Gallup: Georgia 7th most religious state
Georgia is the least religious state in the Deep South, according to the latest heresy from Gallup, and only the seventh most religious in The Union.
The good news? America, despite the best efforts of ice cream-creating non-creationists in Vermont, is still “a religious nation — with about seven in 10 Americans classified as very or moderately religious.”
In the recently-released survey, Mississippi maintains its death-grip as “most religious” state.
Mississippi, which has two football teams in the SEC, including one that stole (not very religious of them!) a football recruit from UGA, has a populace that is allegedly 58% “very religious,” according to the survey.
Georgia, which allows its citizens to fritter away money on the lottery, is ensconced among relatively puritanical neighbors, except for Florida, which is mostly full of Yankees, according to my cousin.
The language of Heaven will definitely have a Southern twang as eight of the top 10 religious states — Mississippi, Georgia, both Carolinas, Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana and Arkansas – are in the South.
Utah, which is not Baptist, also ranks high, as does Oklahoma, which fortunately for them is within hollering distance of the Christian people of Arkansas.
Texas, despite the rhetoric from its politicians, ranks 11th.
Vermont, a state with a small population apparently hellbent on tugging a loose thread of the moral fabric of American society, is the least religious state. Only 19 percent of the population there says they go to church regularly or consider religion an important part of their life.
Here’s the complete list from Gallup:
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67 comments Add your comment
Progressive Humanist
February 15th, 2013
1:46 pm
Huh… I wonder why there’s such a clear negative correlation between religiosity and education. The most religious states tend to have the lowest levels of education and vice versa. Who woulda thunk it?
Matt
February 15th, 2013
2:00 pm
So we have the seventh-most closed-minded people in the nation. That’s actually better than I would have thought.
Hand Full of Spades
February 15th, 2013
2:00 pm
Umm…. So most of the most religious states are in the South…. It’s ironic how most of those States tend to have some of the most hate, prejudice, and crime….. I respect Religion and People are Religious, but we as a Nation have become Religious Bigots!!!!!!
BILLY MAYS HERE
February 15th, 2013
2:04 pm
Surprise, the dummy states are the most religious
Corbin Sharpe. I think, therefore I am...I think.
February 15th, 2013
2:05 pm
What State is the least religious? The one I’m in at the time. You don’t need religion to worship God.
JREAS
February 15th, 2013
2:07 pm
The intolerance and religious persecution exhibited in the first three posts is a sad commentary on where we are as a nation.
And HDOS, you really think most of the hate, prejudice, and crime is in the South. Have you ever been to Chicago? The South of which you talk is from another generation. But you show your true colors by trying to perpetuate the stereotypes.
And Progressive, ‘education’ doesn’t always equate to intelligence. In fact, it often means just the opposite.
kriz
February 15th, 2013
2:08 pm
Georgia is 9th by my count.
Curious George
February 15th, 2013
2:10 pm
Isn’t the primary objective of The AJC, other than bashing White Southerners and White Republicans & kissing 0bamaJiveTalker’s feet, is bashing White Christians?
The True Truth
February 15th, 2013
2:12 pm
Get over yourself JREAS… You Christians have done this ti yourself by using your religion to bash those you hate. The intolerance you perceive is of your own doing. Maybe if you behaved in a more Christ-like fashion, people would not see you as full of hatred and bigotry.
TV Preacher
February 15th, 2013
2:14 pm
I need to move to Mississippi so I can increase my take from the true believers.
JREAS
February 15th, 2013
2:19 pm
Looks like we have another entrant in the religious bigotry brigade. So Billy Mays, exactly what criteria are you using to classify a state as a ‘dummy’ state? Looks to me like a lot of stupidity at the bottom of that list. I’m not sure how else you would describe people that send people like Bernie Sander, Chuck Shumer, and Barney Frank to Washington. And vote for Obama for President. They’re certainly not smart!
Alfred
February 15th, 2013
2:30 pm
“Despite it rhetoric?” REALLY??? Mr. Mathis need to be used as gator bait!
