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Goodbye Jesus

Best Cities For Atheist/agnostic


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My husband and I are wanting to move when our oldest graduates in a few years. Where we live now, everyone is a Christian. I can not tell you the last time I had a conversation that didn't include someone telling me to 'just trust God'. Everything here revolves around God so even when I try to find other local groups to be a part of, there he is in every conversation. I often find myself reading the bible looking for anything that would lead me to believe just so we could have our old life back, but all it does it lead me back to demon filled nightmares. I know that it can't be like this everywhere. For reference, we live in Alabama.

 

So, where do you live, have lived, or visited that doesn't revolve around God? Right now we are looking in USA, but also a little interested in other countries. A few other things we would love in a new town include maybe land, outdoor activities (I run), artsy is a plus, not to hot, great for raising kids. We have 2.5 years to spend our vacation days and travel nursing looking for a new place to call home.

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Vancouver Washington and the general area is nice. Rains a lot because it is the Pacific NW, but right now we are having a nice summer. There are believers any place you may move, but between here and Portland (just across the river) most people are not believers and don't want to be. There is a lot of live music of various kinds, good arts community, lots of locally grown fresh fruits and veggies, and lots of open space so you can choose between city and country.

 

Portland has the best food for now, but it is getting insanely crowded, has no parking, and the homeless people have multiplied dramatically. Commuting there in the morning can take hours just to go 20 miles. But we still go for breakfast and dinners on the weekends. But in Vancouver, we have a ton of brew pubs, far less people, and even the surrounding cities like Camas are starting to get some nice places to eat also. I deconverted 9 years ago and have only occasionally run into believers at work or JWs going door-to-door. Most people mind their own business and expect the same.

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You're going to have to move to the northeast or West Coast, or leave the USA.

 

Needless to say, anywhere in the South or Midwest is out of the question. Toxic wastelands of fundamentalist madness for thousands of miles. 

 

Madison, Wisconsin might be a choice. It's pretty liberal and home to the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Probably a lot more affordable that the West Coast or Northeast. 

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Many populations on or near the West Coast, particularly many areas of the Pacific Northwest, are less infected with the Christian virus, and similarly for the Northeastern United States.

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Europe is best, but Olympia, WA has an evolution parade every year and that entire region is about as secular as it gets in the US. No one will bother you about religion in the NE either unless you go the rural route. 

 

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It bothers me that Americans in the past couple of decades have taken to associating only with like-minded people. Many conservatives don't even know (and don't want to know) any progressives, and vice versa. I don't like it that just about everybody around here is Christian, but I also wouldn't want to live in a left-wing bastion like Berkeley or Portland. Those places tend to champion diversity in race, gender etc., but don't tolerate diversity of opinions so much.

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It bothers me that Americans in the past couple of decades have taken to associating only with like-minded people. Many conservatives don't even know (and don't want to know) any progressives, and vice versa. I don't like it that just about everybody around here is Christian, but I also wouldn't want to live in a left-wing bastion like Berkeley or Portland. Those places tend to champion diversity in race, gender etc., but don't tolerate diversity of opinions so much.

 

I too think that Americans have been divided and conquered, and while I lean socialist, which is recognized by most as left, I find many of the left's ideas in the areas such as feminism and safe places, etc... as nonsensical as the right's racism and jingoism.

 

All that said, I can see why someone would want to live somewhere where religion isn't crammed down their throats. Refusal to tolerate intolerance isn't intolerant. But if it is, we're all stuck in a Catch 22. 

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The first thing that came to mind and others have mentioned is the pacific NW.

 

I'm stuck in the midwest in a small farming town at the moment. My wife and I try to get out of here as often as possible. In fact we were in Portland OR last weekend. It's so refreshing.

 

From what you've said I think you'd love it.

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"I also wouldn't want to live in a left-wing bastion like Berkeley or Portland. Those places tend to champion diversity in race, gender etc., but don't tolerate diversity of opinions so much."

 

I disagree that there is intolerance of opinions here. It is quite the melting pot in Portland including Trump supporters. So far I haven't seen anyone being hurt over views, except trans-people and gays who occasionally are beaten by intolerant jock types. Mostly, it is a live and let live environment. The little restaurant we go to nearly every Sunday in Portland will have a crowd composed of a large variety of cultures like Ethiopians, Eritreans, various Asians, fat people, skinny, wild-hair punks, trans, gays, and "standard" whites. It is a bustling place and we all eat happily listening to oldies and Sinatra. Out on the street and day to day I only have ever seen conflict when someone like a street preacher wants to cram his views down others throats. Even then he's mostly ignored. We have lots of churches, and we have naked bike rides. The most annoying thing all of us are facing recently are the gigantic rent and housing increases as rich people move in from San Francisco and elsewhere. Traffic jams are every day, especially if one has to cross the bridge between Oregon and Washington. The loss of local culture is happening as buildings and homes are torn down to make room for apartment buildings to house all of the people moving here. There's very little parking, and no increase in parking lots being built. They are trying to force the use of mass transit, and even though it is used, the traffic is horrendous. That is why I suggested Vancouver since it is a lot smaller and more homey, though the housing costs here have risen sharply due to our proximity to Portland.

