1. Group 4: Julie Hirschi, Sarah Somppi, Jared Walley, Nathan Blumenberg, Aubrey Mcdonald
PART 1
1. Population details: in 2016 the estimated population for Washington State is around 7.082
Million. Between the years of 2011-2015 there was a .24 million difference.
http://population2016.com/population-of-washington-in-2016.html
2. About 13% of the citizens all ages live in poverty. The highest percentage of household type
in the state is about 45% of families that consist of married couples without children followed
by a 32.5% status given to married couples with children ¡¡which over the years has been at a
decline. With single households with children increasing from 8% in 1960 to 31% in 2014. About
19% of homes in 2014 are homes with prominent languages in the home other than English.
3. “In 2014, 90.4 percent of Washington residents age 25 and above were high school graduates
or equivalent.”
In 2014 about 33% of citizens had or obtained a bachelor’s degree or higher
http://www.ofm.wa.gov/trends/social/fig208.asp
4. 56.16% of the people in Washington, Washington are registered as Democrats. 41.29% are
registered Republican. Remaining are independent:
2.54%.http://www.bestplaces.net/state/washington
3. Asian Pacific Islander 587,197
Two or more races 326,856
6. Religious climate is as follows; 34.62% of people affiliate with religious groups. The highest
concentration is Catholic, at 11.91%; the lowest ones being (in descending order) : Episcopalian
(.50%), Jewish (.29%), Islam(.28%). Also, according to the Gallup poll of 2015, 17% of people
prefer no religious affiliation. Also here, Mormon is 2%, a more current statistic.
http://www.gallup.com/poll/1690/religion.aspx
Other studies have these statistics
http://www.bestplaces.net/religion/state/washington
PART 2
1. According to the Washington Post, the most prevalent issue is about gay marriage/ gender
identity (that’s what makes headlines, anyway.) A bill that would allow transgender use of
locker rooms and bathrooms according to their identity was repealed by Republicans. A “sex-
specific bathroom” bill was not considered highly, though brought up by Republicans. Other
unspecified bills died in committee. This data, brief though it may be, shows that legislators are
trying to work with religious groups to combat discrimination, and keep Church and State
separate. In looking at the State Constitution, we have this: “We, the people of the State of
Washington, grateful to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe for our liberties, do ordain this
constitution.” With that preamble, the document goes on to say this relative to religious
freedom; “Absolute freedom of conscience in all matters of religious sentiment, belief and
worship, shall be guaranteed to every individual”, and then makes this provision, which I see as
a great clarifier: “but the liberty of conscience hereby secured shall not be so construed as to
excuse acts of licentiousness or justify practices inconsistent with the peace and safety of the
state.” In this document, we have absolute freedom declared, on conditions of peoples
obligation to the welfare of the State. Discretion also goes so far as to not forbid employment
to related positions (state custodial, correctional, or mental institutions) based on religious
affiliation. From this research, I would think that on the Durham Scale, Washington falls under
the “Substantive Equality” heading.
2. Considering the evidence stated above, there is reason to assume that the state does indeed
practice secularism. This is tempered by provisions for religious freedom in the constitution
4. (both national and state), as well as the aforementioned religious statistics. This leads me to
believe that the state, at least the social aspect, practices secularism, considering the
questioning of values with regards to same-sex marriage, or legalization of drugs like heroin and
marijuana. These moral dilemmas, as some see them, can stir the pot of social opinion against
freedom of conscience. I believe it is rather passive on the part of the government, but
somewhat aggressive on the part of the people. It appears to be asked, even begged for, but
difficult to maintain.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/may/27/a-state-by-state-look-at-proposals-
dealing-with-lg/
3. When Joshua Davey graduated from high school in 1999, he won a Washington State
scholarship to help pay for his college tuition. But when he declared he wanted to major in
theology and become a minister, the state retracted its aid offer. In Washington, only one area
of college learning is off limits for a state scholarship: the study of religion as a participant,
rather than as an observer. That is because the state constitution forbids spending any state
taxpayer money in support of religion.Tuesday, the US Supreme Court takes up Mr. Davey's
case to consider whether Washington State acted properly in upholding its strict separation of
church and state, or, instead, violated Davey's federal constitutional right to freely practice his
religion.
4. http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/02/29/how-religious-is-your-
state/?state=washington
In the area of religious practice, the PEW forum notes that as much as 30% of adults in
Washington regularly attend Church/Mass/Synagogue once a week. 38% hardly ever go to
Church, and the remaining 32% go a few times a year. In the area of prayer, 46% pray daily,
13% weekly, 8% monthly, and 32% almost never. It is also important to not here that,according
to a survey done in 2014 concerning Washingtonians’ belief in God, while 86% percent of adults
believe in God, only 55% are sure/concrete in their belief. 8% are rather uncertain, and 15% are
either Atheist, Agnostic, or some other belief system. In the realm of prayer, scripture study,
and other religious education groups, an astonishingly low 22% attend regularly, with 63%
seldom if ever doing so. Also with frequency of meditation, 39% of adults do it regularly, and
48% seldom if ever. Surprisingly though, in rating spiritual peace and well-being, 55% felt peace
regularly throughout life. And those who hardly ever feel peaceful or spiritual is at 18%, not
unlike the belief in God study mentioned before.
