I seem to remember a Christmas fic that portrayed Clark as a church-goer... maybe Methodist? Something pretty common for Kansas. Couldn't tell you what it was, however. And it may not have been a Christmas short story, I just remember that Lois was in Kansas for Christmas and went to church with the Kents (and it was implied that they were real believers and regular church-goers, not just that they went for Christmas and Easter).
I'm not sure if this is because of my religious background, but unlike what seems to be the general consensus here, I've always thought of Clark as a Christian and a regular church-goer. Probably a mainstream Protestant, based on where he grew up (and I always forget the differences between the mainstream denominations). No, it's true that we don't see him go to church, but we wouldn't, necessarily, unless it was part of the story. And I certainly see his behavior and beliefs as consistent with Christianity, even though he doesn't state them outright. His stance for truth and justice, his willingness to sacrifice for others, his attitude about his powers and his choice to use them to help others, are consistent with what a Christian should do.
Would Clark being a Christian make him less of a symbol for the world? I don't know that I've ever seen him as a symbol for the world, per se, but for America. He was created as an American superhero, after all (speaking of the comic to some degree here). And a majority of Americans are Christian, or at least say they are, even if many of them aren't really practicing. In fact, something like a third of the world is Christian, more than any other religion, so if Clark was going to be something, I suppose it would be more representative.
Of course, I'd also *like* Clark to be Christian, so it's probably not shocking that I'm able to see that. Somebody who wants him to be agnostic or even atheist could surely see that in him as well, as long as his religion isn't clearly defined.
I thought the question "does it make a difference which character is religious" was interesting, because it certainly does. It would make much more of a difference, I think, Clark being portrayed such, than, say, Cat being apparently a lapsed Catholic (basing this on the fact that she went to a Catholic church for confession when she thought the world was about to end, but she may have just wanted to "confess"). While we see quite a few TV shows with a Christian (usually Catholic?) character or two, it's rarely the main or central character, unless that's what the show's about. I suppose it's less obtrusive in one character among a large cast or a supporting character.
(Gee, bet you didn't know meerkats were so long-winded, did you?)
