Do you sometimes get the feeling that church and state are a little too interconnected in America these days? Organized religion isn’t for everybody, and its getting harder to know where the Bible-belt begins and ends in this country. If you’re planning your next getaway or a new place to call home, maybe you should consider a less “churchy” location, somewhere where odds are your neighbor won’t be so preachy, a location with clearer roads on a bright Sunday morning. The Barna Group does an annual survey of the nations top 100 media markets and compiles a list of Most (and Least) Bible-Minded Cities. The group defines “Bible-minded” as people who read the Bible in a typical week and if they believe the Bible is “accurate in the principles it teaches.” The following places just aren’t that into that. So here are the United State’s amoral hotspots, the capitals of sin – or just level-headed towns where good people focus on issues beyond an outdated 2000-year-old book.
15. Portland, ME
Historically Beautiful, But Not Historically Religious
It doesn’t get much more idyllic than a stroll through the historic parts of Portland, Maine. Not only is there plenty of beautiful history, but the state’s biggest city is also home to a vibrant nightlife. Just don’t expect to hit up a church on Sunday morning to repent for Saturday night’s sins, because this city isn’t that kind of place. Only 19 percent of the population are deemed “Bible-minded.”
14. Washington, DC
The City Occupied by Bloated Bureaucrats
What’s mostly surprising about Washington DC’s inclusion on this list is how low it is. It didn’t even beat New York. Considering that the entire city is occupied by a bunch of bloated bureaucrats who love to talk God while legislating in favor of themselves, it’s very surprising that DC is so low here. Bible-minded folks make up about 18 percent of the population here.
13. Madison, WI
Just 18 % of Locals Follow the Good Book
You have to blame this one on those silly upstart kids occupying the University for nine months out of the year. Apart from them and a whole lot of state employees — the state of Wisconsin is Madison’s largest employer — there’s really not a whole lot in Wisconsin, so blame this one on some eighteen-year-olds reading Sartre for the first time. The survey found just 18 percent of the locals as Bible-minded.
