Which states are least religious? (myths, church, atheist, quote)
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" Charleston South Carolina"
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I will have to say that this post comes from another forum. I did not move it over because it was appropriate for that particular site, but I was intrigued. What do you think accounts for the fact that the New England states (bastions of Salem, no less) are the least religious? Are they less demographically diverse ? They are the thinnest also if that means anything.
WASHINGTON — Want to be almost certain you'll have religious neighbors? Move to Mississippi. Prefer to be in the least religious state? Venture to Vermont.
A new Gallup Poll, based on more than 350,000 interviews, finds that the Magnolia State is the one where the most people — 85% — say yes when asked "Is religion an important part of your daily life?"
Less than half of Vermonters, meanwhile — 42% — answered that same question in the affirmative.
I don’t think you can judge an Atheist by their size. I know a lot and they come in all sizes, heights, races, and sexes. I still think it has to do with education. The higher the education levels the less chance of being fished in by a book of myths.
I don’t think you can judge an Atheist by their size. I know a lot and they come in all sizes, heights, races, and sexes. I still think it has to do with education. The higher the education levels the less chance of being fished in by a book of myths.
I'm not certain what you are saying. New England is historically free thinking and therefore might not be defined as 'religious' whether this implies Atheism or not I would not be able to make such an assessment.
Level of education and religiosity is inversely correlated IIRC. That has been my personal experience as well.
Quote:
I will have to say that this post comes from another forum. I did not move it over because it was appropriate for that particular site, but I was intrigued. What do you think accounts for the fact that the New England states (bastions of Salem, no less) are the least religious? Are they less demographically diverse ? They are the thinnest also if that means anything.
I'm only speaking for my experiences in MA, but it certainly seems to be that our population is pretty diverse. At least in the Cambridge/Boston area.
It was a long time ago, but I took a religious sociology class in school that had interesting commentary about what was called the 'un-church belt'. Essentially, it was the three Lower 48 West Coast states. Since I was studying in one of those states, this was particularly germane. The polling data the professor was working with at the time revealed an interesting phenomenon. If you asked about belief in a supreme being, there wasn't much difference between here (I still live in one) and other parts of the nation. What was very different, according to the data, was that the West Coast had a much lower percentage of people specifically identifying with a given church.
In the professor's opinion, this helped explain why unconventional religious movements tended to grab and take hold out here. If you tried to pitch the Church of Tarkus in Boston or Birmingham, people were likely to rejoin that they went to the Whichever Church, and that was their church, and that was going to be their church, and that was that. If you tried it in California, you at least met less resistance.
In case anyone is deeply interested, the professor was Rodney Stark (now at Baylor). He has done a lot of writing on the topic. He was one of the best-liked professors at UW in my day, and he's always been a much less dry writer than the typical academic.
I suspect it isn't entirely true, but, I have always suspected that the state of ignorance is populated with more christers. It certainly seems that way here in the south.
I suspect it isn't entirely true, but, I have always suspected that the state of ignorance is populated with more christers. It certainly seems that way here in the south.
North Carolinians seem to be realists, jmo. Those of my acquaintance at least.
Wondering what the Higher Power thinks of what goes on --absolutely ridiculous is about all I can conclude.
Glad to be within driving distance of the mountains of NC. Majestic.
I would have been tempted to think that CA would be in Vermont's position but they have the OC.
Not that it really matters.
Wherever you are --find your niche.
We have an abundance in GA and I don't worry about it. 'Some', works for me.
Good FYI.
You'd be surprised at how religious California is... it's not just Orange County, either. I've gotten called all kinds of names and told I was going to be residing in all kinds of fiery, summer weather vacation homes when I leave this earthly realm I think people often forget how agricultural California is and how steadfast to older belief systems those 'farmers' are. Plus, we have a very very very very large immigrant population who is vastly Catholic.
You'd be surprised at how religious California is... it's not just Orange County, either. I've gotten called all kinds of names and told I was going to be residing in all kinds of fiery, summer weather vacation homes when I leave this earthly realm I think people often forget how agricultural California is and how steadfast to older belief systems those 'farmers' are. Plus, we have a very very very very large immigrant population who is vastly Catholic.
Interesting. I suppose the agricultural area is around Sacramento and possibly Napa.
How I would love to visit CA again and tour it more fully. I know those that are transplanted to Atlanta miss it badly, particularly the coast--the Atlantic will never be the Pacific. Beautiful state.
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I think people often forget how agricultural California is and how steadfast to older belief systems those 'farmers' are. Plus, we have a very very very very large immigrant population who is vastly Catholic.