BILLY MAYS HERE
February 15th, 2013
2:30 pm
JREAS
February 15th, 2013
2:07 pm
The intolerance and religious persecution exhibited in the first three posts is a sad commentary on where we are as a nation.
lol, the Jesus zealots get so butthurt when people call them out. “Help! Help! The 70% of the US that identifies as Christian is being repressed!”
Shut up.
BILLY MAYS HERE
February 15th, 2013
2:34 pm
JREAS
February 15th, 2013
2:19 pm
Looks like we have another entrant in the religious bigotry brigade. So Billy Mays, exactly what criteria are you using to classify a state as a ‘dummy’ state? Looks to me like a lot of stupidity at the bottom of that list. I’m not sure how else you would describe people that send people like Bernie Sander, Chuck Shumer, and Barney Frank to Washington. And vote for Obama for President. They’re certainly not smart!
lol yes politicians in the South are truly a bastion of intellect and reasoning.
JSS
February 15th, 2013
2:35 pm
“I’m not sure how else you would describe people that send people like Bernie Sander, Chuck Shumer, and Barney Frank to Washington. And vote for Obama for President.”
Don’t worry, everyone else knows how to describe them: well represented! How’s Chambliss, Broun, and Scott working out?
TV Preacher
February 15th, 2013
2:36 pm
Guns and religion are helping
us find the afterlife. Please send me a donation and you will receive a financial blessing.
JREAS
February 15th, 2013
2:38 pm
‘The True Truth’ (whatever!), you know nothing about me. Or Christianity in general for that matter. But great job of stereotyping. A really good stereotype is based on complete ignorance, intolerance and bigotry . And you’ve pulled it off flawlessly.
JREAS
February 15th, 2013
2:43 pm
So Billy Mays says “Surprise, the dummy states are the most religious”. Indeed a truly intellectual contribution to this conversation. Then when somebody dares to rebut that powerful statement, Billy retorts with the simple, yet elegant “Shut up”. Folks, we are in the presence of a true intellect.
BILLY MAYS HERE
February 15th, 2013
2:44 pm
JREAS
February 15th, 2013
2:38 pm
‘The True Truth’ (whatever!), you know nothing about me. Or Christianity in general for that matter. But great job of stereotyping. A really good stereotype is based on complete ignorance, intolerance and bigotry . And you’ve pulled it off flawlessly.
Dude you’re gonna have to get a better game than reverse psychology
BILLY MAYS HERE
February 15th, 2013
2:46 pm
JREAS
February 15th, 2013
2:43 pm
So Billy Mays says “Surprise, the dummy states are the most religious”. Indeed a truly intellectual contribution to this conversation. Then when somebody dares to rebut that powerful statement, Billy retorts with the simple, yet elegant “Shut up”. Folks, we are in the presence of a true intellect.
You’ve not demonstrated any ability to be any more distinguished or refined yourself, shut up.
JREAS
February 15th, 2013
2:50 pm
JSS, of course they’re well represented. You always want to be represented by somebody like yourself. And those 3 are just as ignorant and intolerant as the intellectual elitists they represent.
BILLY MAYS HERE
February 15th, 2013
2:54 pm
lol keep using that third-tier argument bro
freakacomments
February 15th, 2013
2:58 pm
all for education but it doesn’t equal intelligence, funny how the progressives say they are open-minded but in fact are more hateful, prejudiced, and close minded than their targets. I’ll take the naive over the self-righteous hypocrites any day.
Rick
February 15th, 2013
2:59 pm
HUH, The least religious states are the most corrupt, who would have guessed??? I live in Massachusetts, near the bottom and our last three Speakers of the house are all convicted felons, and of course all Democrats. No correlation there though…
JREAS
February 15th, 2013
2:59 pm
Hey Billy, I know it’s rightening to think some Southern, Christian hayseed might actually be smarther than you?
How’s this: im fixin too tern of mi cumputor and goe owt and plow the cornn feild.
Feel better now?
God
February 15th, 2013
3:04 pm
Vermont is least religious but most academic! Wonder what that reveals to anyone? Mississippi most religious and also the poorest and least educated. What does that stat reveal? You know our congressmen aren’t religious since Jesus stated the rarity of such people entering heaven. Then there are those in the Upper Middle and upward that also fit that saying. Amazingly we grow out of Santa but persist in the other. What proof is there? the word put together by Roman Catholics well over 1500 years ago when people also believed weather was controlled by the deity as well as the seasons. Saying the Earth went around the sun led to house arrest. A woman fortune teller burned at the stake while men fortune tellers advised Kings. In the modern world it is used to keep people in their place and to resist socialist principles.
