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Face To Faith: Three Crucial Testimonies of Friendship Across Religious Divides

Recently the Tony Blair Foundation ran an essay contest in which the young people were asked to write about their "Friend of a different faith or belief," what resulted were extraordinary essays from around the world.
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Founding Executive Editor, HuffPost Religion

Founding Executive Editor, HuffPost Religion
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In most communities around the world, religious diversity is a fact -- Hindus live next to Muslims, Mormons next atheists, Jews with Christians. One of the great tests of the 21st century is how we leverage this diversity into an asset that leads to more vitality and unity rather than leading to discord and disintegration.

In their book American Grace, Robert Putnam and David Campbell speak about the importance of 'my pal Al' and 'my aunt Susan' in changing the way people view people of another faith and the benefit of living in a cohesive pluralistic society. Simply put, when we know and like some one who is different than us -- such as a 'pal Al' or an 'Aunt Susan' -- it goes a long way in changing our attitudes towards the entire group to which Al or Susan belong.

The 'pal Al' affect has definitely benefitted the movement for LGBT equality and it also has been proven effective in efforts of understanding and cooperation among people of different religious traditions and views.

Encouraging positive and deep enounters with the religious other is part of the aim of The Tony Blair Faith Foundation (TBFF). One of TBFF's most wonderful outreach efforts is a the Face to Faith program that brings students of different religions and cultures together using digital technology to connect schools in 19 countries.

Recently they ran an essay contest in which the young people were asked to write about their "Friend of a different faith or belief," reflecting upon what they had learned from that relationship, about the other person and themselves. What resulted were extraordinary essays from around the world that I had the daunting task and honor to judge and nominate my top three which I am sure will inspire you as they inspired me.

Aditi Muradia wrote her essay from India, where a Muslim woman moved in next door to her own Hindu household. Aditi brings us on her own journey of inquiry, to acceptance, to celebration of her new neighbor. She writes:

After knowing her, I realized that humans are humans first, and then religious followers. If it is difficult for the older generation to accept such things then at least we the younger generation should make efforts in bridging the gap by showing us our support for such inter-religious unions.

Read Aditi's entire essay here.

Next we hear from a ping pong champion in Mexico named Jesus Guillermo Vargas who tells a wrenching story about his admiration for a fellow player, his sadness when his friend committed suicide and what it taught him about faith and life. He writes:

Tito's friendship showed me to show my love to everyone who deserves it before it's too late. I never had the chance to tell him just what a great human being he was.

Read Jesus' entire essay here.

Last but certainly not least we hear from Mickey Roundtree who lives in Utah in the United States. Her essay is about having a friend who is an atheist and how she learned to value his friendship and world view. She writes:

I have actually had a lot of people ask me if it's weird to be such close friends with him because out faiths are so different, and honestly I don't think it is! In fact I think it makes us closer.

Read Mickey's entire essay here.

These three essays offer simple yet clear lessons for moving forward within our increasingly religiously pluralistic societies, and personally give me hope that the best is before us as these young people and millions like them grow up to be leaders who value and respect difference and recognize that religious difference can makes us closer.

Charlotte Keenan, Chief Executive, Tony Blair Faith Foundation, joins me in congratulating our three winners with this statement:

"I am pleased to congratulate Aditi Muradia, Mickey Roundtree, and Jesus Guillermo Vargas for winning the Tony Blair Faith Foundation's global school's essay competition "My Friend of a Different Faith." These students' stories from India, Mexico and the USA help counter religious prejudice and ignorance with honesty, openness and the common values of humanity.

Recent events around the world are a sharp reminder of how religious misunderstanding and extremist voices can lead to disastrous consequences. In their own way, the winners, as well as the hundreds of students who took part from countries such as Pakistan, the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates, actively participate in trying to do the opposite - peace building, one story at a time.

By allowing us a snapshot of their experiences across different faiths they demonstrate the power that social relationships can play in creating a more peaceful world. This is now more important than ever. Congratulations to our winners."

