Portland, Oregon, but atheists are still in a minority. I had friends there once upon a time, and have visited there often. If I were cut out for city life, I would probably live there. But there's more to Portland than just being "godless". It's also very environmentally friendly and progressive. One quote below talks about atheists wanting to move there because they can feel more comfortable. Well maybe, but that sounds like a statement tailored to fit the article. There's lots of reasons to like Portland. It's a nice city that is wonderfully forward thinking.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/this-is-the-most-godless-city-in-america-2015-03-24?siteid=yhoof2
QuoteIf you don’t believe in God, you might want to move to the Pacific Northwest.
Portland, Ore., is No. 1 on the list of metropolitan areas with the most religiously unaffiliated residents (42%), according to the nonpartisan and nonprofit Public Religion Research Institute’s American Values Atlas, a survey of 50,000 people. Seattle and San Francisco were tied at second place (with 33%) on the list, and Denver (32%) and Phoenix (26%) were third and fourth.
On the other end of the spectrum, Nashville was the metropolitan area with the fewest people without any religious affiliation (15%), followed by Charlotte, N.C. (17%), and Atlanta, Dallas, Orlando and Pittsburgh (all with 18%).
Why the regional differences? “Portland is quirky and different, and very attractive to people who may not feel comfortable in other social environments, particularly with a stigma against those who are atheists,†says Daniel Cox, research director at the Public Religion Research Institute.
Portland is my hometown, but I've only lived in the city for 3 yrs. But I've visited it often. And my grandparents met and married there, then move to a small town Scappoose, 20 miles north and bought a small farm. That was my 'return to' place for most of my life. Anyway, I've always loved Portland. For a big city (and counting all the burbs that neighbor it, it have well over a million) it is very easy to get around in. I love the weather because I like rain. From Portland one can get to the coast in under two hours; Mt. Hood is right there; and the Columbia River Gorge is one of the wonders of nature. The high desert is about 2 hrs. away. It has always been progressive in it's politics (as is Oregon) and it has the largest bookstore in the world--Powell's Bookstore--a large sq. block and 3 stories up; that is an all day affair for me. :) No, it is not perfect, and no I'm not a big city guy--but I could easily live in Portland.
Oh yeah, I forgot to list Powell's Bookstore. I love that place.
Bookstores. That was what I liked about Boston.
Berkeley should be up there. But then there are Hare Krishnas and other cultists. Still, it's a damn liberal place.
Yeah. What the headline really means is "the most godless city [that we looked at]."
But it did mention San Francisco. Does that include Berkeley?
Quote from: SGOS on March 25, 2015, 10:35:28 AM
Yeah. What the headline really means is "the most godless city [that we looked at]."
But it did mention San Francisco. Does that include Berkeley?
Not according to those who live in Berkeley. Berkeley does have a damn fine rib house--been there several times, but I can't remember the name. :)
Quote from: Mike Cl on March 25, 2015, 10:48:01 AM
Not according to those who live in Berkeley. Berkeley does have a damn fine rib house--been there several times, but I can't remember the name. :)
Rib houses are always nationally renowned, it seems. They have names like "Famous Dave's" and "Famous Pete's". It doesn't make any difference whether it's a chain or one single restaurant. It's famous, like "Oh yeah, I think I've heard of that place. It's that famous guy's place."
This mostly applies to rib joints. But I digress.
I can't think of Portland without thinking of Portlandia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCDbY_lXS5A
Don't want to rain on the parade, but I happen to know it is also a hotbed of Mormonism. :eek:
Quote from: stromboli on March 25, 2015, 11:33:29 AM
Don't want to rain on the parade, but I happen to know it is also a hotbed of Mormonism. :eek:
I think you must be talking about a Mormon cousin of mine. He's from Portland, but he's like a loser or something, because his brother from Salt Lake City would always bitch about him.
Quote from: GSOgymrat on March 25, 2015, 11:28:35 AM
I can't think of Portland without thinking of Portlandia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCDbY_lXS5A
Yeah, that program did capture some of the feel of Portland. My computer seems to be running OK, but Utube is running in ultra slow motion today for some reason. So I can't enjoy the video. Darn.
Quote from: Mike Cl on March 25, 2015, 10:48:01 AM
Not according to those who live in Berkeley. Berkeley does have a damn fine rib house--been there several times, but I can't remember the name. :)
Everett & Jones Barbeque?
Quote from: Atheon on March 25, 2015, 11:54:19 AM
Everett & Jones Barbeque?
I think I've heard of them. They're famous or something, right?
Quote from: SGOS on March 25, 2015, 12:00:18 PM
I think I've heard of them. They're famous or something, right?
