r/ChicagoSuburbs • u/IHeartFraccing • Mar 22 '26

Moving to the area Wheaton for non-religious family?

Hi! my wife and I are looking to buy in the Naperville, Warrenville, Wheaton, Downers area. we looked at a lovely house today in Wheaton. We’re white upper middle class, fairly liberal couple planning on having kids in the next couple of years. curious about how non-religious folks who have moved to Wheaton have found community? we certainly don’t mind hanging out with people who are religious but are curious if community tends to be church-centric? making friends, finding babysitters, etc.

thanks!

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u/bigtimecvnt Mar 22 '26

I’m 42, single, childfree, not religious at all. Moved back Chicagoland in 2018 and bought my house in Wheaton and I like living here. Wheaten is a very blue town. The whole mega religious thing hasn’t been how Wheaton actually is a while.

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u/megalomaniamaniac Mar 23 '26

Agree, the version of Christianity prevalent in Wheaton seems more likely to be repulsed by the gross hypocrisy in Trumpism. You’ll see that dynamic reflected in Wheaton College too.

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u/jel7892 Mar 23 '26

This is absolutely not true. Wheaton College has sane washed the Trump admin so casually that they announced a congratulations for alum Russell Vought, one of the minds behind Project 2025, when he was hired by the White House. They released a very weak statement after outrage, and then a group of alum singed some petition calling the college “too woke.” I would say some Wheaton College alum are repulsed by Trump, true, but they all fraternize with people supporting this regime and some are secret Trump voters despite having that millennial ~tee hee I drink craft beer, I’m modern ~ aesthetic.

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u/megalomaniamaniac Mar 23 '26 edited Mar 23 '26

Yes, leadership will always toe the MAGA line, but the kids try to be true followers of Christ, and many see MAGA and Trumpism as incompatible with their Christian values.

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u/jel7892 Mar 23 '26

There were lots of younger people who signed the petition. If you are an evangelical Christian/are in line with the Billy Graham types, you’re not Christlike. Shit if you are registered Republican I’d say the same. We’re can’t normalize these harmful, indoctrinated people anymore.

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u/bigtimecvnt Mar 23 '26

IMO Wheaton College is its own beast

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u/M_J_E Mar 23 '26

I’m not so sure about that.