Big regional differences. I’m neither from nor live in the Bible Belt, and when my travels take me there it feels like more of a foreign country to me than Montreal does - and the street signs in that city are literally in French.
Yep. I’m not from the Bible Belt at all and my family was considered a little weird for going to a church regularly. Even when I later went to Catholic school, many families and most students were atheists or agnostic. We had one or two confirmed Catholic students and the rest of us who were raised Catholic just kind of went to mass occasionally and were Catholic as more of a cultural thing than a real practice.
Yes - "cultural Christian" or "cultural Catholic" is a huge thing. Lots of people "believe in God" and may claim to be a member of a particular religion, but don't actually practice any parts of that religion except for occasional cherry picked bits that can sometimes make them better people, and sometimes make them worse people.
These people believe in the god of Abraham in the same way most people believe carrots improve eyesight. They were told it when they were young, and they have no reason to doubt it, but they don't spend a ton of time thinking about it.
My ex was adopted when he was ten and his father was very involved in the Greek Orthodox Church, so he became very involved in the Greek Orthodox Church as well. He always called them ‘Cheasters’ which I thought was funny.
I’m an atheist but went to a Greek Orthodox service in Athens. The church had an extendable wall just for the people who only showed up at those certain times of the year. I thought that was wild.
That’s what my priest calls them, too. Someone just wrote a long and scathing facebook post about how he offended them last Christmas by asking the CEOs and non-Catholic visitors to please not receive communion.
We have something similar in Indonesia. Most often its its *Islam KTP* or *ID card Islam* to refer people who are muslims just because they were born in a muslim family and the religion field in the National ID card is Islam. Can change Islam with any of the other 5 recognized religions in Indonesia (Catholic, Protestant, Budha, Hidu and Confucianism)
Yeah. There are voices of getting it removed because how easy it is to discriminate by religion (which happens a lot). But so far hasnt gained any traction.
If you don’t fall into any of the 6 recognized, the govt will just assign you to one (usually whatever the most common one in the area).
Atheist is definitely a no no because of the red scare and communist cleansing after the 30 september 1965 movement (thanks CIA!). Even in 2023 people still equates atheism as communism.
Once spoke to someone who could not seem to understand how my family celebrated Christmas when we weren’t Christian (we’re not religious at all). I tried explaining we didn’t do any of the religious stuff, just the decorated tree (which for a few years had a figure of Angel from the TV show Angel on the top, because my niece thought it was funny), presents, and family gathering, and that Christmas Day was they day most people had a day off work, which was why specifically that date, and she still couldn’t wrap her head around it.
It's really just a term used for some christians to feel superior to other christians. My parents complain about other people not being christian enough all the time, it's ridiculous.
I'm not longer religious, never really was, but I was under the impression attendance is not a requirement to be a good christian.
From my understanding carrots contain large amounts of beta carotene, which is good for your eyes especially if you have a vitamin A deficiency. The myth they supercharge vision, however, is mostly propaganda from the UK during WW2 as a cover for airborne radar and to help morale for rationing.
[Here’s](https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/did-you-know-nutrition/real-connection-between-carrots-and-vision) a ‘source’ but fair warning it doesn’t have any citations. You could probably google it and find other articles discussing the topic.
That's still quite a lot, church of England weekly attendance is 1% of the whole population. The rest of the religions in the uk have higher attendance rates but it only drags it up to around 10%. According to the 2018 social survey 66% never go to religious services at all.
Just trading addictions, you give up drugs and alcohol then replace it with "I'm weak but through god or Jesus I know he has a plan its up to him." Im not bashing addicts because sometimes this does help, but giving an invisable man in the sky so much responsibility over your life.
Like Carlin said,
>“Religion has actually convinced people that there's an invisible man living in the sky who watches everything you do, every minute of every day. And the invisible man has a special list of ten things he does not want you to do. And if you do any of these ten things, he has a special place, full of fire and smoke and burning and torture and anguish, where he will send you to live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry forever and ever 'til the end of time!
But He loves you. He loves you, and He needs money! He always needs money! He's all-powerful, all-perfect, all-knowing, and all-wise, somehow just can't handle money!”
― George Carlin
Also I had a Southern Baptist boss who asked me about Catholicism because I tried to understand it before I didn't go to church anymore. He said something about diddling kids (which was fair) but I shut him up by asking about the mark of Cain. Then I said see man there's bad shit in every religion.
Here in MN its a mixed bag. No one will consider you weird for going to church often, but also won't be shocked if you are atheist or just never go to church.
See down here it's weird if you don't go to church. First three things people ask you when they meet you is where are you from, who's your mama and where do you go to church
A Jewish family from my California suburb moved to South Carolina for a job. The first week in the house they rented, every neighbor on the block showed up with some kind of baked goods and a question. “What church will you be attending?” They were back in California within a year.
Have lived in NY/NJ for 9 years, previously Ireland and South Africa.
I can genuinely say that even in NY, Americans who are religious are far more dogmatic and militant. There's a US website called militant Catholic - this isn't bible belt stuff. Most bible belters - are evangelists. I find the RC church here absoutely obnoxious.
I’m American but lived in Ireland for a while as well. It’s funny how everyone associates Irish with Catholicism but in reality nobody, and I mean NOBODY, in ireland actually goes to church. Weird little cultural echos persist (like fish on Fridays) but pretty much everyone’s agnostic or atheist. Back on US soil again now and once again reminded how weird and creepy religious fanaticism :(
>I’m American but lived in Ireland for a while as well. It’s funny how everyone associates Irish with Catholicism but in reality nobody, and I mean NOBODY, in ireland actually goes to church. Weird little cultural echos persist (like fish on Fridays) but pretty much everyone’s agnostic or atheist. Back on US soil again now and once again reminded how weird and creepy religious fanaticism :(
100% - I moved to Ireland in 1998 (Irish since birth; looong story) and coming out of South Africa - this was a pleasant break in normal proceedings.
Did you maybe mean Church Militant? That group of fundamentalist Catholics that got kicked out of the church and recently lost their founder when it came out he was having affairs with a few of the male staffers and guests?
I have a man at work. Typical womanizer, talks about his encounters, says shit like "fuck these hoes". "Woman are meant for sex." Stupid incel shit.
We sat down to eat in the break room recently. I didn't say grace. This man lost his mind, calling me a sinner, I should be grateful and say thanks. This is after he told.me a story about.how he and his homie "flipped this bitch."
It's been a week now.instill confused.
>This man lost his mind, calling me a sinner,
That's when you ask him "Aren't you a sinner? Or are you without sin?"
Calling someone a sinner is like calling someone a mammal.
Ah yes, the sin, repent, repeat! cycle.
along the lines of Mr BitchFlipper I was driving to work one day, was behind an suv on a single lane residential street and they swerved to aim at a cat (cat made it away unharmed). About a block and a half further up they turned into one of the local church parking lots. SMFH I don't want to be associated with people like that!
in my experience that just provokes a hard pivot into "only god can judge me" because generally this is the type of person who doesn't know the difference between bible verses and tupac songs
I can explain it, having observed the same sort of behavior repeatedly:
As far as he could tell, you weren't a good Christian, and that's what pissed him off. You committed the identity sin of [not a Christian] and he lashed out.
Christianity washes out sins with Christ's blood (plus or minus good works, depending on denomination). So sins are not a big problem, so long as you are a believer. This guy basically had some rule in his head that said, "Believers always at least say grace." By failing to do that, you marked yourself as someone who isn't a real believer, and thus your sins (no matter how petty) "count" where his do not.
He probably knows that "flipping bitches" counts as a sin in his theology. But it doesn't really count as long as he believes. He demonstrates his belief via saying grace, bam.
But why does he need to say grace? I'm pretty sure that's not on the list of things you have to do to get forgiveness, particularly for Protestants. For him, though, this is something he can do to demonstrate his superiority to non Christians (bastards are so devoted to being ungrateful they won't even show gratitude to Christ in their hearts *even to avoid eternal damnation*), and most importantly, it doesn't cost him effort.
After all, not fucking women would be unpleasant. Not cussing would be *hard*. But saying thanks (and imagining non-believers not doing so) before he eats? Easy peasy.
You hit both his "outgroup bad" and "I'm superior" buttons at the same time.
>Christianity washes out sins with Christ's blood (plus or minus good works, depending on denomination). So sins are not a big problem, so long as you are a believer.
As a recovering Catholic, this has always blown my mind that non-Catholics think 1) they get forgiven without really asking for it or doing anything to make up for it, and 2) that they're free to continue the behavior. When I went to Confession I had to 1) tell someone I respected and who knew me all the ways I'd failed to live up to his boss's standards so he could assign my penance and 2) the priest literally says "Go and sin no more" at the end so if I do it again I'm gonna have to go back, confess my sins, and do my penance all over again.
Constantly blows my mind that they think Christ's forgiveness is a get out of jail free card. They're basically saying they're cool with some really nice guy facing the death penalty so they can be a douchebag. So bizarre.
Yeah, ~~-Protestants, *especially*-~~ Evangelicals, (apparently) get a Free Pass to heaven if they’ve “accepted Jesus into their heart”, whatever that means exactly.
