Conservative Catholic family moving to Austin- Bad idea? (Dallas, San Antonio: how much, school district)

[doctorjef]

I've spent over 21 years of my life in Austin and I never noticed any particular fear of, or antipathy toward, religion in the local population. There are many socially liberal congregations certainly. I can only recall a couple of fundamentalist ****-stirrers who tried to impose their particular morality on everyone else. One was a pathetic evangelist called Mark Weaver back in the mid-80's, who wanted to ban the Austin Chronicle from "family" venues such as supermarkets. The other was some Baptist pastor on a crusade against homosexuals.

[oldtoiletsmkgdflrpots]

You all crack me up. Most of you keep posting about having a live and let live attitude, how Austin is sooo tolerant YET are telling the OP to move somewhere else, or don't change Austin by coming here. I guess it's live and let live as long as we're living the way most of you think we should be living? Sorry, but it's rather striking. I guess I do the same thing when it comes to the rich so I'm the hippo-crit too. Oh well...time to get some sleep.

[Jennibc]

Originally Posted by mimimomx3

If being 'conservative' means 'intolerant', then no- Austin is not for you. Austin has a very relaxed, live and let live kind of feel to it. You might see gay people walking around, or mixed couples, or bohemian types. If that bothers you, then maybe Austin isn't so good for you. There are plenty of Catholic churches and schools, though.

Conservative typically means supporting limited government. Even if a person were a "social conservative" and believed that homosexuality was sinful and abortion were wrong, how does that carry over to intolerance against interracial couples? Why are these things always lumped together?

[wehotex]

Originally Posted by Jennibc

Conservative typically means supporting limited government. Even if a person were a "social conservative" and believed that homosexuality was sinful and abortion were wrong, how does that carry over to intolerance against interracial couples? Why are these things always lumped together?

Because we've known ppl like that in our lives. Usually if they are intolerant on the things you mentioned, they are usually, but not always on the other fronts also. The very fact that they are looking for a community that has ppl just like them and the waythat she described themselves gives the perception that she may not appreciate anything outside of what she considers to be "the norm".

[hoffdano]

Austin is home to many happy people on any part of the conservative or not scale. So the OP should not have any problem living a conservative life (whatever it means to them) in a waterfront home in or near Austin.

They will only have a problem if they are not tolerant of others. They will cause no others in Austin any difficulty (since they are self-described tolerant!).

[Jennibc]

Originally Posted by wehotex

Because we've known ppl like that in our lives. Usually if they are intolerant on the things you mentioned, they are usually, but not always on the other fronts also. The very fact that they are looking for a community that has ppl just like them and the waythat she described themselves gives the perception that she may not appreciate anything outside of what she considers to be "the norm".

But you are still prejudging. I've known many catholics that are against abortion and homosexuality but have no problem with interracial relationships. I am no longer a practicing catholic (because I don't agree with the church's stance on homosexuality, birth control, premarital sex and the list goes on an on) but when I went to church years ago there were many interracial couples in the pews. Catholics also oppose the death penalty, are against the war, and are big on fighting poverty.

I agree with oldtoilettes, it is ironic that many posters are extolling the openmindedness of austin but are really quick to size up the OP and let him/her know that we aren't interested in having his/her kind move here. I am so touchy about this because as someone who supports fiscal conservatism, I am TIRED of having people think I am a racist/homophobe/antifeminist because I support limited government and lower taxes -- things that are not connected AT ALL. So I feel for a poster that mentions he/she belongs to a particular faith community and several people on this board jump to all kinds of conclusions about what that person must be like. People, YOUR intolerance is showing.

[jdevelop2]

You all crack me up. Most of you keep posting about having a live and let live attitude, how Austin is sooo tolerant YET are telling the OP to move somewhere else, or don't change Austin by coming here. I guess it's live and let live as long as we're living the way most of you think we should be living? Sorry, but it's rather striking. I guess I do the same thing when it comes to the rich so I'm the hippo-crit too. Oh well...time to get some sleep.

WELL said!!!

[centralaustinite]

Oh come on! Y'all protest too much. I do not see people slamming the OP or telling her that she shouldn't come to Austin. Lots of people spoke up and pointed out conservative Catholic churches and organizations in the area. No one attacked her.

I just wanted to the OP to better define her terms, I want to know what "great family values" mean to her. Because from what I take from the post is that she does not want to live next door to me and my family or my neighbors! Full disclosure: I am wearing an Obama t-shirt right now!

[decisions2009]

Guys I'm sorry about all this confusion. I didn't mean to make it a political thing, but it did turn into that and that's because I didn't make myself clear enough.

When I said great family values-i shouldn't have used the word great at all...I meant conservative family values, and at that, conservative catholic---which I think narrows it down a lot more huh?

Moreover, no I don't want a one race neighborhood. My husband and I are actually of very different races...I'm latino and he's actually from the far east.

Thank you all once again and I'm so sorry about the confusion and if I've offended anyone. Please don't feel like I'm saying I'm better than anyone---it's just my personal values--not imposing it on anyone.

Thanks again

[doctorjef]

To put a slightly different twist on this, many who post here are probably quite aware - as am I - that Austin has a certain "reputation" elsewhere in Texas. Texas as a whole is so very conservative that many people elsewhere in the state look at Austin as a completely mad, wild-eyed hedonistic and pinko-commie sort of place. It's the same sort of mentality and perceptions that were voiced by the late Sen. Jesse Helms (Republican) of North Carolina in respect to Chapel Hill, the small and very liberal city where the main and original campus of the University of North Carolina is located. Helms opined that Chapel Hill should be walled-off from the rest of North Carolina and made other intemperate remarks about the town, calling it "a zoo". That's exactly how many people elsewhere in Texas view Austin and Travis County (especially Republican members of the legislature, who seem to despise Travis Co.). So I expect the writer of the OP has "heard things" about Austin. In any event, I think this just underscores the extremely retrograde and oftentimes reactionary conservatism of Texas as a whole.

BTW, I'm a natural born, 5th generation Texan, so please don't think I'm some Californian or New Yorker who is levelling unfair criticism at a state I don't understand. The greater portion of my life has been lived in Texas, including Lubbock, Ft Worth, Dallas, rural Denton County,Beaumont, Mineral Wells, Corpus Christi, and Austin. I think I know what I'm talking about. For comparison I've got the other places I've lived, including Colorado, Louisiana, Virginia, D.C., Delaware, England, and Lithuania -- some less conservative than TX, some more so.