Gallup Poll: U.S. States by Religiosity

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Jasper
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Gallup Poll: U.S. States by Religiosity

#1 Post by Jasper » Wed Mar 28, 2012 1:38 pm

Mississippi Is Most Religious U.S. State
Vermont and New Hampshire are the least religious states
by Frank Newport

PRINCETON, NJ -- Mississippi is the most religious U.S. state, and is one of eight states where Gallup classifies at least half of the residents as "very religious." At the other end of the spectrum, Vermont and New Hampshire are the least religious states, and are two of the five states -- along with Maine, Massachusetts, and Alaska -- where less than 30% of all residents are very religious.

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Gallup classifies 40% of Americans nationwide as very religious -- based on their statement that religion is an important part of their daily life and that they attend religious services every week or almost every week. Another 32% of Americans are nonreligious, based on their statement that religion is not an important part of their daily life and that they seldom or never attend religious services. The remaining 28% of Americans are moderately religious, because they say religion is important but that they do not attend services regularly or because they say religion is not important but still attend services.

Religiosity varies widely across U.S. states and regions, with Mississippi in the deep South and Vermont in New England providing the most extreme example of the disparity. Fifty-nine percent of Mississippians are very religious and 11% nonreligious, while 23% of Vermonters are very religious and 58% are nonreligious. Although New Hampshire ties Vermont with 23% of its residents classified as very religious, slightly fewer (52%) residents in the Granite State are classified as nonreligious.

More generally, eight of the 10 most religious states in 2011 are in the South (Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas, South Carolina, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Georgia), with one straddling the line between the South and the Midwest (Oklahoma), and one in the West (Utah). None of the most religious states are in the Middle Atlantic, New England, or West Coast regions.

By contrast, six of the least religious states in 2011 are in New England (Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island) and four are in the West (Alaska, Oregon, Nevada, and Washington), with the District of Columbia and New York rounding out the list.

These state-by-state patterns in religiousness have remained stable in recent years. Southern states have traditionally been the most religious, and states in New England and in the West have been the least religious.

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State Cultures Appear to Influence Religiosity

Gallup research has shown that these state differences appear to be part of a "state culture" phenomenon, and are not the result of differences in the underlying demographics or religious identities in the states. For example, while Mississippi has the highest percentage of blacks of any state in the union, and while blacks are the most religious of any major race or ethnic group in the country, the Magnolia State's white residents are highly religious on a relative basis compared with whites in other states. And, Vermonters who identify as Catholics or with Protestant denominations are less religious than Southern state residents who identify with the same religions. It appears there is something about the culture and normative structure of a state, no doubt based partly on that state's history, that affects its residents' propensity to attend religious services and to declare that religion is important in their daily lives.

Bottom Line

America remains a generally religious nation, with more than two-thirds of the nation's residents classified as very or moderately religious. These overall national averages, however, conceal dramatic regional differences in religiosity across the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Residents of Southern states are generally the most religious, underscoring the validity of the "Bible Belt" sobriquet often used to describe this region. Coupled with the Southern states in the high-religiosity category is Utah, the majority of whose residents are Mormon -- the most religious group in America today. On the other hand, residents of New England and a number of far Western states tend to be the least religious.

Religion is related to politics in today's America, and it is clear from a glance at Gallup's State of the States map that the most religious states in the union generally are the most Republican, while the least religious states skew more toward the Democratic Party. This means that the most divided states -- and thus, those where most of the heavy-duty campaigning in this year's presidential election will be taking place -- are the ones where residents tend to be neither at the very religious nor at the nonreligious end of the spectrum.
http://www.gallup.com/poll/153479/Missi ... 0-%20USA#1

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chaos
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Re: Gallup Poll: U.S. States by Religiosity

#2 Post by chaos » Wed Mar 28, 2012 1:41 pm

Those New Englanders - all heathens! :lol:

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Re: Gallup Poll: U.S. States by Religiosity

#3 Post by Pure Method » Sun Apr 01, 2012 11:32 am

how the hell is Alaska "below average"? weird per capita calculation.

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Re: Gallup Poll: U.S. States by Religiosity

#4 Post by Hype » Sun Apr 01, 2012 12:52 pm

All of those percentages seem way higher than they should be.