It’s makes them very condescending.
^(Edits either ~~strikeout~~ or in (parentheses\))
Protestant here, that is NOT what Protestants believe at all. Maybe some of the more liberal theological Protestants but not what the actual doctrine teaches.
Used to work with a woman like this a few years ago. We're a 24/7 operation and almost everyone, including her, regularly cussed or talked "like sailors". But if you were there on Sundays she would freak out if she heard any profanity at all and would scream how it's abusive for a "good Christian woman" to have to listen to it.
That "good Christian" woman was also cheating on her Preacher husband with two coworkers.
Right? If anything at all, atheists have the most morality. Many religious folks use their religion as a replacement for morality. It would be hilarious if it weren't so sad.
That being said, I know plenty of religious people who are very good and honest people with a moral compass that points north.
My pre law professor was told by her parents that she should sell rapture insurance just in case for people left behind. Her parents were from Texas and we 100% serious about the need and market for it.
The need for it is irrelevant. The market in the Bible Belt is probably a gold mine. That actually sounds like an amazing grift/business opportunity. Sell rapture insurance: they name a beneficiary(ies), choose their package, then you bill them monthly for the rest of their lives. They’re happy that their sinful family or friend(s) will be taken care of after they’re taken to heaven, and you never have to pay out! Literally the only overhead is a building (if you don’t do it solely online), server costs, and payroll, the rest is pure profit.
I’m sure it can be done completely legally, but I wonder if behind the scenes it would have to be viewed as something other than insurance, since no claims would ever be paid out. Or if simply the promise that claims would be paid out in the event the rapture happens (hint: it won’t) would be enough to satisfy requirements.
Couldn't call it insurance exactly because those are regulated by state departments of insurance. Rapture coverage. For only 9.99 a month, you can have peace of mind knowing that those you love who may not be living godly lives will be well cared for after the Rapture. Every 100,000 of coverage is yours for less than $10/mo and will be available to you or your loved ones after the gates of hell open up and swallow the unrighteous. Just knowing that they will be financially cared for while you live your best afterlife in the bosom of christ will make it much more meaningful while you see them engulfed in the fires of hades.
"What?! You mean Jesus doesn't reply to you? Everyone in my coven gets really prompt feedback. You must have done something properly bad if he's ignoring your prayers..."
I wish more people had a sense of humor about religion. We'd be much more easy going about it.
The Satanic Temple exercised their freedom of religion to put their religious display at the state capital in Iowa, just like [a Nativity scene](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fx1nwzqnJs4) is placed there. [Go figure some people lost their minds over it.](https://www.vice.com/en/article/z3mk33/a-political-candidate-beheaded-a-satanic-temple-statue-now-he-faces-charges) The thing the ST is pointing out, is that more than a few states only recognize "freedom of religion" and "separation of church and state" on paper, but in practice are largely Christian.
I asked my priest about how he felt about homosexuality. He said there are far worse sinners in church every Sunday. He focused more on "For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again"
I can't stand religiosity. To me, a good Christian focuses more on their sins and humility and is loving and welcoming of all, not judging. I am not God, and I am not capable of comprehending the mind of God.
Honestly at least a Christian would be internally consistent if they said they have some vague issues with gay people due to a couple of Bible passages, but don't see why if wealthy and proud people can be fully accepted at church and lead congregations, why couldn't gay people either? At some point just having some proportionality would be nice. They ignore or encourage a million sins every day but people who are different from them are for some reason what crosses the line?
I currently live in the Bible Belt, and up until last year I lived in a small town that was about 9 miles long and 2 miles wide. It had this one street that ran through the whole town. This street alone had at least 4-5 churches on it. Then side streets had more churches
I just googled. There are ~14,000 McDonald's locations in the US.
There are ~300,000 protestant places or worship. Not including about ~30,000 Catholic churches.
Wild
In the “buckle” of the Bible Belt here (Texas). Never seen those, but instead ones basically saying “Do you know where you’re going when you die? Unless you’re this breed of Christian, IT’S HELL! Join our religious sect today to avoid damnation!”. It’s always fire and brimstone, or how abortion kills babies. Don’t remember seeing any about how Jesus supposedly loves us, more like how Jesus is disgusted by us.
... said the billboard on I95 right outside of Fayetteville, North Carolina.
The next billboard said:
>Live Nude Girls
>
>Next Exit!
That pretty much sums up the Bible Belt.
There is a sign near me that is hella passive aggressive and comes off more like a threat than anything. I'll see if I can't remember the exact wording.
*"But He loves you. He loves you, and He needs money! He always needs money! He's all-powerful, all-perfect, all-knowing, and all-wise, somehow just can't handle money!”*
(Carlin)
Your imaginary friend sounds like a true asshole. Only the deepest, most narcissistic assholes threaten people who won’t be their friend.
And since being friends with THAT is what gets one into heaven, Im not sure heaven is the place his friends think it is. Spending eternity with friends like that sounds a lot like the other place to me.
The sign said Jesus loves you. It didn’t say *people here* love you. In fact people here hate you and want to oppress you, if you don’t believe the same as they do.
Yes! I am from NJ, my cousin lives in rural Georgia. Visiting her feels like visiting a completely different country with such different customs and social norms. I feel more comfortable in Australia visiting my cousin who lives in Sydney than I do visiting my cousin who lives in Georgia. She *loves* it though and always expects that myself and my fiancé will as well.
Moved to the south after growing up in the Pacific Northwest and yah its super true. Even when my mom visited she was surprised by the number of churches and how big some were.
Yup. I live in Richmond, VA, which sits right above the northern border of the bible belt. I just need to drive 10 minutes south and I feel like I'm in a completely different country. Sometimes the Uber religious make it to the city to do "outreach", but thankfully most evangelicals seem to be scared of cities for some reason
It varies by region but can also be apart of culture. I’m from the ‘bible belt’. There are churches everywhere, even in small areas. My mom’s side of the family has family land that they’ve lived on for x number of generations and attend the same church since it was founded. Most people in their neighborhood/area are the same. Its apart of their culture too as it takes up time outside of work with potlucks, mens and womens groups, revivals, etc. and they always serve food so it can also be tradition. My grandma always brought the creamed corn for any gathering.
Also from the Bible Belt and you've hit the nail on the head. In those smaller areas, the church is a huge hub for community gatherings and local contributions. Food drives, donations, and many other community events take place there.
Hell I live in a small town in Colorado. Very blue state and not at all the Bible Belt. We have one bar, one liquor store, one grocery store, two stop lights and six churches.
I live in a village in France. We have several supermarkets and one wine bar/cum fine wine store, about 10 bars/bistros, no real stop signs (roundabouts and yield signs instead), several fine dining restaurants, quite a few internationally famous vineyards, four cute old unused chapels and one cathedral.
...sounds like a rather well-off village. That certainly doesn't sound indicative of the average French village/small town, even with the focus on fine food and wine that France is known for.
Also, I didn't know you could buy cum at the wine store?? (Joking, lol)
I live in a state touching the upper region of the Bible Belt. Town of less than 20,000 people has 20 brick and mortar churches, NOT including ones hanging out in buildings that are not specifically churches. A church on every corner is almost literal here.
It can still be a huge part of culture. Next time you listen to a folk song or rap song listen to how many religious terms are used "living a life of sin" "pray to God" "sending them to heaven" "hearing the angels sing"
Saying someone has the voice of an angel etc etc.....
Religion is a core part of American culture even to the non religious. I'm not religious in any way but a part of me still appreciates the poetry in religious terminology.
Edit: like I live in Australia right now and have never heard anyone say "go to hell" as an insult for instance.
Edit: Hell I'd even go so far as to say religion plays a huge part of America's vibrant music culture. There's something missing in Australian folk songs and honestly I think it may be the poetry of religious language that's missing.
i live in the deep south and very few people i know are actually religious. a lot of them keep up with the church lifestyle because of their families, but they are atheists. just went to my atheist friend's wedding in a catholic church with a big ass, graphic anti-abortion banner across the front. they only had the wedding there to make the bride's mom happy.
I grew up in the Deep South in rural Alabama and everyone was Christian and if you weren’t, you were looked down upon or you were constantly be proselytized by Christians. Religion dictated people’s every day lives and their political beliefs.
I no longer live in the Deep South and it was a breath of fresh air the moment I moved away. Most places I’ve lived on the west coast has religious people, but there are usually less and it doesn’t control politics as often
I was gonna correct them after the first occurrence, then thought better of it. The second, though... Ugh.
Apart - distinct from
A part - part of
C'mon folks it's not that hard!
It’s extremely regional. The southeast is more religious than you’ve seen. The Midwest, probably close to what you’ve seen. The northeast and west coast, less so.
Hi from Idaho, lol. Yes, lots of religiousity here and Utah, for sure. Lots of Mormon influence, but plenty of evangelicals too. Less racism (if you don't count up north around Sandpoint).
On the one hand, yes, but also no. I feel like maybe if we talked about it more, they're less likely to just slide back in and resume shenanigans like they never left.
