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Map of religion in the U.S. [pic]

bluegrassreport.org — What, no atheists?

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  • Jsmuli2, on 01/18/2008, -66/+295dugg down, the title (which is misleading) should be "map of leading church bodies in 2000"
    • Navicerts, on 01/18/2008, -28/+70What, no atheists?

      It's a map of religion's, atheists are not part of a religion.
      • Narcism, on 01/18/2008, -84/+14Atheism is a religion i thought.
        • spyrochaete, on 01/18/2008, -11/+234Atheism is a religion like not collecting stamps is a hobby.
        • PropCulture, on 01/18/2008, -7/+94Atheism is a religion like bald is a hairdo.
          • ElWizardo, on 01/18/2008, -2/+6Religion requires worship and pray... Atheism requires nothing.
        • brstilson, on 01/18/2008, -9/+26Theism = Religion
          Atheism = without religion
          • Terr01, on 01/18/2008, -1/+13Theism = Believing in the existence of God(s)
            Atheism = Not believing in the existence of God(s)

            Religion is different, consider deism.
        • PirateFSM, on 01/18/2008, -24/+3Atheism is a religion like bald is a hair color.
          • djbon2112, on 01/18/2008, -8/+1Erm, "hair colour" was the original analogy. I've never ehard "hairdo" before.
        • spyrochaete, on 01/18/2008, -6/+24@brstilson

          Atheist means "no god". You can still follow a religion without a god. Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism are atheist religions because they don't acknowledge a creator god.
          • brstilson, on 01/19/2008, -0/+2Sorry, but that's not the dictionary's definition of religion.
        • MtheoryX, on 01/18/2008, -6/+16Oh, i want to play too!
          Atheism is a religion like abstinence is "safe sex."
        • kidcodea, on 01/18/2008, -8/+5atheism is indeed a religion and by indeed i mean not.
        • brstilson, on 01/18/2008, -3/+1@spyrochaete

          Theism: the belief in one God as the creator and ruler of the universe, without rejection of revelation

          Basically, religion is the combination of two things, the belief in God coupled with the belief that god communicates with your group via revelation. This is distinct from Deism, which is the belief in God but the rejection of the notion of special revelation.

          Personally, I view Buddhism and the like as more philosophies than religions. Buddhism does not believe in exclusive, special revelation, but that all religions are different paths to the same end. I'm not sure about the other two you mentioned. They're often thrown in with all the other religions even though their entire paradigm barely resembles any of them.
          • Narcism, on 01/18/2008, -0/+4one god -> monotheism
            multiple gods -> polytheism.
          • boombye, on 01/18/2008, -0/+3Humans -> Polytheism
            Cylons -> Monotheism

            If you're a BSG fan, that's one way to remember next time.
          • Ligeia, on 01/18/2008, -0/+9Theism - The belief in one or more gods
            Monotheism - The belief in one god
            Polytheism - The belief in multiple gods
            Atheism - The rejection of theism/The disbelief in one or more gods

            Not complicated.
          • Terr01, on 01/18/2008, -0/+3"Buddhism does not believe in exclusive, special revelation"

            The biggest weakness of most religions, IMO, and one of the reasons that I think fewer people have been slaughtered-per-believers in the name of Buddhism than any other major religion.
        • Narcism, on 01/18/2008, -9/+3Atheism is a religion like the united states is a democracy.. oh right, i'm the one who got dugg down -26..
        • mdude85, on 01/18/2008, -6/+2Atheism is a movement, not a religion.
      • spyrochaete, on 01/18/2008, -3/+59The map is entitled "Leading Church Bodies, 2000". Have you ever seen a church of atheism?
        • KraftDinner101, on 01/18/2008, -10/+39Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, RAmen.
          • drakenlot, on 01/18/2008, -3/+30That's not atheism buddy.

            TSM is god, in all his spindly deliciousness.
        • brstilson, on 01/18/2008, -5/+14Church of Satan
          • djbon2112, on 01/18/2008, -4/+14Don't dig him down, he speaks the truth. The Church of Satan, as founded my Anton Szander LaVey, is basically atheist. It doesn't believe in Satan as any sort of real deity just the animal instinct inside us.
          • MarkOfTheDead, on 01/18/2008, -1/+5It's fun to play the record of his service for someone then ask them what they think it is. Almost everyone says a catholic mass and I laugh my ass off every time.
      • snds, on 01/18/2008, -18/+10Athiesm isn't the only religion, what about non judeo-christian religions, perhaps judaism or eastern religions such as buddism. Jsmuli2 has a good point, I don't see why people are digging him down. This map is for Christianity based religions only, not a general map of religions overall. The title is definitely inaccurate. Yes Atheism isn't a religion I agree to that point, it's a opinion about metaphysics as a whole. By definition it's a lack of faith or belief. However I fail to see what this has to do with the OP's post. He mentions nothing of Atheism.
        • friday81, on 01/18/2008, -0/+2All that the map says is that jews aren't majority in any state, which make sense if you consider that there are only around 5 million jews in the USA, less than 2%
      • KingGorilla, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1Did you reply to the first comment just so you can get yours read?
        • mydigga, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1what, you don't read every comment on a popular submit?
      • ypSami, on 01/19/2008, -0/+2Uh. There's an "other" category, which has a key on the right side of the map that says at the bottom: "none"

        Atheists fit into the "other" category on here.
      • LeeSoong, on 01/31/2008, -0/+1Atheists don't show up on their scanners,
        - Rationalists also have Free Thinker Stealth Ability.
    • Livewire, on 01/18/2008, -8/+18Wow, whoever dugg down Jsmuli2 is an impulsive idiot. He's right, look at the file name of the image; this is not a map of all religions in the US.
    • SteveCUBE, on 01/18/2008, -1/+39Why are you digging him down? He's right. Here's the source with all the different religion maps: http://www.valpo.edu/geomet/geo/courses/geo200/rel ...

      This is just Christian church bodies... doesn't include other religions
      • Jsmuli2, on 01/18/2008, -2/+3thank you
      • MacEnvy, on 01/18/2008, -0/+4This image reminds me of why so many people are disdainful of "flyover states":
        http://www.valpo.edu/geomet/pics/geo200/religion/a ...
        • Scorpy2643, on 01/19/2008, -1/+0why would someone believing in a religion make you disdainful? is it that painful to you that someone believes in something that brings them joy? are you that cynical and hateful?
          man, i'm glad i don't live your life... to be that hateful....how depressing
      • kenedamick, on 01/18/2008, -1/+3Right - apparently there aren't any Jews or Muslims in the U.S. Just the way the neo-con evangelicals would like us to believe it.
    • raitchison, on 01/18/2008, -7/+13Yeah I agree, this is an inaccurately title, for one thing it's not a map of "religion" it's a map of Christian churches, it does not address other religions such as Judaism, Islam, Buddhism or others and as already been pointed out Atheism.

      Whether or not Atheism is a religion depends on your definition of what's a "religion", Atheists in general hold that a religion means an organized structure regarding worship of a supernatural deity, other define it simply as a "belief system", by the latter definition Atheism qualifies. One might be able to make the case that Agnosticism is not a religion as Agnostics don't really believe anything, of course Agnostics generally could care less what people think and what labels might be applied, whereas Atheists will frequently take great offense at any hint that Atheism is in-fact a "religion".
      • Miknarf, on 01/18/2008, -4/+3no Atheism does not even qualify with your 2nd definition. Atheism is a word to describe some one who does not believe or has a lack of belief in a god or gods. That is not a belief system, it is a single belief, or if you want to nitpick a lack of a belief. You need more then one of something to have a system.
        • raitchison, on 01/19/2008, -0/+4I think you are splitting hairs, if I ask you if there is a God or other "Higher Power" and you answer "No" that means you, by definition "believe" there is no god or higher power. You can't prove that there is NO God or higher power anymore than the Christian can prove that there IS some old dude sitting in a throne in the clouds.

