Your neighbourhood's religions

I was just having an Easter Sunday cup of tea with the local 'community chief' and there was data from 2012 on his wall about the little sub-sub-district that is his civic domain:

Budha [Buddhist]........2
Hindu [Hindu]..............5
Islam [Muslim].........223
Katolik [Catholic].......73
Kristen [Protestant]..33

If there are any atheists in my neighbourhood, they did not declare themselves as such, it being a not particularly wise thing to do ~ in part because it is not something that has clear constitutional protection (as yet).

So then. As a matter of interest, wherever you are in the world [I am in a city of about 2 million people in Java, Indonesia], have a think about the 350 or so people that live nearest to you.

What would be the breakdown of adherents to the various religions in your "neighbourhood"?

Originally posted by FMF
I was just having an Easter Sunday cup of tea with the local 'community chief' and there was data from 2012 on his wall about the little sub-sub-district that is his civic domain:

Budha [Buddhist]........2
Hindu [Hindu]..............5
Islam [Muslim].........223
Katolik [Catholic].......73
Kristen [Protestant]..33

If there are any atheists in my neighbo ...[text shortened]...
What would be the breakdown of adherents to the various religions in your "neighbourhood"?

christian or nothing.

My German neighbour is out and out atheist but I suspect most don't care enough to even declare that.

Originally posted by karoly aczel
christian or nothing.

My German neighbour is out and out atheist but I suspect most don't care enough to even declare that.

"christian or nothing"

What would be the breakdown do you reckon?

"most don't care enough to even declare that"

It's on citizens' identity cards here and people don't leave it blank because that is not one of the options.

Originally posted by FMF
"christian or nothing"

What would be the breakdown do you reckon?

"most don't care enough to even declare that"

It's on citizens' identity cards here and people don't leave it blank because that is not one of the options.

A muslim lady gave me a pair of shoes the other day busking. She was nice, but reminded me how quiet and non-existent the Muslim community seemed.

I would really be guessing at the breakdown, so I'll decline.

Originally posted by karoly aczel
I would really be guessing at the breakdown, so I'll decline.

"christian or nothing"

So there aren't many immigrants in your locale from places like Vietnam, Korea, Balkans, north east Africa?

When I was in Perth I lived in two places, one was seemingly "christian or nothing" and the other was relatively 'multi-cultural'.

Originally posted by FMF
"christian or nothing"

So there aren't many immigrants in your locale from places like Vietnam, Korea, Balkans, north east Africa?

When I was in Perth I lived in two places, one was seemingly "christian or nothing" and the other was relatively 'multi-cultural'.

The other capitals in Australia are way more forthright. And I'm on the pereripheries of the city, so it's pretty much redneck rule.

Cars and tattoo's seem to be much more religious than any popular faiths.

Originally posted by FMF
What would be the breakdown of adherents to the various religions in your "neighbourhood"?

Oddly enough Wikipedia has lots of stats, but not religion on my neighbourhood:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinelands,_Cape_Town

It does list 8 Christian Churches for different denominations.

I would guess that the area is predominantly Christian with some members of just about all religions.
Cape Town as a whole is probably about 1/3 Christian, 1/3 Muslim, 1/3 Other, where Other includes Hinduism, atheists, as fairly large groups.
One of my neighbours is Hindu.

Originally posted by twhitehead
Oddly enough Wikipedia has lots of stats, but not religion on my neighbourhood:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinelands,_Cape_Town

It does list 8 Christian Churches for different denominations.

I would guess that the area is predominantly Christian with some members of just about all religions.
Cape Town as a whole is probably about 1/3 Christian, ...[text shortened]... where Other includes Hinduism, atheists, as fairly large groups.
One of my neighbours is Hindu.

If my older brother went into hospital
and he had to sign a consent form,
he would put Manchester United down
as his religion.

