Which non-Bible Belt state(s) should be part of the 'Bible Belt'? (transplants, live)
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I wouldn't of thought so before living here but the Phoenix area, at least the area I am in West Valley region. Seems to have a lot of churches, and I have met a number of people into religion. Its also a heavy Republican area, which goes hand in foot many times with Religion. Then there is the East Valley suburbs that have a high population of Mormons. I'm also told a number of Pentecostals live in that region of Phoenix. So alot of religion in this Southwest area of the USA. Arizona doesn't feel like the southeast on this subject though, but perhaps it is changing into its own version of the Bible Belt.
You moved to the West Valley in a blue collar family oriented area and you always post that you feel swamped by religious people and republicans but it's your fault. You moved into a republican California/Midwest white flight GOP area of PHX. I live in a very progressive, democratic leaning, enjoyable part of central PHX with culture, good independent non-chain restaurants, coffee shops, indie bookstores, record stores, etc., and never feel surrounded by mega-church types. Blame it on the neighborhood, not the city or state. It is the 6th largest city in America, there's variation all over the Valley.
If evangelical-oriented Protestantism is characteristic of the Bible Belt, then, even though I voted for the upper Midwest (based more on rural social conservatism and geographical proximity), it's really sort of difficult to comfortably lump any of these choices together with the BB. Perhaps Texas by itself should've been a choice...
And even on the basis of social conservatism, I'm reluctant to include certain upper Midwestern states like Minnesota (democratically defeated an amendment against same-sex marriage) and Wisconsin (democratically elected an openly gay U.S. House Rep to an open seat in the U.S. Senate). These things, needless to say, don't happen in the Bible Belt states.
All in all, for better or worse, the Bible Belt really is a little world unto itself.
Add Kansas and put in a satellite to Utah. Not sure Utah could be called part of the Bible-Belt as much as it could be called the "Book of Mormon-belt".
I think the Book of Mormon Belt could legitimately be considered its own separate American cultural subregion from the Bible Belt, stretching from Idaho down into Western Colorado
(1) The overwhelming majority of Phoenix residents are Roman Catholic not Protestant, which comprises the majority of Evangelicals
(2) Phoenix was ranked the 8th lowest among "Bible Minded Cities" according to this study Bible-Minded Cities
(3) There are no Blue Laws in Phoenix that prohibit the sale of alcohol on Sundays. You can purchase hard liquor in grocery stores. You can have a beer on Sunday morning playing golf.
(4) Marijuana was approved for medicinal purpose. There isn't a single state in the Bible Belt that has approved the use of marijuana in any situation.
(5) The state voted for a suspected lesbian in Janet Napolitano for governor. Tempe had an openly gay mayor. The sheriff of Pinal County (Tucson) is openly gay.
(6) Casinos are found all over the city and have been in the Phoenix metropolitan area for nearly 20 years.
Well my apologies then. I guess they all live here in the Sun city area communities. Or the other retirement ones scattered about. Or the Mormon communities in the other areas of the Phoenix area. I'd hardly call this Metro without its religious elements by a long shot. I know for me I have never been exposed to so many religious types, other than the Bible Belt. But then again Im exposed to large groups of retirees, from the bible belt states or Midwest. So no wonder. I'm not exactly getting the Marijuana, and those that vote for gay politicians crowd in this area by no means lol.
Well my apologies then. I guess they all live here in the Sun city area communities. Or the other retirement ones scattered about. Or the Mormon communities in the other areas of the Phoenix area. I'd hardly call this Metro without its religious elements by a long shot. I know for me I have never been exposed to so many religious types, other than the Bible Belt. But then again Im exposed to large groups of retirees, from the bible belt states or Midwest. So no wonder. I'm not exactly getting the Marijuana, and those that vote for gay politicians crowd in this area by no means lol.