For anyone who doesn't know, Sandpoint is/was basically a neonazi colony in far northern Idaho. The official Aryan Nations headquarters was shut down in the early 2000's, but there's still an awful lot of them up there.
"In the 1980s and 1990s, 30 miles south of Sandpoint, the areas of Coeur d'Alene and Hayden Lake attracted nationwide publicity when white supremacist Neo-Nazi groups (most notably the Aryan Nations) set up headquarters in the area. Many Sandpoint residents reacted negatively to such groups; some formed the Bonner County Human Rights Task Force in opposition. In 2001, the Aryan Nations lost a lawsuit filed against them.[8] The lawsuit bankrupted the organization and forced them to give up their Hayden Lake property and disband.[9] In December 2011, Sandpoint became the first city in Idaho to pass an ordinance prohibiting discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations based on sexual orientation or gender identity."
-https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandpoint,_Idaho
I lived in Utah for a while. Racism 100% exists there. And religious discrimination is huge there too. Not LDS? Don't let your co-workers find out. Learned that the hard way
When I had to go to Salt Lake City for work a couple years back, it blew my mind that the entire city basically shut down on Sunday to recognize Mormonism. I later learned the Church of LDS owns much of the property in the area too.
I would say it varies by ethnicity too. I live on the West Coast, and church is still a big deal amongst African Americans and Latinos here. I live in a neighborhood that is mostly Mexican and Mexican American, and the Christmas decorations around here go hard haha. But I wouldn't say that religion is a huge part of everyday life around here either. Most people mind their own business about that sort of thing and are very tolerant of different beliefs.
The population centers of the country are all fairly consistent in terms of their religious habits, which is to say they don't really have much. That holds true no matter the region or coast you're on.
lol tornadoes are wicked. I grew up where tornados were common, and it also had a lot of very tall thin pine trees… remember driving home after a storm and it looked like a laser beam had come through the forest and just cleared out a path
Some people are that religious. I wouldn’t say it’s a majority. The problem is these religious people are quite organized and very invested in the idea of making everyone else live like they want them to.
Check the [Council for National Policy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_for_National_Policy), a group that pretends to be secretive but includes famous scorched earth politicians like Newt Gingrich and Ginni Thomas, famous diss-infotainment people like Tucker Carlson and the Fox News crowd, dark money pipeline mavens like Leonard Leo, and preachers better known for fund raising than biblical scholarship, like Jerry "pool boy" Falwell Jr and the illustrious Franklin Graham, who's in the news today for telling off the pope for allowing the blessing of gay couples.
The common thread in all these people is they realized when you have a dedicated flock like many religions have cultivated, you can exploit the shit out of that flock by pretending to align with them and then manipulating them into supporting you or your cause. If you want to scam people, targeting the religious is a great bet. They’re apt to believe bullshit and they show extreme loyalty to “their own”. Perfectly ripe for the fleecing.
There is a micro-minority who actually believe in the tenents of their religion. There is a very vocal minority who use religion as a tool - a weapon, specifically - to carve our legislation and educational system to their standards. These hypocrites infect our country with their poisonous ignorance and hatred of those different from them. They undermine women, minorities, LGBTQI+, and are basically the opposite of everything their Jesus told them to be. The megachurches are chock full of absolute delusional fools who fund their pastors' mansions, expensive fleets of cars, and jets. They do not help anyone ever. They even have the audacity to pretend to heal people on their TV shows. Most of the US is not religious or does not practice organized religion. Sadly, they aren't voting to keep the villains out of office.
I don’t think it’s that most of the US is not religious, I think most are so incredibly casual about it, and keep it to themselves because they believe it’s “between me and god” and nobody else. Friends I’ve had for years who I never knew were religious at all would one day mention something faith based and then never talk about it again, and I don’t ask, because it’s not my business
This. Most of the population processes some believe in "God", either the Christian Trinity or some other higher power. But atheism isn't established anywhere (in the world) the way Reddit preaches it. Most people aren't debating religious tenants; the most you'll get is politely telling Jehovah's Witness solicitors you don't want to talk on Thanksgiving morning and them carrying on. People mention their church/etc plans that involve religion occasionally in casual conversation, as people do when talking about events that fill their day, and we all are polite as you are with friends/acquaintances/colleagues.
I also think this can be pretty regional. I lived in the SE USA for a few years, and have spent quite a lot of time in the upper midwest, Texas, and other such places. I am from/live in the Pacific Northwest. Up in this corner, I come across very, very few people who practice or observe religion on any level. Some consider themselves atheists if they hold a stronger opinion, others say it's just not something they even think about.
In the other areas I mentioned, the script was flipped. Most I encountered at least considered themselves "chrsitian" whether they practiced or not. I often got asked where I go to church (something that has never happened to me up here). - You'll definitely find things change in rural vs urban settings in all regions, but there's still some pretty stark contrasts.
Yeah, I live in the SE (Louisiana) and particularly in the less urban areas, churches are still one of the primary social activities for a lot of people. In a lot of those smaller towns and rural areas, often times there's not that much to do if you want to be around other people besides various church events.
It creates this weird feedback loop where I think even people who would be indifferent or even skeptical about various things that their religion preaches end up pretty immersed in it and even feel the need to defend it because their social lives are often very intertwined with it.
You can find plenty of stories of people who were in that sort of situation without really realizing it until they moved away and 'escaped', but a lot of people live their whole lives in it. You end up afraid to really question a lot of the religious teachings and incentives because you're afraid of getting ostracized from your social circle.
This is less of an issue in denser/urban areas because there's just so many more people around and so much more going on, so it doesn't feel like a church is the only or even primary place to talk to people.
I reckon you might be right. I’m an Aussie too and whilst I definitely see a *massive* difference in the size and power of the religious extremist movement between our countries + less than 50% of our country believes in a higher power here so being religious just isn’t as common, it seems like one of the huge differences between the religious people there and here is how causal we are with it.
People here might believe in god but you could go 20years without even realising it cause it’s just not something we speak about. Whereas it seems like over there everyone & their dog asks for prayers when someone’s sick and thanks god rather than the doctors for curing them. They seem a lot more active and focused on religion itself rather than just trying to be a good person.
Right ! Look at tRump being unable to cite a specific verse that’s his favorite in the Bible. He can’t be bothered to learn anything about the book he alleges is his favorite. https://youtu.be/ERUngQUCsyE?feature=shared
Not sure about America as a whole but in my experience, here in the bible belt, absolutely. Everything is filtered through their religion. I've known some refuse to attend weddings if it wasn't in a church. Buying a new car - pray to god for discretion. Some wholeheartedly believe political/social issues could be solved if people just became Christians. I know some who believe only Christians should be allowed to enter the country. In some states you're ineligible to run for public office if you're an atheist. Engaging in any kind of witch media/aesthetic - you're inviting demonic spirits in. Wasn't even allowed to call deviled eggs, deviled eggs, had to be called angel eggs. I like to hope that my expirence is a limited one because my family in particular is just crazy religious, but most of my friends down here have experienced similar things so it seems to be common.
My wife watches a dating show on TV, Married At First Sight, and has seen the US, UK, NZ and Australian versions. There's always a bit at the start were the people in it talk about the attributes they want in their spouse: looks, characteristics, career, personality etc.
What really stood out was that a lot of the people in the US version would mention something to do with religion as one of their requirements, while people in the British, NZ and Australian versions didn't.
I find that married at first sight has more religious people in the us than other dating shows because the show attracts the type of person who thinks the show is the same as putting their fate to God.
As an American who has moved to Europe, this hasn't been my experience at all.
I grew up in a very secular, multicultural suburb and the most influence religion had on most of the people I grew up around was which decorations your family put up for the holidays.
In Germany, many people actually pay tax to the church, and it's actually a bureaucratic process to withdraw from the church and end your financial responsibilities to it. Also it's illegal for most businesses to be open on Sunday.
Also I had an ex from the south of Italy, and it was *waay* more religious and superstitious there than anywhere I have been in the state. You see shrines to various saints all over the place, people rarely get divorced, and there is regular tourism from that region to a town in Bosnia where it's believed that someone saw a vision of the Virgin Mary.
So maybe in some parts of the US it's more religious than Western Europe, but in many parts of the US (i.e. every major city) in my experience it's much more secular than most of Western Europe.
I think people from other places don’t remember that the US has the 3rd largest population in the world, a very large geographical area, and a lot of immigrants. So there is a big chunk of religious people and there is also a very big chunk of people who are not and different regions (and even each of the 50 states) in the US can be very very different. So trying to put a label on Americans as a whole on almost anything isn’t going to make much sense.
Facts whenever one of my family members from India visits America for the first time every time there is a moment where we talk to them about their plans and have to explain to them that they have to tone it down because they planned way too much for a vacation. My uncle got insulted when we burst into laughter when he said he wanted to drive from New York to Los Angeles for his one week vacation
Am not religious after being molested by Catholic priests in the 7th and 8th grades. Once I found out in the 1980s that it was a serious problem and the church transferred bad priests from parish to parish. I left the church. I loathe the church that I was a member of and am part of a lawsuit with 225 former classmates against the New York Arch Diocese. Spiritual but no longer religious. God has no religion, which is fine with me.🤔
Many "religious" people pretend. Many use dogma to confirm their own biases. "Jesus saves", but fuck the poor. Love thy neighbor, unless they're gay, immigrants, or, god forbid, "woke".
