Religion in Alaska (Fairbanks, Wasilla, North Pole: live, dangerous, moving to)

[bmw335xi]

Do you have a source to back up your claim? I see more churches than restaurants, so I don't believe this claim at all.

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by bmw335xi

Do you have a source to back up your claim? I see more churches than restaurants, so I don't believe this claim at all.

People get their ideas about what Alaska is like off the Internet:

Top 10 Most/Least Religious States in the Country

These things don't tell the whole story, though.

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by Frostnip

Yeah, there's a laudable variety, but they're mostly quite small. And I don't think the average church is particularly well-attended.

You have been looking at the wrong places, Frostnip. For example, almost all the Churches across Napa Auto Parts in North Pole attach huge crowds, enough to run out of parking space at their lots. The Catholic church over there attracts such large groups of people that they have to park on the street. The same for the Baptist one about a block away (about a block away from Santa's place). Then there is another by the Sourdough gas station; this one has the same parking area for the rest of the businesses, including the gas station, and this area is huge, but even so the lot fills with cars. The one by KJMP is quite popular, too. The preacher in this one, McCoy (the guy who got mauled by a bear a few years ago), attracts at lot of people to this church.

There are some very large churches in Fairbanks, too. One near Vanhorn is attended mostly by young people, and is quite popular. Some of the young people are musicians and play their music over there.

[tigre79]

Religion is definitely more a personal issue than a public one here, compared with my upbringing in Texas and later experience in the South. People seem more willing to live and let live, and more willing to buck societal norms, as well. I know plenty of people who attend church regularly, and plenty who don't. If you'd rather go fishing or work in your garden, or don't believe in that stuff at all, it just doesn't seem to be a big deal to most folks around here.

[rwjoyak]

I agree that it has to do with the general live and let live attitude of most Alaskans. Folks attend church or not, are religious or not, but don't try to push their opinions and beliefs on others as may happen more in other states. So it may not seem as religious as other places simply because religion isn't as active an activity in Alaska in terms of people proselytizing or bringing religion up in conversations.

[Alaskapat528]

There are 'numerous' churches in Wasilla and Anchorage.

[1stimestar]

Just like a lot of things, the word "big" means something different when comparing Alaska. We don't have any mega churches like the lower 48.

[akpls]

Just because someone is not physically in a church doesn't mean that they aren't "religious." There's plenty of places in Alaska where one can go to see and appreciate God's work.

[IndianaMatt]

Originally Posted by akpls

Just because someone is not physically in a church doesn't mean that they aren't "religious." There's plenty of places in Alaska where one can go to see and appreciate God's work.

But what if there is no god? There may not be, you know?

[akpls]

Originally Posted by IndianaMatt

But what if there is no god? There may not be, you know?