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As a Canadian who spends a considerable amount of time travelling to the US, the difference is fairly striking. Religion enters almost every conversation I hav

As a Canadian who spends a considerable amount of time travelling to the US, the difference is fairly striking. Religion enters almost every conversation I have in the US in some way. Whereas in Canada, religion almost never comes up. If it does, it's generally a discussion on the merits where I'm talking more about history and culture. It's fascinating how two places, so geographically close can be so culturally different in this one topic.

anm89 4y ago
I feel like you might be reversing the causality a bit and bringing religion into things because of that perception. I can't remember the last time I discussed religion with anybody in public as an American. Admittedly I live in a bubble that means that I'm not interacting with any fundamentalists or evangelicals but if you are coming from Canada you are probably in that some bubble.
- DFHippie 4y ago
  I'm with you. I don't recognize the OP's description of US culture at all in the community where I live. Granted, I'm in Vermont, which is not at all typical, but it is also right next to Canada. I lived in Buffalo, also right next to Canada, and any public conversation about religion was scarce there as well. Perhaps the OP flies regularly to Arkansas?
  - jleyank 4y ago
    Red state/blue state difference applies to religion. So much so that religion drives the politics of red states more so that money or even "them". Although they somehow bend religion to separate Christians into good ones and bad ones just fine.
  - olyjohn 4y ago
    I don't get it either. Half of my family is Canadian. I've crossed the border my whole life... The only thing I can figure, is maybe they come to the US and don't get away from the border cities? They tend to be small and quite rural. I feel like those kinds of towns tend to be a bit more religious.
  - pokey00 4y ago
    Also from Buffalo, same experience- someone bringing up religion in conversation would be odd. Would be really weird if they start talking about their relationship with God, praying, etc. Not that there's any problem with this stuff, but for me (and how I was raised), it's a private matter. I've been away from Buffalo for maybe 15 years now and everywhere I've been outside of the north east, people will somehow work church and God into conversations. And for them, there's nothing odd about it... they just kind of assume I'm on board and it's not weird at all. I'm used to it at this point, but it used to be uncomfortable. My anecdotal conclusion is that the "religion is a private matter" mentality might just be local to the northeast US.
Lamad123 4y ago
I lived many years in the US and almost nobody ever asked me about my religion or initiated a conversation about it.. I shared an apartment with a Canadian who used to ask me constantly about religion and how I prayed and when I prayed.. It was almost annoying!
procgen 4y ago
> Religion enters almost every conversation I have in the US in some way. I'm an American and this is very surprising to me. In fact, I find it difficult to believe. Can you give some examples?
- Pasorrijer 4y ago
  Yep! Now, I've primarily been travelling to Texas, Kentucky and Ohio. But things like most people mention bible study, it's assumed you're going to church on Sunday, more religious aphorisms and sayings. Primarily, most of my interactions with clients are on a blue collar level, although an affluent blue collar level. Not sure if that changes the circle a number of HN readers might be in? I also might notice it more because I specifically try to avoid religion in any conversation, it's a topic that really has no upside to talk about with clients.
  - ketzo 4y ago
    I mean -- you've been in three of the most religious states in the U.S., and you're interacting w blue collar workers. There is a fairly tremendous sampling bias. But I agree that very religious Americans do manage to work their religion into conversations in which you just wouldn't think it would come up.
    - whymauri 4y ago
      I mean, 30-35% of the country is still evangelical and evangelicals love talking about religion. You could randomly choose a state and the GP's experience is probably true. Texas, Kentucky, and Ohio... but in my experience Arkansas and parts of Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia are actually more religious than those three. Admittedly, a lot of my travel has been through rural areas -- but still, 30-35%! In Boston I could go half a decade without a stranger bringing up religion unprompted. But in Arkansas, nearly every conversation was loosely tied to religion. And it was in my best interest to pretend I was still Pentecostal to get by.
    - Barrin92 4y ago
      >you've been in three of the most religious states in the U.S., and you're interacting w blue collar workers. you're saying that like they went to Arrakis and interacted with the Fremen lol. Blue collar red state workers are what a lot of the US looks like. Two thirds of Americans do not have a university degree.
caiob 4y ago
dudul 4y ago
I've lived in the US for the past 12 years. I never had a conversation about religion. Do you remember the context when it came up for you?
Brian_K_White 4y ago
It has to be somehow ultimately the result of one of our main origin stories about the first settlers arriving here to escape religious persecution. That image of poor harmless persecuted victims huddling in their homes with no candles lit so that no one knows they are having a prayer meeting or else they'll be killed for the crime of praying is taught to everyone in gradeschool, in the public, government run, non-elective schools to everyone, and so freedom of religion ends up getting way over-reaction enshrined. Like freedom of religion is itself a religion in the sense that you mindlessly quote the scripture but don't actually think about what it means or do what it says, but do bend it to serve whatever want. And the tendency of the more intellectual to forgive and tolerate stupidity in the name of freedom and freedom of speech just amplifies that.
- sofixa 4y ago
  And don't the same schools make you pledge some words including a deity daily?
  - Brian_K_White 4y ago
    Yep. Well they did in the 80s but since then I think there are a growing but still tiny number of exceptions. And the money still has a god on it, and courts use a bible in the ceremony for giving testimony in trials, and laws about limiting vices (alcohol) on Sundays are almost universal...

anm89 4y ago

I feel like you might be reversing the causality a bit and bringing religion into things because of that perception. I can't remember the last time I discussed religion with anybody in public as an American. Admittedly I live in a bubble that means that I'm not interacting with any fundamentalists or evangelicals but if you are coming from Canada you are probably in that some bubble.

