The Public Opinion Soapbox

anonymous_coward · Joined: 24 Oct 2007 Posts: 472

This a very unscientific straw poll, obviously, but I think it could be interesting. it seems that both sides of the religion billboard sometimes feel alone or on the outside. I'm just curious what the religious views of posters are on here. if you have other choices you'd like to see added, let me know, I think I can edit the options afterwards.

as always, please be respectful, I'd like to keep this thread as basically a survey, not commentary on the billboards, since we already have a few threads for that.

Thanks

anonymous_coward · Joined: 24 Oct 2007 Posts: 472

only 9 votes?

even with that few I admit I'm amazed that only 4 identify themselves as Christians.

Coppy · Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 2131 Location: Chambersburg

The rest are at church Smile

anonymous_coward · Joined: 24 Oct 2007 Posts: 472

i meant other to be like Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, etc. I hope people who don't see their Christian denomination listed aren't going in there. any straw poll with the second largest category beign other is even more worthless than a normal straw poll.

Coppy · Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 2131 Location: Chambersburg

I would think that the local non-Christian population is quite the overwhelming minority. It's just further proof that geography is perhaps the largest determining factor when it comes to someone's religion.

QueenofHearts · Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Posts: 362

There are more Muslim in this are than you think. You don't need to look far. You really should have included that in you poll.

Coppy · Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 2131 Location: Chambersburg

According to the Association of Religious Data Archives, the faith breakdown for Franklin County is as follows (numbers are individuals):

Evangelical Protestant: 16,331
Mainline Protestant: 24,344
Orthodox: 106
Catholic: 8,551
Other: 1,123

I would presume that protestants account for the overwhelming majority of Franklin County. Even the Jewish estimate is 370 individual adherents. I would assume Muslims would number much lower.

Not to say that there aren't Muslims in Franklin County. I just don't think there are very many. Which is too bad; since a lack of diversity is often a cause of intolerance. I don't think it's too bad around here, especially since I've been on these boards, but I don't think including Islam in the poll would retrieve any responses.

anonymous_coward · Joined: 24 Oct 2007 Posts: 472

i would be curious to know what the other votes are though.

QueenofHearts · Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Posts: 362

Because of such bigotry that is the rural area of Franklin (and Cumberland) Co's, the people that follow the Muslim faith are almost forced to hide their faith because of ridicule and violence. Much like that of the Jews in the not so distance past.

That is a sad fact around here. What a wonderful thing that we could have if we all would sit down together and share. (Not disuade)

Coppy · Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 2131 Location: Chambersburg

That is a shame, although I went to high school in Cumberland County and knew several Muslim students. This was before 9/11 of course, which has spurred a huge wave of hatred and intolerance toward all Muslims living in America.

I don't know; I don't identify myself as a Christian so I typically avoid any and all conversation on the topic of faith in my daily life. Which is too bad, because I'm legitimately open minded and interested in all sorts of people's faiths. But you just can't win when everyone so intently convinced that they're right and everyone else in the world is wrong... which is inherently my biggest problem with the Abrahamic religions.

And that's what I try to explain to people; I don't feel the need to be right about the afterlife, and I particularly don't like the fact that everyone else has to be wrong (i.e. "going to hell").

Laughing Man · Joined: 28 Mar 2008 Posts: 355 Location: Earth