And what should really be obvious from the cumulative effect of the week's stories is that regardless of the statistics, Abilene's religious ambiance is not merely an external feature tacked on to happenings throughout the city. Instead, that devotional spirit is found at the very core of the daily lives of the great majority of people who populate this western outpost of the Bible Belt. No, religion is not everything in Abilene. The city bustles with business and industrial activity. Art and culture thrive.
Historical preservation is big.
Athletic achievement reaps recognition. Academic excellence is an educational priority. It's that spirit the Reporter-News staff has tried to capture and convey in our weeklong series. And if our full resources could succeed only in sketching rather than exhausting, that is perhaps because this community's religious spirit transcends the limitations of mere mortals to describe. E.W. Scripps Publications , All Rights Reserved.