Posted by Hemant Mehta in Gallup just put out the lists of the Top 10 Most Religious States and Top 10 least Religious States in the country. This was based on responses to the question: “Is religion an important part of your daily life?”
Can you guess which states are at the top?
My guesses were pretty good on that one. Except for Utah — Not in the top 10.
The ones at the bottom, though?
Not so much.
(Who knew Sarah Palin’s state was less religious than Oregon?)
It is sad to see that fewer than half the citizens find religion to be important in their lives in only four states.
(Work on it, Alaska.)
Even more telling is this map of the United States, comparing the most religious states (dark green) to the least religious (offwhite)
Are there any surprises on here for you?
(via The Invisible Pink Unicorn)
Now someone should compare that data with state literacy rates, education level and teen pregnancy rates.
I thought Colorado would be a lot higher on the list, but sometimes I forget that Colorado Springs (New Life Church, Focus on the Family) is kind of a microcosm in the state.
I just noticed that if we change the word “religious” with “rednecks” in the map, it would still make sense.
Now compare this with red/blue maps from the past few elections. Clearly, religion has a poisoning effect on American politics.
I have never in my life been more profoundly proud to be from New Hampshire… or New England, for that matter.
Utah is a Western state, which probably is what is knocking it out of the top ten. Look at how much more religious it is than its neighbors – Utah/Nevada (except for that that tiny stretch of Oklahoma/Colorado) is the only border between two states that are three shades off from each other.
The Republican party’s strength is in the pious South and the apatheist West. I’m pretty sure that they’re choosing red over blue for totally different reasons.
Now, if the question was a simple ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ answer, can we safely assume that the non-present percentage are agnostic or atheistic? That would mean that even in Mississippi 15% of the population are non-religious.
That makes the oft-claimed “only 14% of Americans are atheists”, seem paltry.
BTW. I like the ‘Redneck’ comment
The Dakotas surprised me. It is because they are rural?
See, here’s my problem with polls like this:
If I were asked this question, my most honest answer would be “Yes.”
Religion is a very important part of my daily life. I write about it almost every day. If I’m not writing about it, I’m often reading about it, or thinking about it.
I’m just not writing/ reading/ thinking very nice things.
How do you answer this question if you’re an atheist writer/ blogger/ activist?
I agree the Dakotas are odd. Why they specifically ranked so high? Allthough they are only 1% higher than Nebraska.
And compare this to a Civil War map. Slave states Dark green. Boarder states light green. Union less green. How long will we have to fight the Civil War?
The odd balls, Utah and the Dakotas are historal locations of conflict with the US government.
And too think about that question. What are other types of things that would be important but not part of your daily life? I guess what I am asking is. Are you really religious if it’s not important to you? for me Baseball and Poker are both part of my daily life. I read about them or play them daily. So what 15% of the people in the most religious state in the union say is that to them, their religion has a lower status than a game has to me.
I think this falls under. Just because you don’t say you don’t believe in god doesn’t mean you do…and I think this is what the Right Wing is ultimatly scared of.
Yes, totally different reasons indeed. The South is your traditional religious zealot conservatives, while the West are the frontier-individualist libertarians. Incidentally, the libertarian vote swung from about 70-30 in favor of Bush in 2000 (I was part of the 30) to something like 70-30 in favor of Obama in 2008 (which was a major factor in swinging the Mountain states blue), so the voting trend for the future is wide open right now: Obama’s bailout scare tactics are going to turn off the Mountain West, but we don’t really have anywhere else to go. So, while I’m not willing to predict the Mountain West becomes a blue stalwart, I wouldn’t say that it’s red territory either.
And apatheist is a great term, but I think I still prefer “leave us alone”-voters.
I’m happy to see that the overly religious city of Colorado Springs (home to that bastion of hate known as Focus on the Family) hasn’t corrupted the rest of us here in Colorado. I honstly expected us to be higher up on the list.
Wow. I knew my state was high, but I hardly suspected it was the second. Guess that explains a lot.
We’re #3! Not that it surprises me in the least that Maine is ranked so high on the list. Also proves that rural does not automatically equal religious since Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont as all very rural states.
RE the Dakotas, I think it’s an urba/rural thing. They’re both in the five least densely populated states in the US. More to the point, they just don’t have much in the way of cities.
When I google “biggest city in North Dakota” wikipedia tells me it’s Fargo will less than 100 thousand. Tennessee has five cities larger, Minnesota two, and Iowa three.
I’m kinda supprised my state of North Carolina was so high. We’re the highest of all the blue states.
In the Dakotas, you have all those steely-eyed missilemen (and all the infrastructure) of the air force working in the missile silos. In general, you’ll find a preponderance of buy-bull belt people in the military. That’s bound to skew the demographics a little. Just sayin’.
As a Californian, I’d really like to see it by county.
Go, Washington! (We’re near the bottom, but it’s only because of a few populous counties around Puget Sound. The whole rest of the state is religious/red.)