Charlotte Keenan, Chief Executive, Tony Blair Faith Foundation

Click through the slideshow to see most and least interfaith cities in the United States:

Most and Least Interfaith Cities
Phoenix, AZ(01 of51)
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Metro area: Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ
37,518 religious adherents per 100,000 persons.
No. of Catholic adherents: 559,218
No. of Eastern religion adherents: 47,881
No. of Islam adherents: 7,175
No. of Jewish adherents: 13,852
No. of LDS adherents: 256,814
No. of Other Christian (largely Orthodox Christian) adherents: 15,670
No. of Protestants: 672,484
Simpson's Diversity Index: 0.6631
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo here. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Sacramento, CA(02 of51)
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Metro area: Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Rosenville, CA
36,512 religious adherents per 100,000 persons.
No. of Catholic adherents: 347,021
No. of Eastern religion adherents: 27,907
No. of Islam adherents: 17,743
No. of Jewish adherents: 5,849
No. of LDS adherents: 71,999
No. of Other Christian (largely Orthodox Christian) adherents: 8,524
No. of Protestants: 305,637
Simpson's Diversity Index: 0.6423
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo here. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Seattle, WA(03 of51)
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Metro area: Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
35,643 religious adherents per 100,000 persons.
No. of Catholic adherents: 423,291
No. of Eastern religion adherents: 52,666
No. of Islam adherents: 16,136
No. of Jewish adherents: 16,098
No. of LDS adherents: 112,821
No. of Other Christian (largely Orthodox Christian) adherents: 19,177
No. of Protestants: 585,861
Simpson's Diversity Index: 0.6416
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo here. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Las Vegas, NV(04 of51)
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Metro area: Las Vegas-Paradise, NV
35,761 religious adherents per 100,000 persons.
No. of Catholic adherents: 354,110
No. of Eastern religion adherents: 17,489
No. of Islam adherents: 1,084
No. of Jewish adherents: 5,988
No. of LDS adherents: 124,291
No. of Other Christian (largely Orthodox Christian) adherents: 8,347
No. of Protestants: 186,490
Simpson's Diversity Index: 0.6385
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo here. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Portland, OR-WA(05 of51)
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Metro area: Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
31,591 religious adherents per 100,000 persons.
No. of Catholic adherents: 234,854
No. of Eastern religion adherents: 19,287
No. of Islam adherents: 3,064
No. of Jewish adherents: 6,961
No. of LDS adherents: 82,667
No. of Other Christian (largely Orthodox Christian) adherents: 10,431
No. of Protestants: 345,950
Simpson's Diversity Index: 0.6315
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo here. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Denver, CO(06 of51)
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Metro area: Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO
36,968 religious adherents per 100,000 persons.
No. of Catholic adherents: 408,253
No. of Eastern religion adherents: 22,312
No. of Islam adherents: 14,714
No. of Jewish adherents: 15,527
No. of LDS adherents: 61,253
No. of Other Christian (largely Orthodox Christian) adherents: 11,194
No. of Protestants: 407,026
Simpson's Diversity Index: 0.6186
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo here. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV(07 of51)
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Metro area: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
44,576 religious adherents per 100,000 persons.
No. of Catholic adherents: 809,542
No. of Eastern religion adherents: 58,610
No. of Islam adherents: 133,826
No. of Jewish adherents: 65,704
No. of LDS adherents: 63,676
No. of Other Christian (largely Orthodox Christian) adherents: 44,103
No. of Protestants: 1,312,863
Simpson's Diversity Index: 0.6107
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo here. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
San Francisco, CA(08 of51)
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Metro area: San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
37,796 religious adherents per 100,000 persons.
No. of Catholic adherents: 901,636
No. of Eastern religion adherents: 65,627
No. of Islam adherents: 52,120
No. of Jewish adherents: 37,115
No. of LDS adherents: 68,065
No. of Other Christian (largely Orthodox Christian) adherents: 32,202
No. of Protestants: 481,860
Simpson's Diversity Index: 0.6055
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo here. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Miami, FL(09 of51)