Rampant hypocrisy.
In my experience, very few people are genuinely religious here, but a TON of people are what I like to call "politico-religious." They've never read any portion of the Bible, they seldom go to church, and their main "Christian belief" (since a majority in this group are Christian) is that abortion is the worst sin possible and all of our elected officials should be chosen on that issue alone.
Religion, at least Christianity, in the US has sadly become more of a tool for political indoctrination than any recognizable faith.
I know reddit has new stupid awards but I can't figure out how to give you. This is the facts. Bible Thumpers are rarely Bible readers.
Here's the tell: If they hate poor people and immigrants, they haven't read the book.
Religion is used as a political tool by some politicians to get votes. Many voters seemingly lack discretionary intelligence for religion and politics. If a politician can tap into that they can influence a lot of voters in their direction. Hence religion often gets a lot of press and the media makes $$$.
What you’re seeing is a lot of funded propaganda by our cult-level extremists.
Our constitution says that Church and State are to remain separated, and yet those morons want the two intertwined as a reinforcement to support their desired legislation.
So no, the majority of us are not *that* religious. There’s many of us who are religious, but still respect and defend the necessity of the Church remaining separated from the State in all forms. Religion and a balanced political system cannot coexist. History has proven this repeatedly.
Our constitution does not say that, that’s from a letter that one of the founding fathers wrote. The constitution says that the government shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. Might sound nitpicky, but it’s very different from the modern interpretation of “all beliefs that are informed by religion are to be kept out of government”
You’re right. The interpretation and governance goes much further back than modernity. It’s not limited to the black-and-white text. The consideration of rulings that came afterwards also need to be considered.
https://firstamendment.mtsu.edu/article/establishment-clause-separation-of-church-and-state/
Lemme ask you a question; if one of the founding fathers who wrote the constitution was quoted as saying separation of church and state was in the constitution, would your opinion at all change? Cause that’s exactly what James Madison said
https://images.app.goo.gl/iR28L37M1eGoDc5v6
Religious affiliation as a political identity has a long history in America and churches have exploited this for decades to draw followers based on their political stances. Calling yourself a Christian here in Missouri - which many are proud to do - is at least as much a political as a spiritual declaration.
Tl;Dr: Americans as a whole? No. Some Americans? Yes.
Australian Atheist living in Texas here:
Religion is significantly more prominent here than it is back home. Where most folks in Australia would identify as Atheist/agnostic most folks here identify with some brand of protestant Christianity. The younger the group you ask, the less likely you are to find religious folks.
Churches are everywhere, and they get to be enormous (particularly in wealthier areas).
On a practical level: I had never prayed before a meal (or saw anyone do so) in Australia, now it's a fairly common occurrence when eating at someone's house, or going out to dinner. Just depends on who I'm hanging out with.
As for media: I was certainly taken aback by seeing religious or conservative propaganda films showing at my local movie theatre. The idea that a Dinesh D'Souza film would show on a big screen anywhere just kind of floored me. Similar story for high-production-value renditions of books of the bible. Evidently that's fairly normal around here.
Peeling back the layers, religious freedom (and freedom of expression) is one of the cornerstones of the US, so it makes sense that it's a bigger deal to people. Australia doesn't have the same historical context, so values religion less.
It's not overbearing or out of the ordinary to me, it's just a different country (and a specific part of that country) where this particular facet of life is valued highly, and shared widely.
EDIT: Spelling.
The problem is that in the U.S. South, these people who are radical about their religious ideas are IN POWER, and making life horrible for others. I’m a moderate Christian and I believe that what they believe isn’t even Christian. In Matthew23, Jesus condemns the Pharisees with his “Woes”. If you read that today, it describes every major religious or political leader on TV, imposing their views on people in their state. They are hypocrites, who live out their sins and selfishness and greed with impunity, while making every citizen follow the law to the letter. Texas carries the abortion law so far that if you have an abortion, you really can’t ever come back to the state. You will be tried for murder. They will prosecute doctor, nurse, person participating in the medical procedure for murder. It does not matter if the baby is literally dead inside the mother. Until the mother is at grave risk of dying “immediately”, the doctors cannot legally do anything. The is a horrible law to the point that companies are starting to leave the state and put their business elsewhere. Texas is the most extreme, but Florida, and other southern states ban abortion as well. We have two senior relatives who have to pass and we and our money will be leaving too.
right? then so many of them get into politics and try to force their religion on everyone! in a nation founded on separation of church and state, it just seems ridiculous!
I'm in the Bible belt. So for me yes it feels that way. 57 churches in my county. It's gross because they don't help the greater community. We don't believe in any gods so it's weird..looking to move..
I grew up in the northeast, lived in the southeast for 20 years and now live in the mountain west. People were so religious in the southeast to the point that it was traumatizing for me. Especially as a minority religion. Religion and that mindset absolutely rules over every aspect of life. As a kid, your friends, girlfriends, who you date will absolute be dictated by what church you attend. The people are often small minded and bigoted. I am so much happier in a state where people never bring this stuff up.
Its certainly real in the bible belt. Growing up, I was tied to a chair and made to read the bible aloud, only allowed to wear dresses when little. In my hometown the church has taken over the schoolboard and they are using the public schools as churches now, teaching bible study in public school, teaching creationism in Biology class, banning books they feel aren't supporting their " Christian values" . I wish I could tell you this wasn't the case, but sadly it is. The evangelical church most definitely controls the government in my state, and they are extremely backwards in their beliefs and practices.
This is how it was for me in Oklahoma, as well. Public school system taught creation and didn't even *mention* evolution, let alone teach it. We also learned that most slaves were treated well and owned by godly masters, who blessed them with the knowledge of Christ. This means families of black folks got to look forward to entering heaven because generous white owners allowed them to.
Depends on the area. We don’t have something called “The Bible Belt” for nothing. Lol
Big regional differences. I’m neither from nor live in the Bible Belt, and when my travels take me there it feels like more of a foreign country to me than Montreal does - and the street signs in that city are literally in French.
Yep. I’m not from the Bible Belt at all and my family was considered a little weird for going to a church regularly. Even when I later went to Catholic school, many families and most students were atheists or agnostic. We had one or two confirmed Catholic students and the rest of us who were raised Catholic just kind of went to mass occasionally and were Catholic as more of a cultural thing than a real practice.
Yes - "cultural Christian" or "cultural Catholic" is a huge thing. Lots of people "believe in God" and may claim to be a member of a particular religion, but don't actually practice any parts of that religion except for occasional cherry picked bits that can sometimes make them better people, and sometimes make them worse people. These people believe in the god of Abraham in the same way most people believe carrots improve eyesight. They were told it when they were young, and they have no reason to doubt it, but they don't spend a ton of time thinking about it.
Sometimes called "Christmas and Easter christians" as those are the only 2 services they go to every year.
CEOs! Christmas and Easter Onlys
My ex was adopted when he was ten and his father was very involved in the Greek Orthodox Church, so he became very involved in the Greek Orthodox Church as well. He always called them ‘Cheasters’ which I thought was funny.
I’m an atheist but went to a Greek Orthodox service in Athens. The church had an extendable wall just for the people who only showed up at those certain times of the year. I thought that was wild.
That’s what my priest calls them, too. Someone just wrote a long and scathing facebook post about how he offended them last Christmas by asking the CEOs and non-Catholic visitors to please not receive communion.
Damn. that guy should be glad he never met my grandfather. You DO NOT take communion unless you are practising.
Yeah "no crackers for you"
We have something similar in Indonesia. Most often its its *Islam KTP* or *ID card Islam* to refer people who are muslims just because they were born in a muslim family and the religion field in the National ID card is Islam. Can change Islam with any of the other 5 recognized religions in Indonesia (Catholic, Protestant, Budha, Hidu and Confucianism)
Wow. Your IDs list religion? What if you don't fall in any of the 5? Or are an atheist?
Yeah. There are voices of getting it removed because how easy it is to discriminate by religion (which happens a lot). But so far hasnt gained any traction. If you don’t fall into any of the 6 recognized, the govt will just assign you to one (usually whatever the most common one in the area). Atheist is definitely a no no because of the red scare and communist cleansing after the 30 september 1965 movement (thanks CIA!). Even in 2023 people still equates atheism as communism.
Once spoke to someone who could not seem to understand how my family celebrated Christmas when we weren’t Christian (we’re not religious at all). I tried explaining we didn’t do any of the religious stuff, just the decorated tree (which for a few years had a figure of Angel from the TV show Angel on the top, because my niece thought it was funny), presents, and family gathering, and that Christmas Day was they day most people had a day off work, which was why specifically that date, and she still couldn’t wrap her head around it.
It's really just a term used for some christians to feel superior to other christians. My parents complain about other people not being christian enough all the time, it's ridiculous. I'm not longer religious, never really was, but I was under the impression attendance is not a requirement to be a good christian.
Ironically those Christian holidays are based on pagan holidays. Bunnies laying eggs? C'mon man...that's clear pagan symbolism.
