Religious Acceptance questions around Springs area (people, different)

[Topaz]

Honestly, I think it depends on the part of town in which you live. If I were you, I wouldn't live in the neighborhoods around Focus on the Family...I'd pick Manitou Springs or the neighborhoods in the west rather than north or northeast.

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by Topaz

Honestly, I think it depends on the part of town in which you live. If I were you, I wouldn't live in the neighborhoods around Focus on the Family...I'd pick Manitou Springs or the neighborhoods in the west rather than north or northeast.

Nonsense. The neighborhoods around FOTF are fine places, if you lived here you would know that.

[Topaz]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

Nonsense. The neighborhoods around FOTF are fine places, if you lived here you would know that.

I DID live there...and then we moved away. My husband and I didn't listen to our friends in Colorado Springs who told us to avoid the northeast part of town, and we regretted buying a house there. You may disagree with my opinion but you can't debate with me about my family's experience.

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by Topaz

I DID live there...and then we moved away. My husband and I didn't listen to our friends in Colorado Springs who told us to avoid the northeast part of town, and we regretted buying a house there. You may disagree with my opinion but you can't debate with me about my family's experience.

We've beat the topic of "evangelical influence" to death in this forum for years. The vast majority of all religious folks here mind their own business. There are no goofy activities happening on or around the grounds of FOTF, save for a softball field. Members and supporters of FOTF are all over the country, as well as some here, but no one from FOTF knocks on any doors here that I know of, nor do they bother anyone. Truth is, FOTF has been cutting back on staffing every year since we've been here. I don't know what your experience was, but we've been here four years and the only thing we ever see are the Mormon lads on the bicycles, or ladies selling The Watchtower door to door, like we had back in VA. Seen nothing here to support a need to warn people to avoid the areas around FOTF. Yes, the city tends to be "conservative" and Manitou Springs trends more to the free spirited or "liberal" side, but we've heard of nothing that would be a concern.

[lalahartma]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

Nonsense. The neighborhoods around FOTF are fine places, if you lived here you would know that.

No one debates they are fine! But if I was member of a pagan family I wouldn't want to live there or go to those schools. Personally, I think the atheists have it better, but still I wouldn't want to live there.

[treedonkey]

As an active evangelizer, I've seen nothing but overall tolerance on both sides around here. Certain groups do make full use of their constitutional right to publicly preach, but that's true of anywhere in this country.

If you feel that having religiously inclined folks around would be noxious to your own beliefs and livelihood, then you should just try to get past that. It's no different than a person of Christendom who thinks their neighborhood will be ruined by an aetheist, pagan, buddhist or other 'non-chrisitans' moving in.

[greatmuta]

greatmuta is of the Left-Hand Path and I've never had any problems living in CO Springs. Christians might be the most visible here in the springs but there are many other beliefs and religions here. You wouldn't have a problem here at all in my experience.

[Sage44]

This is a GREAT post!! My husband and I live in small town Texas and we are wanting to relocate to Colorado. Usually religion has not been an issue in other states we have lived...BUT, here in this town, if you do not attend the local church, you are NOT accepted in this town, can't get work and they treat our 5 year old daughter badly due to the fact we do not attend church.

At a city 20 miles form us where my hubby works, they are just as bad. He has come home with Bibles in his jacket someone shoved in there and they try to give him christian music CD's.
Not long ago his boss got onto him about not attending church and asked "wasn't he concerned for his daughter's soul"!!
That is just wrong!
I too am a practicing Wiccan and have nowhere to go!!
As I said I am so thankful for this post as CS was one of the places I am looking...
How wonderful it would be to live where folks do not critisize and have opened minds!

[Bevg]

I believe that people find problems by openly discussing and debating some of their views with others that don't share the same beliefs. My husband do not practice anything, and because we don't discuss religious beliefs at all, we've never had any problems. I do not like the ones that come to our front door, that's an invasion of my privacy.

[Bevg]

What one can't argue (or maybe one could) is the number of non-profit ministries that don't pay tax, it's huge! No wonder our city budget is in the red. And this will affect everyone at some point. No tax, no revenue, not even sales tax revenue. Sounds pretty scary for the future to me.