The United States has to be the preeminent country in its belief, that shortcuts are a valid way to live a given life. That is to say, it doesn't much matter how one gets to a certain place in life, as long as that such is accomplished. So too, despite all of the many fine religious institutions that America has in abundance, along with a population that claims, more times than not, that they are a faith-based people, the end result of all of this good religious belief, is to a certain degree, a religious practice that often has fallen short of what it really should be accomplishing for itself as well as for society.
In point of fact, all the rituals of religion, should best be seen as a practice that perhaps is beneficial to people doing such, in helping to get them into the right frame of mind, but serves no good purpose, other than that; for surely memorizing scripture so as to recite such, or rote liturgies, without taking to heart the practical merits of these, has little meaningful value. In other words, the true purpose of religion is to take actually the substance of such, and to utilize it for the betterment of society, as well as to improve one's own character. It is always ironic, to find someone that professes that they are, for example, a Christian, of which the other person hearing such, looks upon them somewhat in bemusement; mainly because based on that Christian's behavior, they never suspected as much, for that Christian appears to behave no differently than those that have no faith, at all.
For religion, to have any real meaning, it first must make a material difference in a given person's life, and thereby how that person subsequently interacts with society and those closest to them, will demonstrate that meaning, in action. Further, a good religion, requires from its adherents, some sort of sacrifice, usually on a continuous basis, demonstrating in principle that they those that are of the faith, are making a positive difference in other people's lives, by the good deeds that they so perform, for others, and by the giving up of that which would take them off that good course.
It would be far too easy, if having faith, in and of itself, was good enough for anything, without the corresponding works that prove that one's faith is true. So too, life is full of choices, as well as free will, of which those that profess to be religious, must adhere to the belief that they are also required to truly throw off the old, in order to fully take on the new. After all, those that try to stand astride so that one foot is in both worlds are mistaken in their belief, that they are good enough for both of those worlds; whereas, at best, they are lukewarm in each, which accounts them for very little.
All those that believe that they are good to their faith, should be able to rightly point to their good deeds so done by them on behalf of that faith for others; and further they need to point out just as readily, all those heavy cloaks so discarded, and false guises so removed, that thereby has permitted them to properly reflect in their countenance the liberating light of their God.