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Metro area: Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL
38,058 religious adherents per 100,000 persons.
No. of Catholic adherents: 1,034,779
No. of Eastern religion adherents: 27,359
No. of Islam adherents: 52,666
No. of Jewish adherents: 87,015
No. of LDS adherents: 28,764
No. of Other Christian (largely Orthodox Christian) adherents: 16,537
No. of Protestants: 870,689
Simpson's Diversity Index: 0.5895
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo here. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Detroit, MI(10 of51)
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Metro area: Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI
44,583 religious adherents per 100,000 persons.
No. of Catholic adherents: 918,600
No. of Eastern religion adherents: 15,011
No. of Islam adherents: 81,579
No. of Jewish adherents: 36,275
No. of LDS adherents: 13,596
No. of Other Christian (largely Orthodox Christian) adherents: 42,317
No. of Protestants: 808,029
Simpson's Diversity Index: 0.5893
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo here. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
San Jose, CA(11 of51)
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Metro area: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
44,189 religious adherents per 100,000 persons.
No. of Catholic adherents: 478,474
No. of Eastern religion adherents: 68,391
No. of Islam adherents: 18,851
No. of Jewish adherents: 12,092
No. of LDS adherents: 25,890
No. of Other Christian (largely Orthodox Christian) adherents: 8,707
No. of Protestants: 199,313
Simpson's Diversity Index: 0.5833
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo here. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Baltimore, MD(12 of51)
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Metro area: Baltimore-Towson, MD
42,077 religious adherents per 100,000 persons.
No. of Catholic adherents: 452,262
No. of Eastern religion adherents: 5,438
No. of Islam adherents: 14,534
No. of Jewish adherents: 49,660
No. of LDS adherents: 14,114
No. of Other Christian (largely Orthodox Christian) adherents: 15,145
No. of Protestants: 589,346
Simpson's Diversity Index: 0.5733
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo here. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Austin, TX(13 of51)
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Metro area: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
43,921 religious adherents per 100,000 persons.
No. of Catholic adherents: 275,186
No. of Eastern religion adherents: 20,603
No. of Islam adherents: 20,836
No. of Jewish adherents: 4,610
No. of LDS adherents: 19,822
No. of Other Christian (largely Orthodox Christian) adherents: 3,350
No. of Protestants: 409,399
Simpson's Diversity Index: 0.5695
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo here. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Tampa, FL(14 of51)
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Metro area: Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
34,761 religious adherents per 100,000 persons.
No. of Catholic adherents: 302,486
No. of Eastern religion adherents: 18,976
No. of Islam adherents: 36,139
No. of Jewish adherents: 13,416
No. of LDS adherents: 17,103
No. of Other Christian (largely Orthodox Christian) adherents: 23,190
No. of Protestants: 556,169
Simpson's Diversity Index: 0.5689
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo here. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
San Diego, CA(15 of51)
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Metro area: San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA
43,917 religious adherents per 100,000 persons.
No. of Catholic adherents: 801,850
No. of Eastern religion adherents: 48,547
No. of Islam adherents: 21,994
No. of Jewish adherents: 16,793
No. of LDS adherents: 71,495
No. of Other Christian (largely Orthodox Christian) adherents: 9,679
No. of Protestants: 389,019
Simpson's Diversity Index: 0.5657
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo here. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Rochester, NY(16 of51)
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44,066 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. No. of Catholic adherents: 253,702
No. of Eastern religion adherents: 3,396
No. of Islam adherents: 9,133
No. of Jewish adherents: 10,519
No. of LDS adherents: 6,389
No. of Other Christian (largely Orthodox Christian) adherents: 4,345
No. of Protestants: 177,115
Simpson's Diversity Index: 0.5553
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo here. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Milwaukee, WI(17 of51)
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Metro area: Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Alis, WI
51,823 religious adherents per 100,000 persons.
No. of Catholic adherents: 382,748
