Really? I always figured it was the crappy education. In the USA, you can graduate practically illiterate and unable to do basic math, to say nothing of our craptacular science education.

Not all of that is Christian Fundementalism. A good deal is that we just don't put a high value on education. The Japanese student is studying hard, the American is doodling in his notebook and listening to his iPod. I don't think you can blame Christianity for the lazyness of American students.