Roekest
February 15th, 2013
3:10 pm
Good. There’s enough Christianity in the South. Never got it: some ancient desert religion with roots in Mesopotamia that, at its root, teaches obedience to some deity……or else. Friggin crazy. We need a return to Paganism, what our ancestors practiced before being so rudely interrupted by Roman Christians and the fools that followed them.
clem
February 15th, 2013
3:16 pm
if one religious school plays another religious school in football, does God remain neutral?
BILLY MAYS HERE
February 15th, 2013
3:25 pm
freakacomments
February 15th, 2013
2:58 pm
all for education but it doesn’t equal intelligence, funny how the progressives say they are open-minded but in fact are more hateful, prejudiced, and close minded than their targets. I’ll take the naive over the self-righteous hypocrites any day.
So tired of hearing this worn-out talking point. Let me quote philosopher Karl Popper to help you out:
If we extend unlimited tolerance even to those who are intolerant, if we are not prepared to defend a tolerant society against the onslaught of the intolerant, then the tolerant will be destroyed, and tolerance with them.
But it is ironic to see Christians and other religious zealots (who throughout history have done the lion’s share of oppressing and acts of intolerance) suddenly claiming to be the victims.
Get real. You’re only fooling yourselves.
BILLY MAYS HERE
February 15th, 2013
3:27 pm
JREAS
February 15th, 2013
2:59 pm
Hey Billy, I know it’s rightening to think some Southern, Christian hayseed might actually be smarther than you?
Doubt it
BILLY MAYS HERE
February 15th, 2013
3:27 pm
Rick
February 15th, 2013
2:59 pm
HUH, The least religious states are the most corrupt, who would have guessed??? I live in Massachusetts, near the bottom and our last three Speakers of the house are all convicted felons, and of course all Democrats. No correlation there though…
Reminder that the last Republican presidential candidate came from Massachusetts
Atheistnodoubt
February 15th, 2013
3:29 pm
Religious institutions feed on closed-information systems..where, like down here in the south, are passed from generation to generation.. In other words, in order to reconfirm their religious delusions, the desire to think freely is firmly squashed by declaring it a “sin”… Hard to deconvert if you believe you will go to hell just for thinking for yourself… wow, the hold these mythical , magical, imaginary beings have on people..
pb
February 15th, 2013
3:42 pm
Since the people surveyed are just giving their own subjective opinion as to how “religious” they are, this survey really means nothing, except people in Mississippi, and some other Deep South states, “think” they are the most religious. And in what way does that relate to being a kind or a good person? How does going to church a lot make you better person, if you are still full of selfishness, indifference and hatred towards others, during the rest of the week?
BehindEnemyLines
February 15th, 2013
3:57 pm
Nothing surprising there. Given the nature of parts of the ATL, this was about as predictable a result as sunrise & sunset.
Bubba
February 15th, 2013
4:19 pm
Fresh Air BBQ, Jackson, GA
Since 1929 the mother church of BBQ in Georgia.
You won’t find a salad bar, tofu or sushi at Fresh Air BBQ
Jimmy
February 15th, 2013
4:20 pm
Where would Georgia rank if Atlanta and its secular population were taken out of the equation ?
DLink
February 15th, 2013
4:27 pm
No Comment.
Caveman73
February 15th, 2013
4:32 pm
What a shocker! The most religious states are also the least educated and intelligent, REALLY?! You mean when the church tells people to stop asking questions, stop looking for answers and to stop educating yourselves in the sciences that it is wrong and hurtful to their society and culture…..