No. of Eastern religion adherents: 9,813
No. of Islam adherents: 9,156
No. of Jewish adherents: 8,656
No. of LDS adherents: 6,383
No. of Other Christian (largely Orthodox Christian) adherents: 11,588
No. of Protestants: 377,980
Simpson's Diversity Index: 0.5543
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo here. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
San Antonio, TX(18 of51)
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Metro area: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX
54,093 religious adherents per 100,000 persons.
No. of Catholic adherents: 609,212
No. of Eastern religion adherents: 11,403
No. of Islam adherents: 20,456
No. of Jewish adherents: 5,303
No. of LDS adherents: 29,652
No. of Other Christian (largely Orthodox Christian) adherents: 1,815
No. of Protestants: 481,116
Simpson's Diversity Index: 0.5503
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo here. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Chicago, IL-IN-WI(19 of51)
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Metro area: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL-IN-WI
57,162 religious adherents per 100,000 persons.
No. of Catholic adherents: 3,236,794
No. of Eastern religion adherents: 51,920
No. of Islam adherents: 308,375
No. of Jewish adherents: 79,257
No. of LDS adherents: 35,010
No. of Other Christian (largely Orthodox Christian) adherents: 90,779
No. of Protestants: 1,606,034
Simpson's Diversity Index: 0.5497
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo here. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Riverside, CA(20 of51)
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Metro area: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
42,293 religious adherents per 100,000 persons.
No. of Catholic adherents: 1,048,099
No. of Eastern religion adherents: 25,407
No. of Islam adherents: 23,697
No. of Jewish adherents: 3,177
No. of LDS adherents: 104,271
No. of Other Christian (largely Orthodox Christian) adherents: 7,945
No. of Protestants: 574,212
Simpson's Diversity Index: 0.5488
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo here. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Orlando, FL(21 of51)
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Metro area: Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL
40,631 religious adherents per 100,000 persons.
No. of Catholic adherents: 281,165
No. of Eastern religion adherents: 15,362
No. of Islam adherents: 27,939
No. of Jewish adherents: 5,373
No. of LDS adherents: 20,065
No. of Other Christian (largely Orthodox Christian) adherents: 8,280
No. of Protestants: 509,044
Simpson's Diversity Index: 0.5483
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo here. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Cleveland, OH(22 of51)
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Metro area: Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH
51,185 religious adherents per 100,000 persons.
No. of Catholic adherents: 600,170
No. of Eastern religion adherents: 11,225
No. of Islam adherents: 3,392
No. of Jewish adherents: 31,090
No. of LDS adherents: 7,905
No. of Other Christian (largely Orthodox Christian) adherents: 19,398
No. of Protestants: 390,062
Simpson's Diversity Index: 0.5454
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo here. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Houston, TX(23 of51)
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Metro area: Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX
55,144 religious adherents per 100,000 persons.
No. of Catholic adherents: 1,014,956
No. of Eastern religion adherents: 41,604
No. of Islam adherents: 157,820
No. of Jewish adherents: 23,331
No. of LDS adherents: 67,254
No. of Other Christian (largely Orthodox Christian) adherents: 16,393
No. of Protestants: 1,957,958
Simpson's Diversity Index: 0.5448
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo here. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Columbus, OH(24 of51)
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37,702 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. No. of Catholic adherents: 216,175
No. of Eastern religion adherents: 16,871
No. of Islam adherents: 15,578
No. of Jewish adherents: 10,001
No. of LDS adherents: 12,682
No. of Other Christian (largely Orthodox Christian) adherents: 6,539
No. of Protestants: 414,558
Simpson's Diversity Index: 0.5423
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo here. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
St. Louis, MO-IL(25 of51)
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48,889 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. No. of Catholic adherents: 558,585
No. of Eastern religion adherents: 12,449
No. of Islam adherents: 11,860
No. of Jewish adherents: 20,429
No. of LDS adherents: 17,133
No. of Other Christian (largely Orthodox Christian) adherents: 9,400
No. of Protestants: 757,410
