Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Washington State is actually considered to be a "Blue State" in US political terms, and is considered to be among the least religious states in the country.
Right and I didn't say it wasn't.. I was countering the other guys claim that Ontario was more religious than Washington by asking him to support such a claim.. I didn't say Washington was more religious than Ontario and I'm well aware Washington is a blue state... All I said that if a Province like Ontario was in the U.S it would also be a blue state..
We have become progressively more dependant on the government as a nation. This has made Canadians less likely to look to the church in the times of need. The local church and the community that went with it simply aren't needed like they were 100 years ago.
For many the social contract a religious community offers is a burden on their time. Belonging to a local congregation used to be a comfort against uncertain times. Now we expect the government to fix what goes wrong.
America has less of a safety net. People still have to rely on each other. This is especially true in rural communities. These areas are where religious communities still shine.
We have become progressively more dependant on the government as a nation. This has made Canadians less likely to look to the church in the times of need. The local church and the community that went with it simply aren't needed like they were 100 years ago.
Not to mention that people are exposed to much more information than they were decades ago. It is harder to control people when they are well-educated, worldly, and have access to multiple sources of information. That is the real reason religious participation is declining; it simply isn't as relevant to our lives and we can see over the brims of the semi-isolated silos that we used to live in.
The younger generations aren't as easily fooled or manipulated with b.s as the older generations were. They are definitely more astute, much more critical, and see a much bigger world.
Not to mention that people are exposed to much more information than they were decades ago. It is harder to control people when they are well-educated, worldly, and have access to multiple sources of information. That is the real reason religious participation is declining; it simply isn't as relevant to our lives and we can see over the brims of the semi-isolated silos that we used to live in.
The younger generations aren't as easily fooled or manipulated with b.s as the older generations were. They are definitely more astute, much more critical, and see a much bigger world.
Not to also mention that those older generations would have plucked out their eyes before appearing before any church congregation admitting they were in need of assistance.
The only way any church congregation would have gotten the word someone was in need, would have been by over-the-counter-gossip, which is also thankfully, a dying concept now that thumbs are doing the talking.
Not to mention that people are exposed to much more information than they were decades ago. It is harder to control people when they are well-educated, worldly, and have access to multiple sources of information. That is the real reason religious participation is declining; it simply isn't as relevant to our lives and we can see over the brims of the semi-isolated silos that we used to live in.
The younger generations aren't as easily fooled or manipulated with b.s as the older generations were. They are definitely more astute, much more critical, and see a much bigger world.
Pardon me, but I call this bogus. I highly disagree with this profoundly atheistic view.
As already has been pointed out - the real question is why has religion persisted so much in the US, when in pretty much every other developed country it has declined.
Pardon me, but I call this bogus. I highly disagree with this profoundly atheistic view.
No, NorthYorkEd is right, he nailed it dead on. That is precisely what has happened. It isn't all about atheism or people becoming more atheistic either, it's about better educated people becoming more practical and self-sufficient in their belief systems even if they do have a religion and a god that they worship.
As already has been pointed out - the real question is why has religion persisted so much in the US, when in pretty much every other developed country it has declined.
Good point, but personally I think that question is better asked (and should be asked) in the General USA forums rather than on the Canada forum because it's an American problem which is also an American political problem.
The correct question is: why did religion not decline in the US when it declined everywhere else in the Western world?
Religion has declined in the U.S., just not as fast. IMO, the reason is socialism. It makes people comfortable so they don't feel they need to rely on a higher power. The U.S. is also less socialist than other developed countries, and I don't think the correlation between the two trends is spurious.
No, NorthYorkEd is right, he nailed it dead on. That is precisely what has happened. It isn't all about atheism or people becoming more atheistic either, it's about better educated people becoming more practical and self-sufficient in their belief systems even if they do have a religion and a god that they worship.
.
I think I side with Smihaila on this one. Migration for education purposes and jobs have pulled people from their religious communities. What you call education is not much more than exposer to alternate life styles. Like the internet more information doesn't equate with more knowledge.
The strength of the church was as much in the local connections between people as the corporate work they did. The government safety net has robbed churches of one of their primary functions. The need for community just isn't there like it used to be.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