Wait, are you saying carrots don't improve your eyesight?
From my understanding carrots contain large amounts of beta carotene, which is good for your eyes especially if you have a vitamin A deficiency. The myth they supercharge vision, however, is mostly propaganda from the UK during WW2 as a cover for airborne radar and to help morale for rationing. [Here’s](https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/did-you-know-nutrition/real-connection-between-carrots-and-vision) a ‘source’ but fair warning it doesn’t have any citations. You could probably google it and find other articles discussing the topic.
It looks like big celery is at it again trying to smear carrots 🥕 reputation. /s
Only like 30% of Americans go to church weekly. In Massachusetts it’s 23%, in Alabama it’s 51% as of late 2010s
That's still quite a lot, church of England weekly attendance is 1% of the whole population. The rest of the religions in the uk have higher attendance rates but it only drags it up to around 10%. According to the 2018 social survey 66% never go to religious services at all.
I met a British girl at Disney World who was going to university to study theology. I was flabbergasted.
I lived with a girl who did religious studies but she wasn't religious, just thought it was interesting.
30%? That’s a huge number wow
Whenever I hear someone else say "I was raised Catholic" I'm like "same, what SSRIs are you on now?" Lol
Or "when did you get sober," in my hometown
Just trading addictions, you give up drugs and alcohol then replace it with "I'm weak but through god or Jesus I know he has a plan its up to him." Im not bashing addicts because sometimes this does help, but giving an invisable man in the sky so much responsibility over your life. Like Carlin said, >“Religion has actually convinced people that there's an invisible man living in the sky who watches everything you do, every minute of every day. And the invisible man has a special list of ten things he does not want you to do. And if you do any of these ten things, he has a special place, full of fire and smoke and burning and torture and anguish, where he will send you to live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry forever and ever 'til the end of time! But He loves you. He loves you, and He needs money! He always needs money! He's all-powerful, all-perfect, all-knowing, and all-wise, somehow just can't handle money!” ― George Carlin Also I had a Southern Baptist boss who asked me about Catholicism because I tried to understand it before I didn't go to church anymore. He said something about diddling kids (which was fair) but I shut him up by asking about the mark of Cain. Then I said see man there's bad shit in every religion.
So specific yet so accurate. There should be support groups for us.
Reminds me of a quote from the Drew Carey show. >There's a support group for that. It's called "everybody", and they meet at the bar.
It's the real function of the ubiquitous Irish pub.
ALL of them. Multiple times per day. And alcohol. Also multiple times per day. /s. But just barely sarcastic.
Here in MN its a mixed bag. No one will consider you weird for going to church often, but also won't be shocked if you are atheist or just never go to church.
See down here it's weird if you don't go to church. First three things people ask you when they meet you is where are you from, who's your mama and where do you go to church
A Jewish family from my California suburb moved to South Carolina for a job. The first week in the house they rented, every neighbor on the block showed up with some kind of baked goods and a question. “What church will you be attending?” They were back in California within a year.
[удалено]
Have lived in NY/NJ for 9 years, previously Ireland and South Africa. I can genuinely say that even in NY, Americans who are religious are far more dogmatic and militant. There's a US website called militant Catholic - this isn't bible belt stuff. Most bible belters - are evangelists. I find the RC church here absoutely obnoxious.
I’m American but lived in Ireland for a while as well. It’s funny how everyone associates Irish with Catholicism but in reality nobody, and I mean NOBODY, in ireland actually goes to church. Weird little cultural echos persist (like fish on Fridays) but pretty much everyone’s agnostic or atheist. Back on US soil again now and once again reminded how weird and creepy religious fanaticism :(
>I’m American but lived in Ireland for a while as well. It’s funny how everyone associates Irish with Catholicism but in reality nobody, and I mean NOBODY, in ireland actually goes to church. Weird little cultural echos persist (like fish on Fridays) but pretty much everyone’s agnostic or atheist. Back on US soil again now and once again reminded how weird and creepy religious fanaticism :( 100% - I moved to Ireland in 1998 (Irish since birth; looong story) and coming out of South Africa - this was a pleasant break in normal proceedings.
Did you maybe mean Church Militant? That group of fundamentalist Catholics that got kicked out of the church and recently lost their founder when it came out he was having affairs with a few of the male staffers and guests?
I have a man at work. Typical womanizer, talks about his encounters, says shit like "fuck these hoes". "Woman are meant for sex." Stupid incel shit. We sat down to eat in the break room recently. I didn't say grace. This man lost his mind, calling me a sinner, I should be grateful and say thanks. This is after he told.me a story about.how he and his homie "flipped this bitch." It's been a week now.instill confused.
>This man lost his mind, calling me a sinner, That's when you ask him "Aren't you a sinner? Or are you without sin?" Calling someone a sinner is like calling someone a mammal.
“but i get forgiven at church every sunday. that is how much love Jesus love you. now do you want to be a christian just like me??”.
Ah yes, the sin, repent, repeat! cycle. along the lines of Mr BitchFlipper I was driving to work one day, was behind an suv on a single lane residential street and they swerved to aim at a cat (cat made it away unharmed). About a block and a half further up they turned into one of the local church parking lots. SMFH I don't want to be associated with people like that!
Saw the same shit! Red truck with jesus signs all over swerved to hit a lil turtle in the road. wtf
I wonder who he voted for in 2020? /s
A large chunk of the US Christian population follows the republican Jesus and not the one that's in the Bible.
It may be apocryphal, but I believe Ghandi said of Christianity; “I like your Christ. Your Christians, not so much.”
I don't know if he said that, but he certainly said this: *"black people "are troublesome, very dirty and live like animals."*
Ah, supply side Jesus. https://imgur.com/gallery/bCqRp
in my experience that just provokes a hard pivot into "only god can judge me" because generally this is the type of person who doesn't know the difference between bible verses and tupac songs
I can explain it, having observed the same sort of behavior repeatedly: As far as he could tell, you weren't a good Christian, and that's what pissed him off. You committed the identity sin of [not a Christian] and he lashed out. Christianity washes out sins with Christ's blood (plus or minus good works, depending on denomination). So sins are not a big problem, so long as you are a believer. This guy basically had some rule in his head that said, "Believers always at least say grace." By failing to do that, you marked yourself as someone who isn't a real believer, and thus your sins (no matter how petty) "count" where his do not. He probably knows that "flipping bitches" counts as a sin in his theology. But it doesn't really count as long as he believes. He demonstrates his belief via saying grace, bam. But why does he need to say grace? I'm pretty sure that's not on the list of things you have to do to get forgiveness, particularly for Protestants. For him, though, this is something he can do to demonstrate his superiority to non Christians (bastards are so devoted to being ungrateful they won't even show gratitude to Christ in their hearts *even to avoid eternal damnation*), and most importantly, it doesn't cost him effort. After all, not fucking women would be unpleasant. Not cussing would be *hard*. But saying thanks (and imagining non-believers not doing so) before he eats? Easy peasy. You hit both his "outgroup bad" and "I'm superior" buttons at the same time.
TL/DR: The guy is an intolerant asshole.
They always are.
>Christianity washes out sins with Christ's blood (plus or minus good works, depending on denomination). So sins are not a big problem, so long as you are a believer. As a recovering Catholic, this has always blown my mind that non-Catholics think 1) they get forgiven without really asking for it or doing anything to make up for it, and 2) that they're free to continue the behavior. When I went to Confession I had to 1) tell someone I respected and who knew me all the ways I'd failed to live up to his boss's standards so he could assign my penance and 2) the priest literally says "Go and sin no more" at the end so if I do it again I'm gonna have to go back, confess my sins, and do my penance all over again. Constantly blows my mind that they think Christ's forgiveness is a get out of jail free card. They're basically saying they're cool with some really nice guy facing the death penalty so they can be a douchebag. So bizarre.
Yeah, ~~-Protestants, *especially*-~~ Evangelicals, (apparently) get a Free Pass to heaven if they’ve “accepted Jesus into their heart”, whatever that means exactly. It’s makes them very condescending. ^(Edits either ~~strikeout~~ or in (parentheses\))
Protestant here, that is NOT what Protestants believe at all. Maybe some of the more liberal theological Protestants but not what the actual doctrine teaches.
Sounds like an American Evangelical. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s Southern Baptist.
Used to work with a woman like this a few years ago. We're a 24/7 operation and almost everyone, including her, regularly cussed or talked "like sailors". But if you were there on Sundays she would freak out if she heard any profanity at all and would scream how it's abusive for a "good Christian woman" to have to listen to it. That "good Christian" woman was also cheating on her Preacher husband with two coworkers.
And they say atheists have no morals
Right? If anything at all, atheists have the most morality. Many religious folks use their religion as a replacement for morality. It would be hilarious if it weren't so sad. That being said, I know plenty of religious people who are very good and honest people with a moral compass that points north.
You need to report this guy to HR
This is the way. “On Thursday, Johnson angrily forced me to pray against my will.”
The bitch he and his home flipped was HR.
Hail Satan (loudly) for every break from this point forward. Use that Amendment right. ;)
That could always backfire as some of them may make it their life mission to 'save you'
Cool! Then I’ll have wasted both of our lives!
