[Bravo35223]

Once again another tired, inaccurate stereotypical thread...

I live in Birmingham and play golf on Sunday mornings with about 6 Catholics. I am Protestant, but like ZennJenn practice more at home than going to church.

Nobody....absolutely nobody cares a single itty bitty bit about any of it.

Zenn's post is right on. In the South, you will find many people who are outwardly religious. Simply accept them as they are and you will have no problems...

Frankly I know of plenty of people here in Birmingham who haven't entered a church or synagogue in decades....

[MullinsCurve]

1. Yes, moving to Alabama you are moving to the Bible Belt and you should know that coming in. A large number of us worship regularly and automatically assume our neighbors will want to also. We're not looking down on you or wishing you evil if you don't, it is our accepted way of life. Just don't ask us to change our way of life because you are offended by what is intended to be congenial conversation on our part.

2. Most Southerners are taught from an early age to always be polite. It is in the air, the ground and the food. It is the way of life. Go to store counter and start yelling at the person behind it to hurry up and you will find out just how slow a human being can move. You may even rile up that person's family because in a small town, you better be careful if you don't know who might be related to that person and they may be bigger than you.

3. Which brings me to my third point. Southerners appreciate the 2nd Amendment and many are armed. An armed society is a polite society (see point #2). In Alabama, you can buy weapons without talking to The Man, hang it on your hip if you want to and walk down the sidewalk, with certain limitations. Concealed carry permits are easy to get also. Be careful whose face you get up into because they cut you off two blocks ago. They could very well be armed with a very large pistol. Keep in mind that just because we may be armed, we don't go around starting things, but we'll dang sure finish them. See point #2 again.

4. As far as Jews are concerned, I think that you will find that most Southerns are respectful of the them because of point #1. Most are well appreciated members of the community in which they live. Other than worshipping in a different way on and/or a different day, they are as "Southern" as Bubba next door. Same goes for our Catholic friends, also.

5. I'm 44 years old. I've never seen a Klansman to know he was one, except on TV. The Klan is non-existent for most people here and you will probably see more action from them up north. Please do not confuse The Sons of Confederate Veterans with those outlaws.

I guess I really should be telling you the opposite of all this so we can keep the secret of the South to ourselves. It is a good place to live.