Locally famous. Local chain (6 locations, I think). And damn good.
PHOENIX? I feel a lot better now, I guess it is just the Mormon's in control of the government that are bat shit crazy. :biggrin2: Solitary
Quote from: Solitary on March 25, 2015, 12:21:11 PM
PHOENIX? I feel a lot better now, I guess it is just the Mormon's in control of the government that are bat shit crazy. :biggrin2: Solitary
That kind of surprised me too.
GEEEEEE OOOOOOOO PEEEEEEE
It is harder for that party to fuck over skeptics. Easier to fuck over people who are not as educated.
As an Oregonian, yay for Portland!
I lived in Portland for well over a decade, live about an hour south of there now.
Portland is great, and has a lot of things going for it, but it is full of fruitcakes. Not the edible kind, generally speaking.
If you are tech savvy, it is a great place to get a good job (well, the suburbs of it anyway), but a HUGE number of the religiously unafilliated will be spiritual people who believe in magic crystal healing, positively charged water, and a load of other woo that would drive most of you up a wall. Many Portlanders simply turned away from religion into some new age quackery.
My dad is a great example of a true Portlander. He's in his 60's, and lives communally with a group of other middle aged and up folks. Has his own bedroom, but they share the rest of the house. Since he's now retired, he spends much of his free time volunteering. He works at KBOO, a "free" radio station that is like NPR on steroids, he does the news for them twice a week now, and also helps with their data files.
Then he volunteers at the Audubon society once a week, then at the Farmers Market downtown each weekend. There he counts tokens and gleans for the soup kitchen downtown, which he delivers a carload of food to every week.
My dad is not "crunchy", but he is adamant about buying local. He is not poverty level, but still dumpster dives to find treasures other people throw out. He either has a coffee or a water bottle on him at ALL TIMES!
He is a self admitted atheist,, but half of his aging friends are potheads with some very strange personality traits (one lives two fully separate lives, one as a character she invented for her radio show), and the other half are new age spiritualists.
Portland is full of crazy. It's often a good kind of crazy. You'd have to really know the underbelly to see it though.
Still, if I have to live in a big city again, it will be either Portland or Seattle. You can keep the rest of the country, the great NW is too full of both weird and awesome for me to leave. :)
Quote from: Aroura33 on March 25, 2015, 01:26:49 PM
As an Oregonian, yay for Portland!
I lived in Portland for well over a decade, live about an hour south of there now.
Portland is great, and has a lot of things going for it, but it is full of fruitcakes. Not the edible kind, generally speaking.
If you are tech savvy, it is a great place to get a good job (well, the suburbs of it anyway), but a HUGE number of the religiously unafilliated will be spiritual people who believe in magic crystal healing, positively charged water, and a load of other woo that would drive most of you up a wall. Many Portlanders simply turned away from religion into some new age quackery.
My dad is a great example of a true Portlander. He's in his 60's, and lives communally with a group of other middle aged and up folks. Has his own bedroom, but they share the rest of the house. Since he's now retired, he spends much of his free time volunteering. He works at KBOO, a "free" radio station that is like NPR on steroids, he does the news for them twice a week now, and also helps with their data files.
Then he volunteers at the Audubon society once a week, then at the Farmers Market downtown each weekend. There he counts tokens and gleans for the soup kitchen downtown, which he delivers a carload of food to every week.
My dad is not "crunchy", but he is adamant about buying local. He is not poverty level, but still dumpster dives to find treasures other people throw out. He either has a coffee or a water bottle on him at ALL TIMES!
He is a self admitted atheist,, but half of his aging friends are potheads with some very strange personality traits (one lives two fully separate lives, one as a character she invented for her radio show), and the other half are new age spiritualists.
Portland is full of crazy. It's often a good kind of crazy. You'd have to really know the underbelly to see it though.
Still, if I have to live in a big city again, it will be either Portland or Seattle. You can keep the rest of the country, the great NW is too full of both weird and awesome for me to leave. :)
I am a trapped Oregonian--trapped in California. Looked into moving to Cottage Grove or Eugene when I retired, but the crash did that idea in. The property values where I lived dropped almost 75%. It is only a little better now. Anyway, I do find Oregon full of 'weird'--most of it good. It has been a progressive state in my lifetime. Hope it stays that way. The Safari Park in Roseburg is great fun--if that matters. :)
Quote from: Atheon on March 25, 2015, 11:54:19 AM
Everett & Jones Barbeque?
No, Smokey J's. Great ribs.
