How religious is your city?

[Cleopatra]

If you exclude the fact that without exaggeration in every corner of Athens there is an Orthodox Church and during litanies the whole centre of the city is blocked by the Police ( that happens at least once a month), I wouldn't say that my city is a religious one....

 

[Some Friggin Guy]

I live and work in downtown Nashville. I should need to say no more, but I will.

In adition to the churches, each one litereally within sight of the next (often close enough to greet each other on the way out.) there are massive amounts of christian book stores, and our major malls have(I kid you not) Bible Factory Outlet Stores.

Walking down any of the side streets on one side of I 40, you will literally run into the following all on the same block:

Church, Adult Bookstore, Church, Stripjoint, Christian bookstore, Brothel, Church, Church, Brothel, Church, Stripjoint, Brothel, Church.

To me, this makes perfect sense, since we all know Jesus loved the ladies.

 

[KelvinG]

Vancouver is not a very religious city. I don't know a single person who goes to church. Granted, I'm not inclined to be socializing with folks who go to church, but I rarely ever meet someone who proclaims to be actively religious.
There are churches and churchgoers of course, but it is not by any means a religious place.
One of many reasons why it's the best city in the world to live in.

 

[DangerousBeliefs]

Just remember, the United States is the exception, not the norm, among first-world countries when it comes to religion.

From the beginning, we're accepted KOOKS with open arms.

 

[Iamme]

In the town I live in, in Wisconsin...they play church music out of the belfries, and you can hear it all over town. Where is the ACLU, when you need them? I find church music depressing. Reminds me of funerals.

Yet, oddly as this might sound; I am willing to sit and converse with a Jehovah's Witness. I did this very thing this morning, at my front door. We got talking about Jesus...about how the Word was with God..and the word WAS God...and how the end of the world might be close...and the irony of the Garden of Eden being in Iraq...and other neat stuff.

 

[Grommitt]

That's for sure. You also can't swing a dead cat without hitting a car with a Jesus fish plastered to it.

What possible reason would one have for swinging a dead cat? I'm not saying that there isn't a good reason for doing so, but why would one do it in close proximity to automobiles?

This sounds very unsafe to me!

 

[Ossai]

Some Friggin Guy

I live and work in downtown Nashville. I should need to say no more, but I will.

I also work in downtown Nashville.

Don't forget to mention the numerous religious conventions held in the downtown area every year, the multiple mega-churches of at least 5,000 + members. And, occasionally the street preachers / prophets / loonies.

Ossai

 

[calladus]

Like US said, look where I'm at. It's Texas, so Jeeeesus is a part of daily life. The funny thing is, I find that everyone says they believe it all, but I only know a few people who actually attend church on a reguler basis.

I've always enjoyed drives through the woods of East Texas. There, I believe the churches actually outnumber houses. You'll see a town with a population of 200 and there'll be 15 churches in the immediate area.



Several of those in the Houston area, too. In fact, Lakewood Church is about to take over the lease on the Compaq Center now that the Rockets have a new arena.

I like to call them "Jesus-Domes".

I like to imagine ads for these places: [announcer voice]Sunday, Sunday, Suuuundaaaay. Jesus, Jesus, Jeeeeeeesus!!![/announcer voice]

I grew up in Houston. I thought that Califiornia would be a lot more liberal than South Texas, but apparently that's only the coastal areas - here in the valley it is so conservative that I feel like I never left Houston.

The church I grew up with was First Christian, Disciples of Christ. Located just outside of Rice University. Very very 'old' money, but very friendly, and with a fairly liberal congregation. (FCC, DoC is a pretty liberal organization.)

As for the Jesus domes - This brings to mind the MIT university dome that the students keep playing with.

Their best 'hack' IMO was adding a nipple to the dome. It would be neat if someone could do the same in Houston! Preferably on a Saturday night or early Sunday morning!

 

[Upchurch]

I work with several people from Dallas. They attend to church and the strippers with equal zeal.

I used to live in San Antonio. On the two or three mile drive to work, I would pass two strip clubs and a Hooters. It was a different kind of place.

 

[Evil_Jesus]

Oklahoma

Pretty bad here in Oklahoma. Churches all over the place and alot of the state laws are influenced by christianity. Such as , It is illegal to recieve a tattoo in Oklahoma. And we have low point beer *woohoo*

 

[Flame]

Vancouver is not a very religious city. I don't know a single person who goes to church. Granted, I'm not inclined to be socializing with folks who go to church, but I rarely ever meet someone who proclaims to be actively religious.
There are churches and churchgoers of course, but it is not by any means a religious place.
One of many reasons why it's the best city in the world to live in.

I'm originally from Vancouver. I met an irishman and we married and moved to Dublin (ireland).