          Now of course you have a much more rational basis for your belief, primarily science and logic where the Christian has what is effectively a marketing document created by Paul and others in what would become the Catholic church, most of which if interpreted literally is easily disproved using science.
    • iambetterthanu, on 01/18/2008, -8/+5That diggin down really stopped this one from hitting home page... stop being a digg fan boy and just let the good stuff go who cares if the title isn't perfect
      • Jsmuli2, on 01/18/2008, -2/+4but thats the beauty of a user-based system, if the title is misleading, then people should do something, if they bored at work like me
      • raitchison, on 01/19/2008, -0/+1This hit the front page, it (apparently) didn't stay there.
    • leadingzero, on 01/18/2008, -8/+2Interesting Ad Placement:
      http://www.imghosting.us/files/1/adPlacement.JPG
    • pictureDIGGER, on 01/18/2008, -16/+2Please mark inaccurate, this map says I am Catholic. No way I could believe those ghost stories.
    • bowe, on 01/18/2008, -0/+3map of religious adherents.
      http://www.valpo.edu/geomet/pics/geo200/religion/a ...
      probably what you were looking for.
      • Blazers, on 01/18/2008, -1/+1I dont see Scientolgy on the map! If they put latter day saints, why cant the other fiction religion be on their?
        • boombye, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1Why would it say Scientology on that map, this one bowe just linked is only about adherents of religion, it doesn't go into specifics about the groups on this one. pay some damn attention.
      • corneliusJones, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1midwesterners love them some religion.
    • dlearyus00, on 01/18/2008, -3/+0I would like to see a map of IQ levels right next to this
    • 1aPowerDigger, on 01/19/2008, -0/+0Where are the worshippers of the mighty fateball?
      http://www.ifate.com/fateball.html
  • newman1320, on 01/18/2008, -29/+118This is a very interesting map. It's amazing to see how many Baptists are in the south and how many Catholics are all over the US. I think most people are Catholic though by default however.
    • DeviantDragon, on 01/18/2008, -10/+19Even though the map says otherwise, I'd still say that more people identify as Protestant. Those people probably aren't as devout as Catholics though and thus there numbers don't reflect in congregations and membership. There's a reason why people were talking when the Catholic JFK became president.
      • fate3, on 01/18/2008, -9/+21good luck in your upcoming battle vs math
        • way2muchsense, on 01/18/2008, -1/+21You have Catholics, and you have dozens of different flavors of Protestants that split the remainder. Thus, a plurality (but not a majority) of Americans are Catholic, and no single Protestant denomination comes close except in certain regions.
        • DeviantDragon, on 01/18/2008, -1/+2Yeah, I don't think that any single Protestant sub division has a majority, I'm simply saying that I think Protestants of all sects outnumber Catholics. I'm still thinking along the lines of the three main divisions of Christianity in the Catholic church, the Orthodox church, and the Protestant reformation.
        • MaxPayne3476, on 01/18/2008, -1/+3Umm Baptist is the second overall religion in the United States - and the majority protestant religion

      • darkcooger, on 01/18/2008, -2/+3I had a Catholic friend make the argument to me once that Catholics were a minority, which is why they favored Democrats. Of course, he was a moron, so take that as you will. As for which are more devout, I'm sure both sides will say that they are, but the truly devout won't bother to argue.
        • amiches, on 01/19/2008, -0/+1There's also a strong ethnic correlation with Catholicism, and those ethnicities generally came to the US in the 20th century waves of immigration, when Democrats were big among immigrants. Your friend might be a moron but he's basically right
    • Zera, on 01/18/2008, -20/+11899% of people are their religion "by default" as almost no one chooses their own religion. Most people are born into it and are that religion "by default"
      • cheeze_ballz, on 01/18/2008, -4/+1099%? That number seems really high. I know alot of people who changed religions from their parents (which would contradict your 'by default' idea). My estimate would be more like 75-85%.
        • raitchison, on 01/18/2008, -1/+8I'm sure it varies from place to place but nationwide I'd be surprised if it's as low as 99%, if you are outside of a major city on either coast it's much less likely that you will even be significantly exposed to another religion or idea. I'm sure in cities such as Los Angeles, New York, Seattle or Miami you are exposed to a lot more cultures and beliefs that could cause you to question your own beliefs but if you live in Nashville, Boise or Dallas it's pretty unlikely.

          BTW was raised in a Christian household but converted to Judaism about 12 years ago.
          • oiskaio, on 01/18/2008, -6/+0Have you ever been to any of those "big" cities that have so much culture? Or did you just assume Dallas had no culture because it was in Texas?
          • darkcooger, on 01/18/2008, -0/+4I was raised in a small town in Mississippi as protestant Christian, but I was exposed to Muslims (one of my best friends 4th through 9th grades, when he disappeared), Jews, and in college (in the same small Mississippi town) a couple of Mormons. Perhaps my small town was unusual, but it's at least an example of somewhere "outside of a major city on either coast" where you can get exposure to other religions.
          • JigoroKano, on 01/18/2008, -1/+10You married a Jew didn't you?

            Nobody gives up bacon unless it's for pussy.
          • jibii, on 01/18/2008, -0/+3I grew up in a suburb outside of St. Louis with Lutheran parents, and I chose a pagan path.

            What you're saying could have been true fifty years ago, but books and television influence people just as much as having a neighbor who's Buddhist.
          • geneusutwerk, on 01/18/2008, -0/+2I think thats a really arrogant view point. It is no longer true that anything outside of a major city is a cultural wasteland.
      • spyrochaete, on 01/18/2008, -3/+1899% of people label themselves as a religion by default. They don't follow it to a tee. I was born Jewish but I like pork, don't find masturbation immoral, and don't feel I need to wait for some day of atonement to confront myself about my wrongdoings.

        The way I see it, I can be an imperfect Jew which pretty much makes me a sinner and embarrassment to god, or I can cast all those rules and traditions aside because I realize they're part of an ideal I'll never be motivated to embody.

        In my very strong opinion, a religion with more than one follower is doomed to fail. Study as many religions and philosophies as you can and take from them whatever embodies you, not vice versa. Most importantly, the day someone convinces you that an aspect of your religion is wrong, that day is a holiday!
        • raitchison, on 01/18/2008, -0/+11Observance and identity are two different things, very few members of any religion follow most of the rules set down by that religion.
          • spyrochaete, on 01/18/2008, -2/+2How do you identify yourself as belonging to a group without following that group's guidelines and behaviour?

            Having asked this, I do see the two sides of the coin of this answer. On one side, organized religion is what perpetuates the necessity of customs and traditions. On the other side, no rational person could deny that the ideals and actions embodied by a kind person like Jesus Christ could be bad.

            In the end I do think that observance and identity are absolutely tied together. You have to practise what you preach or you're a hypocrite, right? But even the word "practise" has a double meaning: to perform actions based on your beliefs, or to do something over and over again.
          • skankme, on 01/18/2008, -0/+8You can certainly identify yourself as belonging to a group w/out following that group's guidelines & behavior. I identify myself as an American, but I regularly ignore the set speed limit.

            Most people I know that identify themselves as Catholic only go to church a couple times a year (if that) and most of them had no problem with premarital sex... that doesn't mean they can't identify themselves as being Catholic. Sure, if they didn't believe that Christ was the holy end all - then you could argue they couldn't legitimately call themselves Catholic... but beyond that, who are you to tell someone who/what they identify with? Besides, confession fixes everything!
          • spyrochaete, on 01/18/2008, -0/+4I disagree with your comparison. To be American you only have to live in America. It's not so easy to define what it means to be Jewish.
        • pintomp3, on 01/18/2008, -0/+15i was born a muslim who also feels the same way. the road to peace is paved with pork and masturbation.
        • MaxPayne3476, on 01/18/2008, -2/+3Ahh my favorite person. Religious, but only when it caters to them.
      • g30ph, on 01/18/2008, -15/+35100% of all people are born atheist. You don't pop out already believing in nonsense. You are born with survival instincts, and then your parents ruin you by teaching you to rely on the invisible man when things don't work out.
        • dualityim, on 01/18/2008, -2/+13Actually, one of the survival instincts is to believe in the supernatural as both a coping mechanism and a means of tribal cohesion. You can say that people are born with a tendency for theism but without dogma. However, as people grow up, they learn to replace some survival instincts with logic and reason, and alter their behavior accordingly. Much like how people control anger and embarrassment to function in society by suppressing their natural reactions, people learn to control their tendency to believe in the supernatural.
        • skankme, on 01/18/2008, -5/+5Supernatural beliefs are handed down, it's not an instinct. Believing in dogma as a means to cope or for tribal cohesion is certainly valid, and those may be instinctual, but that doesn't make that means an instinct.
        • chaosium, on 01/18/2008, -1/+8"Supernatural beliefs are handed down, it's not an instinct"

          Actually I believe they *are*, even as an atheist I feel a sense of awe from nature.