Simpson's Diversity Index: 0.5392
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo here. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Minneapolis, MN-WI(26 of51)
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Metro area: Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
52,061 religious adherents per 100,000 persons.
No. of Catholic adherents: 711,770
No. of Eastern religion adherents: 12,427
No. of Islam adherents: 14,148
No. of Jewish adherents: 22,977
No. of LDS adherents: 19,308
No. of Other Christian (largely Orthodox Christian) adherents: 12,004
No. of Protestants: 914,877
Simpson's Diversity Index: 0.5387
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo here. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN(27 of51)
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Metro area: Cincinnati-Middletown, OH-KY-IN
44,672 religious adherents per 100,000 persons.
No. of Catholic adherents: 406,178
No. of Eastern religion adherents: 3,235
No. of Islam adherents: 4,790
No. of Jewish adherents: 11,350
No. of LDS adherents: 12,141
No. of Other Christian (largely Orthodox Christian) adherents: 5,365
No. of Protestants: 508,517
Simpson's Diversity Index: 0.5318
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo here. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Pittsburgh, PA(28 of51)
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57,695 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. No. of Catholic adherents: 773,341
No. of Eastern religion adherents: 13,610
No. of Islam adherents: 7,446
No. of Jewish adherents: 17,132
No. of LDS adherents: 8,324
No. of Other Christian (largely Orthodox Christian) adherents: 17,596
No. of Protestants: 522,010
Simpson's Diversity Index: 0.5285
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo here. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Philadelphia, PA-NJ-DE-MD(29 of51)
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Metro area: Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
54,668 religious adherents per 100,000 persons.
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo here. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
New York, NY-NJ-PA(30 of51)
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Metro area: New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA
55,595 religious adherents per 100,000 persons.
No. of Catholic adherents: 6,973,731
No. of Eastern religion adherents: 160,747
No. of Islam adherents: 443,566
No. of Jewish adherents: 904,976
No. of LDS adherents: 67,172
No. of Other Christian (largely Orthodox Christian) adherents: 193,627
No. of Protestants: 1,762,039
Simpson's Diversity Index: 0.5214
(Photo: In this March 26, 2012, file photo, One World Trade Center towers above the Lower Manhattan skyline and Hudson River in New York. One World Trade Center, the giant monolith being built to replace the twin towers destroyed in the Sept. 11 attacks, will lay claim to the title of New York City.) (credit:AP)
New Orleans, LA(31 of51)
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Metro area: New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, LA
53,479 religious adherents per 100,000 persons.
No. of Catholic adherents: 368,445
No. of Eastern religion adherents: 6,000
No. of Islam adherents: 5,272
No. of Jewish adherents: 6,299
No. of LDS adherents: 6,972
No. of Other Christian (largely Orthodox Christian) adherents: 1,591
No. of Protestants: 229,934
Simpson's Diversity Index: 0.5160
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo here. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Los Angeles, CA(32 of51)
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Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA
51,382 religious adherents per 100,000 persons.
No. of Catholic adherents: 4,340,467
No. of Eastern religion adherents: 154,302
No. of Islam adherents: 93,754
No. of Jewish adherents: 123,001
No. of LDS adherents: 217,341
No. of Other Christian (largely Orthodox Christian) adherents: 80,622
No. of Protestants: 1,582,208
Simpson's Diversity Index: 0.5065
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo here. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Hartford, CT(33 of51)
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Metro area: Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT
47,226 religious adherents per 100,000 persons.
No. of Catholic adherents: 368,503
No. of Eastern religion adherents: 7,492
No. of Islam adherents: 3,464
No. of Jewish adherents: 15,225
No. of LDS adherents: 4,662
No. of Other Christian (largely Orthodox Christian) adherents: 5,311
No. of Protestants: 167,903
Simpson's Diversity Index: 0.4987
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo here. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Buffalo, NY(34 of51)
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Meto area: Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY
54,706 religious adherents per 100,000 persons.
