An email that did the rounds recently in Hungary claimed that an American tourist had rented a car and ruined it by driving in first gear for over two hundred kilometres not realising that it was not equipped with automatic transmission. The email claimed that the barom (idiot) American had driven from Budapest to Pecs at a speed of eighty kilometers per hour burning the engine in the process. Although the story in the email turned out to be a hoax, the number of people who believed it illustrates the point that the stereotype of Americans being stupid is easily accepted outside the US. How true is this widespread stereotype? Is the usage of this sobriquet warranted? An analysis of the behaviour of Americans will throw light on the causes for the existence of this stereotype.

The main reasons for the existence of this stereotype can be traced to the region in the US known as the "Bible belt". Comprised mostly of the southern states, where Christianity has deep roots and the culture spread by evangelical Christians is all-pervasive, this region has an undue share of influence on American polity and the establishments that control political and intellectual discourse in America. So powerful is the region that it has become the norm for the two main political parties to make sure that at least one of the presidential candidate or his running mate is from this region.

A large section of the media, government bodies, universities, and non-profit organisations operate in the framework created by, as the noted American journalist, H.L.Mencken, termed them, the "Bible thumpers". As the rest of the world mostly encounters only these American institutions apart from the American corporations, a look at the ideas and actions of these establishments will give an understanding of the causes that shaped the opinion about Americans in the rest of the world. Not always are the employees of these institutions Christians, but since their agenda has been set by the Christian fundamentalists, even non-Christian employees are forced to further this agenda.

The religious nature of the American government has never been under question. The president and other office bearers take the oath of office on the Bible, utter the words "So help me God" as they take oath, their currency notes and coins have the words, "In God We Trust", their pledge of allegiance has the words, "One Nation Under God", and chaplains read prayers in the Congress and at presidential inaugurations.

While these points can be dismissed as either harmless or minor issues, it becomes worrisome when the government starts interfering in others' lives and forces them to live according to the Bible. Thus, it is truly a matter of concern that the American politicians base several policies based on Biblical teaching.

For example, opposition to cloning is a direct result of the religious right's opposition to violating the second commandment in the Bible, which says that one should not make an image of anything that is in the heavens above, on the earth, or in the waters. The fact that cloning would threaten the monopoly their god holds over creation agitates them.

Another ongoing controversy in the US is the issue of stem-cell research that could potentially find cures for many medical disorders. While it is not surprising that those opposed to stem-cell research thump the Bible in their defense, a less known fact is that even some of those who support stem-cell research quote the Bible and seek to interpret it in their favour. A supporter of stem-cell research, senator Gordon Smith of Oregon, quotes a verse from the second chapter of Genesis to buttress his claim that creation is a two-step process. According to him, god first created man, and in the second step, god breathed life into man. He claims that embryonic stem cells are like the finished product of the first stage, and placing them in the womb breathes life into them. He argues that it should therefore be okay to allow embryonic stem-cell research!

Influence of the Bible on American policy is not limited to areas that collide with scientific research. It affects almost every aspect of decision-making, including its foreign policy. For example, both the left wing and the right wing hate Jews. While the Left blames the "Jewish conspiracy" for almost any disaster or unpalatable event, the Right is guilty of anti-Semitism. Yet, the US supports Israel because many Americans believe that the land considered holy by Christians ought to be in the possession of Jews in order for Jesus Christ to return. This belief is so strong that they seek to fulfill the "prophecies" made in the Bible. Thus, in order to make true the "prophecy" that an all-red heifer will be sacrificed at the site of the Temple at Jerusalem, Christian fanatics, who normally object to anyone other than their god playing the creator, reversed their position on genetic engineering and decided to fund the creation of a red heifer using genetic engineering.

Perhaps, Indians who feel irked by the constant hostility of many Americans towards India, may have more luck in convincing them to be friendly if they pointed out that the ninth chapter of Revelation in the Bible states that those with the seal of god on their foreheads will be spared of torture by the locusts that will supposedly arise from the bottomless pit described in this chapter. After all, many Indians apply Tilak on their foreheads.

Two recent cases in the US Supreme Court that captured the attention of the nation were both related to Biblical concepts. The first one was to decide whether it is acceptable to have the words, "One nation under God", in the pledge of allegiance. Those who wanted the phrase removed argued that it violated the idea of separation of church and state, and that the god in the phrase was the Christian god. Eventually, the case was dismissed on a technicality and the court left the phrase intact. The second case was about the display of the Ten Commandments in a Texas courthouse. The Supreme Court gave a mixed ruling on this case, allowing the display if the motive was secular. Cases such as these, in which the Supreme Court does not rule against Christianity, give an idea of its real stance on the issue of separating Christianity from the state.

The US Supreme Court is a controversial body with its judges appointed for life by politicians. The rulings of its judges are usually aligned with the ideology of the political party that appointed them. The appointment of a Supreme Court judge can be a contentious affair with an intense struggle between the two dominant political parties and the religious views of the candidate coming into focus.

In addition to motives for several domestic policies, justifications for wars waged by the US can also be traced to Christian theology. Soon after the 9/ 11 attacks, Ann Coulter, a right-wing rabble-rouser who is not exactly known for high intellect, wanted to convert Muslims into Christians. In the din of the cheers that her comments elicited, what was lost was the irony that such thinking on her part is the result of Arab influence on the minds of her ancestors who were converted by the original Arab Christians, and the converted Christians in turn passing on the indoctrination down the generations.

Religious discrimination is rampant in the US armed forces. In a recent survey, many non-Christians in the training institutes of the US armed forces reported being discriminated against. During the bombing campaign in Iraq, a chaplain in the US army blackmailed soldiers and refused to give them water unless they underwent baptism.

Prejudice is so deep-rooted in the US that American officials routinely refuse permission for setting up Buddhist or Hindu temples, often citing frivolous reasons. There are several churches in every neighbourhood, but American officials place innumerable hurdles when Buddhists or Hindus, who between them number a few million in the country, wish to set up temples.

In South Plainfield, New Jersey, a borough zoning board voted against the construction of a temple claiming that it would cause traffic congestion. No such excuse is heard for churches that dot the New Jersey landscape. What was really noteworthy was that the township council of the neighbouring town of Edison, which has nothing to do with the town of Plainfield, expressed its hatred through official channels by passing a resolution against the construction of the temple.

The behaviour of many American people is no different from that of their officials. A few years back, white supremacist arsonists in Sacramento in so-called "liberal" California attacked three synagogues causing material and emotional damage to Jews. A proposed Vietnamese Buddhist temple in California has drawn protests from residents who oppose it on specious grounds such as "environmental impact" and chanting being "noise pollution". Hindus who wished to construct a temple in Chino Hills, California, faced protests from fanatic Christian residents, and a proposed Hare Krishna temple in Escondido, California, faced similar protests from Christian residents in the city.

The weird ideas of Christian fanatics are by no means limited to people of a specific ethnicity. "Bobby" Jindal, son of Indian immigrants and a member of the US Congress, is a staunch Christian and wrote in a descriptive article how he chanted "Hail Mary" and exhorted "all demons to leave in the name of Christ" in order to cure a person afflicted with cancer. Jindal has held important positions in the health departments of his home state, Louisiana, and the federal government, and seems to have ambitions of running for president of the United States. Imagine the possibilities if Christians like Jindal wield absolute power; they could decide to shut down hospitals and replace them with centres to beat the devil out of sick people.

Continued Part II

Arvind Kumar is an expert on the United States.