This is a great piece just posted to the Gazette:

Commentary: OKC?s welcome mat is for everyone | okgazette.com (http://okgazette.com/2014/10/14/commentary-okcs-welcome-mat-is-for-everyone/?utm_content=bufferb5a97&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer)

What a great article. I completely agree with this and I think its one thing OKC really needs to focus on as it transforms into a true big league city. It's getting a lot better here but I think the city still has some work to do.

This city needs to be a welcoming place for all people, even those who don't identify with the majority that is white, straight, conservative, and evangelical Christian. I would imagine it's still pretty tough here for those who are part of the groups that conservative evangelicals tend to cast as the boogeyman i.e. Muslims, atheists, and LGBT. There are other cities in which Bible Belt conservatism and cultural pluralism co-exist together and nobody feels marginalized. As OKC grows that's what I think it should work towards.

I won't argue that the majority here is still white, straight and yeah, generally more conservative than the rest of the country. Probably Christian is even accurate, but that covers a lot of ground. I don't however think it is an accurate statement at all to say that the majority in OKC is evangelical. Maybe in your part of the metro.

Less than 60% in the entire state characterize themselves as religious (vs. 49% in the U.S.).

You would think in the OKC metro area that number would be lower still (people in rural areas tend to be more religious) and then evangelicals are some percentage of that.

I would bet the percentage of adults in OKC that are evangelical Christians is well less than 25%.

^^^^^^^^

For the record my "like" of the above post had nothing to do with liking or disliking a religious preference. I know and respect plenty of people who proudly wear the label of Evangelical Christian. My "like" was for a grounded, statistical debunking of information that was wildly inaccurate at best and bigoted at worst.

I appreciate the effort you've made at positivity since rejoining the conversation here, Chris, but OKC is not nearly as one-dimensional as you still sometimes like to portray it. I honestly at times think you need to move to a different part of the city, or at the very least get out more.

I've told this story before but....

On a visit last year, I was having beers with a bunch of people at Skinny Slim's when this subject came up. Most the people said they were not only not religious, but were at least a little scornful towards the evangelicals.

I asked them how they dealt with living with it every day and they all said it was pretty easy to just avoid; not nearly as pervasive as you would think. It seems this is especially true among younger people.


At first I was surprised but then I realized that things have changed a lot more than most realize.

I wouldn't argue with Pete on the <25% evangelical notion. That's likely even a too large number on the high end, even outside the metro areas.
Evangelical Christians certainly exist in OK, but not near so many as some presume.

I wouldn't argue with Pete on the <25% evangelical notion. That's likely even a too large number on the high end, even outside the metro areas.
Evangelical Christians certainly exist in OK, but not near so many as some presume.

You're probably right, but they're just very loud, politically motivated, and good at fundraising.

You're probably right, but they're just very loud, politically motivated, and good at fundraising.

'They', by and large, are nothing of the sort. Certain folk who either share common beliefs with evangelicals, or who pander to those of certain beliefs, are very loud, politically motivated and good at causing wallets to crack open. To paint all evangelicals as loud politically motivated fundraising machines is simply not accurate.

Yes those people exist. Such noise makers and money folk exist in the centrist and liberal areas of the political spectrum as well. It doesn't mean they represent everyone in the spectrum.

Here is the religious statistical breakdown of Oklahoma county according to City-Data. I have bolded the denominations usually considered evangelical.

Southern Baptist Convention: 40.1%
United Methodist Church: 14.3%
Catholic Church: 9.8%
Churches of Christ: 4.1%
Assemblies of God: 4.0%
Charismatic Churches Independent: 3.3%
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ): 3.2%
Church of the Nazarene: 3.1%
International Pentecostal Holiness Church: 2.8%
Other: 15.2%

Source: Religions in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma - Oklahoma City, Edmond, Midwest City, Del City, Bethany, Southern Baptist Convention, United Methodist Church, Catholic Church (http://www.city-data.com/county/religion/Oklahoma-County-OK.html)

The "Other" category likely includes the large non-denominational megachurches i.e. Lifechurch as well as the ultra-conservative and ultra-political Independent Fundamental Baptist churches.

^

I'm sure you realize those are just percentages of people who consider themselves religious.

As already stated, only 60% of the people in Oklahoma characterize themselves as religious and you can bet that number is no higher than 50% in the OKC Metro.

So, 50% of 50% makes 25% evangelical. Very far from a majority.

Here's the tough or tricky part: Christianity is supposed to be more about Relationships than Religion.
In other words, Jesus was sort of an "Anti-Religionist" based upon his observations and recorded words in regard to the "religious" leaders of his time.

This is one reason that actions speak louder than statistics.

So does Rep. Bennett begin to warn us of the evils of christianity? Maybe he should have a town hall meeting with only Muslims to talk about Christian violence... Or does this story more likely not get used as some pandering and phobia tool by him and other derps?

Stillwater man killed in near-beheading; murder charge filed | News OK (http://newsok.com/stillwater-man-killed-in-near-beheading-murder-charge-filed/article/5361825)

So does Rep. Bennett begin to warn us of the evils of christianity? Maybe he should have a town hall meeting with only Muslims to talk about Christian violence... Or does this story more likely not get used as some pandering and phobia tool by him and other derps?

Stillwater man killed in near-beheading; murder charge filed | News OK (http://newsok.com/stillwater-man-killed-in-near-beheading-murder-charge-filed/article/5361825)

or this one

Son Beheads College Professor, Then Jumps to Death in Front of Train: Police | NBC New York (http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Man-Kills-Beheads-Woman-Suicide-LIRR-Train-Farmingdale-280731252.html)

By all appearances the Stillwater example holds water, but not the second one.

There's a difference between committing a murder for religious reasons or merely committing a murder and having a religion.

