Touchpoints for and thoughts on somewhat nonspecific alternate history?

[tamtrible]

I'm toying with a story idea, and rather than either set it in an entirely fictional world, or set it in the real world and pretend the presence of magic wouldn't alter history in a lot of different ways, I figure I'd kind of aim for "obviously this world, but different"--for example, I was thinking of having the major language and dominant country

Comments

[shocolate]

No help but "like being an atheist today--you may get people who dislike you for it, and you may have trouble holding any kind of public office in some areas" really doesn't apply in Britain...

[lied_ohne_worte]

Or, for instance, Germany. Well, except in some regions of Bavaria where you'd probably best be Catholic (Protestantism might not be much better than atheism there). But honestly, I have no idea nor do I care what, if any, religion any of the local and most of the state and national politicians follow, except for the ones where it's made an issue for some reason or other. OP, from your profile page it looks like you might be American - I'd be careful translating an US view of religion's influence on politics, society and so on to European countries. The influences do exist, but they manifest themselves rather differently (for example, more than just a few fringe people fighting the teaching of evolution in Germany would be absurd, and people wanting to homeschool children so they aren't polluted by evil non-Christian society need to seek asylum in the US).

[shocolate]

Yes, politicians being openly religious are just embarassing - Tony Blair didn't come out as Catholic until after he left office!

[sushidog]

To be fair, if he'd been protestant, he probably would have "come out" earlier; Catholicism tends to get the side-eye in the UK, particularly in positions of power.

[lied_ohne_worte]

See, I didn't even know he was one (although I do know that Catholics did have a hard time in England, not having the vote for a long time etc

[jayb111]

See, I didn't even know he was one (although I do know that Catholics did have a hard time in England, not having the vote for a long time etc.).
That was going on for two hundred years ago, though. The Catholic-Protestant divide is much greater in Scotland (where some forms of Protestantism are much more extreme than the Church of England) and of course in Northern Ireland.

Prior to large scale Irish migration into England beginning in the late 18th century, there just were not that many Catholics in England.

[tamtrible]

I speak from a US perspective... sorry, don't necessarily have the best feel for what things are like in countries not my own.

[shocolate]

And even here in Ireland, which is far more religious and where Catholicism has been pretty dominant, atheists are, if anything, overrepresented in politics. I believe both our Tánaiste (Deputy Prime Minister) and Minister for Education (of an system where most schools are run by the churches) are atheists and I don't think anybody cares. Our President did specifically state he wasn't an atheist when running for President, but I can't imagine it being the issue it sounds like it might be in parts of the U.S.

We do have politicians who are more openly religious than I'd imagine is common places like Britain.

-Margaret.