Why is America so religious in the first place?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I think a lot of stems from the fact that by the colonial period, Europe was in a fairly settled state with well-established clerical hierarchies that controlled most aspects of being churched.  Alternatives were hard to come by, even where tolerated,  The Reformation was to a great extend over who would control those hierarchies, not whether they should exist.  Thus for the laity, their role in the church was largely one of pray, pay, and obey.

Over in the English colonies at least, there were not a lot of clergy compared to home.  The lack of clergy compelled the laity into a greater participation in the church, or there wouldn't be one.  Also most colonies had colonists coming from several different European traditions.  If the church you went to did not satisfy your religious needs, you were likelier to find one nearby that would.  As a result the laity had more buy-in to religion than those who remained in Europe.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Sorry for the double post but this was never resolved:

Now, why isn't Canada as religious as we (the USA) are?

I suspect one reason is the entanglement of the Anglican Church in the politics of Canada in the late 18th and early 19th century gave anticlericalism a greater impetus north of the border than it ever attained here in the States.