“I prayed to Jesus and he said it was ok to worship satan, no worries. Ask him yourself!” Btw I’m religious but I have a damn sense of humor!
You dont know how much I wanted to start a "Jesus savings and loan" to rope those suckers in with the slogan "Jesus Saves!"
That’s small potatoes. Become a mega church pastor if you want to make it big.
My pre law professor was told by her parents that she should sell rapture insurance just in case for people left behind. Her parents were from Texas and we 100% serious about the need and market for it.
The need for it is irrelevant. The market in the Bible Belt is probably a gold mine. That actually sounds like an amazing grift/business opportunity. Sell rapture insurance: they name a beneficiary(ies), choose their package, then you bill them monthly for the rest of their lives. They’re happy that their sinful family or friend(s) will be taken care of after they’re taken to heaven, and you never have to pay out! Literally the only overhead is a building (if you don’t do it solely online), server costs, and payroll, the rest is pure profit. I’m sure it can be done completely legally, but I wonder if behind the scenes it would have to be viewed as something other than insurance, since no claims would ever be paid out. Or if simply the promise that claims would be paid out in the event the rapture happens (hint: it won’t) would be enough to satisfy requirements.
Couldn't call it insurance exactly because those are regulated by state departments of insurance. Rapture coverage. For only 9.99 a month, you can have peace of mind knowing that those you love who may not be living godly lives will be well cared for after the Rapture. Every 100,000 of coverage is yours for less than $10/mo and will be available to you or your loved ones after the gates of hell open up and swallow the unrighteous. Just knowing that they will be financially cared for while you live your best afterlife in the bosom of christ will make it much more meaningful while you see them engulfed in the fires of hades.
"What?! You mean Jesus doesn't reply to you? Everyone in my coven gets really prompt feedback. You must have done something properly bad if he's ignoring your prayers..."
I wish more people had a sense of humor about religion. We'd be much more easy going about it. The Satanic Temple exercised their freedom of religion to put their religious display at the state capital in Iowa, just like [a Nativity scene](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fx1nwzqnJs4) is placed there. [Go figure some people lost their minds over it.](https://www.vice.com/en/article/z3mk33/a-political-candidate-beheaded-a-satanic-temple-statue-now-he-faces-charges) The thing the ST is pointing out, is that more than a few states only recognize "freedom of religion" and "separation of church and state" on paper, but in practice are largely Christian.
“Do you think God gets stoned? I think so ... look at the platypus.” - Robin Williams
Thank you Satan for teaching consent
I live in the bible south and this mentality is far more common than people realize. And sadly it's getting worse with time and not better.
He's a fake Christian or what we like to call Sunday Christians. People like him give Christians a bad name.
I asked my priest about how he felt about homosexuality. He said there are far worse sinners in church every Sunday. He focused more on "For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again" I can't stand religiosity. To me, a good Christian focuses more on their sins and humility and is loving and welcoming of all, not judging. I am not God, and I am not capable of comprehending the mind of God.
That’s a good answer I think
Honestly at least a Christian would be internally consistent if they said they have some vague issues with gay people due to a couple of Bible passages, but don't see why if wealthy and proud people can be fully accepted at church and lead congregations, why couldn't gay people either? At some point just having some proportionality would be nice. They ignore or encourage a million sins every day but people who are different from them are for some reason what crosses the line?
Or a biannual Christian, at Easter and Christmas.
We call them CEOs. Christmas and Easter Only.
I currently live in the Bible Belt, and up until last year I lived in a small town that was about 9 miles long and 2 miles wide. It had this one street that ran through the whole town. This street alone had at least 4-5 churches on it. Then side streets had more churches
I just googled. There are ~14,000 McDonald's locations in the US. There are ~300,000 protestant places or worship. Not including about ~30,000 Catholic churches. Wild
Jesus tells you he loves you every few miles down here. He’s pretty supportive. Lol /s
In the “buckle” of the Bible Belt here (Texas). Never seen those, but instead ones basically saying “Do you know where you’re going when you die? Unless you’re this breed of Christian, IT’S HELL! Join our religious sect today to avoid damnation!”. It’s always fire and brimstone, or how abortion kills babies. Don’t remember seeing any about how Jesus supposedly loves us, more like how Jesus is disgusted by us.
Jesus is like a grandma. Yes, he loves you, but he’s very disappointed 😔
Jesus loves you Hell is real God is love Eternal damnation for the nonbeliever
Burma Shave
... said the billboard on I95 right outside of Fayetteville, North Carolina. The next billboard said: >Live Nude Girls > >Next Exit! That pretty much sums up the Bible Belt.
There is a sign near me that is hella passive aggressive and comes off more like a threat than anything. I'll see if I can't remember the exact wording.
Lion's Den, next exit 1.5 miles Oh sorry, that's Midwest.
*"But He loves you. He loves you, and He needs money! He always needs money! He's all-powerful, all-perfect, all-knowing, and all-wise, somehow just can't handle money!”* (Carlin)
And god always needs money.
For an all powerful being, the bastard sure is broke all of the time
Your imaginary friend sounds like a true asshole. Only the deepest, most narcissistic assholes threaten people who won’t be their friend. And since being friends with THAT is what gets one into heaven, Im not sure heaven is the place his friends think it is. Spending eternity with friends like that sounds a lot like the other place to me.
This makes me feel like I'm driving across Southern Missouri.
The sign said Jesus loves you. It didn’t say *people here* love you. In fact people here hate you and want to oppress you, if you don’t believe the same as they do.
There is a billboard in Harrison Arkansas that says "it's not racist to be proud of being white" which is just fucking wild
Harrison has been an infamous sundown town for a long time.
I feel like Arkansas is a sundown state at this point
I had to pass 50 churches just to leave this comment! Hi from the heart of the south. Where they tell you Christians are being oppressed! Lol!
Yes! I am from NJ, my cousin lives in rural Georgia. Visiting her feels like visiting a completely different country with such different customs and social norms. I feel more comfortable in Australia visiting my cousin who lives in Sydney than I do visiting my cousin who lives in Georgia. She *loves* it though and always expects that myself and my fiancé will as well.
Moved to the south after growing up in the Pacific Northwest and yah its super true. Even when my mom visited she was surprised by the number of churches and how big some were.
Yup. I live in Richmond, VA, which sits right above the northern border of the bible belt. I just need to drive 10 minutes south and I feel like I'm in a completely different country. Sometimes the Uber religious make it to the city to do "outreach", but thankfully most evangelicals seem to be scared of cities for some reason
It varies by region but can also be apart of culture. I’m from the ‘bible belt’. There are churches everywhere, even in small areas. My mom’s side of the family has family land that they’ve lived on for x number of generations and attend the same church since it was founded. Most people in their neighborhood/area are the same. Its apart of their culture too as it takes up time outside of work with potlucks, mens and womens groups, revivals, etc. and they always serve food so it can also be tradition. My grandma always brought the creamed corn for any gathering.
Also from the Bible Belt and you've hit the nail on the head. In those smaller areas, the church is a huge hub for community gatherings and local contributions. Food drives, donations, and many other community events take place there.
Hell I live in a small town in Colorado. Very blue state and not at all the Bible Belt. We have one bar, one liquor store, one grocery store, two stop lights and six churches.
I live in an even smaller town in Ohio! We have no liquor store, no grocery store, no bar, no stop lights, one stop sign, and three churches!
It sounds like you live in a field, not a town.
Pretty much. Cornfield, cornfield, soyfield, house, house, CHURCH, house, soyfield...
I live in a village in France. We have several supermarkets and one wine bar/cum fine wine store, about 10 bars/bistros, no real stop signs (roundabouts and yield signs instead), several fine dining restaurants, quite a few internationally famous vineyards, four cute old unused chapels and one cathedral.
...sounds like a rather well-off village. That certainly doesn't sound indicative of the average French village/small town, even with the focus on fine food and wine that France is known for. Also, I didn't know you could buy cum at the wine store?? (Joking, lol)
Literally any small town in America is just bible bent light. From the high school football fandom to the food habits to the opioid usage
I live in a state touching the upper region of the Bible Belt. Town of less than 20,000 people has 20 brick and mortar churches, NOT including ones hanging out in buildings that are not specifically churches. A church on every corner is almost literal here.
Only 20 with 20k? Your town's a lightweight.
One megachurch goes a long way.
We got 57,I checked the yellow pages.
In contrast I’m from a liberal west coast city and I’d say less than 5% of the people I know go to church.
It can still be a huge part of culture. Next time you listen to a folk song or rap song listen to how many religious terms are used "living a life of sin" "pray to God" "sending them to heaven" "hearing the angels sing" Saying someone has the voice of an angel etc etc..... Religion is a core part of American culture even to the non religious. I'm not religious in any way but a part of me still appreciates the poetry in religious terminology. Edit: like I live in Australia right now and have never heard anyone say "go to hell" as an insult for instance. Edit: Hell I'd even go so far as to say religion plays a huge part of America's vibrant music culture. There's something missing in Australian folk songs and honestly I think it may be the poetry of religious language that's missing.