          These impulses are just channeled in different ways.
      • Frostman3D, on 01/18/2008, -5/+4I have to disagree with that. I'm from the south and I'm not a baptist. I guess you could call me protestant, but the bottom line is I'm a Christian. As most people in this country are.
    • skydharma, on 01/18/2008, -0/+52More people are Protestant than Catholic in the US; however, more people are Catholic than they are of any one denomination of Protestantism (e.g. Presbyterian, Baptist, etc.). Also, I'd expect that most of the counties that are blue on the map have significant minorities of Protestants, whereas the red counties have relatively few Catholics.
      • salomejones, on 01/18/2008, -8/+1How much blue do you think India has on the map?
        • salomejones, on 01/18/2008, -3/+2Dear Lord Jesus, please save me from your followers.
      • h0merg0mez, on 01/18/2008, -0/+3Yeah, this is crucial to understanding this map. I live in a "Catholic" county but have only met a handful of Catholics in my life, as opposed to tons of Protestant Christians.
      • cersad, on 01/18/2008, -3/+1Not true. I live in one of the "Baptist" counties listed on the map but am a member of one of the larger and faster-growing Catholic dioceses in Texas... even if the Baptists have the numerical majority, that doesn't imply anything about the relative amounts of other religious denominations in the county.
        • MaxPayne3476, on 01/18/2008, -2/+1Are you retarded, or did you just feel like spewing nonsense.

          What the map says is that Baptist is the largest proclaimed religion in your country. Just because your catholic doesn't contradict the map. And yes it does imply about the relative amounts. Technically, no other religion can be more then 49.999~% as populated in your county.
      • fr34k5h0w, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1Central Nebraska looks pretty spot on. The blue areas in the very central part are usually Czech immigrants and therefore identify as Catholics. In the town I grew up in you had the Catholic church (half the population) and 6 other protestant churches (most of the other half) and very few atheists.
    • salomejones, on 01/18/2008, -20/+2Huh, I guess it really is a Christian nation, according to that slick graphic.
      • brstilson, on 01/18/2008, -4/+17A nation with a majority of Christians is not a Christian nation any more than a nation with a majority of white people is a "White nation."
        • Murdats, on 01/18/2008, -6/+4what about when you have a majority christian government?
          • pintomp3, on 01/18/2008, -0/+4that's why we are a nation of laws, not men.
        • salomejones, on 01/18/2008, -3/+4Dear Lord Jesus, please save me from your followers---and from people who cannot read for comprehension.
        • brstilson, on 01/18/2008, -0/+3"what about when you have a majority christian government?"

          We also have a majority white government
      • salomejones, on 01/18/2008, -6/+2Dear Lord Jesus, please save me from your followers.
        • salomejones, on 01/18/2008, -2/+2Ok then, Dear Lord Jesus, please let your followers go back to doing what they've always been best at: being food for lions.
        • Frostman3D, on 01/18/2008, -0/+2Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for loving idiots, and please forgive this one for trying to piss off your people.
          • salomejones, on 01/19/2008, -0/+1Dear Lord Jesus, who clearly is a fairy tale to be believed by small children and retarded mutants, please give Frostman3D a lovely eternity of puffy clouds and one-ness with his simplistic illusions. kthx.
    • tgc1, on 01/18/2008, -12/+0Now I remember why I left religion. I grew up Catholic. But dammit that map is confusing. HOW MANY DAMN SECTS ARE THERE?!
      • Talphin, on 01/18/2008, -0/+2Actually a hell of a lot more than are shown on this map... And this is just Christians. There are over 10,000 "different" religions in the world. Nevermind how many different versions each one has.
      • darkcooger, on 01/18/2008, -0/+2Well, there are about a gazillion different types of Baptists alone, and most of them don't like each other. I imagine the total number of sects is staggering.
    • wild, on 01/18/2008, -9/+3Well, this does explain the popularity of Rudy.
      • hartley, on 01/18/2008, -0/+4Yeah, because Rudy is doing SO good right now..
        • twollamalove, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1wrong Rudy dude!
          • wild, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1Thank you. I ad forgetton about Rudy 9/11 when posting this.
    • Talphin, on 01/18/2008, -10/+21Actually, everyone is Atheist by default, until their parents / guardians indoctrinate them to believe in what they were raised to believe.
      • raitchison, on 01/18/2008, -4/+21No by that logic everyone would be Agnostic by default, with no knowledge or belief of any religion. In order to be Athiest you have to be aware of the concept of God or other "higher power" and reject that as impossible.
        • Talphin, on 01/18/2008, -5/+6The same could be said for Agnosticism. Perhaps those are not the words we are looking for. Either way, Catholic by default is definately not the answer.
        • Jektal, on 01/18/2008, -2/+12No, rait is correct. Atheism is not a lack of belief, it is a belief in a lack of a god. Agnosticism is a lack of belief. Therefor everyone would by default be Agnostic, and then become either Religious, or Non-religious (atheist or agnostic)
          • Talphin, on 01/18/2008, -2/+3Either way you would have to have knowledge in the idea of a god. Atheist would mean that you know about the idea of a god, but reject it, where Agnostic would be that you know about the idea of a god, but are undecided.
            Point is, I may not have been entirely correct to say that Atheism is the default, rait would be equally as "not entirely correct" by stating that we are Agnostic by default. There has to be another word. For now, I will just say that by default, we are "not religious", and that about sums it up.
          • raitchison, on 01/18/2008, -0/+2"There has to be another word. For now, I will just say that by default, we are "not religious", and that about sums it up."

            Agreed 100%
          • darkcooger, on 01/18/2008, -0/+3Agnostic *IS* "not religious."
          • DashingLeech, on 01/19/2008, -0/+3Nope. Atheism is, in a broad sense, a lack of religious belief (implicit atheism, sometimes referred to as nontheism as well). A conscious rejection is explicit atheism: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atheism . Agnosticism is a belief that certain religious claims are unknown or unknowable: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agnosticism

            It is therefore true that everyone is born an (implicit) atheist until introduced to a particular religion.
        • skankme, on 01/18/2008, -2/+5Atheism in general, is most certainly a lack of believe in god. If you want to get more specific than that, you have to take into account "implicit" and "explicit" atheism. The "belief in a lack of god" is explicit atheism... meaning you assert the lack of god is a fact. Implicit atheism is the lack of belief in a god, and does not require that you are aware of the idea of god. Also see Weak vs Strong, and non-theism.
          http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atheism

          Agnostics have a specific belief, and that is they do not know if there is or isn't a god. It requires knowledge of the idea of a god.
        • ZenMojo, on 01/18/2008, -2/+4Bull. Atheists are trying to appropriate agnosticism because agnosticism has a stronger foundation than atheism, and as a lapsed agnostic I have to say I have always found that to be mildly offensive. When I was younger I found religion unconvincing and non-substantial and atheism an ignorant and inelegant solution. The idea that Atheists would try to CLAIM me just because I was on the fence was kind of stupid to me.
          • catbeller, on 01/20/2008, -0/+1Everyone is an atheist. It just depends on which god you're talking about. You a a Hinduistic atheist. Also a Zoroasterian atheist. A Odin atheist. You are godless somewhere. Just not with your friends. You are in the same boat as any atheist anywhere else but in your own world. Try telling someone in India that Kali doesn't exist.
          • raitchison, on 01/21/2008, -0/+1"Everyone is an atheist. It just depends on which god you're talking about."

            Not necessarily, several religions do not preclude the possibility or existence of other gods/deities, even if you are forbidden to worship them. Heck if you look at the "10 commandments" followed by Christianity and Judaism the 2nd says essentially "Do not have any other gods before Me." which doesn't rule out the idea of another god, only says that you have to worship only "God" specifically.

            Personally, I will not speak as to whether or not Ahura Mazda, Odin or Kālī exist, I just know I'm not going to be praying to any of them.
    • worldsbestgamer, on 01/18/2008, -4/+2There are that many Catholics in NJ? I do not buy it.
    • airiox, on 01/18/2008, -6/+6The reason for all the catholic influx is due to the high population of Hispanic's in those areas. You can see as we get closer to the mexican border the Catholic population rises.
      • jecruzs, on 01/19/2008, -0/+1And of course, this would explain the number of Catholics in the North East and West, right?
    • markgl, on 01/18/2008, -3/+6Catholics are the original christians, so there are a crap ton of them.
      • MicrosoftBob, on 01/18/2008, -0/+3Over a billion, according to this: http://www.adherents.com/adh_rb.html#International
      • darkcooger, on 01/18/2008, -1/+8No they're not. The original Christians popped up following the resurrection of Jesus, between 25 and 40 AD. At the time, there was just "the church." They used the term "catholic" by its definition, to mean "universal," or essentially, "the whole," as in the entire body of Christians. By the late 2nd century, however, the term was being used to describe a particular group of Christians rather than the whole, and it's that usage of the term that survives today. So, the "Catholic church" as the term is used today is not the same as the original "catholic church" - rather, it's a subset.