No. of Catholic adherents: 404,842
No. of Eastern religion adherents: 5,932
No. of Islam adherents: 18,483
No. of Jewish adherents: 8,084
No. of LDS adherents: 3,373
No. of Other Christian (largely Orthodox Christian) adherents: 5,958
No. of Protestants: 174,523
Simpson's Diversity Index: 0.4951
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo here. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Dallas, TX(35 of51)
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Metro area: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
55,536 religious adherents per 100,000 persons.
No. of Catholic adherents: 847,560
No. of Eastern religion adherents: 48,937
No. of Islam adherents: 155,172
No. of Jewish adherents: 22,465
No. of LDS adherents: 74,360
No. of Other Christian (largely Orthodox Christian) adherents: 14,919
No. of Protestants: 2,362,467
Simpson's Diversity Index: 0.4906
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo here. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Kansas City, MO-KS(36 of51)
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49,702 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. No. of Catholic adherents: 257,988
No. of Eastern religion adherents: 8,368
No. of Islam adherents: 7,078
No. of Jewish adherents: 8,271
No. of LDS adherents: 29,964
No. of Other Christian (largely Orthodox Christian) adherents: 4,037
No. of Protestants: 695,890
Simpson's Diversity Index: 0.4607
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo here. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Louisville, KY-IN(37 of51)
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Metro area: Louisville-Jefferson County, KY-IN
50,445 religious adherents per 100,000 persons.
No. of Catholic adherents: 175,432
No. of Eastern religion adherents: 2,839
No. of Islam adherents: 6,648
No. of Jewish adherents: 5,199
No. of LDS adherents: 9,880
No. of Other Christian (largely Orthodox Christian) adherents: 1,793
No. of Protestants: 445,702
Simpson's Diversity Index: 0.4523
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo here. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Raleigh, NC(38 of51)
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Metro area: Raleigh-Cary, NC
44,469 religious adherents per 100,000 persons.
No. of Catholic adherents: 103,910
No. of Eastern religion adherents: 12,429
No. of Islam adherents: 10,299
No. of Jewish adherents: 3,456
No. of LDS adherents: 9653
No. of Other Christian (largely Orthodox Christian) adherents: 3,443
No. of Protestants: 359,527
Simpson's Diversity Index: 0.4443
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo here. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Indianapolis, IN(39 of51)
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Metro area: Indianapolis-Carmel, IN
42,213 religious adherents per 100,000 persons.
No. of Catholic adherents: 185,063
No. of Eastern religion adherents: 5,410
No. of Islam adherents: 3,965
No. of Jewish adherents: 6,484
No. of LDS adherents: 12,309
No. of Other Christian (largely Orthodox Christian) adherents: 5,856
No. of Protestants: 522,282
Simpson's Diversity Index: 0.4409
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo here. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Virginia Beach, VA-NC(40 of51)
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Metro area: Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC
40,417 religious adherents per 100,000 persons.
No. of Catholic adherents: 107,056
No. of Eastern religion adherents: 9,254
No. of Islam adherents: 34,360
No. of Jewish adherents: 6,585
No. of LDS adherents: 15,346
No. of Other Christian (largely Orthodox Christian) adherents: 6,301
No. of Protestants: 496,740
Simpson's Diversity Index: 0.4309
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo here. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Jacksonville, Florida(41 of51)
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50,093 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. No. of Catholic adherents: 133,155
No. of Eastern religion adherents: 8,780
No. of Islam adherents: 8,581
No. of Jewish adherents: 6,028
No. of LDS adherents: 14,886
No. of Other Christian (largely Orthodox Christian) adherents: 4,245
No. of Protestants: 498,378
Simpson's Diversity Index: 0.4134
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo here. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Boston, MA-NH(42 of51)
Open Image Modal
Metro area: Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH
56,765 religious adherents per 100,000 persons.
No. of Catholic adherents: 2,021,038
No. of Eastern religion adherents: 27,430
No. of Islam adherents: 18,766
No. of Jewish adherents: 63,877
No. of LDS adherents: 19,535
No. of Other Christian (largely Orthodox Christian) adherents: 73,636
No. of Protestants: 359,907
Simpson's Diversity Index: 0.3673
