1. Portland
Percentage of Unaffiliated: 42%
The city that is least religious due to a high percentage of unaffiliated is Portland. Almost half of their population is declared unaffiliated and the difference between Portland and the next city is a large 9%. It is said that Portland isn’t the only city like this in Oregon but most cities and areas of the state as well.
One of the main reasons why a lack of affiliation is popular in today’s society is because a lot of religious groups often associate and adhere to beliefs and practices that often don’t feel right for people. Often times, people search for spirituality and go to church in search of answers for their problems. When the institution they attend, however, discourages or gives them guilt, they then find themselves not wanting to attend other ones as well.
This is not of course considering the fact that there are some people who genuinely believe in being agnostic or atheist. The real sad thing about all of this is that people are more concerned about debating each of their beliefs than just getting along and respecting each others’ views. People will discover and set their heart and mind on something on their own terms. If history’s any indication, you cannot change people’s minds by convincing or debating with them. You must let them come on their own terms to accept what they want to accept.
This has been the 20 least religious cities in the United States. Whether that’s good or bad is up to you.