DFHippie 4y ago
I'm with you. I don't recognize the OP's description of US culture at all in the community where I live. Granted, I'm in Vermont, which is not at all typical, but it is also right next to Canada. I lived in Buffalo, also right next to Canada, and any public conversation about religion was scarce there as well. Perhaps the OP flies regularly to Arkansas?
- jleyank 4y ago
  Red state/blue state difference applies to religion. So much so that religion drives the politics of red states more so that money or even "them". Although they somehow bend religion to separate Christians into good ones and bad ones just fine.
- olyjohn 4y ago
  I don't get it either. Half of my family is Canadian. I've crossed the border my whole life... The only thing I can figure, is maybe they come to the US and don't get away from the border cities? They tend to be small and quite rural. I feel like those kinds of towns tend to be a bit more religious.
- pokey00 4y ago
  Also from Buffalo, same experience- someone bringing up religion in conversation would be odd. Would be really weird if they start talking about their relationship with God, praying, etc. Not that there's any problem with this stuff, but for me (and how I was raised), it's a private matter. I've been away from Buffalo for maybe 15 years now and everywhere I've been outside of the north east, people will somehow work church and God into conversations. And for them, there's nothing odd about it... they just kind of assume I'm on board and it's not weird at all. I'm used to it at this point, but it used to be uncomfortable. My anecdotal conclusion is that the "religion is a private matter" mentality might just be local to the northeast US.

Lamad123 4y ago

I lived many years in the US and almost nobody ever asked me about my religion or initiated a conversation about it.. I shared an apartment with a Canadian who used to ask me constantly about religion and how I prayed and when I prayed.. It was almost annoying!

procgen 4y ago

> Religion enters almost every conversation I have in the US in some way. I'm an American and this is very surprising to me. In fact, I find it difficult to believe. Can you give some examples?

Pasorrijer 4y ago
Yep! Now, I've primarily been travelling to Texas, Kentucky and Ohio. But things like most people mention bible study, it's assumed you're going to church on Sunday, more religious aphorisms and sayings. Primarily, most of my interactions with clients are on a blue collar level, although an affluent blue collar level. Not sure if that changes the circle a number of HN readers might be in? I also might notice it more because I specifically try to avoid religion in any conversation, it's a topic that really has no upside to talk about with clients.
- ketzo 4y ago
  I mean -- you've been in three of the most religious states in the U.S., and you're interacting w blue collar workers. There is a fairly tremendous sampling bias. But I agree that very religious Americans do manage to work their religion into conversations in which you just wouldn't think it would come up.
  - whymauri 4y ago
    I mean, 30-35% of the country is still evangelical and evangelicals love talking about religion. You could randomly choose a state and the GP's experience is probably true. Texas, Kentucky, and Ohio... but in my experience Arkansas and parts of Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia are actually more religious than those three. Admittedly, a lot of my travel has been through rural areas -- but still, 30-35%! In Boston I could go half a decade without a stranger bringing up religion unprompted. But in Arkansas, nearly every conversation was loosely tied to religion. And it was in my best interest to pretend I was still Pentecostal to get by.
  - Barrin92 4y ago
    >you've been in three of the most religious states in the U.S., and you're interacting w blue collar workers. you're saying that like they went to Arrakis and interacted with the Fremen lol. Blue collar red state workers are what a lot of the US looks like. Two thirds of Americans do not have a university degree.

caiob 4y ago

dudul 4y ago

I've lived in the US for the past 12 years. I never had a conversation about religion. Do you remember the context when it came up for you?

Brian_K_White 4y ago

It has to be somehow ultimately the result of one of our main origin stories about the first settlers arriving here to escape religious persecution. That image of poor harmless persecuted victims huddling in their homes with no candles lit so that no one knows they are having a prayer meeting or else they'll be killed for the crime of praying is taught to everyone in gradeschool, in the public, government run, non-elective schools to everyone, and so freedom of religion ends up getting way over-reaction enshrined. Like freedom of religion is itself a religion in the sense that you mindlessly quote the scripture but don't actually think about what it means or do what it says, but do bend it to serve whatever want. And the tendency of the more intellectual to forgive and tolerate stupidity in the name of freedom and freedom of speech just amplifies that.

sofixa 4y ago
And don't the same schools make you pledge some words including a deity daily?
- Brian_K_White 4y ago
  Yep. Well they did in the 80s but since then I think there are a growing but still tiny number of exceptions. And the money still has a god on it, and courts use a bible in the ceremony for giving testimony in trials, and laws about limiting vices (alcohol) on Sundays are almost universal...