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American Culture
Pew Research
Religious Trends

“Mississippi, Alabama and other Southern states are among the most highly religious states in the nation, while New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont and Maine in New England are among the least devout, according to some of the key measures used to determine levels of religiosity in the Pew Research Center’s most recent Religious Landscape Study.” How Religious is Your State?

Discussion

Tue, 03/01/16

I was in Alabama a few years ago (perhaps 7 or 8) visiting some family. While there, they took me along to a local public high school’s graduation. A kid in their church was among the graduates.

Much to my surprise, the ceremony began with a prayer by a local Baptist pastor, who concluded it with the invocation, “In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

No outcry from the audience, no catcalls, no boos. Pray like that (or simply even pray) in my state of Minnesota (tied for 35th in the survey) at a public high school’s graduation, and there would be a backlash. There (at least at that school), it went over without a hitch.

Wed, 03/02/16

Yes, and Trump, who says he has never done anything that he needed to repent of in his life, just won big with these people who pray “in Jesus’ name”. So, that religiousness, plus a $1.50 will get you a Pepsi out of the machine.

Wed, 03/02/16

[Mark_Smith]

Conclusion: A lot of Alabama’s religion is superficial.

….my relatives mentioned that a town we drove through reportedly has an active KKK organization. It didn’t escape my notice that the churches I saw in that town were both Baptist…..