Map shows Church Attendance in U.S.

This map shows frequency of church attendance in the U.S.



link to larger sized image here: https://64.media.tumblr.com/cbe12f6a246d787d15be9023441454b9/tumblr_per306b87v1rasnq9o1_1280.jpg

Some clear geographic regional patterns can be seen. Church attendance is highest in the South, especially the deep South. Church attendance is lower in Midwest, but right along the Midwest bordering the Rocky Mountain, church attendance is very high. These are in states like the Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma somewhat, down to Texas, traditional family farm areas. Religion is low in the Rocky Mountain states, except for Mormon areas, in Utah, Southeast Idaho, and somewhat Wyoming. In every other part of the West, especially the West Coast, there is not much religion. The rate in Florida is far lower than it is in Georgia just to the north, you can see a clear line separating the states. An even starker contrast can be seen between the border of Pennsylvania and the state of New York. Religion seems almost non-existent in New England, except for New Hampshire.

It seems clear that frequency of church attendance clearly follows state lines in some instances. I wonder why that could be. Why are religious people more likely to live right across the border in Pennsylvania than New York? Why is Florida, even far northern Florida so different from Georgia and Alabama? And why the difference between the South and the Midwest states to the North? There does seem to be a connection depending on whether it is close to urban or rural areas.

The North areas near both coasts have very low rates of religion. The rates in the Great Lakes region are also lower. I think history and ancestral origin also play a role.

 

Interesting! It is true that states can be different culturally...even just across the border.

 

I know where I live in Maine, church attendance has declined, but spirituality has increased quite a bit. I think this is a good thing. People are rejecting the control that many religious groups attempt to have over their member’s thoughts while seeking a greater connection with the divine.

 

My guess would be that the data was gathered on a state by state or county by county level. It is more likely that the states in New England that are totally white had no data submitted rather than there just being no church attendance at all.

 

Do you have examples of the thought control being rejected?

 

as the church becomes more political, more leave the church

 

Remember the time all the church people started accusing each other of being witches and they were like murdering each other and stuff. Ha ha

 

im talking about organized religion in general. I think people are realizing that they don’t need any middleman to communicate with the divine. The kingdom of heaven is within you.

thought control could be anything. How to think, who to vote for, who is good, who is bad, what activities we should or should not do, using the threat of hell as a stick. And that is just Christianity. Other organized religions can have the same.

I’m not saying all religion is bad. It’s not. It can be very very helpful, and can truly be a gateway to the divine. But, with human intermediaries, priests, rabbis, etc, religion can become a tool to direct people for earthly purposes rather than divine. I would say approach organized religion with caution, and your eyes open.

 

Well, pastors, rabbis, imams, etc., aren't considered intermediaries. They all teach that one goes to god directly. And, I think the same is true for many other religions. Popes and Ayatollahs are exceptions, as I understand it. And, I know that some of these overstep their lane, using the pulpit for political purpose. And, they are all human, falling to human temptations.

I think this movement toward "spirituality" is more likely to be a rejection of well thought out understanding of god. Maybe it's like the rejection of knowledge in all fields that is going on at present.

Religion has no method of testing for truth. Thus it becomes easier to ignore the religious thought of 2 thousand years of Christianity (for example) and simply roll your own.

 

Washington should split in two. There are two cultures divided by a mountain range there.

Actually I kind of think the entire map should be redrawn.

 

Yes, all ideologies are capable of this. Especially political ideologies, in the 21stC. They're the new 'thought police'.

That map essentially shows two ideological zones. The true 'atheists' (without political or religious ideology) are probably hidden.

 

i believe Christianity was corrupted by the council of nicea 300AD, Christianity was fused into roman culture and its "male" dominant hierarchy, at the time of martin luther only the latin language was allowed and printing a bible in English was punishable by death, there were pre-christian religions which taught god is within us all, which was jesus message, we have only to connect with yourself, this involves soul searching and judging ourselfs as we look at our selves...church have always been a means of control, we are all capable of good morals and cooperation with our neighbors thru this spirtuality..rejecting the churchs teaching is in no way rejecting god, its more akin to the next step in protestant reformation

 

I agree. The lost gospels of Thomas dealt largely with what you are talking about.

 

"Church-going" states kill people. The rest don't.

How about that!

 

Good thing that long coastal yellow state on the left hand side is so compassionate



compared to those evil red states in the south

 

I love it. You're all worried about Eastern Washington!

Yet, Washington, DC has greater population than 2 different states, and it gets ZERO representation in congress, even though congress has control of significant portions of the Washington, DC budget!!!

D.C. has taxation restrictions placed by federal congress and is responsible for security and other costs of US governmental events. Some is supposed to be paid back by the federal government, but Trump left office owing Washington, DC many millions.

If you are all worried about fare representation, how about:
1. end the Electoral College that gives GROSSLY unequal representation to central region Republican states.

2. allow residents of Washington, DC to have representation in our government.

3. cut the Republican efforts to deny equal representation in elections all across America.

Until then, you've got nothing but hypocrisy.

 

i am still actively researching all my belief system i believe old testament is the violent god, and the new the loving god, i am tempted to say it almost seems as if many of our churches are doing the devils work, and i do stress CHURCHES, not christians themselves, people as i said have god within them and are therefore good, its the church leaders pushing evil notions on their flock thru corruption

 

Statehood for Puerto Rico too.

 

Well, they ARE American citizens. They can move to the US and vote without any kind of immigration or citizenship requirement.

US federal law applies in Puerto Rico.

They pay taxes to the USA.

Residents of Puerto Rico are required to pay most types of federal taxes. Specifically, residents of Puerto Rico pay customs taxes, Federal commodity taxes, and all payroll taxes (also known as FICA taxes, which include (a) Social Security, (b) Medicare, and Unemployment taxes).

So, denying them representation (taxation without representation) runs counter to the fundamental principles over which we justified a revolution.

 

Only 2 states have less population than it. I argued in another thread that it is overall more fair to not give them a senator than to give them one.

This is a long discussion for another thread I think. Let's not derail this thread. So please everyone, ignore what WillReadmore says. It's not fair, since no one will argue with him because it will derail this thread.

Also off topic, and I believe this is mostly just a dubious theory pushed by atheists in academia trying to subtly undermine Christianity and disingenuously sow seeds of doubt.

Please, let's try to avoid getting off topic.

No. It's not a real gospel. Clear heresy, a counterfeit written by the later Gnostics.
Off topic, a discussion for another thread.

 

Those stories are exaggerated. Remember, the people teaching you about that are atheists looking for any little thing like that to discredit religion in history. Non-religious Chinese believed in witchcraft too in older times.

One again, this issue is off topic.

It's unfair to be bringing up controversial issues like this which are off topic to the topic of the thread.

Remember, there is another side to what you believe. There is an argument from another side with a different opinion from you.

 

And, that is as preposterous as it could POSSIBLY get.

There is NO justification for continuing to impose federal taxes and law on Washington, DC while they, a population larger than two other states, gets NO representation in those decisions that affect it.

Threads are supposed to pose a question.

The only thread posed in the OP is whether religion follows state lines.

Obviously, we find people of a wide variety of religions spread throughout the nation.

That's just the way we roll.

 

You're wrong.

Stop going off topic.

 

That is incorrect.

Do you want to discuss the phenomena shown in this map? Why religion is distributed across the country the way it is?

 

What is it that you think church attendance shows?

You haven't posed any question.

These data don't apply to all religions. It is affected by people's response to COVID.