Well color me surprised, NOT!
burntgrassroot
February 15th, 2013
4:36 pm
I’m sad that both Georgians aren’t more truly religiously faithful, and Christians and members of other faith traditions aren’t more well engaged and perceived. It grieves me that Christians are not the leading intellects, scientists, professionals, business people, citizens, as they were in times past (e.g. St. Augustine, Johannes Kepler, Blaise Pascal, J.S. Bach, Sir Isaac Newton, Dom Pierre Perignon). This is distressing not only because it is misuse and abuse of God’s economy for which there will be judgment and account, but also it jeopardizes unbelievers by diluting our witness to them. Further, it brings no glory to the Name by those who are called by His name. Christians founded many charitable, collegiate and hospital institutions, but not lately. We must acknowledge much of the suffering of the religious is consequential and repent of our sin.
Christ Jesus’ first words of His earthly ministry are, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Mt.4.17) His last words are, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts1.8) I am a Christian, and I confess that faith is a gift of the Holy Spirit, to equip and empower me to testify to Christ and what He has done.
ProudToSayImFromGA
February 15th, 2013
4:43 pm
to everyone posting about religion and education in GA and inferring that we’re nothing but rednecks: Do all the normal folks in GA a huge favor and stay inside I-285.. or better yet go to san francisco. Delta is ready when you are.
Sincerely,
A Proud Georgian
Buzz
February 15th, 2013
4:51 pm
I attribute this to the large number of Northerners that have invaded our fair city.
BILLY MAYS HERE
February 15th, 2013
4:58 pm
ProudToSayImFromGA
February 15th, 2013
4:43 pm
…Delta is ready when you are.
This was first coined by the terminally bigoted Lewis Grizzard back in the 80s, please stop saying it. Wasn’t funny then or now.
war eagle
February 15th, 2013
4:59 pm
How’s that job hunting going? not so good huh? And how’s that Obama vote working for ya? Oh yeah, Gas was $175 When he took office and now it is $3.67 a gallon, he wants us to be more like Europe-$6 a gallon gas, and didn’t he says under his administration, electricity rates would skyrocket? you all don’t listen well do ya?The black man in the white house experiment went terribly wrong. Remember that. Oh, and remember, y’all didn’t like the idea of a woman president either- so no voting for Hillary.
Caveman73
February 15th, 2013
5:07 pm
STFU “war eagle” your ignorance pollutes us all.
Caveman73
February 15th, 2013
5:10 pm
Oh and as far as the “Delta is ready when you are.” BS… Come bring it to a true Yankee, a true patriot! You simple minded twits that boast that crap are weak willed, racist separatist!
News flash to ALL you Southerners that fly that rebel flag… You lost! Get over it.
Corbin Sharpe. I think, therefore I am...I think
February 15th, 2013
5:13 pm
war eagle
February 15th, 2013
4:59 pm
Please tell me how all of that is Obama’s fault? How can he regulate gas prices? How can he make businesses hire more people? I think maybe you should put your bigotry aside before you make yourself look really foolish
Maybe you should make a copy of this and put where you will see it all the time…
http://cheezburger.com/7051670272
m
February 15th, 2013
5:39 pm
Just remember “Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess”, that Jesus is Lord. Do it this side of the grave, Heaven, other side of the grave, it’s Hell.
mt
February 15th, 2013
5:44 pm
How can he regulate gas prices?
Don’t think the president of the US can’t wheel and deal with the gas people.
It don’t take a rocket scientist to know that Obama wants high priced gas.
M
February 15th, 2013
5:59 pm
Personally, I don’t see how anyone could be into human sacrifice and ritualized cannibalism.
UGA ECONOMICS MAJOR
February 15th, 2013
5:59 pm
HOW CAN SOUTHERN STATES CLAIM TO BE SO RELIGIOUS WHEN THE HAVE SUCH DEEP HATE IN THIER HEARTS FOR BLACKS,LATINO,S,GAYS AND THE POOR..AND FOR THE PRESIDENT OF THESE UNITED STATES…HATE HURTS THE HATER MORE SO THEN THE HATED…CORRETTA SCOTT KING…
Hughie Hogg
February 15th, 2013
6:03 pm
You could tell the holy rollers have lost some of their death grip on Georgia by their relatively weak resistance to the Sunday sales push. We’ll see how much clout they have left when the marijuana legalization debate gets here – it’s coming.
Caveman73
February 15th, 2013
6:51 pm
m, Care to back up your claim with evidence?
