Why is the US such a backwards country?

The US represents every individuals right to be who they want to be. If they want to be an evangelical christian they can be, if they want to believe the world was created a few thousand years ago, they can. In my opinion, it's you who is backwards. You can't force people to believe in things they don't agree with. We are a progressive nation, we are constantly trying to find the ideal combination of government involvement in personal lives, and the influence of personal issues in our governmental bodies. Not all nations are the same, just accept it.