Alaska is one of the least religious states in the country (Anchorage: living, atheist)

[IndianaMatt]

Just another thing I love about living here. Why do you guys think this is this way? I have my thoughts, but wanted to share and hear opinions. Link: Daily Number: Alaska's Empty Pews - Pew Research Center

[stiffnecked]

I wouldn't rely on PEW numbers for anything. If they called me to ask about how often I attend church, I'd hang up on them. I suspect many other Alaskan's would do the same thing. I value my privacy more then adding to the bean counters numbers.

[akpls]

Not wanting to sit in church doesn't necessarily mean someone isn't religious.....some would rather get out and see God's work close-up, not by looking at 4 walls.

[stiffnecked]

I attend church a lot more in the winter then I do in the summer. A few churches have a Saturday night service that I can go to and then catch a different one on Sunday. The only one I'm not goin' back to is ABT in Anchorage.

When I lived in Ketchikan the pastor at First Assembly would often end the service really early if the sun was shining on a Sunday so everyone could leave and go fishing. His sermon would go from the usual 30 minutes down to about 10. And he'd tell ya that at the start. He'd look out the window, look back at the congregation and say "It's gonna be really short today!!'

[IndianaMatt]

I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with going to church, but this statistic seems to imply that religion is less organized, more personal. I like that. Nothing scarier than those Texas megachurches. You'd never find anything like that in Alaska. We're too independent-minded.

[Frostnip]

I don't think there are necessarily more atheists and agnostics here, but I do think that Alaskans are on average more self-reliant. I think in more bible belt-y parts of the country people who might otherwise be irreligious feel pressured into putting on outward religiosity and joining a church and whatnot, whereas Alaskans are more likely to just do their own thing. Plus I think Alaskans are less impressed by authorities in general, including religious authorities.

[AKStafford]

Originally Posted by stiffnecked

When I lived in Ketchikan the pastor at First Assembly would often end the service really early if the sun was shining on a Sunday so everyone could leave and go fishing. His sermon would go from the usual 30 minutes down to about 10. And he'd tell ya that at the start. He'd look out the window, look back at the congregation and say "It's gonna be really short today!!'

That didn't happen to be Terry Bonner or Lee Correo did it?

[stiffnecked]

Originally Posted by AKStafford

That didn't happen to be Terry Bonner or Lee Correo did it?

Terry, I really liked him.

[AlaskaNana]

Soooo why are there so many Budhists, heck never could spell that right, in the Valley?

[turbo700]

Soooo why are there so many Russian Orthodox in Homer? Who are all those women in Talkeetna with those long dresses and head coverings? Not that there is anything wrong with it.