiritual. In the " Bible Belt ", located within the Southern United States, evangelical Protestantism plays a significant role culturally, whereas New England and the Western United States tend to be more secular. Mormonism, a Restorationist movement founded in the U.S. in 1847, is the predominant religion in the state of Utah and a major religion in Idaho.