sock-chester

Denmark...no question. I started to seriously think about plane tickets after 9/11 and all of that God bless everything BS. If it all goes to hell you will find me there.

scombrid

$US1 = $NZ2.39

Sweet. Thanks for the info. My next kayak might be a kiwi boat. That rate will definitely offset the cost of shipping a 6m long boat from the other side of the earth.

Serena

I like it in Canada. I think I'll stay here. But if I had absolutely no choice but to pack up my bags and leave, I'd either skip across the border or hop over the ocean to Japan. C/S seperation isn't an issue, mind you; it's all about the video games.

- Serena, who has her priorities.

gallo

Australia.

beachbum. My son IS in Toledo, at least just south of there, and you don't want to be there.

Euromutt

If I had to base my decision purely on Church/State separation, I wouldn't have to move; for the first time since universal suffrage, the "Christian Democratic Appeal" was succesfully kept out of the governing coalition in '94, again in '98, and they don't appear to have any succes in rallying for this year's election. Confessional parties in this country are going the way of the dodo, and - unlike the dodo - it won't be any loss. Woo, and a bit of hoo!

Denmark's good too, but stay the hell away from Norway - they have a Lutheran state church, and they expect a tithe, or you or your kids can't be married in a church, baptised or buried on holy ground, which can be rough if you're married to a Lutheran (I have some Norwegian friends).

("So how come you're trying to move to the US this year?" I hear you cry? That's a different story...)

[ February 09, 2002: Message edited by: Euromutt ]</p>

Christopher Lord

I also don't mind Canada very much, but if I had to pick somewhere to go, it would be the UK or a big Asian city.

kwigibo

The Czech Republic for me, probably Prague. Apparently 30% secular, and of the rest a whole bunch belong to wacky bohemian spiritual movements, sounds like fun . oh yeah, and it's a beautiful country, damn i love that central european architecture!. That or Vietnam

P.S. Italy is my next choice, but i already have citizenship and i don't want to be called up for national service

[ February 10, 2002: Message edited by: kwigibo ]</p>

Deadend

I'm quite happy living in the Netherlands, religion is utterly irrelevant to me. Dutch society is very secular, I hardly even know any people who attend church regularly. According to the <a href="http://www.scp.nl/boeken/titels/2000-3/uk/summary.htm" target="_blank">Social and Cultural Planning Office</a>, this is how Dutch society is made up;

• Atheist = 17%
• Agnost = 12%
• Beliefs in a higher power = 18%
• Beliefs in God but has doubts = 26%
• Has absolute belief in God = 26%

If I would have to leave my country and live somewhere else, I’d probably go live in Scotland. I’ve been told that the Scots and Dutch are quite similar. Probably has something to do with the fact that for a long time the Calvinist kirk/kerk played an important role in both Scottish and Dutch society. And of course we're just as "frugal" as the Scots.

Seeker630

[QUOTE]Originally posted by voltaire321:
[QB]Ok so this question is highly rhetorical, but if you had to pick a country to live in based soley on freedom from religion where would you go?

I live near Detroit--I can be in Canada in 25 minutes. Trust me it is tempting every time I read more and more of the religious reich BS going on in this country. The only problem I have with Canada is that they typically get more heavy duty winter than we do even in Mighigan, and so I'm considering a move to Florida right now (I'm retired now).

But that means I will be living in "Jeb" country and paying taxes for the privledge. But not slipping on ice or shoveling snow is a pretty good incentive, not to mention the monster heat bills we sometimes get here. (The furnace is running as I write this).

But be warned, getting citezenship in Canada is not all that easy from what I've learned so far--a very time consuming process amounting to several years in most cases. For example according to their website, you have to live there for 3 years out of the preceeding 4 to qualify.

Other than that, I'd also seriously consider Australia or England. From what I've seen on the web, they are very atheist friendly in most respects

KeithHarwood

[quote]Originally posted by Seeker630:
<strong>Oz is certainly warmer than England, but might be a little more difficult to get into if you are retired. Generally, over the age of, I think it is 45, if you want to get in you have to have a job to go to and your employer has to sponsor you. Under that age isn't a problem. Might be different for self-funded retirees. With enough capital you can get in on the promise that you are starting a business.

On C/S separation, we don't have it. No one has ever thought is a problem. The present Governor General is a Bishop but he is in the mire over things that happened while he was Archbishop of Brisbane.

You do get religious instruction at school, but the classes are divided along denominational lines and taught by people provided by the appropriate churches, not the normal teachers. When I was young it was mostly protestants, some catholics and a large number of `not catered for'. Most students considered RI as a joke and, if my daughters were any guide, still do.

Science curricula in high schools are set by the appropriate university departments. There is no community or political input so the fundies can't get a look in.