I never thought I'd hear an American complaining about religious influence in western europe, this is probably the most secular region on the planet.

Where I grew up (Connecticut, not Alabama or Mississippi), you can't buy alcohol after 8pm, or on Sundays. I was regularly subject to attempted conversion no matter where in the US I was. I was sent to the principals office for not knowing the pledge of allegiance when I changed schools, I've had a priest come to my door when I was around 10 and tell me I was going to hell because I wasn't baptized, and this was all in the 80s and 90s.