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Re: Gallup Poll: U.S. States by Religiosity

#5 Post by Pure Method » Sun Apr 01, 2012 1:08 pm

Adurentibus Spina wrote:All of those percentages seem way higher than they should be.

in other words, you've never been to the South?

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Re: Gallup Poll: U.S. States by Religiosity

#6 Post by Artemis » Sun Apr 01, 2012 1:14 pm

Pure Method wrote:
Adurentibus Spina wrote:All of those percentages seem way higher than they should be.

in other words, you've never been to the South?

exactly. :lol:

when i went on a roadtrip to georgia i couldn't get over how many churches there were in that state. it seemed like every 500 metres there was a church.
Last edited by Artemis on Sun Apr 01, 2012 1:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Gallup Poll: U.S. States by Religiosity

#7 Post by Hype » Sun Apr 01, 2012 1:15 pm

Pure Method wrote:
Adurentibus Spina wrote:All of those percentages seem way higher than they should be.

in other words, you've never been to the South?
No, but I really was just making a normative claim about religiosity. The United States is abnormal among affluent countries for its religiosity.

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Re: Gallup Poll: U.S. States by Religiosity

#8 Post by Pure Method » Sun Apr 01, 2012 1:19 pm

Adurentibus Spina wrote:
Pure Method wrote:
Adurentibus Spina wrote:All of those percentages seem way higher than they should be.

in other words, you've never been to the South?
No, but I really was just making a normative claim about religiosity. The United States is abnormal among affluent countries for its religiosity.
certainly is. how do we fix it? education reform/income equality?

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Re: Gallup Poll: U.S. States by Religiosity

#9 Post by Hype » Sun Apr 01, 2012 1:28 pm

Pure Method wrote:
Adurentibus Spina wrote:
Pure Method wrote:
Adurentibus Spina wrote:All of those percentages seem way higher than they should be.

in other words, you've never been to the South?
No, but I really was just making a normative claim about religiosity. The United States is abnormal among affluent countries for its religiosity.
certainly is. how do we fix it? education reform/income equality?
Among other things. Also, infrastructure, secular social welfare; arts and science funding... also, probably should systematically remove the megachurches and prosecute their scumbag snake-oil salesmen. :lol:

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Re: Gallup Poll: U.S. States by Religiosity

#10 Post by Hokahey » Tue Apr 03, 2012 8:26 am

And if religious people were in a thread talking about atheists this same way you'd all be beside yourselves crying and screaming about being persecuted.

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Re: Gallup Poll: U.S. States by Religiosity

#11 Post by Hype » Tue Apr 03, 2012 8:27 am

hokahey wrote:And if religious people were in a thread talking about atheists this same way you'd all be beside yourselves crying and screaming about being persecuted.
I don't think that's true. :confused:

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Re: Gallup Poll: U.S. States by Religiosity

#12 Post by Jasper » Tue Apr 03, 2012 12:46 pm

Yeah, um, a big Christian shindig would be awfully strange on a site dedicated to a band with a famously liberal (and in the case of Avery, at least, atheistic) credo. Erotic Jesus, indeed.

So should we refrain from speaking of people who legislate things like religion in the science classroom on our dollar, because they might say something about us? Heaven forbid. It's a good thing that they, the majority, never think or speak poorly of us, repress gay rights, or, you know, otherwise try to trample our constitution. If they show up with an alternative mathematical theory, like 1+1 = 3, I suppose I should politely step aside while they force it into the math classroom, eh?

I dislike speaking about it, but silence = being trampled. The weariness that comes with vigilance is unpleasant. Personally, I loathe the subject.

Now, I know where you stand culturally on these things, Hoka. I remember what you've supported. I have no illusions about you ever seeing eye to eye with me on the finer points of the subject.