        Of course, there's been debate about the word for just as long, so take that with a grain of salt...
        • markgl, on 01/18/2008, -1/+2i knew there would be someone to say no they not!!!
        • ordig, on 01/18/2008, -2/+2Yeah, but back then they called them lion feed.
        • amiches, on 01/19/2008, -1/+1I agree it's a silly debate, but one of those original followers (Peter) went to Rome and founded a church, which all Roman Catholics now follow. If there are any "original Christians", it's us.
          • catbeller, on 01/20/2008, -0/+1There were quite a few churches, all over the area and overseas. The unity you think may have been there, wasn't. A lot of the letters written were about Paul et al harranguing outlying groups of Christians into believing as he believed. There was no single unitary authority until much later, and turned into a fascist (call it what it was) state religion when Constantine cut his deal.
    • MaruLono, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1is it just me, or are other guys having a hard time to distinguish the catholic key colors and the reformed key colors?
    • AmICoolNow, on 01/19/2008, -0/+1You mean that by default they discourage anything that makes you happy or is enjoyable in any way?
      /recovering catholic
  • WakasakiRocky, on 01/18/2008, -16/+72It looks amazing like this 1861 map of showing the mason-dixon line: http://www.sonofthesouth.net/slavery/slave-maps/ma ...
    • Arkavus, on 01/18/2008, -2/+7The real south doesn't start at the Mason Dixon Line.
    • Puttzy, on 01/18/2008, -6/+40WOW!! You're right! It does look like that map. I see some of the same states
    • plizard, on 01/18/2008, -4/+6lol
      oklahoma = indian territory
      • joebaloney, on 01/18/2008, -2/+3LOL, you got booted out of your homes and forced to march across the country in horrible conditions, many of you dying.
    • brstilson, on 01/18/2008, -3/+8Politically it would have been reversed, though. Back then the Whigs and finally the GOP was the party of civil rights and the South belonged firmly to the Democrats.
    • gritta, on 01/18/2008, -3/+12It has an insane correlation with this map: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/45 ...
    • Rodman930, on 01/18/2008, -1/+4I've never seen the bible belt so clearly.
    • alkajazz, on 01/18/2008, -8/+3We call the red zone an intellectual wasteland.
      • seraph582, on 01/18/2008, -2/+2you've obviously never heard of California or Massachusetts's then
    • proseandpromise, on 01/18/2008, -0/+5Southern Baptists split from other Baptists over slavery. Other denominations did as well. Also, the civil war split many peace churches, as some thought that fighting for freedom for slaves was worth-while. The civil war had a tremendous influence on American denominations. I'm a pastor in the American Baptist church - the one that other Baptists left over slavery, and then liberal theology. We're the "mainline" but there aren't too many of us (as the map kind of suggests).
  • BalsamLane, on 01/18/2008, -20/+15Did anyone see a *Other 9. None county that I can move to?
    • Hanniballo, on 01/18/2008, -0/+16can't find it but my guess is Vegas
    • silversword990, on 01/18/2008, -21/+3I think i saw one... In Nazi Germany.
      • richbleak, on 01/18/2008, -5/+15Yes, atheists are Nazis. And you are a ***** moron. Can you guess which statement is sarcasm?
      • profcornbread, on 01/18/2008, -5/+1What a douche
      • fstorino, on 01/19/2008, -0/+1Nope. Catholic, just like in Vegas.
        He was raised Roman Catholic, and he had somewhat close ties with Pope Pius XII as well...
        You know who else had ties with Nazism when he was young? Pope Benedict XVI.
    • geodescent, on 01/18/2008, -0/+5Look at Alaska
      • aviendah47, on 01/18/2008, -0/+0Pretty much noone lives in those grey other areas in Alaska
    • johndi, on 01/19/2008, -0/+1Oddly enough, that grey county in West Texas has the number nine in it. The ones in Alaska look to be 3, 4, 5(2), and 7(2), though it's a bit blury.
  • MiltonWaddams, on 01/18/2008, -11/+359I don't get the light yellow for Christian. Aren't all of these Christian denominations?
    • skydharma, on 01/18/2008, -0/+52My guess is that those counties are dominated by local, small congregations not really affiliated with a major church. I noticed that a few counties in eastern North Carolina are Yellow, where you see a lot of "First Church of Our Lord Jesus" or things like that, which don't have any specific affiliation, but are clearly Christian in basic beliefs and teaching.

      I could be wrong on that, but that's what I assumed.
    • Puttzy, on 01/18/2008, -2/+15I'm glad you asked it because I thought the same thing.
    • brentinkc, on 01/18/2008, -6/+114There are non-denominational Christian churches. Some people just think Jesus is rad and don't get all wrapped up in the different fairy tales.
      • Nougat, on 01/18/2008, -23/+4Oxymorons FTW.
        • insllvn, on 01/18/2008, -16/+3Jesus of Nazareth was pretty rad. He was a profit, or rather a philosopher, who preached brotherly love, compassion, and peace. Jesus Christ was the made up mantle placed on this figures shoulders, if he ever existed at all, who has inspired all those wars and inquisitions.
          • raitchison, on 01/18/2008, -6/+4Not sure why you are being dugg down, I'm not Christian (I'm Jewish) but seriously the man Jesus by most reliable (reliable means not from a Christian source) accounts of his life show that he was a guy working to change what was a VERY corrupt Jewish authority at the time. He'd undoubtedly be pretty unhappy with the religion that was created around him after he died by Paul and others in what would become the Catholic Church.
          • insllvn, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1*prophet

            my bad
        • troi2364, on 01/18/2008, -0/+11prophet
          • troi2364, on 01/18/2008, -5/+1hah bury me for being stupid. i hit reply on the wrong spot. PROFIT it is!
        • gstep, on 01/18/2008, -1/+3Finally, the guy that likes to put FTW in every thread.
      • etx313, on 01/18/2008, -3/+13Jesus is rad! He is my homeboy.
      • mtschmie, on 01/18/2008, -0/+2"What can I say? Jesus is ***** metal."

        http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/08/04
      • bysubmitted, on 01/18/2008, -1/+1Christian Church = http://www.disciples.org
      • bstew22, on 01/19/2008, -0/+1"jesus is rad" dugg
    • Freps, on 01/18/2008, -5/+4I agree and thought the same thing!! This map is not accurate as it relates to segmenting denominations/sects. Many of these are Christian denominations, and a whole bunch are left out. What about other religions represented, even in the "other" category?
    • tman84, on 01/18/2008, -2/+17Strange how many Catholics there are in the country, yet only 1 Catholic has been elected President
      • WarMachineWCLH, on 01/18/2008, -1/+4I was thinking the same thing. From that map you'd assume all presidential candidates would be Catholic or Baptist.
        • zspeed78, on 01/18/2008, -0/+2Maybe most Catholics dont vote? And the illegals/permanent residents are represented in that map, but arent allowed to vote.. my family of 3 has never voted because as residents we cant.
      • mdinire, on 01/18/2008, -2/+2If it was a map of Catholic VS Protestant then it would look a bit different
      • ConceptJunkie, on 01/18/2008, -0/+2The U.S. was predominately Protestant from the get-go, it wasn't until the early 20th century that there were a huge influx of Catholics. We've only had one Catholic President, but there are a ton of Catholic politicians (at least politicians who identify themselves as such). It's possible we'll end up with a Mormon President and they are a tiny minority. That's what happens when you get a sample of only 43 out of hundreds of millions. You could say the same thing about women, and we haven't had _any_ women Presidents (yet).
    • kelly, on 01/18/2008, -10/+3All are close enough within the circle to be called "christian" except for latter day saints, and mennonite, reformed and other
      • kelly, on 01/18/2008, -2/+3It would seem that I spoke too soon about "mennonites" and "reformed"
      • theplop, on 01/18/2008, -2/+9Do you go about telling people anything you seem is right without having the slightest research into what you are saying?? Do your homework next time.

        Latter Day Saints:
        "Adherents, usually referred to as Latter-day Saints, LDS, or Mormons, are Christians...Jesus Christ is viewed as the head of the church, leading it today through revelations"

        Mennonites:
        "The Mennonites are a group of Christian Anabaptist denominations..."

        Reformed:
        "The Reformed churches are a group of Christian Protestant denominations..."