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Thank you all for your comments. Vancouver sounds lovely, Washington often makes it into the conversation when we talk about moving. I have always wanted to move there so it made me smile when it was the first place mentioned.

 

I understand that Christianity is everywhere and I don't mind religion really. It is just lonely here and we have lost so many friends and connections. It is also hard to teach the kids to be open minded and tolerant when they are thought the opposite everywhere they go. It feels like we are walled in.

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I understand that Christianity is everywhere and I don't mind religion really. It is just lonely here and we have lost so many friends and connections. It is also hard to teach the kids to be open minded and tolerant when they are thought the opposite everywhere they go. It feels like we are walled in.

Well then it sounds like a move is definitely in order. I think just about any sizable city, or any college town, would give you the atmosphere you want in that respect. It then boils down to the climate you like and the cultural and outdoor activities you want to pursue. Good luck! Make sure you let us know what you end up doing, and how it goes for you!

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Article today in the Daily Kos about how Portland, Oregon is becoming an overcrowded, traffic-injested, overinflated real estate hellhole:

 

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/9/10/1568699/-It-Ain-t-Portlandia-And-You-Don-t-Want-To-Move-Here

 

Same thing happened to Austin. Common denominator to both cities: highly liberal and atheistic popular culture. So all the people living in the Bible Belt and Midwest escape to the few liberal cities in the USA to flee fundy madness in their home region. This is of course a "brain drain" from their home region, making those areas even more toxic. 

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I echo those who point to the Pacific Northwet (not a typo). We have extended family in both the Seattle and Portland areas, have spent quite a bit of time there, and would move there in a heartbeat if our immediate family didn't live here. You don't have to live in or even go to central Portland or Seattle. You might look around south of Portland such as Canby and the Aurora area, and the Willamette Valley.

 

My wife's cousin lives in Eureka, CA., which is very liberal (The main economy is the university and the illegal pot grows. Seriously.) It has a very consistent climate re. temperature, albeit with lots of fog and rain.

 

But most anywhere on the west coast will be tolerable in the Jesus department.

 

We have some quite liberal friends who have moved to Quito, Ecuador, where many American retired folks have gone for the low cost of living.

 

And if I was 30, I'd emigrate to New Zealand and wouldn't look back. The country is at least 50 percent non-religious, the people are friendly and have a laid-back attitude, the government works, roads are great, we saw no graffiti, and almost no litter. A study of homelessness was done and in the city of Auckland they found a total of 60 people. The incarceration rate is about 1/10 of here, and the homicide rate is .9 compared to a U.S. rate of 3.9 (per 100k people). The cops don't carry guns and they have reasonable gun control laws. The air is clean, there's plenty of water, the climate moderate, the scenery is fabulous, and the national parks are excellent and well maintained. Personal liability lawsuits are not allowed, and they don't waste their national treasure on foreign wars.

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...

Berkeley or Portland ... tend to champion diversity in race, gender etc., but don't tolerate diversity of opinions so much.

 

 

Funny, I've lived in Portland, OR for nearly 30 years.  I haven't noticed much lack of tolerance for different opinions.  There is some, of course.

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I find the midwest quite tolerable to be honest but im white straight and not all that interested in advocating for atheism or humanism.

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...

Berkeley or Portland ... tend to champion diversity in race, gender etc., but don't tolerate diversity of opinions so much.

 

Funny, I've lived in Portland, OR for nearly 30 years. I haven't noticed much lack of tolerance for different opinions. There is some, of course.

I shouldn't have generalized about a whole city the size of Portland. My comment might have been more applicable to many universities these days...

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Seattle, Portland, Eugene... don't come to Salem though. Too many fundie whackjobs here. We're the capital, and an old city, so it makes sense. Go to the younger, more progressive ones!

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Ah yes, Salem. Near Willamette University is a church with a picture of what I call the Holstein Jesus, a reverse image of his face painted on the wall so if you stare at it and then close your eyes, he haunts your mind.

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Jönköping, a.k.a. "The Jerusalem of Sweden" (=the "Capital" of our Bible Belt) is probably less of a pain in the ass than some of your "secular" cities. No one gives a damn about religion around here. If I lived in the States, I'd probably go for the Pacific North-West, so... Portland or Seattle.

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I know an atheist in Alabama, not sure what part of the state. If you send me a pm, I'll pass the message on to this person so they can contact you if they wish.

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Come to Nevada! It's sunny, it's dry. No state income tax! People rarely talk jesus to me.

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Come to Nevada! It's sunny, it's dry. No state income tax! People rarely talk jesus to me.

 

I love Nevada.  Vegas is one of my favorite cities, I will probably move there if/when I can ever retire.  Sun, food, casinos, reasonable cost of living.  What's to not like?

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