Listen to the audio version of this article (generated by AI).
East side, west side: How Washington’s divide shows up in church, too
From place names to state symbols, Washington defies easy definition — and its religious landscape is no different.
By Morf Morford | FāVS News Columnist
The views expressed in this opinion column are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of FāVS News.
Washington is a peculiar state.
It might begin with what we call ourselves. Or what others call us. Or maybe what no one calls us.
Who uses the term “Washingtonians”?
Nobody I know.
Washington is, of course, the only state named after a president. It is also the only state that has the word “state” as an unofficial part of its name — to distinguish itself from that “other” Washington.
That “other” Washington, by the way, occasionally considers a transition to statehood. If they ever did, what would they, or we, the original “state” of Washington, call ourselves?
We in the current state of Washington are also noted for our difficult to pronounce, largely Native-based place names. From Puyallup to Palouse, Yakima to Sequim and dozens more, our local communities — and their pronunciation — can be a challenge to newcomers, and of course newly transplanted news and weather personalities.
Washington’s state flower is the rhododendron, which is not native.
Washington’s state tree is not the ever-present Douglas Fir (it was claimed by Oregon first).
The Western Hemlock is the official tree of the state of Washington. Besides being unrecognizable by most Washington residents or visitors, it is mostly found in moist areas around the coast, as well as in lowlands and mountain areas.
Which means it is rarely, if ever, found on the east side of the Cascades.
Which also is a reminder that, if anything, Washington is already two states.
Official symbols, unofficial identity
Washington’s state bird, the American Goldfinch, was designated the official state bird in 1951. Goldfinches are rarely, if ever, seen on the west side of the Cascades.
In short, the western side of the state has lowland forests and coastal ferries — many of them named after east side counties.
The east side features seemingly endless orchards, open spaces and stunning vistas – and historic towns, cities and ghost towns. Both sides have unique and intriguing urban centers, parks and internationally respected educational institutions.
But if you know anything about Washington, you know that it could easily be two entirely different and distinct states. Or even three. Or four. Or more.
In terms of culture, weather, terrain, pace and personality, Eastern Washington is very different from Western Washington. But don’t forget Central Washington.
The northern corner of Eastern Washington is very different from the southern corner.
On the far other side, the Olympic Peninsula is a place unto itself. And of course, local Olympic names cause confusion during summer and winter Olympic seasons.
We in Washington, you may have noticed, tend to specialize in confusion.
The Cascades as fault line
Many in Eastern Washington have never been to the west side and consider themselves distant, if not disassociated, from the life, pace and culture of the literal “other side.”
Many on the west side feel the same.
Many U.S. states border other states. Washington shares a border with two states (Oregon and Idaho, to the south and east), one sovereign nation (Canada, to the north) and, of course, the Pacific Ocean, to the west. More than half of Washington state counties (over 20) are on a border of some kind.
Washington also has one of the largest ferry systems in the world.
Wet side, dry side, red state, blue state, urban and rural, agricultural and industrial — stereotypes and realities combine, confirm and contradict our biases. However many cultures, subcultures, industries, vistas and vacation settings you might be looking for, Washington has it all.
Where faith fits in
When it comes to faith, Washington continues its contrarian streak. Washington is the land of the “nones” (rhymes with “nuns”) — the religiously unaffiliated — because we have one of the lowest rates of church affiliation in the country.
But Washington does have several distinct and unique monasteries and religious centers.
You can see some memorable centers here.
Most, if not all, of these offer hospitality for visitors.
In short, we do faith, worship and even church our own way.
From biker churches to Russian Orthodox, we might be the “nones,” but we are also actual nuns.
Washington is larger in size than many European and Asian nations and has a population greater than Switzerland and Finland.
From Gold Rush towns (like Republic) to island communities to world-renowned companies (like Starbucks, Amazon and Microsoft), Washington literally has it all.
FāVS News uses professional journalists and thoughtful commentary to explore faith, values and ethics. Support journalism like this by making a tax-deductible donation. FāVS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. © FāVS News. All rights reserved. Reproduction permitted only to authorized media partners or with written permission.