        *source: Wikipedia
        • llamaguy132, on 01/18/2008, -6/+5Most Catholics and Protestants view Mormons as a cult (the church definition of cult) Their beliefs are too far separated from Christianity as a whole. (its the whole extra bible written by that Smith guy). We view Jehovahs Witness the same way.
        • utahnkid, on 01/18/2008, -5/+5If by cult you mean they don't have nationwide scandals of their church leaders molesting little boys then yeah Mormons are pretty cultish.. Show some respect you prick, most catholics, mormons, and protestants have respect for each other. The nut jobs are the ones going out calling any other religion but theirs a cult.
        • Abestar, on 01/18/2008, -4/+2Uh I've heard of lots of cases of Mormon kids being molested, usually by their fathers. Oh yeah and stop over populating the world assholes.
    • olbap, on 01/18/2008, -10/+5Of course, if you ask any Protestant, they will try to convince you that they are the true Christians.
    • swollentiki, on 01/18/2008, -0/+4Like others have said, those are probably the non-denominational churches such as the church of Christ (not United Church of Christ). The two yellow counties in the northern part of Tennessee have lots of church of Christ churches. I live in the county just south of the two yellow counties. Although it has it as primarily Baptist, there are a lot of other churches here: church of Christ (which I am), Methodist, and some other.
      I noticed something rather interesting a few years ago. If you head down Highway 70, west of here (towards Nashville) just about every church is a Methodist, with a few of Baptist, and maybe a couple of church of Christ. But if you head north, just about every church is a church of Christ,.
    • stinkypickles, on 01/18/2008, -14/+1Catholics are not chirstians. I didn't understand why christians and baptists were seperate, though.
      • llamaguy132, on 01/18/2008, -0/+6Catholics not Christians? what? you really believe that? im not even going to argue with you, im just going to lol
      • psychosteveo2, on 01/18/2008, -0/+4We believe in Christ. We believe in Christ's dying to save us. We believe in the Bible...hence...Christian.
      • futebollounge, on 01/18/2008, -0/+3wow stinky. good job making yourself look retarded.
    • gstep, on 01/18/2008, -6/+7Yes, most of these are Christian denominations. Exception being LDS which although claiming a belief in Jesus Christ, is quite different. While this map is interesting, it doesn't do a good job of explaining anything by only showing the plurality in every county. As far as I know looking at that map, only Catholics are in the west and only Baptists are in the south.
      • stillasleep00, on 01/18/2008, -4/+4How do mormons not believe in Jesus Christ? I'm an ex-mormon, trust me, they do.
        • gstep, on 01/18/2008, -2/+1Clearly you didn't read my comment. I said, "although claiming a belief in Jesus Christ" (meaning they do), is quite different.
          • stillasleep00, on 01/18/2008, -1/+3What qualifies being christian, then? They believe in Christ, they read the Bible, they're really not all that different from any other christian denomination.
        • stillasleep00, on 01/18/2008, -1/+3What qualifies being christian, then? They believe in Christ, they read the Bible, they're really not all that different from any other christian denomination.
      • davidlow, on 01/18/2008, -2/+4No matter how different they are, if they believe in Christ then they are Christians, no? Such is the Word as written in The Dictionary, which teaches us...
        • amiches, on 01/19/2008, -0/+2"Christian" has come to refer to those who believe 1) Christ's sacrifice atoned for the sins of mankind and 2) that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit comprise a triune entity. Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants all believe this; Mormons do not (specifically, they do not believe #2). I have no problem with Mormonism (and consider voting for Mitt Romney if I were a conservative) but strictly speaking it's not a "Christian" religion. The only problem is, "Christian" = "good" in America, and "not Christian" = "bad", so they've been forced to market themselves as "Christians".
      • bysubmitted, on 01/18/2008, -0/+6Mormons are "Christians... plus." They believe that Jesus came to America, Satan is his brother, etc... things that aren't in the Bible. Because of that, (some might say because they violate Revelation 22:18-19 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revela ... many who classify religions do not consider Mormons Christians.
        • Gdub, on 01/19/2008, -0/+4According to this definition Catholics aren't Christian, Greek Orthodox aren't Christian, Jehovah's Witnesses are not Christian, etc. In my findings, people who say, "Mormons aren't Christian" usually lack any theological understanding outside their own denomination. It is fine if you don't agree with the doctrines taught by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, but to call them not Christian is absurd.
    • jeremyduffy, on 01/18/2008, -7/+6Mormons claim to be christians, but aren't, so no, not all christian denominations.
      • misshannahmarin, on 01/18/2008, -6/+7Mormons are Christians. They read the Bible. They believe in Christ. Seems Christian to me.
      • comineeyeaha, on 01/18/2008, -7/+8Uh, they claim to be Christians because they are. It's a Christian denomination. You're telling me that if I have a bowl of chocolate ice cream, it ceases to be that if I put caramel syrup on it.

        Mormons get too much *****. They're good people, for christs sake!
        • mjxl47, on 01/18/2008, -5/+2While they may be good people, they are most certainly not Christians. They will tell you that they are Christians and believe everything Christians do until you seriously debate them on the topic. They latch on to a lot of Christian ideals but they have their own set of "other" that are in direct opposition to the teachings of Jesus Christ. They have an additional holy book, that pretty much amends everything in the Bible that they don't believe. It is NOT a Christian denomination, it is a separate religion, like Jehovah's Witnesses, or dare I say, Scientology. If Christianity is Chocolate Ice Cream, they are a bowl of Vanilla, with or without caramel.
        • Gdub, on 01/19/2008, -0/+6What does it take to be a Christian? Most people like you who lambaste the LDS Church never answer THAT simple question.
          • catbeller, on 01/20/2008, -1/+1Well, taking a swing at it, I'd say that Smith made up a bunch of stuff with his head covered up that indicated he was the new revelation of god, and that he had a few changes to make. This happened sometime after his conviction for fraud. He created a new Jesus - him. And liked himself the young stuff. Jesus forgot to mention giving up your 11-13 year old daughters to make him happy. Smith fixed that.
        • amiches, on 01/19/2008, -4/+1Gdub: 1) belief in substitutionary atonement and 2) belief in the Trinity. This is a battle that has been fought since like the fourth century, but that's the accepted definition of "Christian". Mormons don't believe in the Trinity and as such don't fit this definition. I'm not lambasting them for it, and I don't think Mormonism is bad, but it's not, strictly speaking, "Christian".
          • Gdub, on 01/19/2008, -0/+4Well according to that definition the early followers of Christ weren't Christian. They didn't believe in the Trinity as defined by the Nicene counsel. My basic objection to people who say Mormon's aren't Christian is that it's misleading. You could say, Mormons don't believe in the Trinity, or Mormons have a different belief about the nature of God. Saying Latter Day Saints are not Christian does have more connotation to it than simple doctrinal differences.
      • boombye, on 01/18/2008, -2/+2isn't there like some sin for marrying 5 women? I'm not trying to start anything, just seeking to better understand that..
        • Gdub, on 01/19/2008, -0/+2If so many of the great men of the Bible, who Jesus constantly quoted and praised were sinners.
          • catbeller, on 01/20/2008, -0/+1Jesus indeed studied and praised some insane genocidal nutjobs of the past. He wasn't a xian - he was a jew, 1st century. And even as all have praised Jeshu's vision for the world, his personal beliefs were more old testament than not. And the god of the OT was a bloody raving narcsistic [sp] killer and orderer of killings. So ditto a long line of bloody raving killers that led up to J's present. If you want to be like Jesus, you'd better start boning up on your Torah.
          • omgwhat, on 01/27/2008, -0/+1No. Abraham, David, Solomon, Moses and Jacob (Israel) all had many wives. It's not for everyone, but there were definitely biblical cases where it happened.
  • TalkingBanana, on 01/18/2008, -14/+184Jews?
    • archer104, on 01/18/2008, -37/+14No thanks.
      • archer104, on 01/18/2008, -12/+8What's with the negative diggs? So I don't want any juice. So ***** what.
      • AmICoolNow, on 01/19/2008, -0/+4As racist and offensive as this comment was, I think it was really funny. I don't think you should be getting dugg down so much.
    • LmaoTzu, on 01/18/2008, -22/+7In my USA ? It's more likely than you think.
    • SRSco, on 01/18/2008, -2/+39You can find a map of percentage of Jewish population in the US here:

      http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0c ...
      • iPissExcellence, on 01/18/2008, -46/+5Now compare that with the map of rat population...
        • J4k3, on 01/18/2008, -7/+12You ***** ignorant pig. I'm Catholic but your comment about Jewish people is disgusting. Next time watch what you say before spouting crap out of your mouth again.
        • frieddonuts, on 01/19/2008, -1/+1My block list just gets bigger and bigger...
      • monsterling, on 01/18/2008, -1/+5I wonder which one of those blue counties in Alaska is occupied by Dr Joel Fleishman?
      • stopbrorape, on 01/18/2008, -2/+2no jews reported in my county.
      • paperclipsNsoup, on 01/18/2008, -3/+2Sure a lot of Jews in Vegas, odd, I thought there'd be more in Hollywood...

        --Don't Digg me down I'm a Jew... just not one of those crazy orthodox ones.... I like me some bacon :-P
    • Oomsoup, on 01/18/2008, -1/+18Yeah, I live in South Florida and that's a glaring omission.
    • tman84, on 01/18/2008, -2/+22Jews only make up 2% of the population, but I don't believe they make up 2% of the media and entertainment population. I'd be interested to see those numbers out of curiosity.
      • deadmann, on 01/18/2008, -1/+4The problem is there's the religion and the ethnicity of the same name. Is that 2% religious or ethnic?

