The faith/religion issue some have experienced is something I've experienced too. People readily assume that I share their faith and religious beliefs. This took me by surprise when I first moved down here, and I have to admit it's the one thing that has left me the most uncomfortable on an ongoing basis.
Having said that, I did get together with a group of Charlotte women and we all sat down one night with wine and had an incredibly frank discussion, about twelve of us, where we openly discussed our faith and absolutely no one judged anyone else. That was really cool. So I feel like there's something for everyone here if you search hard enough.
I've lived here for six years now and while I still don't feel like I fit in 100% (I'm childfree by choice, something most of Charlotte doesn't get) I have found my
niche in several groups. I'm pretty sure my neighbors view me as a square peg still, but they're nice enough people. They're just not the group I ended up bonding with the most.
Edited to add: In reading some older posts, I too was taught that politics and religion are not acceptable basic social conversation. Unfortunately, I've found that many people around here were not taught that, or just don't do it. I am shocked by how they automatically assume I have the same opinions as they do. And these are not native Charlotteans we're talking about - but people who have moved down here from the north. Last year I was at a holiday party when a woman I had just met said something highly charged politically that offended me so much I choked on my wine right in front of her. A butcher at a grocery store let out with something too, while I was picking up steak! Politics and religion are the third rail of social discourse. When in doubt, seriously, don't do it...