Kimberly-Hogan
February 15th, 2013
7:05 pm
That’s Hogwash..I was raised there..They Love Christ..
Most Religious States - US Message Board - Political Discussion Forum
February 15th, 2013
7:08 pm
[...] Religious States Gallup: Georgia 7th most religious state | News To Me with George Mathis Mississippi is the most religious state and VT the least. I would have expected CA to be the [...]
Tom
February 15th, 2013
7:13 pm
“And the day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the supreme being as his father in the womb of a virgin will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter.” – Thomas Jefferson
Caveman73
February 15th, 2013
7:19 pm
One can only hope Tom…. Sooner than later would be good.
DLink
February 15th, 2013
9:38 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-RGN21TSGk
I made no promises.
Atlantaphotog
February 15th, 2013
11:59 pm
Yeah, I’m also noticing that the states that are on top of the religion list are also on top of a few other lists, too: The lowest school test scores… highest teen pregnancy rates….. highest rates of illiteracy among adults…. highest hate crime rates…..
Wow. Gotta love that religion, huh? I’m thinking Vermont might see some new residents once this list gets out more!
Miss Phyllis D. Wallace
February 16th, 2013
8:28 am
I would like to see the survey design, questions asked and a summary of the statistics gathered. It is difficult to understand the results without this information.
Mike
February 16th, 2013
8:32 am
Religiosity declines in direct correlation with prosperity. Thus, irreligious Europe, which is not only prosperous, but where prosperity and material benefits are much more widely distributed.
The most religious states also have the most economic disparity. Education correlates to irreligiosity, but only because educational opportunity is an indicator (and instigator) of material prosperity. Religious people aren’t stupid; they’re stressed, and turn to god(s) for psychological succor.
Progressive Humanist
February 16th, 2013
9:12 am
No, I’d say that generally speaking religious people are indeed stupid. They have allowed themselves to be indoctrinated into living a cult existence based on a truly foolish assumption en lieu of any evidence whatsoever- that an invisible, omnipotent, omniscient, magical primate-like creature who existed before space, time, energy, and matter thought the universe into existence using his powers of mental telepathy via a brain that functioned without space, time, energy, or matter. That’s just stupidity.
Progressive Humanist
February 16th, 2013
9:29 am
burntgrassroot @4:36 is an example of someone so delusional he has apparently lost all touch with reality. The question is whether religion has been a primary cause of his delusions, or instead, that he was weak minded prior to his indoctrination and was predisposed and susceptible to a cult mentality and/or addiction. My professional opinion is that a lack of adequate education and a rejection of advanced cognition in the home early in life makes one more susceptible later in life to embrace illogical, childish fantasies.
Progressive Humanist
February 16th, 2013
9:43 am
For those suggesting that there is no correlation between intelligence and education, I would argue that your assertion is evidence of a lack of education on your part. But I’ll humor you and request that you define intelligence as you understand it. Certainly intelligence encompasses more than the verbal and quantitative constructs measured on an IQ test, but IQ is commonly thought of as the most general indicator of intelligence. And what does IQ most strongly predict? It is a strong indicator of how well an individual will perform academically and how far they will advance in their education (which is really what it was originally intended for). So if we are using IQ as the measure of intelligence, then there is actually a very strong positive correlation between intelligence and education.
The results of a number of recent studies show a negative correlation between IQ and religious thinking. That means the more religious a person tends to be the more likely they are to have a low IQ, and the less religious a person tends to be the more likely they are to have a high IQ. And since IQ and education level correlate so strongly, this is why states with high levels of education tend to be the least religious and states with low levels of education tend to be the most religious.
Thems the facts, Neanderthals.
