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Posted on 03/09/2009 10:39:21 AM PDT by sionnsar
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A wide-ranging study on American religious life found that Northern New England has surpassed the Pacific Northwest as the least religious part of the country. ...
(Excerpt) Read more at kval.com ...
Probably because all of those RedSox fans who no longer pray for a World Series victory, no doubt.
Oregon Ping.
I am still thinking that Oregon has more than its fair share of Godless hordes, particularly in Portland.
Not a surprise. Doesn’t mean the NW has gotten wiser, just that the NE has gotten dumber.
My pastor (here in MA) gets together with a number of pastors from nearby churches every month. He says he does it as part of his ministry to the community of unbelievers — he doesn’t really consider these pastors to be Christian at all, since every one of them thinks that there are many paths to heaven and that while Jesus may work for some folks, other folks may find other ways to the Father. It makes him sad: he just shakes his head at the state of Christianity in NE.
No offense intended here, but I must disagree with the implication that subscription to some form of organized religion is a necessary conservative credential.
I was raised as a Catholic but as an adult I am completely non-religious. Not an atheist, I just do not subscribe to any particular religion or go to church. But in every sense that could involve public policy and government, I'm as conservative as you could ever want.
The biggest problem I have with conservatism is its strong-arming of Christianity, and IMO, this hampers the ability of conservatism to win electoral victories.
Again, I don't begrudge anyone their religious beliefs. I just take a bit of umbrage at the notion that somehow I'm just a dumb New Englander because I'm not a practicing Christian.
“I was raised as a Catholic but as an adult I am completely non-religious. Not an atheist, I just do not subscribe to any particular religion or go to church. But in every sense that could involve public policy and government, I’m as conservative as you could ever want.
The biggest problem I have with conservatism is its strong-arming of Christianity, and IMO, this hampers the ability of conservatism to win electoral victories.
Again, I don’t begrudge anyone their religious beliefs. I just take a bit of umbrage at the notion that somehow I’m just a dumb New Englander because I’m not a practicing Christian. “
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No offense intended. I am not ‘religious’ either. But I do know this...communities with people who practice their religion humanely are the communities I prefer to live in. If we don’t have Christianity as a guide what do we have? Well, pretty much the mess we’ve got.
“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” - John Adams
My pastor has made mention of this Northwest Religious deficate problem in several of his sermons. Inserts it in a sermon whenever he can. Almost as much as he insirts that he was an Army Ranger. My favorite Army Ranger story from one of his sermons was this one I copied from one of his trascripts:
“Probably ten years ago now Judy and I originally came to the Seattle area to plant a church in Capitol Hill. At some point my best friend came from Baltimore to visit. I decided to take him for a tour of the city. Most of the time I took the bus throughout the city. Paul and I eventually wound up in Pioneer Square. We looked around there. As we were getting on the bus to come home, for some reason the bus was incredibly crowded. Of course, with an incredibly crowded bus there always has to be one crazy guy in the midst of the bus. The providence that I seem to experience – as we were standing (standing room only) hanging onto the handles, the crazy guy was standing right next to me. The bus is going back and forth, and he’s basically being belligerent and giving everyone around him a hard time. At some point the bus lurched and it made him bump into me. At that point he started to light into me. I turned around—I’m sure I was completely gracious—and I turned around and said, “Would you rather pick a fight with a Ranger or a preacher?” He said, “What’s a Ranger?” I said,
“I’d pick the preacher if I were you.” He was completely quiet. Everyone around was standing there looking and you
could tell by their faces they’re thinking, “Who is this guy?””
My pastor then went into when Jesus confronted the Pharisees
Note to myself, don't trust spell check.
“...that subscription to some form of organized religion is a necessary conservative credential.”
You make such statements to your own peril.
LOL!
I thought they all worshipped trees, toads, and other parts of nature up in the Northwest.
I can relate. And so could the founding fathers of this country during that Age of Reason. The writings of those times indicate strong beliefs in God, faith in the hand of Providence, etc., along the route to freedom.
But various clerics of the various organized religious groups were regularly blasted in letters and articles for their fanatical interference in what should be the pursuit of common objectives. As we see happening today.
A lady I know said this study scared her, since there are fewer Christians. Churchgoing does not always make one a Christian.
“Not a surprise. Doesn’t mean the NW has gotten wiser, just that the NE has gotten dumber.
No offense intended here, but I must disagree with the implication that subscription to some form of organized religion is a necessary conservative credential. “
It is possible to be a dumb conservative...
seriously, WTSHTF you will realize that it is better to belong to religious community where everyone knows and helps each other instead of trying to duke out all of life’s problems by yourself. If we had more organized religion, we would have less need for government aid and welfare.
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**I was raised as a Catholic but as an adult I am completely non-religious. **
Breaking the news to you — You are still a Catholic. That is unless you have filled out tons of paperwork and had a hearing in front of a panel.
The Catholic Church will welcome you back with open arms. Find a priest you can sit down and talk with and get your questions and doubts answered before you die!
In many parishes programs are sponsored that welcome returning Catholics home. Our parish does one called “Catholics Can Come Home Again.”
Probably all of those California gays, who sold their homes at high prices to move back to the NE and push their agendas.
Of course there were other groups in the mix -- Catholics, especially French Canadians in Northern New England, and Scandinavians and Asians in the Pacific Northwest -- but there are still some similarities.
It's largely the decline of religious belief and affiliation among Catholics that made Northern New England less religious than even the Pacific Northwest. That brings the Catholics more into line with how New England Protestants have been for some time.
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