Originally posted by FMF
I was just having an Easter Sunday cup of tea with the local 'community chief' and there was data from 2012 on his wall about the little sub-sub-district that is his civic domain:

Budha [Buddhist]........2
Hindu [Hindu]..............5
Islam [Muslim].........223
Katolik [Catholic].......73
Kristen [Protestant]..33

If there are any atheists in my neighbo ...[text shortened]...
What would be the breakdown of adherents to the various religions in your "neighbourhood"?

Just to report -- My "neighborhood" consists of 27 townhomes separated from other neighborhoods by streets and a national park we adjoin. I know some of the families quite well, with up to about 28 years of acquaintance -- the age of the development. I don't know the religious affiliation, if any, of any of them. We used to have one Mormon family who was active in their nearby church; the husband was a honcho in it and they did missionary work. Some people, maybe a half dozen, put up non-religious Christmas lights. I think it is typical of northern Californians not to know your neighbor's religious leanings, unless you are in an ethnically concentrated neighborhood.

1 Universal Sufi (me)
1 Dudist (lives in the same household as above)

Everyone else saved by the blood of one lamb...

This is Texas...

Originally posted by hakima
1 Universal Sufi (me)
1 Dudist (lives in the same household as above)

Everyone else saved by the blood of one lamb...

This is Texas...

I'm a born again chocoholic

Originally posted by johnnylongwoody
I'm a born again chocoholic

I could convert to that religion!

Originally posted by FMF
I was just having an Easter Sunday cup of tea with the local 'community chief' and there was data from 2012 on his wall about the little sub-sub-district that is his civic domain:

Budha [Buddhist]........2
Hindu [Hindu]..............5
Islam [Muslim].........223
Katolik [Catholic].......73
Kristen [Protestant]..33

If there are any atheists in my neighbo ...[text shortened]...
What would be the breakdown of adherents to the various religions in your "neighbourhood"?

If there are any atheists in my neighbourhood, they did not declare themselves as such, it being a not particularly wise thing to do ~ in part because it is not something that has clear constitutional protection (as yet).

Hi FMF,

I could be wrong here so that is why I am asking. I know you said you used to be Christian, does that mean you are now atheist? If so do you declare it openly in your neighborhood? From your post it sounds like this is a dangerous thing to do in your community. Why is that so?

In my community most people don't openly talk about their religion. I'm not sure how the percentages would break down. I will have to do a little digging and see what I can come up with.

Thanks

Originally posted by boonon
I know you said you used to be Christian, does that mean you are now atheist? If so do you declare it openly in your neighborhood? From your post it sounds like this is a dangerous thing to do in your community. Why is that so?

My family is counted as Catholic; so that's 4 out of the 73 in the OP. And no, I am not an atheist. Nor am I a religionist. As for the tick-one-of-the-above thing, I am a foreign resident here and do not have a slot for 'religion' on my identity card [in fact technically speaking I do not have the same kind of identity card as my neighbours]. If anyone from the government apparatus ever asks me about my religion, I describe myself as a Catholic. From a "sociological" point of view, I am.

It wouldn't be "a dangerous thing to do" to declare oneself an atheist in my neighborhood - not dangerous danger, not actually dangerous! But it might damage your relations with people. Almost everybody is religious and devout too. What is going on in the head of an atheist just would not compute for most people. They'd conjure up a whole slew of assumptions [and possibly fears] and apply them to a self-declared atheist, even more so a foreigner - although foreigners get a fair bit of leeway.

There was an atheist [in Sumatera] put in gaol last year, infamously, after declaring it on Facebook. I think the charge is 'blasphemy'. This resulted from religionists in local government office flexing their muscles and seeking to raise their profile with their constituents. [A bit like the ban on sitting astride a motorbike thing in that north Sumateran town]. I imagine it will be overturned. There's not much sympathy - and certainly almost zero empathy - for a person with an atheist mind map in this culture.

Very interesting stuff, thank you.

The part about an atheistic mind set being foreign to their culture is something I had not thought of. A new concept for me 'if you will'.