NO God but there is humor
February 16th, 2013
3:58 pm
I am a great example of how education and experience can lead to lack of faith. I was raised in an extreme North Georgia small community (county barely had 8,000 folks even though its around 30,000 today). I was raised very religiously. Went to Abac as a Wildlife major but did not finish…went into Marines instead. Met lots of people from around the nation. Realized blacks were regular folk!!! First revelation. Traveled the globe! Realized Muslims are regular folk! 2nd revelation. Began to study world religions and realized all the different ways people have used to come up with faiths and indeed how Abraham incorporated his experiences into what became the Old Testament. Epic of Gilgamesh, Hammurabi’s code of laws, influences from Zoroastrianism (first monotheistic religion but not the same God as the Judaic based faiths). And it is simply impossible to believe the tale of Christianity. Pope’s and higher up Cardinals chose the books of the modern bible thus it is not God’s words but the words that a pope wanted the masses to hear. Why not include the Book of Judas? Why not the Book of Mary? They both exist but are not in the New Testament because some powerful white Italian said to leave them out. Modern religion leads to intolerance, racism (many still insist those with African ancestry are the lost tribe of Ham…idiocy), and many other problems that aid in preventing the progress of humanity.
TimeBad
February 18th, 2013
5:29 am
All of you religion haters are so funny. You talk about how religious people are full of hate, but all I see are all of you talking about how stupid the south is. That’s really unbiased and loving of you all.
rooster
February 19th, 2013
12:17 am
If you examine the chart, you will find a strong correlation between greater religiosity and larger black populations. 8 of the 9 most religious states (the 9th being Mormom Utah) are in the top 11 states in black percentage of population. The smallest black share of population in those 8 states is 15%. Georgia’s is 30%. On the other hand, the 10 least religious states have some of the smallest black population shares. The largest black population share among those states is 10%. The rest are below 7% Now, I don’t think anyone disputes that African-Americans are more religious and more likely to attend church regularly than the population as a whole. There’s a close fit – not perfect, but close – between the “religiosity” of states and the percentages of their populations which are black. This is probably the variable which, if controlled for, would reduce differences among states by the most. Of course there would still be some difference, as southern (and midwestern) whites are surely somewhat more religious on average than northeast and west coast whites.
Speaking of religion and its influence on society, it’s interesting that Atlanta has no analog to the Catholic archbishops of large northern cities, or to the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dallas,Texas, who can be sure of making local news with any pronouncement they may care to issue. Archbishops in New York and Chicago have openly used their ease of access to local media to intimidate Catholic candidates and voters. The pastor at Dallas First Baptist knows any endorsement he makes will be played as big news in the north Texas media. This has been the case for many years, at least as far back as W. A. Criswell in the ’70’s. There simply is no such person in Atlanta – no single religious figure with that kind of clout. No one who can make a phone call on Monday and be on the front page on Tuesday. And hasn’t been for many years.
From the Capitol area up Peachtree inside the city, there are 4 Methodist, 3 Catholic, 3 Presbyterian, 2 Episcopal churches, 1 Lutheran, 1 Baptist and 1 Chrisitian church, and 1 synagogue. Significant and beautiful buildings one and all. But for most Atlantans, their influence is just that – being great visual elements on the city’s iconic street. The best known event sponsored by any church in the area is probably the Greek Festival at Annnunciation Orthodox Church on Clairmont, an annual affair loved mostly for the great food. The largest Hindu temple on the planet outside of India is in Lilburn. I bet more Atlantans know that than can tell you who the pastor of any church is. And while the First Baptist Church of Atlanta is behind a screen of trees, on the wrong side of 285, in a converted warehouse, its lack of visual impact exactly matching its lack of influence, First Baptist of Dallas is a major downtown institution, like the chamber of commerce. Now, Dallas-Ft.Worth is pretty much what you’d have if Shreveport or Tupelo suddenly had 6 million people and the ugliest architecture this side of Dubai. So a Baptist preacher having as much entree to the media as a citywide elected official isn’t so surprising. But the influence wielded by archbishops in breathlessly sophisticated places like New York, Chicago, and Boston, whether it is to harass pro-choice candidates, get shock-jocks fired over one girl-boy sexual indiscretion in one pew at the back of one church, or cover up hundreds of priest-boy sexual assaults in the cloak rooms of dozens of churches – that kind of influence and impunity can only exist because a sufficient segment of those communities is afraid to challenge it, and because local media up to and including the Grey Lady acquiesce in and enable it. Just some points to ponder before deciding who you’re gonna call stupid.
rooster
February 19th, 2013
4:41 pm
Oops. Forgot the Christian Science Church at Peachtree and 15th. Sorry.