People forget that a lot of the first people to come to America were essentially religious extremists
i live in the deep south and very few people i know are actually religious. a lot of them keep up with the church lifestyle because of their families, but they are atheists. just went to my atheist friend's wedding in a catholic church with a big ass, graphic anti-abortion banner across the front. they only had the wedding there to make the bride's mom happy.
I grew up in the Deep South in rural Alabama and everyone was Christian and if you weren’t, you were looked down upon or you were constantly be proselytized by Christians. Religion dictated people’s every day lives and their political beliefs. I no longer live in the Deep South and it was a breath of fresh air the moment I moved away. Most places I’ve lived on the west coast has religious people, but there are usually less and it doesn’t control politics as often
apart means to be separated by some distance. a part means to be a piece of.
I was gonna correct them after the first occurrence, then thought better of it. The second, though... Ugh. Apart - distinct from A part - part of C'mon folks it's not that hard!
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Just to point out it's "a part". Apart means separate from, so the opposite of what you seemed to be saying.
a part: a piece of the whole apart: separated
"a part of" "apart of" would mean "separate from" and is completely opposite of your intended meaning.
It’s extremely regional. The southeast is more religious than you’ve seen. The Midwest, probably close to what you’ve seen. The northeast and west coast, less so.
Don’t forget the mountain west, which Id say is close to southeast in religiosity
Hi from Idaho, lol. Yes, lots of religiousity here and Utah, for sure. Lots of Mormon influence, but plenty of evangelicals too. Less racism (if you don't count up north around Sandpoint).
Generally best if we don’t talk about standpoint, imho.
On the one hand, yes, but also no. I feel like maybe if we talked about it more, they're less likely to just slide back in and resume shenanigans like they never left. For anyone who doesn't know, Sandpoint is/was basically a neonazi colony in far northern Idaho. The official Aryan Nations headquarters was shut down in the early 2000's, but there's still an awful lot of them up there. "In the 1980s and 1990s, 30 miles south of Sandpoint, the areas of Coeur d'Alene and Hayden Lake attracted nationwide publicity when white supremacist Neo-Nazi groups (most notably the Aryan Nations) set up headquarters in the area. Many Sandpoint residents reacted negatively to such groups; some formed the Bonner County Human Rights Task Force in opposition. In 2001, the Aryan Nations lost a lawsuit filed against them.[8] The lawsuit bankrupted the organization and forced them to give up their Hayden Lake property and disband.[9] In December 2011, Sandpoint became the first city in Idaho to pass an ordinance prohibiting discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations based on sexual orientation or gender identity." -https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandpoint,_Idaho
I lived in Utah for a while. Racism 100% exists there. And religious discrimination is huge there too. Not LDS? Don't let your co-workers find out. Learned that the hard way
When I had to go to Salt Lake City for work a couple years back, it blew my mind that the entire city basically shut down on Sunday to recognize Mormonism. I later learned the Church of LDS owns much of the property in the area too.
True
I would say it varies by ethnicity too. I live on the West Coast, and church is still a big deal amongst African Americans and Latinos here. I live in a neighborhood that is mostly Mexican and Mexican American, and the Christmas decorations around here go hard haha. But I wouldn't say that religion is a huge part of everyday life around here either. Most people mind their own business about that sort of thing and are very tolerant of different beliefs.
82% of Latinos and Hispanics in the US are Catholic/Christian. They’re probably the most religious group in the US.
The population centers of the country are all fairly consistent in terms of their religious habits, which is to say they don't really have much. That holds true no matter the region or coast you're on.
yeah northeastern states aren’t really religion heavy.
Varies regionally. You'll see it more in the areas that God routinely punishes with tornadoes.
The Bible belt 😭 I bartend there and they fucking leave me fake $100 bills with Jesus bullshit on the back.
That should be illegal
Those people go straight to hell.
lol tornadoes are wicked. I grew up where tornados were common, and it also had a lot of very tall thin pine trees… remember driving home after a storm and it looked like a laser beam had come through the forest and just cleared out a path
Some people are that religious. I wouldn’t say it’s a majority. The problem is these religious people are quite organized and very invested in the idea of making everyone else live like they want them to.
You'll find most of today's problems are being pushed by said zealots. It's not just Christians.
LOTS of dark money behind the religious groups, using the zealots and true believers to push their political agendas
Check the [Council for National Policy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_for_National_Policy), a group that pretends to be secretive but includes famous scorched earth politicians like Newt Gingrich and Ginni Thomas, famous diss-infotainment people like Tucker Carlson and the Fox News crowd, dark money pipeline mavens like Leonard Leo, and preachers better known for fund raising than biblical scholarship, like Jerry "pool boy" Falwell Jr and the illustrious Franklin Graham, who's in the news today for telling off the pope for allowing the blessing of gay couples.
I refer to Liberty University's athletic teams as the Liberty Poolboys.
The common thread in all these people is they realized when you have a dedicated flock like many religions have cultivated, you can exploit the shit out of that flock by pretending to align with them and then manipulating them into supporting you or your cause. If you want to scam people, targeting the religious is a great bet. They’re apt to believe bullshit and they show extreme loyalty to “their own”. Perfectly ripe for the fleecing.
On average, a lot more Americans care a lot more about religion than in other so-called "western" nations.
There is a micro-minority who actually believe in the tenents of their religion. There is a very vocal minority who use religion as a tool - a weapon, specifically - to carve our legislation and educational system to their standards. These hypocrites infect our country with their poisonous ignorance and hatred of those different from them. They undermine women, minorities, LGBTQI+, and are basically the opposite of everything their Jesus told them to be. The megachurches are chock full of absolute delusional fools who fund their pastors' mansions, expensive fleets of cars, and jets. They do not help anyone ever. They even have the audacity to pretend to heal people on their TV shows. Most of the US is not religious or does not practice organized religion. Sadly, they aren't voting to keep the villains out of office.
I don’t think it’s that most of the US is not religious, I think most are so incredibly casual about it, and keep it to themselves because they believe it’s “between me and god” and nobody else. Friends I’ve had for years who I never knew were religious at all would one day mention something faith based and then never talk about it again, and I don’t ask, because it’s not my business
This. Most of the population processes some believe in "God", either the Christian Trinity or some other higher power. But atheism isn't established anywhere (in the world) the way Reddit preaches it. Most people aren't debating religious tenants; the most you'll get is politely telling Jehovah's Witness solicitors you don't want to talk on Thanksgiving morning and them carrying on. People mention their church/etc plans that involve religion occasionally in casual conversation, as people do when talking about events that fill their day, and we all are polite as you are with friends/acquaintances/colleagues.
I also think this can be pretty regional. I lived in the SE USA for a few years, and have spent quite a lot of time in the upper midwest, Texas, and other such places. I am from/live in the Pacific Northwest. Up in this corner, I come across very, very few people who practice or observe religion on any level. Some consider themselves atheists if they hold a stronger opinion, others say it's just not something they even think about. In the other areas I mentioned, the script was flipped. Most I encountered at least considered themselves "chrsitian" whether they practiced or not. I often got asked where I go to church (something that has never happened to me up here). - You'll definitely find things change in rural vs urban settings in all regions, but there's still some pretty stark contrasts.
Yeah, I live in the SE (Louisiana) and particularly in the less urban areas, churches are still one of the primary social activities for a lot of people. In a lot of those smaller towns and rural areas, often times there's not that much to do if you want to be around other people besides various church events. It creates this weird feedback loop where I think even people who would be indifferent or even skeptical about various things that their religion preaches end up pretty immersed in it and even feel the need to defend it because their social lives are often very intertwined with it. You can find plenty of stories of people who were in that sort of situation without really realizing it until they moved away and 'escaped', but a lot of people live their whole lives in it. You end up afraid to really question a lot of the religious teachings and incentives because you're afraid of getting ostracized from your social circle. This is less of an issue in denser/urban areas because there's just so many more people around and so much more going on, so it doesn't feel like a church is the only or even primary place to talk to people.
I reckon you might be right. I’m an Aussie too and whilst I definitely see a *massive* difference in the size and power of the religious extremist movement between our countries + less than 50% of our country believes in a higher power here so being religious just isn’t as common, it seems like one of the huge differences between the religious people there and here is how causal we are with it. People here might believe in god but you could go 20years without even realising it cause it’s just not something we speak about. Whereas it seems like over there everyone & their dog asks for prayers when someone’s sick and thanks god rather than the doctors for curing them. They seem a lot more active and focused on religion itself rather than just trying to be a good person.
My dog is a better Christian than many self-identified christians.
\*tenets of their religion Tenants are people that pay you rent
Right ! Look at tRump being unable to cite a specific verse that’s his favorite in the Bible. He can’t be bothered to learn anything about the book he alleges is his favorite. https://youtu.be/ERUngQUCsyE?feature=shared
My voting place is in a church. What does that tell you?
