DescentBB

I the religeous topics here we always get the views of the various Christian factions but narry a word from Hindus, Muslims, Janes, Taoists etc.
I live in a small city (Richmond B.C. Canada)that is the suburb to a slightly larger city (Vancouver). For a variety of zoning reasons the large churches are all in one area. We have two large Buddhist temples in built in the classical Chinese style, we have two mosques one with a school attached, several Christian churches, A Hindu Vedic Temple, A Sikh temple all large and on acreage, and scattered around the city the usual collection of synagogues, churches and Buddhist meeting halls. We have Jewish schools, Catholic schools, Muslim schools. The local papers cover the Diwali celibrations (just ending) Chanuka, Christmas, the Moon Festival and of course Chinese New Year with pictures and articles. The majority of people in Richmond come from asian background either ethnic Chinese (by far the largest group), East Indian, or Japanese. It is not in the least unusual to see a woman in a sari or a chadur in the mall and I can even tell something about a Sikh man by the way he ties his turban (only muslim Imams wear a turban, Sikhs are a Hindu sect). Who really stands out are my blond haired, blue eyed children. In a class photo of 30 kids there will typicaly be one or maybe two blonds a couple of brunets and the rest are all black haired asians. Many of these asians are recent immigrants (many very wealthy) who have enriched the fabric of my city. It is not always easy being different in a country where once you were one of the majority but in all things are going very well.

So what is it like where you come from? I know there are places where religeous diversity consists of having Presbyterians and Baptists in the same town. Is it like that when you walk around your mall? Or is Kwaanza a big event?

i wish these (now) local cultures that you mention had a bigger impact on the mainstream media, which seems to be solely white-christian or perhaps white-agnostic.

i wanna see tim's taoist tuesday on the tv

Everyone is Jewish where i live. 90% secular. Myself and another english ex-pat are the only non-jewish.

Wine sipping white yuppies and Mexicans are the bulk of our demographic. Asians aren't uncommon, and living in the Telecom Valley brings many of Indian descent. Beyond that, nothing.

Rigth outside of Philly, near Delaware, all the churches and such are whatever domination of Christian, or Jewish. I've not seen any Chinese, Indian or other culture's places built. Maybe in Philly, one or two, but not in this part of the suburbs. All fat white non-descript suv drivers and a few pockets of (Asian) Indians. I don't think there are enough blacks to support Kwaanza at school. Tho' I did see a Russian Orthodox Church nearby, dunno where that fits.

I wanna move to Richmond, sounds neat. Everything is so white-washed (almost literally) and predictable here.

You should move into center city Philly then. Totally different from what you'll find in the surrounding 'burbs. No need to go all the way down to Richmond except that people there are probably far friendlier.

There are two all chinese language television stations on my basic cable package. There is an all chinese language radio station and two local chinese language newspapers. In Richmond there are three very large modern shopping centers where you can see no written english and hear none spoken. By the West entrance of the Yao Han Center is a 15 foot high Buddha in a glass case. People leave offerings of fruit and such in front of it.
Taoist Tim comes on right after Emperor Chang's Wisdom.