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Hi!
I'm curious about something. I've been watching a few videos about religion in the US and something I encountered was the term Bible Belt, relating to a few States where this religion plays an important role. How is it to live in those places being non-religious?

RaiGab 5 Aug 6
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35 comments (26 - 35)

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I live in a conservative, Trump loving area. I find it hard to relate to people who are “loving god” and hating everyone else. I tried being friends but got tired of them saying stuff like, “that liberal bitch cut me off in traffic!” Um, how would you know? She is probably thinking the same about you? Knowing I am atheist and never leaving it alone. Funny, before she knew I was she didn’t pray before every meal, but made a point of it after she found out! Biggest hypocrites I have ever met.

2

Pretty rough most of the time. I am viewed with suspicion despite being more honest than your average xtian. Or I'm feared.

Gotta admit being feared is not so bad lol

2

I have lived in Indiana for two years now without a problem. I laugh at the boarded up churches with cardboard steeples, ones that might have seating for 8, and the ones with names that take 10 minutes to read. I don't ridicule them; it's their thing. At the same time, they don't try to convert me.

2

I'm in Seneca, South Carolina, US the jock strap of the bible belt.

At our frequent arts and craft summer festivals, it's not uncommon to run across three booths where they are handing out fliers and preaching at people wandering by.

A couple of months ago I went to a weekend "camp" (it was held at a hotel resort) for people who had survived strokes. Every meal started with a prayer and every discussion group included people telling us how Jezzzusss had changed/improved their life. Religion hung over that weekend like a shroud.

I live in a small rural town where it's common to see "Repent" or "Jesus" on any telephone pole on a minor highway. They're not trying to make a coherent thought.

When I invite the neighbor over for cocktails, it's a given she'll tell me I ought to convert before I'm consumed by the fires of hell.

Prayer starts most meetings including football games and prayer around flag poles at public schools before school starts. (School employees aren't allowed to hold religious services on the grounds but students are). The only exception where they don't start the meeting with a prayer is the local monthly humanist group, one township away.

I have been living here for 10 years and have yet to find any building that is used either for Jewish services or Islamic services. We do have Muslims but I don't know about the Jews. Maybe they hide better than the Muslims. I've resolved when I want to collect my fire insurance, I'm going to have to declare the house either a mosque or a synagogue. I'm leaning toward mosque.

2

It depends a lot on whether you tell everyone you are non-religious. Not everyone in these areas wants to storm to the church the minute the doors open. It just that most of them profess to believe.

2

New York has a number of bible clusters. I live in one evangelical in central NY. Downstate one can find a number of orthodox and Hasidic Jewish enclaves. So it all depends on where you live in NY.

2

I live in the Bible Belt now but grew up in New England. They are religious in both regions but here, down south, it tends to be a focal point. Everything and everyone is about Christianity. The people include it in conversations often. Even in the public school system they illegally have religious things on desks and walls.It's crazy. It's very in your face. I mostly keep a low profile about my atheism and tell them, "I'm not religious" This usually does the trick.

One of our employees was recently let go (the company outsourced his position) anyway, he had huge bible quotes taped to the wall above his station. Needless to say, they were removed yesterday 😀

1

It’s very difficult. My brother lives in Oklahoma (in the Bible Belt) is a “born again Christian” and is the most judgmental, narrow minded, unforgiving, and completely asinine person I know (and his wife too). He posted a Tesla car that costs $140,000. I commented that that was a house. He proceeded to send me Zillow postings of a house in Oklahoma that cost $1.2M and one from another state (I can’t remember) for $13M. I responded that he needs to live within your means. His response to me was that is a he doesn’t live with a poverty mentality. I have bipolar and he tells me I just need to get off my medications and trust in god and I’ll be fine. Ignorant and refuses to educate himself on bipolar and mental illness.

LiLi Level 2 Aug 10, 2019
1

I moved to Texas about 2 years ago one observation is you find it hard to get a date. Prissy women on their 4th or 5th husband will tell you how he would beat her but basically was a good Christian man. I just shake my head and walk away. They say I am looking for a good Christian man and I always say how did that work out for you on your other marriages. I work retail and those men who are supposedly good Christian men treat their wives like shit in public you wonder how they treat them in private. Trump supporters every on. And I have never figured out what a Cowboy church is and they are all over here. Are the floors covered in horse shit to make them feel at home.

0

I couldn't tell, I never lived in any of them...

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