        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Jewish_Americ ...
      • robertml1, on 01/18/2008, -1/+12A ridiculously high precentage of Nobel Prize winners are Jewish. I'm sure someone here will suggest that's because of the Zionist conspiracy, however...:)
        • akilleen, on 01/18/2008, -1/+9I am sure the lizard men have a part in it as well.
      • Synova, on 01/18/2008, -2/+4About 3,000,000 people in the United States are ethically Jewish, which is approximately 1%. Even then, over half of that population lives in New York City and the surrounding areas. New York is really the only city on that map that they would have a chance at being the top denomination.
        • DrMonkeyLove, on 01/18/2008, -2/+5*ethnically
          Yeah, my girlfriend is Jewish and moved here to Rhode Island from Long Island. She was so irritated that she couldn't find any stores that sold Jewish stuff here. I had to tell her that she moved from the most Jewish area of the country to the most Catholic area of the country so that was too be expected.
        • Abestar, on 01/18/2008, -2/+3Stores that sell Jewish stuff? That would annoy me for some reason.
          • catbeller, on 01/20/2008, -0/+1:) let a pig run through the local supermarket around here. You'll find out quickly where the "Jewish stuff" is, 'cause they'll have to destroy it.
        • paperclipsNsoup, on 01/18/2008, -0/+3I need to find me a Jew store... My dradle broke, and I need a new Christmas yamika... Yeah they sell those, just couldn't google me up a pic
        • amiches, on 01/19/2008, -0/+1@Abestar - why would that annoy you? You must not have many other cultures where you live.
    • akilleen, on 01/18/2008, -2/+16But does Judaism hold the majority in any US county?
    • goatomatic, on 01/18/2008, -1/+14Actually this digg is incorrectly titled, the map graphic clearly says "Leading Church Bodies" so this only counts the population of church-goers not all religions
    • Swarms, on 01/18/2008, -0/+16http://www.glenmary.org/grc/RCMS_2000/maps/Muslims ... - Muslim map
      http://www.glenmary.org/grc/RCMS_2000/maps/Jewish. ... - Jewish map
      http://www.glenmary.org/grc/RCMS_2000/maps/Catholi ... - Catholic map
      http://www.glenmary.org/grc/RCMS_2000/maps.htm - Other fancy stuff
    • GuacamoleSan, on 01/19/2008, -5/+2I didn't realize how much digg was filled with ignorant Christians who think their religion is the only one out there. Pathetic. If digg is this bad i think we need to nuke Kansas
    • dagoonmaster, on 01/19/2008, -0/+1like was said earlier judiasm simply doesn't make a majority in any county, its not that it doesnt exist its just more spread out ...and how does a chart make Christians ignorant >_>
  • xb00t, on 01/18/2008, -14/+227Where are all the Scientologists?
    • LmaoTzu, on 01/18/2008, -7/+190They're busy getting ready to sue whoever made this map
      • bowdie, on 01/18/2008, -0/+12I think most of them are in Clearwater FL.
    • sensor, on 01/18/2008, -9/+135It's not a religion... it's a cult.
      • iPissExcellence, on 01/18/2008, -6/+24I'M GONNA SUE YOU!!!
      • HotBaconSauce, on 01/18/2008, -3/+11The main difference is the amount of political pull.
      • Chassit, on 01/18/2008, -11/+25Uhh, cults and religions are the same thing...
      • insllvn, on 01/18/2008, -3/+19The ONLY difference is the age of the belief system. If it lasts 1000 years, no one will deny that Scientology is a religion, just like the Romans called Christians a Jewish cult 2000 years ago, and the Christians called the Muslims 1400 years ago. A significantly influential cult that lasts for a millennium or so becomes a religion.
        • raitchison, on 01/18/2008, -1/+6Most people (not necessarily including myself) would call Mormons a religion rather than a cult.

          I think it has more to do with success and followers rather than age.

          Some people even call Scientology a real religion.
        • carpespasm, on 01/18/2008, -0/+5i;d concider the more extreme polygamous mormoms a cult.
        • paperclipsNsoup, on 01/18/2008, -0/+2I live next to a Mormon family.... yep its a cult

          Its a joke son
      • minoss, on 01/18/2008, -4/+4The difference between a religion and cult is simply the number of followers.
        • jrbrewin, on 01/18/2008, -1/+2according to the tom cruise video that's been floating around lately, there are over 1 billion people that have been touched by scientology...
          like the honestly believe 1 / 6 of all the people in the world follow it... LOL
        • paperclipsNsoup, on 01/18/2008, -0/+2What? Tom Cruise never touched me.... Just Jacko, but that was when I
      • babar77, on 01/18/2008, -0/+7It's not a religion, it's organized crime.
        • catbeller, on 01/20/2008, -0/+1Bingo. Is it committing fraud? Lying to the adherents? Planning to harrass and intimidate? Is it, in fact, a criminal enterprise? CULT.
      • buckrogers1965, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1The difference between a cult and a religion is that the majority of people in a religion were born into the religion, while the majority of the people in a cult were recruited as adults. Typically cults have a living messiah as well who gives them their religion strait from god.

        If a cult can survive long enough and take care of it's members enough so they teach their kids their religion, then they become religions. But it takes a while.
    • Chassit, on 01/18/2008, -6/+7In Clearwater.
    • johnso68, on 01/18/2008, -12/+2It's called the other category Jackass
    • Jektal, on 01/18/2008, -3/+19Hiding in the closet.
    • skyshock1, on 01/18/2008, -0/+21Hollywood
    • MicrosoftBob, on 01/18/2008, -0/+14"Where are all the Scientologists?"

      Not on Mercury, unfortunately.
    • jeremyduffy, on 01/18/2008, -7/+5How curious that this comment got digged up so much. Very curious indeed.
      • erkokite, on 01/18/2008, -0/+5What is curious about it?
      • paperclipsNsoup, on 01/18/2008, -0/+5There are apparently a lot of Scientologists on digg. And a lot of idiots too, curious.
    • shingge, on 01/18/2008, -1/+7Dead, and locked in my basement.
  • GiantJacob, on 01/18/2008, -24/+106Where are us Jews? if this map were accurate there would be a giant nose, or a bagel, or something over New York and Hollywood to show the massive concentration of "Shalomie Homies"
    • Zera, on 01/18/2008, -0/+20Each county's color is merely the majority in that county. With that said, look at the county's with Dots on them, the dots indicate more than 50% of that particular religion, and there are relatively few. That means most areas in the US are diverse religion wise, (at least when it comes to these denominations)
    • ElAssoWipo, on 01/18/2008, -1/+4NYC.
      • Tooch07, on 01/18/2008, -1/+3Don't forget Rockland County, NY, you have to be careful driving on a Saturday night
    • SteveCUBE, on 01/18/2008, -12/+5There are more Muslims than Jews in the US currently.
      • Mommasal, on 01/18/2008, -3/+5Though accurate figures are hard to come by, polls consistently show that there are twice as many Jews as Muslims
    • robertml1, on 01/18/2008, -9/+2Niiice! I live with my Israeli wife on the Upper West Side...
    • Ellipsys, on 01/18/2008, -3/+5Mmmm... bagel. Thank you for reminding me I need to pick some up at whole foods today! Besides that, you're right - I'd like to see a breakdown of non-christian religions as well.
    • merreborn, on 01/18/2008, -4/+10The map only covers Christian sects. All other religions were not considered.
      • ConceptJunkie, on 01/18/2008, -1/+9No, to be more precise, the map only covers religious groups that hold a majority in any one county. It just happens that in every case the majority is Christian.
    • paperclipsNsoup, on 01/18/2008, -0/+5Dugg for the Shalomie Homies, but wouldn't that make you Shalomies
  • themanipulator, on 01/18/2008, -4/+20Honestly, not all that surprising... although I had no idea how many latter-day saints there were in utah and the surrounding states
    • Zera, on 01/18/2008, -2/+7They're aren't that many, as all those areas are relatively low population.
      • Gdub, on 01/19/2008, -1/+2Granted those areas are lower population, but this is about percentage, not population.
      • MusicalGenius, on 01/19/2008, -0/+1It's also one of the fastest growing religions in the world. People argue Buddhist and LDS a lot but it really doesn't matter. Plus when you talk about the LDS church it really should be a global map when comparing. The are more LDS members outside the U.S. than inside. Look at Brazil.
    • eekthekat, on 01/18/2008, -2/+6Not really considering that it was founded by Mormon's http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utah#Mormon_settlemen ...
    • TheXeno, on 01/18/2008, -0/+4There's about 12 million give or take world wide last I heard.
      • Gdub, on 01/19/2008, -0/+1Yeah, that's up to about 13 million now with less than %50 living in the United States.
    • aeonoftime, on 01/18/2008, -16/+1I am with Huckabee drive them out of the US.
      • PoliceAtaque, on 01/18/2008, -0/+3Anyone that is with Huckabee should be driven out of the US.
    • merreborn, on 01/18/2008, -1/+3They make up a high percentage of Utah's religious population, but from what I'm told, most of Utah is simply not religious.
      • 89vision, on 01/19/2008, -0/+3Have you ever been to utah? Its like religion on steroids.
      • Gdub, on 01/19/2008, -0/+2Yeah, Utah is VERY religious.
      • MusicalGenius, on 01/19/2008, -0/+1I live in Utah, I'm LDS... I tell you now, it's very religious. Salt Lake has a bigger "divide" but it's pretty much 50/50 but a good portion are also not active anymore on both sides of the 'statistic'. So it's hard to give a real accurate number. In utah, the church is everywhere. There are some "LDS. and hate all non members" and some "not LDS and hate everyone who is" These people just annoy everyone else in Utah really.