http://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/state/washington/
5. Government restrictions on religious freedom in Washington state include the usual laws
prohibiting the use of free exercise to justify acts that disturb the peace and safety of the
5. general public. It does however, mention God in the preamble of the state constitution, stating
¨We, the people of the State of Washington, grateful to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe for
our liberties, do ordain this constitution.¨ THere are special provisions so that the state cannot
donate money to any one religion, unless the person in question is a chaplain paid by the state
in a general hospital. Washington state does not have RFRA laws which could playa part in
legislation of the state, so that it does not favor religions in lawsuits
http://leg.wa.gov/LawsAndAgencyRules/Pages/constitution.aspx
6.http://leg.wa.gov/LawsAndAgencyRules/Pages/constitution.aspx
The Washington state constitution on religious freedom says that citizens are free to believe
and worship and cannot be disturbed or harmed due to those beliefs; however those rights do
not excuse acts or practices that jeopardize the health and safety of the state. Something that
prevents gaps from occurring between the law and what is practiced is the government's
fulfilled responsibility to define terms within their laws and regulations. The state constitution
differs from the words of Madison and Jefferson in that it is not nearly as detailed and does not
implicate a certain denomination in vocabulary.
7. http://leg.wa.gov/LawsAndAgencyRules/pages/constitution.aspx
http://www.adfmedia.org/News/PRDetail/8608
State of Washington v. Arlene’s Flowers “Barronelle Stutzman, the sole owner of Arlene’s
Flowers in Richland, Wash., has for her entire career served and employed people who identify
as homosexual. Despite this, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Washington attorney
general allege that she is guilty of unlawful discrimination because she acted consistent with
her faith and declined to use her creative skills to beautify the same-sex ceremony of a long-
time customer, Robert Ingersoll, and another man, Curt Freed.”
http://adflegal.org/detailspages/case-details/stormans-
v.wiesman?_ga=1.64605100.280543713.1475958991 Stormans v. Wiesman “In 2006, Kevin
Stormans received a phone call asking why he didn’t carry Plan B in his pharmacy. The question
initially caught him off guard. When Kevin decided to research the drug, he learned that the
FDA warned that it could prevent implantation of a fertilized egg – in other words, it could
terminate human life after conception. Kevin and the rest of the Stormans family knew they
couldn’t stock the drug because of their religious beliefs. They believe that life is sacred, and
they can’t participate in the taking of human life. The family instructed employees to refer
customers to the over 30 nearby pharmacies that regularly carry Plan B. Pro-abortion activists,
including Planned Parenthood, continued to “test-shop” Ralph’s. They would ask for Plan B and
then file complaints with the State of Washington. They also began protesting the store,
6. blocking entrances, disturbing traffic, creating a website to promote a boycott, and picketing.
Even the Governor of Washington joined the boycott.”
8. In the state of Washington, you cannot discriminate against religion in the workplace and not
hire someone because you don’t agree with their religious views. Law (WLAD), RCW 49.60, et
seq protects citizens against discrimination. In 2015 there were many people protesting against
Christians for the right of gay marriage in WA.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/feb/24/200-openly-bigoted-anti-christian-
groups-identifie/
9. It could be argued however, only around 34% of the state is religious. If we were to say a
religion that is dominant in the state; it would end up not being considered a religious state.
10. The largest religious preference in the legislature of Washington is either not specified or
there is not a religion at 60%. Which the highest percentage of a religion is protestant at 24%.
There is not truly a dominant enough religion. Therefore, irreligion puts restrictions on religion
by limiting freedoms and creating laws that make it more difficult for religious people to
exercise their rights. The small majority in the conservative part of the state may have more
peace, but the more non-religious people will start growing in those areas eventually.
11. Social expectations in highly populated cities that create contention within religious
denominations.
PART 3.4
The majority of the interviews taken by our group showed that the communities which our
interviewees live have steady levels of religious persecution. Also the majority of the
communities of the people we interviewed would scrutinize those who have beliefs against the
LGBTQ community. Despite these discriminations and persecutions the religions within the
communities support one another in beliefs they share. The communities on the Eastern side of
Washington seem to exhibit higher religiosity than the West side, despite higher levels of
persecution. There was one interview that showed a skewed perspective in that people in more
conservative parts of the state seemed to have a deeper respect for religion and respected
each other. The city had all the kids get together and have activities. This excluded Mormons
most of the time as these activities happened most often while they had other weekly periodic
activities. In one of the cities, there is a Nativity that happens on Federal property, which shows
among other things, that the local government is more tolerant of religious activity.
PART 4
7. A correlative pattern seen in the data we collected is the number of highly educated citizens
having a similar percentage of citizens who are religious in any way. A comparison in the
information from part one to part two is the topics of concern to the state population and
courts in relation to the political orientation of the state. Plainly stated it makes sense that
abortion and LGBTQ rights are things of high concern in this state due to its level of democratic
affiliation.
Due to the findings from our interviews and our research it seems conclusive that in the state of
Washington persecution of religious people will continue to increase because of the rise of the
unaffiliated population. Another Hypotheses to be considered is the observation that consistent
religious practice is more dominant in the conservative parts of the state because religious
communities are gathering to worship.