Is it at all surprising that New England has the lowest divorce rates, crime rates, teen pregnancy rates, etc? They also enjoy higher overall health, education and quality of living. Now that MA and CT have marriage equality, ME is pushing for it and the other states probably won’t be far behind my wife and I are seriously thinking of braving the cold and snow if Prop 8 doesn’t get overturned.
You can easily compare this data with IQ rates and I guarantee you won’t be surprised.
heh, the Wisconsin result surprises me, I woulda thought we’d be higher to be honest. eh well…hooray for being a midwest anomaly!
I like the third map here (at bottom) better
~
http://www.usatoday.com/graphics/life/gra/religion/frame.htm
Can someone blow that one up into a poster?
“Are there any surprises on here for you?”
Yeah. Texas. It is neither the darkest green nor in the top ten. WTF?
I love how Mississippi is at the top of this list, while being at the bottom in virtually every other national ranking…education, health care, economic development, etc. Why isn’t god doing more for these people?
As a Canadian, I’m left wondering what this would look like for our provinces…
Poverty Distribution in the United States.
Unwed Partners Living Together, including straight and same sex partners
There are some powerful correlations there. What other correlations can we find?
Sad sad. Would only that CT be last on the list.
I actually expected my homestate (Kentucky) to be much higher on the list. I was kind of relieved that it wasn’t, though, at the same time.
It’s pretty much what I expected… Except I thought Alaska and California would be reversed… I’m also surprised Alaska is less religious than Washington!! But the colouring trend doesn’t surprise me at all.
For those interested in a similar map of Canada, check this out:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/religion/faithmap.html
Regarding Alaska and Sarah Palin – it’s not really surprising. Palin’s family is originally from Idaho, I believe, and moved up there just to take advantage of Alaska’s resources or some such (oil pipes and strip malls, baby!), so she’s not representative of the local culture.
Personally, I’m surprised Utah didn’t rank higher.
The Canadian map is awesome! BC surprised me, until I thought about all the Canadians of Asian descent, particularly Chinese and Japanese heritage with no religion. But Alberta was far more non religious than I would have guessed, especially with Stockwell Day, and Stephen Harper coming outta there.
Missouri is 15th in being the most religious? Couldn’t prove it by me! Geeze! These people down here are freakin’ NUTS! I mean they talk about being “immortal” and having a relationship with Jesus, like it were some sexual experience. Gee, puts new meaning to necrophelia.
I would hate to see what Mississippi is like.
Mriana Said,
“Missouri is 15th in being the most religious? Couldn’t prove it by me! Geeze! These people down here are freakin’ NUTS! I mean they talk about being “immortal” and having a relationship with Jesus, like it were some sexual experience. Gee, puts new meaning to necrophelia.”
Take out St. Louis and Kansas City. The the next two cities are Springfield and it’s neighbor Joplin. Springfield is home to Larry Rice Ministries and several evangelical colleges. Joplin has a couple more such colleges, and is home to the state’s prison ministries services and a company that produces multi media presentations for missionaries. The population of these two areas combined is barely 1 million.
I for one think religion is the main cause of so many problems.
The most religious states here are the home to the most brainwashed people in this nation. These dumbasses are getting their wallets sucked thin for a promise of “heaven.” The people who believe needs a splash of cold water to their face. I have told many that they are going to be greatly disappointed when they die, but they’ll never know…such a sad tale of the ignorant blind-they always need someone to tell them what to do, how to vote, who to believe, never in their pathetic lives will they decide anything for themselves. If “god” would only tell them now: when you are suffering, know that I have betrayed you…
religion is the creation and the future of all evil in this country including the future of bipartisan politics from the “educated” fucktards that continuously keep getting elected.
i was extremely pissed to find that catholic priests in sections of Ohio even commented during their preaches that McCain was the choice of “god.” And these sheep buy anything…so us logical and radical people are doomed until our end. Like Ron White says…”you can’t fix stupid.”
I have lived in northeast Mississippi my entire life. This is “home” and can’t help but have a love/hate relationship with it and have always (and still am) considered moving to a more liberal, non-religious state. There are many good, intelligent, non-judgmental people here but unfortunately there seem to be more of those religious extremists. I just turned 30 and I have been gradually coming out of the atheist closet for about the past 8 years. I guess I am completely out now but it still bothers me when friends and acquaintances start ignoring me and disappear all of a sudden once they find out I’m an atheist. Just let me post something denouncing religion (nothing rude mind you) on my Facebook page and watch my friends list dwindle! LOL! It’s just sad how the “loving” Christians become so unloving when you don’t share their same views.
Also, I hate the fact that Mississippi, and the south in general, tends to be the butt of so many jokes referencing that we are all stupid rednecks. However, I’m sure most of you have seen or heard about the studies showing the direct link between lower IQ and strong religious faith. I’m not saying that all devout Christians are stupid mind you but it is interesting and a bit funny how so many of the “less gifted” people are always “luvin’ them some JESUS!!”. LOL!
I think religion is one of the stupidest invention ever to control human kind
i knew there was sumtin wrong with dem yakee’s now let go beat dem up with our double shotguns, jack daniel flask, hanging ropes and thick suthhern draw
(the reason their is so much sarcasm in this comment is because all sterotypes are true)