Why is it that Western Europeans are more tolerant about religion than?

[cerbere1564]

Northern Americans or people from the middle east are?

When I say tolerant, I talk about understanding one another, less judgemental... Would it be because Europeans like to keep religion to themselves ?
What do you think ?

 

[jacknhoff]

Didn't know they were. Thanks for the information!

 

[CrimLiar1]

There is a strong correlation between education and religious acceptance. If you use that as your guide you find it holds true across most of the world.

*Note that correlations are not straightforward "cause and effect", there may be other elements/players too.

 

[grayure]

We're the cradle of the Enlightenment. Much of the Arab world suffers from lack of money, which has led to a lack of education and relative desperation, and people are easily manipulated and want simple answers. North America suffers from the fact that many of the Europeans who went there did so to found colonies which were specifically intolerant and puritanical rather than truly Christian, so their version of religion, and of atheism, is strongly influenced by that mindset of bigotry and, once again, oversimplification.