I practiced medicine in the Sun City area and I would not call that area a Bible Belt region. Sun City is full of wealthy retirees from all over the United States mostly the upper Midwest and Canada not the Southern United States. Most Southerners retire in Texas and the Gulf coast not Arizona. And every metro has religious elements not just Phoenix. Perhaps you are running into a lot of religious conservatives in your immediate circle but I can promise you that isn't representative of Phoenix. Phoenix is conservative about taxes, guns and immigration but it's not religiously conservative and doesn't represent anything resembling the Bible Belt.
Last edited by azriverfan.; 02-06-2013 at 08:41 PM..
You moved to the West Valley in a blue collar family oriented area and you always post that you feel swamped by religious people and republicans but it's your fault. You moved into a republican California/Midwest white flight GOP area of PHX. I live in a very progressive, democratic leaning, enjoyable part of central PHX with culture, good independent non-chain restaurants, coffee shops, indie bookstores, record stores, etc., and never feel surrounded by mega-church types. Blame it on the neighborhood, not the city or state. It is the 6th largest city in America, there's variation all over the Valley.
I moved into where the retirement communities were built in the Phoenix area. I didn't pick the location where Del Webb built them. Nor did I pick the sterotype that all retirees were going be what you just described. They do seem to be. I've nothing to do with that eigher. That's how it seems to be I have no control over it. I can't expect myself to live in the middle of Tempe or in Chandler with people half my age. So I'm here. I understand this one was to have been originally built in and around the Scottsdale area, but the deal fell apart many years ago. If I did have control over where they are built, it would be around Scottsdale.
I'm not blaming it on anyone. I was honest about it. Phoenix does have religious mindsets. A lot of places do. I'm sorry you don't like the info and that we all don't live in Central Phx or these areas you described. That we have different experiences than you do.
I practiced medicine in the Sun City area and I would not call that area a Bible Belt region. Sun City is full of wealthy retirees from all over the United States mostly the upper Midwest and Canada not the Southern United States. Most Southerners retire in Texas and the Gulf coast not Arizona. And every metro has religious elements not just Phoenix. Perhaps you are running into a lot of religious conservatives in your immediate circle but I can promise you that isn't representative of Phoenix. Phoenix is conservative about taxes, guns and immigration but it's not religiously conservative and doesn't represent anything resembling the Bible Belt.
"Most"? I doubt that. You're discounting Florida (yeah it's full of Yankee retirees, but a lot of Southerners, also), the rest of the coastal southeast (Savannah, Hilton Head, Charleston, Myrtle Beach, Wilmington, Outer Banks, etc.), and the Appalachian mountains.
I moved into where the retirement communities were built in the Phoenix area. I didn't pick the location where Del Webb built them. Nor did I pick the sterotype that all retirees were going be what you just described. They do seem to be. I've nothing to do with that eigher. That's how it seems to be I have no control over it. I can't expect myself to live in the middle of Tempe or in Chandler with people half my age. So I'm here. I understand this one was to have been originally built in and around the Scottsdale area, but the deal fell apart many years ago. If I did have control over where they are built, it would be around Scottsdale.
I'm not blaming it on anyone. I was honest about it. Phoenix does have religious mindsets. A lot of places do. I'm sorry you don't like the info and that we all don't live in Central Phx or these areas you described. That we have different experiences than you do.
Understood, I appreciate that you're just stating your opinion and relating your experience here. There are definitely places in the Valley(PHX area) that are as you describe, I just wanted to cut in and state that there are many exceptions to that view of Phoenix and it's suburbs. I just don't think Arizona qualifies as the Bible Belt.
The Midwest and th upper Midwest. Idaho, Utah, Wyoming and Montana should also be included in the Bible Belt.
However, there are states where the rural areas are heavily religious even though the urban areas may not be.
Montana and Wyoming have no place whatsoever in the Bible Belt.
If Montana and Wyoming belong in the Bible Belt, then so too would states like California, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and, to a slightly lesser extent, New York.
Surely you see the problem with this?
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