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Re: Gallup Poll: U.S. States by Religiosity

#13 Post by Hype » Tue Apr 03, 2012 1:45 pm

I had a meeting with a student last term -- at one point she decided to tell me that she was a Catholic and that therefore she had a lot of trouble reading or taking seriously the arguments put forward by people like Peter Singer or Judith Jarvis Thompson (who constructed a famous defense of abortion). I spent about an hour carefully explaining that it's simply not good enough to disagree with arguments, without bothering to understand them. I think she really appreciated that someone was able to explain to her that she doesn't have to believe these arguments, but that doesn't mean not taking them seriously and trying to figure out whether they work, and if they work, what that means for your views. The problem with 'religiosity' (not necessarily religious behaviour in itself, but a certain level of 'fanaticism' or a certain attitude toward religion) is that it prevents people from being fully human. It prevents them from using their brains most effectively, and it prevents them from genuinely respecting their fellow human beings. :nod:

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Re: Gallup Poll: U.S. States by Religiosity

#14 Post by Hokahey » Tue Apr 03, 2012 3:04 pm

Jasper wrote: So should we refrain from speaking of people who legislate things like religion in the science classroom on our dollar, because they might say something about us? Heaven forbid. It's a good thing that they, the majority, never think or speak poorly of us, repress gay rights, or, you know, otherwise try to trample our constitution.
Nice logic gymnastics there my friend. I didn't say anything like that. But stating we need to "fix the problem" is a little disturbing as it would be if the situation were reversed.
If they show up with an alternative mathematical theory, like 1+1 = 3, I suppose I should politely step aside while they force it into the math classroom, eh?
And if a particular community wants to allow discussion regarding creationism in their biology class you should be able to force them not to?

Shouldn't that be a community issue?

Or will the poor atheist child not be able to handle the discussion? As evidenced by the map provided this is a deeply religious nation in many areas. Why shouldnt those areas have say in their individual curriculums? The national board of education is a great idea until they're mandating an idea you don't like in to your classrooms.
Now, I know where you stand culturally on these things, Hoka. I remember what you've supported. I have no illusions about you ever seeing eye to eye with me on the finer points of the subject.
You seem like you're being a little emotional here. What exactly have I supported? You clearly don't me. My religious friends would tell you I'm a total heathen whereas my militant atheist friends know I think they're over the line with some of what they say and do.

It seems to me that my atheists friends take far greater issue with my religious friends than the reverse, and seem more interested in getting in their faces, "fixing them", etc. It's a little disturbing sometimes and who is discriminating against whom starts looking different than what is being claimed.

I think we see more "eye to eye" than you care to realize just because I don't participate in your over zealousness in demonizing a particular group of people for having faith in their lives.

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Re: Gallup Poll: U.S. States by Religiosity

#15 Post by Hokahey » Tue Apr 03, 2012 3:07 pm

Jasper wrote: I dislike speaking about it, but silence = being trampled.
How are you being "trampled"? Please explain. Please explain the importance of your work here in avoiding you being "trampled."

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Re: Gallup Poll: U.S. States by Religiosity

#16 Post by clickie » Tue Apr 03, 2012 5:30 pm

hokahey you need to chill out..I know you like to argue and play the devils advocate but lately it seems like thats all youre interested in doing.

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Re: Gallup Poll: U.S. States by Religiosity

#17 Post by Hype » Tue Apr 03, 2012 5:33 pm

this is a deeply religious nation in many areas. Why shouldnt those areas have say in their individual curriculums?
Because knowledge isn't democratic. It's in the public interest to make sure regions of the country aren't literally retarded.

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Re: Gallup Poll: U.S. States by Religiosity

#18 Post by mockbee » Tue Apr 03, 2012 5:47 pm

Jasper wrote:
This is all sort of fine and good (except for the last student dumb-ass who was questioning how African-Americans could evolve from Black people? :hs: :banghead: ) But it all absolutely does not belong in a Biology classroom. It's Theology or World Religions or Values and Beliefs or whatever, just not science. Have a creationist class for all I care. It's NOT BIOLOGY OR SCIENCE! Maybe apply the scientific method to prove Creationist thought is not science would be fine in a science classroom but that's the extent of that. What confounds me is why that teacher chose to teach biology if he doesn't believe in its methods.... :hs:

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Re: Gallup Poll: U.S. States by Religiosity

#19 Post by Hype » Tue Apr 03, 2012 5:52 pm

Mockbee, entire swathes of people take biology in university for pragmatic reasons and don't believe any of it. Some of them won't get into med/pharmacy school, and some of those will inevitably teach (it's the omni-backup). I knew a ton of muslim bio majors who didn't believe in evolution... they just memorize the shit they're told without understanding it.

