I live in Massachusetts, where basically, religion just doesn't come up in public discussion. Sure, there are as many churches as anywhere else in the United States (which is actually a rather lot of them. I didn't realize this was unusual until a friend of mine from AUS visited me in FL and it was the first thing he commented on), but it just generally doesn't come up in public. One person I met at a bus stop - somehow we got into a discussion on spirituality (not religion) - and it carried over onto the bus. As soon as we started talking onthe bus though - everybody else suddenly got really quiet. The driver, who normally talks to me, would barely say a word to me for weeks after.

I guess there is an unwritten rule that we just do not discuss religion or spiritual matters in public here.

I still remember what it used to mean to be a Republican. How many Republican politicians would have the courage to say today what the Republican Senator from Arizona, Barry Goldwater, said?

"I'm frankly sick and tired of the political preachers across this country telling me as a citizen that if I want to be a moral person, I must believe in 'A,' 'B,' 'C' and 'D.' Just who do they think they are? And from where do they presume to claim the right to dictate their moral beliefs to me?
And I am even more angry as a legislator who must endure the threats of every religious group who thinks it has some God-granted right to control my vote on every roll call in the Senate. I am warning them today: I will fight them every step of the way if they try to dictate their moral convictions to all Americans in the name of conservatism.'"

"Mark my word, if and when these preachers get control of the [Republican] party, and they're sure trying to do so, it's going to be a terrible damn problem. Frankly, these people frighten me. Politics and governing demand compromise. But these Christians believe they are acting in the name of God, so they can't and won't compromise. I know, I've tried to deal with them."

When I passed through Philladelphia PA I stopped for breakfast at an IHOP or the like. I got into a conversation with a conservative at the next table. We were in the midst of a friendly discussion when the waiter came over and said that he had been asked to shut us up. Turned out the person making the demand was a conservative. But he wasn't trying to hush me. He was trying to hush the conservative who was honest enough to concur with several of my points. Apparently the complainer couldn't handle it. I was stunned!

I live in a very rural Republican and zealously religious county in my state and I don't dare reveal my true beliefs. Maybe when I get out of here I can tell them what I think but not as long as I live alone down here.

I am in Nebraska a very conservative state. I haven't had anyone make an issue of relgion and as I am not the most social of people it hasn't been an issue. I don't talk religion at work, off work I socialize with family and friends from my Humanist meet up group.

My thoughts on this matter are covered by the president of American Atheists, David Silverman

It depends. New York is blue, but mainly because of New York City and a few other small urban areas like Ithaca; geographically most of the state is actually red. Philadelphia would be a similar island of blue in a pretty quintiseentially red state; I've heard it said, rural Pennsylvania is like the Alabama of the north.

I live in a very liberal enclave and so if anything I'm probably not quite liberal enough to pass all the local shibboleths -- and I'm pretty liberal. I voted for Bernie.

Not an issue in NH

I live in Southwest Georgia, I'm a moderate, and a centrist. I don't hide that, or my
atheism. I may be in the minority, but I see no reason to conceal anything.
Shunning me really isn't an option. I mean, sure, people can try, but I'm not
that easy to ignore. I'm not afraid of anyone.

I am so lucky to live in Australia. Hardly anybody cares.

The more people that are honest the quicker change will happen