        The better areas in Utah where people actually care about their communities are filled of people who don't care and just get along. The few that complain the most give the rest (on both sides) a bad rep. It's a lot like other cities that have a religious base in them.
    • jstohler, on 01/18/2008, -2/+2Check out the Mormon-specific map. I'm scared as ***** to ever go back to that whole part of the country.
      http://www.valpo.edu/geomet/pics/geo200/religion/m ...
    • Abennobashi, on 01/18/2008, -1/+1NO. I live in Idaho. holy *****.
      everyone is mormon. people who grow up here think that everyone in the world is mormon. *****.
  • MattnJax, on 01/18/2008, -24/+55Why do I have to live in the RED part? Argghhh..
    • Puttzy, on 01/18/2008, -10/+33Because moving away scares you?
      • MattnJax, on 01/18/2008, -2/+7Yes, because I'm soooo scared. This is my home. It just sucks that I have to live in a baptist dominated area, but just because you don't see eye to eye with some of your neighbors doesn't mean you pack up and move away. Is that the type of person you are? Someone that just packs-up and moves away whenever someone you don't agree with lives next door to you? Cause if that's the case then you're going to be moving for the rest of your life.
    • drakenlot, on 01/18/2008, -8/+1Red county, red county, over there...

      /That was pretty bad, I apologise
    • johnnybluejeans, on 01/18/2008, -3/+9You don't have to live there. You choose to live there.
      • MikeFromAmerica, on 01/18/2008, -1/+4Unless he's in prison.
        • MattnJax, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1I wonder how many people on digg are actually using a computer from prison? I'm sure the number is low, but I'm willing to bet there's some.
    • PlasmaFlux, on 01/18/2008, -10/+14Is it really any better or worse to live in some other part of the country where a slightly different ***** flavor of jesus dominates?
      • MicrosoftBob, on 01/18/2008, -4/+3Yes.
      • MattnJax, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1Yeah I hear ya on that, but Baptist are a whole different breed.
    • parasitewasp, on 01/18/2008, -2/+4Convince your mom to move somewhere else.
    • plnegative1, on 01/18/2008, -3/+2Don't be such a ***** pussy.
  • LmaoTzu, on 01/18/2008, -35/+15The colouring makes it look like America is having its period, and it's all taking place down south.
    • thunderer, on 01/18/2008, -2/+7Well, we are bitchy and hard to get along with...
    • zephyr42, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1go on power trips a lot and involve a whole bunch of people for no apparent reason...
  • sfacets, on 01/18/2008, -36/+6...100% F*-ed.
  • timpkmn89, on 01/18/2008, -8/+5I thought there were a high number of Catholics where I live for being in the South, and I was right.
  • smacksaw, on 01/18/2008, -26/+11Wait, we fought the Civil War to keep the South again why?
    • SinkToTheBeat, on 01/18/2008, -17/+12Because Lincoln was an ass.
    • brentinkc, on 01/18/2008, -2/+11We didn't want to lose all that sweet southern coastline.
      • smacksaw, on 01/18/2008, -4/+2Like when Darth Vader said to Luke before he died "Nothing can stop that now"...nature's a bitch.
    • 0crabby0, on 01/18/2008, -1/+15You wanted us when cotton was worth it's weight in gold.
      • paperclipsNsoup, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1Cotton sure doesn't weight much

        /obvious observation
        • 0crabby0, on 01/19/2008, -0/+2Right - just 440 lbs a bale
          4 to 5 bales per acre
    • tman84, on 01/18/2008, -3/+13The Civil War was a standard US policy war of aggression. The South no longer wanted to be a part of the Union, and the North didn't agree.
      • smacksaw, on 01/18/2008, -0/+3Ding ding - we have a winner. I love to make open-ended statements because it's funny to check my score and see if people get it or not. The point I was making is that according to this map, there's a distinct cultural difference that is rooted in religion and it would have been better to leave the South to run it's own affairs. Instead we now have incredibly divisive politics and fundies/religious right threatening secular democracy because they are galvanised by said secular democracy. The scales are slowly tipping in the favour of progressive ethics and morals and these people who already feel cheated are becoming more and more intractable in their beliefs and less and less useful in our democracy.
  • Qtip42, on 01/18/2008, -48/+7Show's which part of the country still has a lot of catching up to do in terms of brain power?
    • santaliqueur, on 01/18/2008, -5/+26Brain power? Try studying 3rd grade grammar. You need to catch up on brain power, you couldn't even start the sentence without an error.
      • Qtip42, on 01/18/2008, -4/+3you'll have to forgive the misplaced ' ......it's a little early in the morning. Doesn't take away from what I said though.
        • thomsamuels, on 01/18/2008, -0/+3No, but the question mark at the end of your statement does.
    • aeonoftime, on 01/18/2008, -13/+5Yeah like Utah...Mormons dumbest people on the planet. If you need an example look at Mitt Romney.
  • BohicaTwentyTwo, on 01/18/2008, -5/+21The counties with black dots are the ones where the religon is more than 50%. Not too many of those. In fact most of them seem to be out in the boonies.
    • Velenne, on 01/18/2008, -4/+3Look again. It's not the religion that's more than 50%, but the "leading church body", or the specific church ie "First Baptist Podunkville". It makes sense that this would only occur in counties with a relatively smaller population since the larger the population, the bigger a building you'd need to put 50% of them all into.
    • dlearyus00, on 01/18/2008, -1/+0Not only am i burrying your comments, I'll put my first post up ever to discredit your comments. I hardly call New York, Boston Dallas, SAcramento Fortworth, New Orleans, Millwaukee and Greenbay boonies. And thats only to name the first few cities I could call out, your comments could not be more wrong
  • geekchic, on 01/18/2008, -15/+4Interesting to see that Canada and Mexico are classed as "other" ;)
  • iPissExcellence, on 01/18/2008, -16/+7funny how everybody on television are talking about the WASPs.

    "The White Anglo Saxon Protestants, they still rule us black folks!" - Oprah.
    "Why don't you have a seat over there, or my WASP brothas is gonna get ya." - Chris Hansen
    • woohhaa, on 01/18/2008, -11/+21Oprah is a sack of *****.
    • mercano, on 01/18/2008, -1/+5Protestant covers most non-Catholic Christians, and the map is colored in a winner-takes-all fashion. A county could be 34% Catholic, 33% Lutherans, and 33% Methodist and it would show up as Catholic on this map despite the fact that two thirds of the county are Protestants.
      • NeverReturnKid, on 01/18/2008, -1/+5Protestant is just a term for non-Catholic Christians, but Protestant beliefs vary widely, so they shouldn't all be grouped together.
        • Prosequi, on 01/18/2008, -1/+2The beliefs don't vary much - the practice or methodology does. Protestants share one commonality above all, the Pope is not the king pin. Taking that away even Catholicism is not very different - if Anglicans would accept the Pope they could easily join the fold of the Catholics.
    • bstew22, on 01/19/2008, -0/+1oprah sucks balls.
  • BarbaraKolbe, on 01/18/2008, -3/+20Original source and more understanding about map from here: http://www.glenmary.org/grc/default.htm Glenmary Research offers many maps about religious activity in the US. This is one of many. Peace.
  • iPirate, on 01/18/2008, -2/+10Ahhh, it was so much fun being a Catholic in the center of North Carolina.
    • iPirate, on 01/18/2008, -2/+4Especially after having been one in the center of New York.
    • salomejones, on 01/18/2008, -7/+4Thats kind of like having to pick between a plate of deep fried goat turds and a plate of poached monkey semen. There are other choices you know---like to skip lunch and hope there's something better for dinner.
      • drakenlot, on 01/18/2008, -3/+1Imagine those choices being the only things available during your last dinner. That would suck being offed with monkey semen being the last thing you tasted.

