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Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
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This was based on interviews and studies done by phone and online from 42,000 + people nationwide from the Barna Group. Discuss their findings, are they agreeable and how they have an overall effect on these cities (or regions/states) listed.
Most Biblically minded cities
1. Knoxville, TN (52%)
2. Shreveport, LA (52%)
3. Chattanooga, TN (52%)
4. Birmingham, AL (50%)
5. Jackson, MS (50%).
6. Springfield, MO (49%)
7. Charlotte, NC (48%)
8. Lynchburg, VA (48%)
9. Huntsville-Decatur, AL (48%)
10. Charleston, WV (47%)
Least Biblically minded cities
1. Providence, RI (9%)
2. Albany, NY (10%)
3. Burlington, VT (16%)
4. Portland, ME (16%)
5. Hartford, CT (16%)
6. Boston, MA (16%)
7. San Francisco, CA (16%)
8. Phoenix, AZ (17%)
9. Cedar Rapids, IA (18%)
10. Buffalo, NY (18%)
This is very interesting to look at. I found it really interesting how big of a difference the results were in Charleston, WV which is only about a 3 hour drive south of Pittsburgh.
I thought it was interesting that you have to go all the way to #26 to find a city that's not in the south. That city is Bakersfield, CA, which is populated by the children and grandchildren of displaced Dust-Bowl Okies.
I wonder why Rochester (in the middle of the pack at #62 out of 96) is so much more biblical than Buffalo, Albany, Syracuse, and NYC, which are all at the end of the list. Likewise, I wonder why Albuquerque (#54) was so much more biblical than Tucson, Phoenix, and Denver.
I was surprised also to find Salt Lake City at the end the list, less biblically minded than Minneapolis, Madison, LA, Denver, and Chicago. I guess this goes against the argument of LDS dominance in SLC.
I know that these places are too small to be included, but I'm wondering how "cities" in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming would stack up. Despite being conservative, this part of the country strikes me as not being particularly religious.
I was surprised also to find Salt Lake City at the end the list, less biblically minded than Minneapolis, Madison, LA, Denver, and Chicago. I guess this goes against the argument of LDS dominance in SLC.
Salt Lake City is probably the second least religious place in all of Utah(the first is Park City) despite having the upper hieararchy and adminstration of the LDS located there. They even elected a gay mayor.
One thing interesting about the rankings is that they include a lot of places that have fairly high numbers of Catholics(often because of Hispanic populations, but also traditional Italian/Irish strongholds in the Northeast--yet these aren't figured to be "biblically minded"... El Paso is mostly Mexican Catholics and it ranked 80th. I guess though that these days Catholics don't feel the need to read the Bible weekly--and are more likely to just go observe for the holidays.
Catholics are more fun these days--a lot of those St. Whoever Day celebrations are a good time for everyone(or the Blessing of the Animals day)...
The study, based on 42,855 interviews conducted nationwide, attempts to determine the overall openness or resistance to the Bible in the country's largest markets. The report ranks the most and least "Bible-minded" cities based both on weekly Bible reading and who strongly asserts the Bible is accurate in the principles it teaches.
I thought it was interesting that you have to go all the way to #26 to find a city that's not in the south. That city is Bakersfield, CA, which is populated by the children and grandchildren of displaced Dust-Bowl Okies.
I wonder why Rochester (in the middle of the pack at #62 out of 96) is so much more biblical than Buffalo, Albany, Syracuse, and NYC, which are all at the end of the list. Likewise, I wonder why Albuquerque (#54) was so much more biblical than Tucson, Phoenix, and Denver.
I was surprised also to find Salt Lake City at the end the list, less biblically minded than Minneapolis, Madison, LA, Denver, and Chicago. I guess this goes against the argument of LDS dominance in SLC.
I know that these places are too small to be included, but I'm wondering how "cities" in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming would stack up. Despite being conservative, this part of the country strikes me as not being particularly religious.
Your guess is spot on. This is a live and let live region. The biggest religion around here is hunting except when it's fishing season. Even in our "cities" .
I was surprised also to find Salt Lake City at the end the list, less biblically minded than Minneapolis, Madison, LA, Denver, and Chicago. I guess this goes against the argument of LDS dominance in SLC.
So the Central Texas area is less Biblically Minded than Austin and Houston?
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