Otherwise, I guess we should eliminate hate crimes too, since by that logic there's no difference between killing someone because they are a minority, or killing someone who happens to be a minority.

Weird, the story of a Christian "religious zealot" that beheaded someone doesnt seem to be getting the same amount a conversation as the Moore beheading. No press release from certain state congress people, no official statement from the Gov...

By all appearances the Stillwater example holds water, but not the second one.

There's a difference between committing a murder for religious reasons or merely committing a murder and having a religion.

Otherwise, I guess we should eliminate hate crimes too, since by that logic there's no difference between killing someone because they are a minority, or killing someone who happens to be a minority.

It seemed to me that the killing in Moore was attached to a religion even though it appears it had more to do with the guy getting fired. If the guy in NY was Muslim the story would probably be another Muslim beheaded somebody.

Weird, the story of a Christian "religious zealot" that beheaded someone doesnt seem to be getting the same amount a conversation as the Moore beheading. No press release from certain state congress people, no official statement from the Gov...

If there had been a spate of Christian "religious zealot" beheading videos posted in recent days, and the leaders of a Christian organization calling for members of their faith to behead and kill folks in the US, I imagine there would have been.

It seemed to me that the killing in Moore was attached to a religion even though it appears it had more to do with the guy getting fired. If the guy in NY was Muslim the story would probably be another Muslim beheaded somebody.

I think that can be attributed to a couple of things. One, conflicting reports at first. Two, reports that he was yelling Islamic phrases as he committed the murder. Three, reports of his "infatuation" with the ISIS beheadings. At the least, his method of murder was inspired/influenced by the actions of an extremist Islam group, so has a strong connection to a religion.

I would say the same if someone was motivated to commit a murder based on the rants of the loons at Westboro.

As far as the NY guy, I haven't even seen his religion mentioned anywhere.

There hasn't been any mention, that I know of, with the NY guy but I would bet my last dollar there would be a lot of it if he was a Muslim.

Weird, the story of a Christian "religious zealot" that beheaded someone doesnt seem to be getting the same amount a conversation as the Moore beheading. No press release from certain state congress people, no official statement from the Gov...

That's because saying "Christian extremist" will get loads of complaints fired at the news stations and isn't popular for politicians to politicize. There is nothing to politically gain by it. Whereas there is an instilled level of fear that has been put into the sheeple of the state over Muslims, that they can use those events to get people worked up.

I just wonder when we will get to a point when news being reported will finally leave out qualifiers like muslim, black, arab, hispanic, white, etc. What is wrong with just saying "a man committed this horrible act of..." and move on? I guess we could go even further and just say a person.

^ So . . . Did you see where "they" captured that "person" who shot those Pennsylvania Troopers? Allegedly, the "person" of interest liked to pretend to be a Serbian Soldier in re-enactment "game play." [She/or He] apparently had no "religious" affiliation amounting to a hill of beans . . . maybe a small pile of spent shell casings . . . but no hill of beans. (Which is somewhat surprising for a self/media-labeled "Survivalist.")

Personally, I like the echo of Dr. Martin Luther King's message, still ringing across the amber waves of grain and fruited plains (having bounced off some purple mountains, somewhere): "I have a dream . . . it's about content of character . . . rather than . . . color . . . ." Dang. I'm gettin' hard of hearing. But I'm old. And apparently brand new deaf ears are being created every day. (or was it Woody Guthrie or Will Rogers that said that?)

Oh! The Good "Rest of the Story" News is that Halloween Celebrations--previously declared verboten by the local constabulary--are now, again, permitted.

Sorry if any of the verbiage, above, might be misconstrued as stereotyping. (I was, however, typing with both hands, so . . .).

^ So . . . Did you see where "they" captured that "person" who shot those Pennsylvania Troopers? Allegedly, the "person" of interest liked to pretend to be a Serbian Soldier in re-enactment "game play." [She/or He] apparently had no "religious" affiliation amounting to a hill of beans . . . maybe a small pile of spent shell casings . . . but no hill of beans. (Which is somewhat surprising for a self/media-labeled "Survivalist.")

Personally, I like the echo of Dr. Martin Luther King's message, still ringing across the amber waves of grain and fruited plains (having bounced off some purple mountains, somewhere): "I have a dream . . . it's about content of character . . . rather than . . . color . . . ." Dang. I'm gettin' hard of hearing. But I'm old. And apparently brand new deaf ears are being created every day. (or was it Woody Guthrie or Will Rogers that said that?)

Oh! The Good "Rest of the Story" News is that Halloween Celebrations--previously declared verboten by the local constabulary--are now, again, permitted.

Sorry if any of the verbiage, above, might be misconstrued as stereotyping. (I was, however, typing with both hands, so . . .).

Sadly Dr King never saw that dream come true and I wonder if my generation will either.

I thought the same thing when I saw this story and knew there would be no statements, special meetings, and non stop coverage. The majority of the population is way to predictable and they will jump at any chance to demonize and attack anything that looks different from the conventional norm. But if one of ‘us’ do something its nothing to see it’s a lone pyschco.

Its not just with the beheadings but look at

Ferguson protest vs what the pumpkin riots, the giants riot, and whatever other sports riot over the last month. One group is violent animals destroying property and the other is rowdy kids celebrating that got out of hand?

Radical muslims beheading a few people vs the thousands of drone strikes, over a decade of non stop war, and hundreds of thousands of innocent people killed and destroyed cities. One group is radical and dangerous while we sit back destroying their cities and killing their kids?

We have a very long history of doing that in this country and for whatever reason the majority of the population has some deep sadistic obsession with deigning reality. Thats why when i hear people say that racism is dead and other people need to ' get over it', i always point out have they looked at any news site comment section, ever.

#84 ^ Made me think of this one . . .

Op_KsNr_Eok