Unbelievable how religious this place is. I was very afraid at first, now I've learned little ways of dealing with situations that arise... mostly by asking Graham 'what religion am I again?'

If you go to hospital they ask you your religion, if you are speaking to someone you don't know very well you need to be careful what you say.
I regularly see people 'cross' themselves when walking past the church on the main street (that took some getting used to). I had to ask G why people kept going up to the church walls on either side of the main door and spreading something on themselves (holy water apparently).

Our kids go to a protestant school where they regularly sing hymns and do bibile study as part of the curriculum. While 400m away from the school is another called Holy cross - a catholic school.
We get boxes of envelopes through the door once a year for our church contributions for the local catholic church (if we were religious we wouldn't be catholic!) and we are on the methodist church register (like a church phone book I think)

We're not religious, but this place sure is! It's all a bit crazy and I can't wait until I can have open discussions with my kids about the brainwashing they are experiencing at school.

Toni

 

[Zep]

I don't know whether most people around here are really religious, but you can't swing a dead cat in this town without hitting a church.

...but wouldn't it be fun try try??

 

[KillerBob]

As for the Jesus domes - This brings to mind the MIT university dome that the students keep playing with.

Their best 'hack' IMO was adding a nipple to the dome. It would be neat if someone could do the same in Houston! Preferably on a Saturday night or early Sunday morning!

Most of them aren't actually domes, but "Jesus-Arenas" just doesn't have the same ring.

I can think of one near here that is a true dome. I wish I had heard of the nipple thing when I was younger and drank more heavily!

 

[Ruby]

Fish out of water
Atheist in Fresno
The image that California is a hotbed of liberalism might be true for the costal towns, but it is definitely NOT true for the California central valley. This is a very conservative, very religious area - and a difficult place to be even moderate politically.
And difficult to be an Atheist.
I just wanna know - is this the same everywhere? How bad is the religious climate in your area?
'scuse the venting (and creative spelling.) Sometimes it gets a little thick here in town.

I live in East Texas and there are churches everywhere you look. It is unreal. Most people say they are Christian. I don't know any atheists or agnostics personally.......other than my oldest son and husband (both agnostic). I do know some cool Unitarians. I think some of the Unitarian members might be agnostic or atheist...but have not found that out yet.

Anyhow, I don't talk to people about my beliefs...and since they are new found, I am still figuring things out as I go along. Most of my friends from my former church still think I am Christian. I have not told them otherwise.

I am so bothered by the fact that non-Christians are inclined to hide their beliefs. There are some very nice Christians here, but to speak of your unbelief in Christianity is like saying something unpatriotic or flat out evil. I don't want to become someone's mission field by talking about my agnoistic stance. That is what happens. My hubby has spoken up to others about his agnostic views and has several people working on him to "win" him back to Christinaity.

 

[Ruby]

<--- look at my location. What do you think?

Yep....ain't Texas grand?

Jesus fish and bumper stickers are everywhere.

I finally got my Jesus fish off my car. You cannot see where it was. Now I am waiting for those who know I had it to notice it missing and wonder or even ask about it.

 

[triadboy]

Re: Re: How religious is your city?

There are some very nice Christians here, but to speak of your unbelief in Christianity is like saying something unpatriotic or flat out evil.

You nailed it, Ruby. As you can see on Sunday morning TV, with American Flags hanging in churches - somehow the religious right has captured the 'patriotic American' theme for their own! So to be Christian is to be Patriotic and vice versa. "Yer either fer us, or agin us"

I especially detest the constant hammering of the "this country is founded on Christian ideas" theme. Our founding fathers MADE SURE this country was founded without religious themes and that deeply bothers the religious right, so they are in the process of a little historical reconstruction as we speak.

 

[triadboy]

I finally got my Jesus fish off my car. You cannot see where it was. Now I am waiting for those who know I had it to notice it missing and wonder or even ask about it.

Tell them it was raptured

 

[Hexxenhammer]

I finally got my Jesus fish off my car. You cannot see where it was. Now I am waiting for those who know I had it to notice it missing and wonder or even ask about it.

Ruby, you give me hope for humanity. We'll de-convert people 1 jesus fish at a time.

 

[Ruby]

Now why didnt I think of that...

Yahoo tells me I have 4 churches within 1 mile of my house, 205 churches within 10 miles.

I have ten churches within one mile radius of my home, and 200 within 10 miles.

 

[Ruby]

Re: Oklahoma

Pretty bad here in Oklahoma. Churches all over the place and alot of the state laws are influenced by christianity. Such as , It is illegal to recieve a tattoo in Oklahoma. And we have low point beer *woohoo*

Illegal to get a tattoo? Wow! I'll be sure to cover mine up next time I go to Oklahoma.......even though I got it in Texas.