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo here. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Richmond, VA(43 of51)
Open Image Modal
50,113 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. No. of Catholic adherents: 75,294
No. of Eastern religion adherents: 4,522
No. of Islam adherents: 35,044
No. of Jewish adherents: 4,677
No. of LDS adherents: 11,958
No. of Other Christian (largely Orthodox Christian) adherents: 3,366
No. of Protestants: 495,682
Simpson's Diversity Index: 0.3642
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo here. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Atlanta, GA(44 of51)
Open Image Modal
Metro area: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA
49,721 religious adherents per 100,000 persons.
No. of Catholic adherents: 393,028
No. of Eastern religion adherents: 39,938
No. of Islam adherents: 40,745
No. of Jewish adherents: 30,439
No. of LDS adherents: 39,610
No. of Other Christian (largely Orthodox Christian) adherents: 15,825
No. of Protestants: 2,060,157
Simpson's Diversity Index: 0.3582
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo here. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Salt Lake City, UT(45 of51)
Open Image Modal
73,487 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. No. of Catholic adherents: 100,327
No. of Eastern religion adherents: 5,792
No. of Islam adherents: 4,540
No. of Jewish adherents: 1,525
No. of LDS adherents: 662,438
No. of Other Christian (largely Orthodox Christian) adherents: 6,079
No. of Protestants: 45,439
Simpson's Diversity Index: 0.3391
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo here. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Providence, RI-MA(46 of51)
Open Image Modal
Metro area: Providence-New Bedford-Fall River, RI-MA
56,840 religious adherents per 100,000 persons.
No. of Catholic adherents: 752,711
No. of Eastern religion adherents: 5,407
No. of Islam adherents: 2,368
No. of Jewish adherents: 11,223
No. of LDS adherents: 4,584
No. of Other Christian (largely Orthodox Christian) adherents: 11,529
No. of Protestants: 122,104
Simpson's Diversity Index: 0.2973
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo here. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Charlotte, NC-SC(47 of51)
Open Image Modal
Metro area: Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, NC-SC
51,764 religious adherents per 100,000 persons.
No. of Catholic adherents: 103,810
No. of Eastern religion adherents: 5,261
No. of Islam adherents: 3,946
No. of Jewish adherents: 5,415
No. of LDS adherents: 13,587
No. of Other Christian (largely Orthodox Christian) adherents: 9,835
No. of Protestants: 768,179
Simpson's Diversity Index: 0.2740
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo here. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Oklahoma City, OK(48 of51)
Open Image Modal
60,249 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. No. of Catholic adherents: 80,120
No. of Eastern religion adherents: 14,612
No. of Islam adherents: 2,540
No. of Jewish adherents: 1,252
No. of LDS adherents: 15,476
No. of Other Christian (largely Orthodox Christian) adherents: 2,567
No. of Protestants: 638,351
Simpson's Diversity Index: 0.2729
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo here. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Memphis, TN-MS-AR(49 of51)
Open Image Modal
Metro area: Memphis, TN-MS-AR
58,847 religious adherents per 100,000 persons.
No. of Catholic adherents: 68,827
No. of Eastern religion adherents: 7,034
No. of Islam adherents: 4,468
No. of Jewish adherents: 8,554
No. of LDS adherents: 7,969
No. of Other Christian (largely Orthodox Christian) adherents: 2,491
No. of Protestants: 675,144
Simpson's Diversity Index: 0.2318
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo here. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Nashville, TN(50 of51)
Open Image Modal
Metro area: Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, TN
50,694 religious adherents per 100,000 persons.
No. of Catholic adherents: 65,430
No. of Eastern religion adherents: 5,862
No. of Islam adherents: 5,988
No. of Jewish adherents: 2,804
No. of LDS adherents: 12,171
No. of Other Christian (largely Orthodox Christian) adherents: 2,491
No. of Protestants: 705,472
Simpson's Diversity Index: 0.2269
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo here. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Birmingham, AL(51 of51)
Open Image Modal
Metro area Birmingham-Hoover, AL
70,990 religious adherents per 100,000 persons.
No. of Catholic adherents: 64,998
No. of Eastern religion adherents: 1,100
No. of Islam adherents: 3,656
No. of Jewish adherents: 4,120
No. of LDS adherents: 7,311
No. of Other Christian (largely Orthodox Christian) adherents: 1,782
No. of Protestants: 717,833
Simpson's Diversity Index: 0.1898
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo here. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)

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