Portland also made this guy mayor, which factoid I just love:
(https://amusicology.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/exposeyourselftoart1.jpg)
Quote from: Mike Cl on March 25, 2015, 02:42:51 PM
I am a trapped Oregonian--trapped in California. Looked into moving to Cottage Grove or Eugene when I retired, but the crash did that idea in. The property values where I lived dropped almost 75%. It is only a little better now. Anyway, I do find Oregon full of 'weird'--most of it good. It has been a progressive state in my lifetime. Hope it stays that way. The Safari Park in Roseburg is great fun--if that matters. :)
Funny, we are going to the Safari in May. My daughter earned a 2 person overnight stay there, where we'll get to see nocturnal animals and sleep on site somewhere. I'm so excited to go!
I'm sorry to hear you were unable to move up here, but perhaps some day!
Quote from: Aroura33 on March 28, 2015, 02:33:26 PM
Funny, we are going to the Safari in May. My daughter earned a 2 person overnight stay there, where we'll get to see nocturnal animals and sleep on site somewhere. I'm so excited to go!
I'm sorry to hear you were unable to move up here, but perhaps some day!
I am so jealous! Great for your daughter! We had a great incident the last time my wife and I went. As we pulled into the lion enclosure, we were treated to quite a show. Two teenage lions were along the fence, two fully adult lions were following them and about 30 ft from our car. We watched them intently slowly approach the two youngsters, in a very noisy fashion. We had the shit scared (almost literally) of us by two huge roars from right beside the rear passenger door of our mini van. Two lionesses had approached from the rear unnoticed by us until then! Wow! What a hugely noisy affair. We learned later that the two juveniles had acted badly and were being disciplined by the rest of the pack--at least according to the lion keeper. We need to get back there--my snow leopard sweatshirt in just about in tatters now.
Quote from: Aroura33 on March 25, 2015, 01:26:49 PM
As an Oregonian, yay for Portland!
I lived in Portland for well over a decade, live about an hour south of there now.
Portland is great, and has a lot of things going for it, but it is full of fruitcakes. Not the edible kind, generally speaking.
If you are tech savvy, it is a great place to get a good job (well, the suburbs of it anyway), but a HUGE number of the religiously unafilliated will be spiritual people who believe in magic crystal healing, positively charged water, and a load of other woo that would drive most of you up a wall. Many Portlanders simply turned away from religion into some new age quackery.
I'll take that new-age spirituality bullshit over the Big Three anyday. I imagine the former doesn't try to elect people that then pass laws allowing them to discriminate against others.
I've heard that Vermont is actually the state with the least religious people overall. I actually looked it up on Wiki after a Facebook test saying that's the state I would fit in the best. I feel sorry for any people that got Mississippi.
I live in Portland. :D
Quote from: Savior2006 on April 02, 2015, 09:22:34 AM
I'll take that new-age spirituality bullshit over the Big Three anyday. I imagine the former doesn't try to elect people that then pass laws allowing them to discriminate against others.
I've heard that Vermont is actually the state with the least religious people overall. I actually looked it up on Wiki after a Facebook test saying that's the state I would fit in the best. I feel sorry for any people that got Mississippi.
You are correct that new agers aren't getting into government and trying to pass laws based on their beliefs. But you still get a lot of personally pushy people in new age. Like my little bro-in-law gives us magic healing crystals with wires in them that are supposed to draw out our negative energy, and he will argue the merits of the magic water, too.
I have a host of friends who are new age, and family as well, and I much prefer them to the devoutly religious. However, new agers aren't much different from the majority of people I know who claim to be religious, but rarely go to church, love science, believe in evolution, and don't hate gay people at all. I mean, I don't mind anyone who is casual about their religion or belief system. A Casual Christian is no different than a casual new ager, but both can turn obnoxious when they are hard core.
This thread makes me miss Portland. I hate the little city we live in now, it is full of creationists and hard core throw back Regan loving conservatives. My hubby calls it the taint of Oregon, and he isn't far wrong.
I love Oregon, but we are a Schitzo state, our liberals are VERY liberal, our conservatives are VERY conservative, and never the twain shall meet.
We visited Portland about eight years ago. My wife and I stayed near downtown for over a week and noticed only one church in walking distance. There are eight within two miles of my house. Another interesting observation was seeing only one Bush/Cheney bumper sticker until we drove out of the city. Then we noticed several pick up trucks with those bumper stickers. Very interesting city with good public transportation, great seafood and much entertainment.
I've visited Portland and Corvalis. Of course, it was just a 2 weeks visit, but I liked people and met none weird stupid questions or seen any religious bullshit during that short time. They showed me a Mormon Temple from afar, it was the first time I have seen a religious structure other than a pagan temple, synagogue, church or a mosque. and I have seen old stuff.
The only thing I noticed was, it is too white.
Also, if I remember correctly the creator of the Spaghetti Monster is from Oregon University, right?