{"id":10386,"date":"2012-09-26T11:31:26","date_gmt":"2012-09-26T18:31:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/wildhunt\/?p=10386"},"modified":"2012-09-26T11:31:26","modified_gmt":"2012-09-26T18:31:26","slug":"checking-in-on-the-cascadian-nones-vote","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/wildhunt\/2012\/09\/checking-in-on-the-cascadian-nones-vote.html","title":{"rendered":"Checking in on the Cascadian Nones Vote"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Back in June I wrote about how a initiative in Washington state on the issue of same-sex marriage could see the first real test of a post-Christian majority at the ballot box<\/a>. More than half of Washington\u2019s citizens don\u2019t belong to any formal religion, becoming part of the demographic known as \u201cnones,\u201d and these \u201cunchurched\u201d have increasingly gotten more and more attention as their numbers swell<\/a>. In addition, nones in the Pacific Northwest have their own special character according\u00a0to the authors of\u00a0\u201cCascadia: The Elusive Utopia,\u201d<\/a>\u00a0they are\u00a0\u201ceclectically, informally, often deeply \u2018spiritual.\u2019\u201d\u00a0<\/em>Specifically,\u00a0New Age and nature-oriented spirituality loom large among \u201cnones\u201d here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cAccording to the just-published \u201cCascadia: the Elusive Utopia.\u201d \u2026\u00a0a lot of these \u201cnones\u201d in the Pacific Northwest are actually very spiritual, walking a path of their own making, but not into organized religions and churches<\/strong>. Sociology professor Mark Shibley of Southern Oregon University wrote the lead essay called \u201cThe Promise and Limits of Secular Spirituality in Cascadia.\u201d \u201cThis region is different. The people here are not as connected to religious institutions,\u201d he says. The alternative spirituality here shows itself in two main ways, Shibley notes: \u201cnature spirituality,\u201d such as you see in the secular environmental movement, and the more well-known New Age spirituality, where the gaze is shifted inward.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

When I wrote my initial piece, I asserted that \u201cif Cascadian nones are truly the New Age, nature religion, do-it-yourselfers that researchers assert, then this could be a preview for what a truly post-Christian pluralistic political struggle will look like.\u201d<\/em> So, with the clock ticking down on the November elections, where do we stand on this ballot initiative that would potentially stop gay marriage in Washington state? \u00a0A September 10th poll says that 56% of Washington voters support upholding legal same-sex\u00a0marriage in their state<\/a>, while only \u00a038% favor eliminating equal marriage rights, 6% are undecided. This is remarkable data, even in a traditionally \u201cliberal\u201d state like Washington, as voter referendums on same-sex marriage have always favored limiting legal marriage rights to opposite sex couples.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Further, Washington isn\u2019t alone in making history with a popular vote for same-sex marriage instead of against it. Maine, Maryland, and Minnesota are also poised to make breakthroughs on this particular issue<\/a> if the latest polls are to be believed.<\/p>\n

Polling numbers suggest a majority of voters support legalizing same-sex marriage on the ballots in Maine, Maryland and Washington, while Minnesota straddles the fence. Should any of the states approve the ballots, it will be the first time gay marriage passes by popular vote as opposed to going through the courts or legislature.\u00a0\u201cWe\u2019re feeling positive. The reality is, we haven\u2019t won a ballot measure on marriage yet,\u201d Human Rights Campaign\u00a0state legislative director\u00a0Sarah Warbelow\u00a0told NBC News<\/a>. \u201cI think it\u2019s very reasonable and realistic to expect that we\u2019ll win one or more of these ballot measures; certainly the polling suggests that all four are \u2026 a possibility.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Sticking with my \u201cnones\u201d theory, 25% of Maine residents are religiously unaffiliated<\/a>\u00a0according to the Pew Forum, while the 2010 US Religion Census<\/a> shows that area also dominated by the \u201cunchurched.\u201d Likewise, Maryland\u2019s numbers are also highly religiously unaffiliated (you can download a larger version of the map below here<\/a>). So, like Washington, they could prefigure a \u201cpost-Christian\u201d vote in terms of hot-button social issues like gay marriage.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

However, it\u2019s Washington that I\u2019m most interested in because of the trends that point to the \u201cnones\u201d in the Pacific Northwest being more like \u201cus\u201d Pagans in inclination and spiritual\u00a0orientation. If you want tea leaves to read over what a \u201cPagan\u201d vote might look like, this might be our chance to witness it in action. Of course, this vote could go the other way, as elections are largely about who\u2019s more motivated, and opponents to same-sex unions are often highly motivated and well funded. Also, with this being a presidential election year, enthusiasm for the candidate(s) who supports same-sex marriage will also be a factor<\/a>. Still this is a very good sign that a demographic tide may have turned in Washington. We\u2019ll check back in as new data emerges.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Back in June I wrote about how a initiative in Washington state on the issue of same-sex marriage could see the first real test of a post-Christian majority at the ballot box. More than half of Washington\u2019s citizens don\u2019t belong to any formal religion, becoming part of the demographic known as \u201cnones,\u201d and these \u201cunchurched\u201d […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,6],"tags":[3330,359,698,1326,1426,1649,1714,1880,3620,3641,2541,2618],"class_list":["post-10386","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-paganism","category-religion","tag-2010-u-s-religion-census","tag-cascadia","tag-elections","tag-lgbtq","tag-marriage","tag-nones","tag-pacific-northwest","tag-presidential-election","tag-quiltbag","tag-religion","tag-unchurched","tag-washington-state"],"yoast_head":"\nChecking in on the Cascadian Nones Vote<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Back in June I wrote about how a initiative in Washington state on the issue of same-sex 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