Religion

[formercalifornian]

We were just outbid on a great foreclosure in the Meadows. It needed a LOT of work, but it could have been fabulous. Oh well.

Inventory in our price range and chosen zip is running about 35, and I think we've seen about 10 of the listings. We're going to out of town this week, but we plan to hit it hard when we return. Our lease expires in August, so we still have a bit of time. Nonetheless, the clock is ticking. Honestly, I think it's easier to buy a house when it's a sellers market. I'm a bit overwhelmed by everything that's available.

[MorningGlory]

Nea1 and others: Hi! I grew up in the Lakewood area west of Denver, it is a nice free society where you can go or not go to church (we never have). Then 7 years ago we moved to Woodland Park west of Colorado Springs, and all went downhill! EVERYONE here goes to church and talks about it constantly! It is awful, every other mom I meet asks about my church within 5 sentences of meeting. My son comes home on a regular basis and says "well I got told I was going where the devil is again because I'm not Christian". So Nea1 in general Colorado is very liberal and a great place to be, but the Springs and Woodland Park remind me of the dark ages. We are currently selling our house and moving back to the Denver area because of this!!!! PLEASE heed this advise if religious intolerance makes your skin crawl the way it does mine.......

[Rawlings]

Originally Posted by MorningGlory

Nea1 and others: Hi! I grew up in the Lakewood area west of Denver, it is a nice free society where you can go or not go to church (we never have). Then 7 years ago we moved to Woodland Park west of Colorado Springs, and all went downhill! EVERYONE here goes to church and talks about it constantly! It is awful, every other mom I meet asks about my church within 5 sentences of meeting. My son comes home on a regular basis and says "well I got told I was going where the devil is again because I'm not Christian". So Nea1 in general Colorado is very liberal and a great place to be, but the Springs and Woodland Park remind me of the dark ages. We are currently selling our house and moving back to the Denver area because of this!!!! PLEASE heed this advise if religious intolerance makes your skin crawl the way it does mine.......

Ha! Sorry, but I have to laugh. You must have had a very special neighborhood in Lakewood because, as my hometown, I can attest to the natural Christianity of the town. You're right that you won't have the police hauling you into church every Sunday morning or anything, but there's definitely a 'church culture' going on in Lakewood.

Oddly enough, I always thought of Woodland Park as a less intense alternative to Colorado Springs.

[MorningGlory]

Rawlings maybe Lakewood has changed, I left 7 years ago, or maybe it just wasnt as in your face as it is here. I always thought Woodland Park was where hippies and liberals ran away to, but its the exact opposite. If anything Colorado Springs is less conservative.

[Rawlings]

Originally Posted by MorningGlory

Rawlings maybe Lakewood has changed, I left 7 years ago, or maybe it just wasnt as in your face as it is here. I always thought Woodland Park was where hippies and liberals ran away to, but its the exact opposite. If anything Colorado Springs is less conservative.

Wow. I've only been there once and couldn't really get a good vibe going. That's good to know, though. Thanks!

As far as Lakewood goes, I mean, it's in a big city. The thing about Limon or Woodland Park or any other small town is that because most folks know just about everyone there's going to be an inherent pressure to fit in, which, in small towns, typically means going to church and keeping up with the Joneses.

The great thing about big cities is that even in the most conservative of 'em you can be an atheist liberal and still fit in. Big cities allow absolutely everyone to find their niche and isolate themselves to their heart's desire.

With that said, though, every city and suburban area does have a general ethos--a lifestyle and value system that while not everyone adheres to, they will certainly feel a tug. Make no mistake about it, metro Denver is--though not exactly part of the infamous Bible Belt--still a very church-going, family-oriented city. I have no doubt that in Lakewood you can do your own thing and not have anyone attack you about it. But Colorado does have a fairly high church attendance rate and Lakewood and probably the state is generally a pretty conservative place--at least it votes that way.

I know plenty of non-church goers and I know many, like my family, that goes at least once a week. I know of hippie churches and I know of megachurches. That's the sort of diversity you get in big cities. Still, I think Denver does have a certain, je ne sais quo--tilt to it. It's ever so slight--but it really does push you into family life and church-going in the same way that you get in the south and midwest--though, in Denver, that tilt isn't so dramatic.

Finally, let me add that people think of religious/Bible-belt-ish places as Bible-thumping monolithes. But in Dallas two of the biggest churches are actually gay churches. And lots--I mean LOTS--of folks in Dallas don't even bother going to church once a year let alone once a week. I'm not comparing Denver exactly to Dallas--though there are a plethora of similarities--but just because you don't feel obligated morally or whatever to be a Christian in Coloardo doesn't mean that there isn't an inherent, underlying conservatism and religiosity that pervades life in Denver and life in Colorado more generally.

Good luck!

[catteyes]

Oh, I wish I could give you good news on that. I've lived here 9 years and I plan to move as soon as I can BECAUSE of the religious intolerance. I have been attacked for saying I believed in evolution; and we were not having a religious discussion. Unbeknowth to me, everything leads back to religion. I feel like an alien here. I've found the culture here to be very aggressive and negative, if you do not believe as they do.

Don't get me wrong, there are many wonderful folks here, but you truly have to watch every word you say. This is the western Bible Belt and these folks will draw blood if you cross them. Do I sound extreme? I can only tell you what my experience has been.