(June 15, 2012 at 12:27 am)Cthulhu Dreaming Wrote:

(June 14, 2012 at 10:05 pm)FallentoReason Wrote: Maybe we have differing views because here in Australia Christians (and other religious groups) are harmless. Sounds like the U.S. is a mess from what I've gathered from different people. But here, 80% of my friends are Christians and they are good people. Beneficial to society in many ways, even if along the line they have to preach and tie Jesus to their actions to get people wondering.

I think it depends a lot on where you live in the U.S. I live in the Pacific Northwest, which tends to be quite liberal and doesn't seem to be nearly as religious as the south and midwest, at least in the more populated areas. I've traveled extensively through the western U.S., midwest, and south and it really does vary regionally.

Frankly, for the most part, I think it's a very vocal minority that gets noticed.

Also, a big difference here compared to the U.S. is that 'controversial' Christians here are the minority of the minority. A statistic that gets shoved down our throats at my church is that only ~9% of Australians attend church regularly.

(June 15, 2012 at 12:35 am)FallentoReason Wrote: Also, a big difference here compared to the U.S. is that 'controversial' Christians here are the minority of the minority. A statistic that gets shoved down our throats at my church is that only ~9% of Australians attend church regularly.

I have no idea what the comparable figures are in the U.S. I suspect nationwide, they're quite a bit higher. Around here probably not so much.

It just occurred to me that outside of family, and a very few very close friends, of all the people I am around, I know little to nothing about their religious views or lack thereof. Also, other than a few of the ex's family members, I can only think of two people I know that I know go to church for certain. I wouldn't even know that they were xtians had they not mentioned something that happened at their church.

Every once in a great while Jehovah's Witnesses or LDS missionaries will come through the neighborhood and hand out literature and try to chat people up. In downtown Portland Oregon, you'll occasionally run across people handing out religious literature. Most people just politely ignore them. It's not really a big deal.

In a city that's known for weirdness and tolerance, they just don't stand out that much - but I think that's a northwest thing. The Seattle area is much the same.

(June 15, 2012 at 12:27 am)Cthulhu Dreaming Wrote:

(June 14, 2012 at 10:05 pm)FallentoReason Wrote: Maybe we have differing views because here in Australia Christians (and other religious groups) are harmless. Sounds like the U.S. is a mess from what I've gathered from different people. But here, 80% of my friends are Christians and they are good people. Beneficial to society in many ways, even if along the line they have to preach and tie Jesus to their actions to get people wondering.

I think it depends a lot on where you live in the U.S. I live in the Pacific Northwest, which tends to be quite liberal and doesn't seem to be nearly as religious as the south and midwest, at least in the more populated areas. I've traveled extensively through the western U.S., midwest, and south and it really does vary regionally.

Frankly, for the most part, I think it's a very vocal minority that gets noticed.

If the religious right were that much of a minority with little power it would not have the undue influence on the rethuglican party and the gay marriage bans wouldn't happen. The attacks on abortion rights and women's rights wouldn't happen. The bigoted nuts are bigger than you think.

NC is Mars compared to where you live and I used to live in Norther Va outside DC so I know what a diverse community looks like. Down here diversity only stems to blacks and whites, but religion does have a heavy influence down here.