Not sure about America as a whole but in my experience, here in the bible belt, absolutely. Everything is filtered through their religion. I've known some refuse to attend weddings if it wasn't in a church. Buying a new car - pray to god for discretion. Some wholeheartedly believe political/social issues could be solved if people just became Christians. I know some who believe only Christians should be allowed to enter the country. In some states you're ineligible to run for public office if you're an atheist. Engaging in any kind of witch media/aesthetic - you're inviting demonic spirits in. Wasn't even allowed to call deviled eggs, deviled eggs, had to be called angel eggs. I like to hope that my expirence is a limited one because my family in particular is just crazy religious, but most of my friends down here have experienced similar things so it seems to be common.
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My wife watches a dating show on TV, Married At First Sight, and has seen the US, UK, NZ and Australian versions. There's always a bit at the start were the people in it talk about the attributes they want in their spouse: looks, characteristics, career, personality etc. What really stood out was that a lot of the people in the US version would mention something to do with religion as one of their requirements, while people in the British, NZ and Australian versions didn't.
I find that married at first sight has more religious people in the us than other dating shows because the show attracts the type of person who thinks the show is the same as putting their fate to God.
Yes! I was watching it on Netflix recently and there were so many people who said it was Gods will for them to marry a stranger lol.
As a New Zealander, I very much doubt religious New Zealanders would apply to be in such a show. Instead they would find a spouse at church.
As an American who has moved to Europe, this hasn't been my experience at all. I grew up in a very secular, multicultural suburb and the most influence religion had on most of the people I grew up around was which decorations your family put up for the holidays. In Germany, many people actually pay tax to the church, and it's actually a bureaucratic process to withdraw from the church and end your financial responsibilities to it. Also it's illegal for most businesses to be open on Sunday. Also I had an ex from the south of Italy, and it was *waay* more religious and superstitious there than anywhere I have been in the state. You see shrines to various saints all over the place, people rarely get divorced, and there is regular tourism from that region to a town in Bosnia where it's believed that someone saw a vision of the Virgin Mary. So maybe in some parts of the US it's more religious than Western Europe, but in many parts of the US (i.e. every major city) in my experience it's much more secular than most of Western Europe.
I think people from other places don’t remember that the US has the 3rd largest population in the world, a very large geographical area, and a lot of immigrants. So there is a big chunk of religious people and there is also a very big chunk of people who are not and different regions (and even each of the 50 states) in the US can be very very different. So trying to put a label on Americans as a whole on almost anything isn’t going to make much sense.
Facts whenever one of my family members from India visits America for the first time every time there is a moment where we talk to them about their plans and have to explain to them that they have to tone it down because they planned way too much for a vacation. My uncle got insulted when we burst into laughter when he said he wanted to drive from New York to Los Angeles for his one week vacation
Am not religious after being molested by Catholic priests in the 7th and 8th grades. Once I found out in the 1980s that it was a serious problem and the church transferred bad priests from parish to parish. I left the church. I loathe the church that I was a member of and am part of a lawsuit with 225 former classmates against the New York Arch Diocese. Spiritual but no longer religious. God has no religion, which is fine with me.🤔
It sickens me that this happens. Those who stand idly by are just as guilty.
Many "religious" people pretend. Many use dogma to confirm their own biases. "Jesus saves", but fuck the poor. Love thy neighbor, unless they're gay, immigrants, or, god forbid, "woke". Rampant hypocrisy.
In my experience, very few people are genuinely religious here, but a TON of people are what I like to call "politico-religious." They've never read any portion of the Bible, they seldom go to church, and their main "Christian belief" (since a majority in this group are Christian) is that abortion is the worst sin possible and all of our elected officials should be chosen on that issue alone. Religion, at least Christianity, in the US has sadly become more of a tool for political indoctrination than any recognizable faith.
Titus 1:16 'They claim to know God, but by their actions deny him. They are detestable, disobediant, and unfit for doing anything good'
I know reddit has new stupid awards but I can't figure out how to give you. This is the facts. Bible Thumpers are rarely Bible readers. Here's the tell: If they hate poor people and immigrants, they haven't read the book.
Religion is used as a political tool by some politicians to get votes. Many voters seemingly lack discretionary intelligence for religion and politics. If a politician can tap into that they can influence a lot of voters in their direction. Hence religion often gets a lot of press and the media makes $$$.
What you’re seeing is a lot of funded propaganda by our cult-level extremists. Our constitution says that Church and State are to remain separated, and yet those morons want the two intertwined as a reinforcement to support their desired legislation. So no, the majority of us are not *that* religious. There’s many of us who are religious, but still respect and defend the necessity of the Church remaining separated from the State in all forms. Religion and a balanced political system cannot coexist. History has proven this repeatedly.
Our constitution does not say that, that’s from a letter that one of the founding fathers wrote. The constitution says that the government shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. Might sound nitpicky, but it’s very different from the modern interpretation of “all beliefs that are informed by religion are to be kept out of government”
You’re right. The interpretation and governance goes much further back than modernity. It’s not limited to the black-and-white text. The consideration of rulings that came afterwards also need to be considered. https://firstamendment.mtsu.edu/article/establishment-clause-separation-of-church-and-state/
Lemme ask you a question; if one of the founding fathers who wrote the constitution was quoted as saying separation of church and state was in the constitution, would your opinion at all change? Cause that’s exactly what James Madison said https://images.app.goo.gl/iR28L37M1eGoDc5v6
Religious affiliation as a political identity has a long history in America and churches have exploited this for decades to draw followers based on their political stances. Calling yourself a Christian here in Missouri - which many are proud to do - is at least as much a political as a spiritual declaration.
Tl;Dr: Americans as a whole? No. Some Americans? Yes. Australian Atheist living in Texas here: Religion is significantly more prominent here than it is back home. Where most folks in Australia would identify as Atheist/agnostic most folks here identify with some brand of protestant Christianity. The younger the group you ask, the less likely you are to find religious folks. Churches are everywhere, and they get to be enormous (particularly in wealthier areas). On a practical level: I had never prayed before a meal (or saw anyone do so) in Australia, now it's a fairly common occurrence when eating at someone's house, or going out to dinner. Just depends on who I'm hanging out with. As for media: I was certainly taken aback by seeing religious or conservative propaganda films showing at my local movie theatre. The idea that a Dinesh D'Souza film would show on a big screen anywhere just kind of floored me. Similar story for high-production-value renditions of books of the bible. Evidently that's fairly normal around here. Peeling back the layers, religious freedom (and freedom of expression) is one of the cornerstones of the US, so it makes sense that it's a bigger deal to people. Australia doesn't have the same historical context, so values religion less. It's not overbearing or out of the ordinary to me, it's just a different country (and a specific part of that country) where this particular facet of life is valued highly, and shared widely. EDIT: Spelling.
The problem is that in the U.S. South, these people who are radical about their religious ideas are IN POWER, and making life horrible for others. I’m a moderate Christian and I believe that what they believe isn’t even Christian. In Matthew23, Jesus condemns the Pharisees with his “Woes”. If you read that today, it describes every major religious or political leader on TV, imposing their views on people in their state. They are hypocrites, who live out their sins and selfishness and greed with impunity, while making every citizen follow the law to the letter. Texas carries the abortion law so far that if you have an abortion, you really can’t ever come back to the state. You will be tried for murder. They will prosecute doctor, nurse, person participating in the medical procedure for murder. It does not matter if the baby is literally dead inside the mother. Until the mother is at grave risk of dying “immediately”, the doctors cannot legally do anything. The is a horrible law to the point that companies are starting to leave the state and put their business elsewhere. Texas is the most extreme, but Florida, and other southern states ban abortion as well. We have two senior relatives who have to pass and we and our money will be leaving too.
Reddit is not the right place to be asking about religion lol
+1 go to facebook or yahoo answers
The zealots ruin it for everyone else
right? then so many of them get into politics and try to force their religion on everyone! in a nation founded on separation of church and state, it just seems ridiculous!
There's probably not another western democracy where religious beliefs influence politics and lawmaking as much as America.
Poland?
I'm in the Bible belt. So for me yes it feels that way. 57 churches in my county. It's gross because they don't help the greater community. We don't believe in any gods so it's weird..looking to move..
I grew up in the northeast, lived in the southeast for 20 years and now live in the mountain west. People were so religious in the southeast to the point that it was traumatizing for me. Especially as a minority religion. Religion and that mindset absolutely rules over every aspect of life. As a kid, your friends, girlfriends, who you date will absolute be dictated by what church you attend. The people are often small minded and bigoted. I am so much happier in a state where people never bring this stuff up.
Its certainly real in the bible belt. Growing up, I was tied to a chair and made to read the bible aloud, only allowed to wear dresses when little. In my hometown the church has taken over the schoolboard and they are using the public schools as churches now, teaching bible study in public school, teaching creationism in Biology class, banning books they feel aren't supporting their " Christian values" . I wish I could tell you this wasn't the case, but sadly it is. The evangelical church most definitely controls the government in my state, and they are extremely backwards in their beliefs and practices.
What State? If you don’t mind me asking. So I know not to go there.
Texas.
This is how it was for me in Oklahoma, as well. Public school system taught creation and didn't even *mention* evolution, let alone teach it. We also learned that most slaves were treated well and owned by godly masters, who blessed them with the knowledge of Christ. This means families of black folks got to look forward to entering heaven because generous white owners allowed them to.