A culture that believes in magic is not going to advance as quickly technologically as one that lacks the belief that prayer and faith will bend the laws of physics to their benefit. There are religions that teach people that a god or deities will reward faith with wealth.
So you think China will quickly outpace the USA then
Top Ten Things Overheard At The ANSI C Draft Committee Meetings: (7) Well, it's an excellent idea, but it would make the compilers too hard to write.