Adapting to the bible belt ? (Chattanooga: how much, to live, shop)

[Chadly]

Originally Posted by Dhult

I don't believe I've ever seen a post like that.

Probably because the North has a reputation/stereotype of being more liberal in general, so the liberals who move to other regions already believe they'll be accepted, and the conservatives have less desire to move to those areas?

[NewNashville]

Originally Posted by natguy

Chattanooga is smack dab in the middle of the Bible belt and this concerns my wife and myself. We are both very liberal people and non religious and although I have both conservative and religious friends up here in the North, they're not all up in your face with their views which we fear somewhat if we choose to move down south. Are our fears justified or can we expect no real changes other than seeing more churches with full parking lots ???
We respect all religious views but abhor being proselytized

Get used to being asked what church you attend within 5 minutes of meeting someone. Church is a big deal in the south. Many people's lives outside of work revolve around it. And remember, it's their job to help save your wayward soul.

I understand the OP perfectly. I grew up in the south but have a "live and let live" outlook on life. If I don't bring up God or religion that means I don't want you pushing an agenda on me.

[luvmyboxer]

I'd say this post is quite accurate. There are just a few parts of town (e.g., the Northshore of Chattanooga) where this wouldn't apply- but most anywhere else, the majority of people go to church and expect that everyone else does the same.
I'd say the proportion of "In your face" church-goers is definitely much higher in the South compared to other places I've lived- though by no means everyone.

Originally Posted by NewNashville

Get used to being asked what church you attend within 5 minutes of meeting someone. Church is a big deal in the south. Many people's lives outside of work revolve around it. And remember, it's their job to help save your wayward soul.

I understand the OP perfectly. I grew up in the south but have a "live and let live" outlook on life. If I don't bring up God or religion that means I don't want you pushing an agenda on me.

[Creekcat]

I wouldn't rate the other two posts as, "quite accurate", but that's just me.

[bawac34618]

Originally Posted by keithps

I've lived here all my life. I haven't stepped foot in a church in 16 years. No one bothers me about it. The worst scenario is someone asks what church I go to and I tell them I don't. Then they invite me to theirs. End of story. If that's too much for you, then perhaps you can't hack it here.

I live in the buckle of the Bible Belt so I have first hand knowledge of this. When most people ask you about church, if you aren't religious, you can just tell them and they won't bring it up again. You will meet the occasional person who continues to try to push it on you but most people won't. The most difficult part of living in the Bible Belt is how excessively fundamentalist Christianity influences local politics. You are forced to obey laws to please a deity you don't believe in. That can be very frustrating.

[BirdieBelle]

If you have to ask ....

[SFBayBoomer]

Originally Posted by bawac34618

Be prepared to be asked where you go to church or invited to church, but you can politely decline and most people won't bring it back up.

Why should someone be prepared to be asked such a personal question from someone they barely know? I consider it impolite for someone to even broach the subject.

Once someone is in the "friend" category and they want to invite me to attend their church for a day (not to join), preferably for a special function, then that seems OK to me, but otherwise it is nosier than it is neighborly.

I was raised Protestant, have enjoyed visiting churches of numerous denominations (Christian, Jewish Passover, Buddhist, etc.) over the years, but I am not a joiner and have no interest in attending any church on a regular basis. Also, I do not consider the Bible to be the word of God, and find it utterly ridiculous that women should ever be in any way submissive to men.

[NY Annie]

Originally Posted by NewNashville

Get used to being asked what church you attend within 5 minutes of meeting someone. Church is a big deal in the south. Many people's lives outside of work revolve around it. And remember, it's their job to help save your wayward soul.

I understand the OP perfectly. I grew up in the south but have a "live and let live" outlook on life. If I don't bring up God or religion that means I don't want you pushing an agenda on me.

I suppose being asked twice in over 4 years must mean I don't meet people. We moved here nearly 4.5 years ago and I have been asked exactly twice what church I attend. TWICE.

I have a bigger problem with the politics and hate spewed by people of a certain political mindset than I do if people ask me what church we attend. At least asking me about my church could simply be a means of offering advice as to what church might be more open and welcoming to us damn yanks than any other.

Originally Posted by Creekcat

I wouldn't rate the other two posts as, "quite accurate", but that's just me.

I'm in complete agreement with you on this.

Originally Posted by SFBayBoomer

Why should someone be prepared to be asked such a personal question from someone they barely know? I consider it impolite for someone to even broach the subject.

Once someone is in the "friend" category and they want to invite me to attend their church for a day (not to join), preferably for a special function, then that seems OK to me, but otherwise it is nosier than it is neighborly.

I was raised Protestant, have enjoyed visiting churches of numerous denominations (Christian, Jewish Passover, Buddhist, etc.) over the years, but I am not a joiner and have no interest in attending any church on a regular basis. Also, I do not consider the Bible to be the word of God, and find it utterly ridiculous that women should ever be in any way submissive to men.

LOL perhaps some women choose to be submissive - but that's a different belief than religion.

We had a nice wedding ceremony last year performed in our home by a baptist preacher. Neither of us is baptist and we didn't have any pressure to join his church or any other. I had considered asking one of the judges but the one I would have asked wasn't re-elected this year.


It IS the bible belt - that doesn't mean everyone is out to save the soul of every person they meet. What it does mean is that there are few activities that are not church-centric. Meaning the town/county commissioner meetings are begun with a prayer (no separation of church and state) and social activities are generally for the church-goers. Halloween is celebrated with "trunk-or-treat" held in each church's parking lot and the donors are limited to only members of that church - I'm guessing the treat-gatherers (kids) are also limited to the families of that church but I really don't know as we are retired and don't have young kids - so I haven't bothered to find out. Some churches have family events and it is common for the kids to bring friends whose families attend other churches or even no church.

Relax, don't hold your non-church-going out like a red cape to a bull and you'll do fine. Southerners are a bit different than other parts of the country in some ways but generally if you treat your neighbors and new acquaintances with respect, you'll get it back and then some.

[BirdieBelle]

Originally Posted by SFBayBoomer

Why should someone be prepared to be asked such a personal question from someone they barely know? I consider it impolite for someone to even broach the subject.

See, to you it's a "personal question" and "impolite." To many people, it's just a shorthand way to find out who you are, who you spend your time with, what you believe and what part of town you frequent, kind of like asking what neighborhood you live in.

You can get offended if you want, but to someone trying to get to know you, it's a sorting question, just a way of "placing you" in the world.

For some denominations, yes, the charge is to actively convert non-believers. Some Christians believe that should be done through our actions, the way we live our lives, not through pestering. But everyone is different.

I'm a Christian, I've lived in Tennessee my entire life and have never once bugged someone about church or religion. If seeing an Ichthys magnet on the back of cars bothers you, you probably won't be happy here.

[hurrannie]

Flip side question - we might be relocating to Chattanooga and are looking for a healthy church that preaches from the Bible. Any suggestions? We are used to megachurches and prefer them actually.