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Re: Gallup Poll: U.S. States by Religiosity

#20 Post by mockbee » Tue Apr 03, 2012 6:06 pm

That's fine if people choose to take Biology and not believe what they are studying, that's fine (but dumb) if you want to teach Biology and not believe what you are teaching. But until some well respected and widely lauded scientists modifies/disproves portions of evolution, that's what you teach. It doesn't get modified because.... "it jest duusn't saaund raaght." I apologize to people who speak like that, but that just seems to be how it always comes out..... :scared: :sad: :noclue:

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Re: Gallup Poll: U.S. States by Religiosity

#21 Post by Hype » Tue Apr 03, 2012 6:13 pm

mockbee wrote:That's fine if people choose to take Biology and not believe what they are studying, that's fine (but dumb) if you want to teach Biology and not believe what you are teaching. But until some well respected and widely lauded scientists modifies/disproves portions of evolution, that's what you teach. It doesn't get modified because.... "it jest duusn't saaund raaght." I apologize to people who speak like that, but that just seems to be how it always comes out..... :scared: :sad: :noclue:
They modify 'evolution' all the time. The Dawkins/Gould debates about 30 years ago were instrumental in moving away from group selection and going toward gene selection. (Recent stuff with Craig Venter's work, molecular genetics, epigenetics, etc...) It's difficult enough to teach the BASICS of science, let alone giving them a grasp of the development of scientific theories.

They teach "the controversy" in low-level university "philosophy of science" courses (there was a philosophy course at my old institution called "science and pseudo-science" investigating the ways in which these are distinguished epistemically and in practice). It's idiotic to take time away from an already compressed curriculum to add stuff that isn't science to it.

One thing Dawkins likes to point out that I think is absolutely right is that Biology is basically a whipping boy because the basic idea of evolution is APPARENTLY so simple, and so plainly contravenes biblical literalism. But if they were being consistent... why aren't they questioning physics, geology, etc? Why not teach the controversy over the Copenhagen interpretation of Quantum Mechanics? (Bohmian Mechanics is a viable alternative, let's teach that!!!) :confused: :no: :no: :no: RETARDED.

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Re: Gallup Poll: U.S. States by Religiosity

#22 Post by Jasper » Tue Apr 03, 2012 8:06 pm

Hoka, get a grip, man. You're losing it. Just...wow.

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Re: Gallup Poll: U.S. States by Religiosity

#23 Post by dali » Tue Apr 03, 2012 8:33 pm

hokahey wrote: And if a particular community wants to allow discussion regarding creationism in their biology class you should be able to force them not to?

Shouldn't that be a community issue?
Hoka, you're still acting like there is a debate of creationism (religion) vs biology?? :confused:

It's kinda like the people who had to be brought kicking and screaming to the fact that the world wasn't actually flat or from the belief that the sun revolved around the earth. I mean, I'm sure those people thought there was still a debate about it but the other side had already known the truth for a long while.

I admit, those changes took a while but goddamn, how long has this crazy religious ideology been going on? :lol:

It's like the MRSA of crazy beliefs.
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Re: Gallup Poll: U.S. States by Religiosity

#24 Post by Hype » Tue Apr 03, 2012 8:38 pm

I demand we give equal time to Lamarck and Lysenko! !!!! :rockon:

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Re: Gallup Poll: U.S. States by Religiosity

#25 Post by mockbee » Tue Apr 03, 2012 8:51 pm

Adurentibus Spina wrote:
mockbee wrote:That's fine if people choose to take Biology and not believe what they are studying, that's fine (but dumb) if you want to teach Biology and not believe what you are teaching. But until some well respected and widely lauded scientists modifies/disproves portions of evolution, that's what you teach. It doesn't get modified because.... "it jest duusn't saaund raaght." I apologize to people who speak like that, but that just seems to be how it always comes out..... :scared: :sad: :noclue:
They modify 'evolution' all the time.
That's what I meant to express, obviously I'm no expert on 'evolution'.... maybe I should go back to high school biology.... :banana:

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