You have put your finger on the problem. And Praeger ain't it.
Talk about not knowing jack!
The essence of "religiosity" is not stupid academic credits, it's how a culture expresses its real values.
Suffice to say that, judged on your superficial assessment of cultural and religious self assesment, the muslim world is the most religious and beneficent of all.
The extreme religious right is as much my enemy as the clueless "multiculturalists". I can tell the difference, and I can tell them apart.
Real religious and civilized cultural behavior is lived, not shouted.
Interesting style - not sure if 'stupid' should have been used as a qualifier. By arbitrarily discounting a principle without proper foundation, it serves to reduce the readers' (or listeners') acceptance of the author's point.
Suffice to say that, judged on your superficial assessment of cultural and religious self assesment, the muslim world is the most religious and beneficent of all.
Now this is where it gets interesting - by linking the primary thesis with a counter-point that lacks any foundation, an attempt is made to immediately redirect the readers' attention to the conclusion.
You might have been better served to first define what is meant by 'beneficent'; as it is currently presented, you have made a strong case for the Muslim's attack on American secularism.
Does this style work with CalTrans?