        It'd be an interesting story for Satan though.
        • salomejones, on 01/18/2008, -4/+2Dear Lord Jesus, please save me from your followers.
          • salomejones, on 01/18/2008, -2/+1You know, if all the Christians in the whole world suddenly were to disappear, there sure would be a lot of food and oil left for the rest of us.
    • PlasmaFlux, on 01/18/2008, -10/+1It's fun being Catholic???? Don't you have to spend all your time fearing Jeebus and whatnot?
  • tacroy, on 01/18/2008, -7/+30Reading the map text. It looks like this is NOT a religion map, but only reporting christian churches attendees. That explains the lack of atheists, etc.
    • ApokalypseNow, on 01/18/2008, -2/+29Well, with atheism not being a religion, and thus lacking any sort of church, temple, holy books, weekly rituals, or other trappings of religion, there's no reason it *should* be on this map.
      • drakenlot, on 01/18/2008, -7/+1An atheists' church is his closed room.
      • raitchison, on 01/18/2008, -2/+2Some people define religion simply as a belief system.
        • iPirate, on 01/18/2008, -8/+2Atheism isn't a belief system. It's a knowledge system.
          • raitchison, on 01/18/2008, -3/+4An Atheist "believes" there is no God or other 'higher power", just like there is no way to prove that a God exists there is no way to prove that one doesn't so you can't "know" there is no God just like you can't "know" there IS a God.

            An Atheist can look at a particular religion (usually Christianity), pick apart the flaws in it's dogma and arguably prove that religion and that particular idea of God is invalid, but that doesn't prove that all religions and all ideas of God are invalid.

            It's easy to say that the idea of an old bearded dude sitting in a throne in the clouds is ridiculous, but when you get down to "God" being a "guiding force that exists throughout the universe" it's MUCH harder to disprove, because Cliche or not, the phrase "absence of evidence is not evidence of absence" does indeed hold true.
          • Ramble, on 01/18/2008, -4/+4We deny God through logic, we don't have to believe.
          • ApokalypseNow, on 01/18/2008, -4/+3@raitchison

            Incorrect - an atheist (it isn't capitalized, there is no special importance in that label) lacks a belief in the supernatural. I am not stating "belief" one way or another about the existence of the supernatural, magic, unicorns, Santa Claus, leprechauns, or deities. I am saying that if someone wishes to state that something exists (say, a Christian wanting to say that their particular deity exists) then the burden of proof is on them - they must show evidence. Since nobody who ever makes such claims can show evidence, then I dismiss their claims, just as I dismiss claims of the supernatural, magic, unicorns, Santa Claus, and leprechauns.

            This isn't a belief system, it is a "lack-of-belief-without-evidence" system.
      • knopper67, on 01/18/2008, -0/+3There is evidence. It's called Science.

        And is there ANY evidence proving the existence of god?
        No?

        Thought so...
        • HunterSeeker42, on 01/18/2008, -2/+0You can't disprove or prove god physically, or even mentally. It comes from somewhere else...
    • zspeed78, on 01/18/2008, -1/+1This is a map of the most prevalent in every county.. even in Hollywood which has a HUGE population, there may not be enough Jewish people to make it have the majority.
    • bingobongony, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1What expains the lack of atheists on this map is that you are not going to find any county where there are more atheists than any one relgious denomination.
  • meshman, on 01/18/2008, -15/+196"What, no atheists?"

    Being an atheist isn't a religion.
    • santaliqueur, on 01/18/2008, -27/+11WHOOSH is the sound of the joke going over your head.
      • noahhoward, on 01/18/2008, -4/+18*cricket, cricket* the sound of a lame joke dying
    • lajaw, on 01/18/2008, -20/+10"A cause, principle, or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion."
      From http://www.thefreedictionary.com/religion
      So actually, atheism is a religion for most of you heathens.
      • noahhoward, on 01/18/2008, -2/+10Right, it is actually the definition of 'cult' that separates us. Atheists have beliefs but Christians have rituals structured around those beliefs.
      • funderbolt, on 01/18/2008, -3/+18By that definition, anything can be a religion. Some of my coworkers would make work their religion. Others, football would be a religion.

        Saying atheism is a religion is like saying baldness is a hair color. It just doesn't make sense.
        • LBobRife, on 01/18/2008, -3/+1Not that I agree with atheism being a religion, but I would at least consider baldness a hairSTYLE.
      • insllvn, on 01/18/2008, -2/+7 re·li·gion
        Pronunciation:
        ri-ˈli-jən
        Function:
        noun
        Etymology:
        Middle English religioun, from Anglo-French religiun, Latin religion-, religio supernatural constraint, sanction, religious practice, perhaps from religare to restrain, tie back — more at rely
        Date:
        13th century

        1 a: the state of a religious b (1): the service and worship of God or the supernatural (2): commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance2: a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices3archaic : scrupulous conformity : conscientiousness4: a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith
        — re·li·gion·less adjective

        First off, atheism is hardly a cause, if you refer to efforts to convert you away from your medieval superstition, you are referring to education which I suppose can be a cause, but lacking immutable doctrine, is hardly a religion. Secondly, atheism is not a principle, so much as it is the categorization of ones self as being rational and without belief in a deity. Finally, Atheism is a noun not a verb or "activity," as again you are at best speaking once again of education. Atheism can be fanatical, but it is not a religion.

        "Calling Atheism a religion is like calling bald a hair color." - Don Hirschberg
      • JQP123, on 01/18/2008, -0/+7Atheism is a religion in the same way that a belief in reality is a religion ... which is to say, not really.

        The only people I've seen re-define atheism in this way are certain cult leaders trying to brainwash their followers.
    • judgesuds, on 01/18/2008, -6/+10Equally being a Christian isn't a religion, it is the practice of religion.

      *grammar nazi away!*
      • jerbaker, on 01/18/2008, -9/+1Um, "being" is not a verb. Being != practicing. Do doctors being medicine? I think not.
        • fotbr, on 01/18/2008, -0/+5How the hell is "being", as used above, not a verb?
        • Veritate, on 01/18/2008, -0/+4Back to grammar school for you...
    • JoshChris, on 01/18/2008, -22/+5oh, Atheism is definitely a religion - one has to believe with their whole heart that the entire universe came from nothing... and that takes a lot of faith!
      • dmunkey, on 01/18/2008, -3/+8Is that a serious comment? Its just crazy enough to sound like it came from a Christian. .
        • Jarasmen, on 01/18/2008, -2/+6Wow, for once a Christian is making fun of atheists' beliefs. I didn't think I'd live to see the day.
        • brownr21, on 01/18/2008, -1/+1Ignorance is bliss, apparently.
      • inkswamp, on 01/18/2008, -1/+3For your assumption to be true, you must make the case that ALL athetists believe that the entire universe came from nothing or have faith to that effect. For atheism to be a "religion" in the sense of a modern religion, all atheists must adhere to the same set of ideas. That is demonstrably not true. This sad attempt by theists to redefine atheism is really weird and pointless, but gaining a real understanding of what it means to be an atheist prior to trying to undermine it would definitely help in your attempts.
      • dagoonmaster, on 01/19/2008, -0/+1way to take people too seriously lawl people cant even make jokes anymore w/o everyone getting uptight
    • RickySan65, on 01/18/2008, -16/+2Believing in nothing is believing in something, so theoretically it could be perceived as religion.
      • JQP123, on 01/18/2008, -0/+8So theoretically, since the word "religion" encompasses virtually everything, "religion" becomes useless, redundant and pointless?
      • Lezlee798, on 01/18/2008, -2/+4STOP, You'll create a paradox!
      • Shabonkerz, on 01/18/2008, -0/+5Not believing != believing.
        • LBobRife, on 01/18/2008, -0/+2Oh god saying that sentence in my head just about made it explode. "Not believing is not believing."
      • inkswamp, on 01/18/2008, -0/+3It's amazing to me that there are religious folks out there who are so far up their own ass that they can't even step outside of their own constructs to see how this works.

        Atheism is not a "belief" although I understand that a limited view of things only enables one to see it that way.
    • JQP123, on 01/18/2008, -6/+21@JoshChris
      I'm an atheist and I'm not sure where the universe came from exactly. Anyone who says they know for sure where the universe came from is either a fool, a liar or both. But I do believe with my whole heart that the universe did *not* come from a powerful but petty and uptight old man who lives on the other side of the firmament.
      • sliggy, on 01/18/2008, -2/+2And I believe with my entire heart that you're an ignorant retard. < 3's from the Catholic religion.</