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I just tell people I'm Catholic (lapsed one at that), and in the South that usually shuts them up pretty fast about religion. I felt very comfortable in New Orleans though cause it warmed my heart seeing all those Catholic churches and so few of those Baptists churches you see everywhere else in the South. Also liked the giant Cathedral in Mobile. Catholics are pretty tolerant of atheists imo. Much more so than the evangelical Christian.
The average New Orleanian Catholic is hardly anything at all like Catholics elsewhere. They may not be Protestant but their views are definitely more in line with the rest of the urban south than what you seem to be assuming.
And there are many Baptist churches in New Orleans, so either you weren't paying attention or didn't explore very much of the city.
The average New Orleanian Catholic is hardly anything at all like Catholics elsewhere. They may not be Protestant but their views are definitely more in line with the rest of the urban south than what you seem to be assuming.
And there are many Baptist churches in New Orleans, so either you weren't paying attention or didn't explore very much of the city.
So I take it you know what Catholics are like everywhere else? Lol, yeah right.
Compared to other places in the South, Baptist churches didn't seem too common. Face it, New Orleans is pretty darn Catholic considering the US is only 25% Catholic. Orleans Parish is 64% Catholic compared to 13% Southern Baptist. Philadelphia County is 61% Catholic, so I felt right at home. Especially seeing all those French surnames and not Scoth-Irish, lol.
Any way you slice it NOLA is not your typical southern city. Us northerners can feel it immediately compared to say Jackson, MS.
So no, imo a white Southerner in NOLA is quite different from one in Jackson, MS. I talked to many of them when I spent a week in NOLA in April. They are very, very diff from the average white protestant Southerner in Mobile, AL or Jackson, MS if you ask me. And I've been to all of those places.
I'm from a city of 35k in Southern Appalachia. While I am a convinced theist, many of my friends are atheist, agnostic, or just have their doubts. I live in a middle class neighborhood, and while I'm sure there are plenty of little old church ladies to go around, it is generally not a topic of public discussion. I think a lot of people like to exaggerate on topics that they are sensitive about. I am never asked about church. I never attend church, nor does anyone question me about it. I really couldn't care less if someone I meet is atheist or gay or what. I treat folks with respect, and expect the same in return. I think that it might have been different years ago, but it takes time for people outside of the region to realize that their perceptions are not always right. I am always amazed at what people think about my region, most of whom know nothing at all about it.
So I take it you know what Catholics are like everywhere else? Lol, yeah right.
Compared to other places in the South, Baptist churches didn't seem too common. Face it, New Orleans is pretty darn Catholic considering the US is only 25% Catholic. Orleans Parish is 64% Catholic compared to 13% Southern Baptist. Philadelphia County is 61% Catholic, so I felt right at home. Especially seeing all those French surnames and not Scoth-Irish, lol.
Any way you slice it NOLA is not your typical southern city. Us northerners can feel it immediately compared to say Jackson, MS.
So you've got southerners all figured out yet somehow I am too dumb to know what non-Louisiana Catholics are like? That's convenient. I won't spend much time entertaining your northern elitist attitude. I'm going by the facts. I grew right outside of Catholic Louisiana. You were merely a visitor, so maybe you won't admit it, but I know the region better than you do. I understand your hard on for the city, but it is still a southern town. Clearly in more ways than you realize.
And I never said New Orleans wasn't majority Catholic. Everyone knows it is. What I'm refuting is your claim that there are few Baptist churches in the city, which is false. It's even home to one of the largest Baptist seminaries in the nation. That 13% in your link only refers to the Southern Baptist Convention. All Baptist churches are not affiliated with the SBC.
So no, imo a white Southerner in NOLA is quite different from one in Jackson, MS. I talked to many of them when I spent a week in NOLA in April. They are very, very diff from the average white protestant Southerner in Mobile, AL or Jackson, MS if you ask me. And I've been to all of those places.
Who said anything about race? I sure didn't. Maybe you should have specified that you were talking about one color here.
And I also made it clear that I was comparing New Orleans to the urban south. Mobile and Jackson barely qualify as urban.
So you've got southerners all figured out yet somehow I am too dumb to know what non-Louisiana Catholics are like? That's convenient. I won't spend much time entertaining your northern elitist attitude. I'm going by the facts. I grew right outside of Catholic Louisiana. You were merely a visitor, so maybe you won't admit it, but I know the region better than you do. I understand your hard on for the city, but it is still a southern town. Clearly in more ways than you realize.
And I never said New Orleans wasn't majority Catholic. Everyone knows it is. What I'm refuting is your claim that there are few Baptist churches in the city, which is false. It's even home to one of the largest Baptist seminaries in the nation. That 13% in your link only refers to the Southern Baptist Convention. All Baptist churches are not affiliated with the SBC.
Who said anything about race? I sure didn't. Maybe you should have specified that you were talking about one color here.
And I also made it clear that I was comparing New Orleans to the urban south. Mobile and Jackson barely qualify as urban.
For the second time I said
Quote:
Originally Posted by tom77falcons
Compared to other places in the South, Baptist churches didn't seem too common.
I never said there weren't any Baptist churches around. Philly has loads of them as well. Unlike most southern locales though, you will always come across a large Catholic church in every neighborhood here. I noticed the same in New Orleans. Never saw that in Atlanta, Charlotte or Raleigh (where my first cousin lives). Other places like Atlanta have a much higher population of Baptists than New Orleans.
Instead of Baptist it might be more accurate to use the term "evangelical". 36% of Fulton County religious adherents are in evangelical denominations. Orleans Parish has 19%. 41% of Harris County, TX is evangelical. 39% Mecklenberg County is evangelical. The list goes on. Louisiana is different, at least the French part. I'm entitled to my opinion. Considering I've been going to the South for years for work, I should know the difference of how it feels to me.
I'm curious why you are so convinced that New Orleans Catholics are different than Catholics everywhere else. Different how? I was born and raised Catholic. Were you raised Catholic?
Militant, in-yer-face people are rarely welcome or happy anywhere except perhaps in some small niche of like minds.
Absolutely. Militant believers or unbelievers are two sides of the same coin. I've lived in the South and found people where I lived were fairly accepting of a lot of things as long as it wasn't "in your face." I'm agnostic, never had problems while living in the South. I have friends who make it a point for everyone to know they are ahteist, and they think believers are idiots, and they create their own problems.
While l was looking for another place to live I was mostly looking at Colorado, New England and California. I was also looking at the south for a bit - I love the south. One problem is the following: I do not believe in God. I'm not a hardcore atheist that bashes religious people - I get that it's nice to believe in something. I honestly don't care if people believe in God but I'm afraid that a lot of people in the bible belt will judge someone who doesn't believe in faith.
Kind regards
Honestly I am sure some people will judge you simply because you do not believe in God, I am sure it would bother some and then some could care less. I am a gay male myself and live in the Bible belt and have for the last 12 years and for the most part I have had no problems whatsoever. Sure I live in Atlanta which tends to be gay friendly, but I have lived in much smaller deep south towns, and while I have not walked through those small town holding another guys's hands now I'm sure that would have been a sticky situation, I would guess as long as you don't have tags on your car that read something like "people that believe in god are idiots" but your post does not come off that way at all and you seem very accepting yourself of those that do choose the believe in a higher power so you should be fine. Like everything else just do some research I would venture to guess in bigger towns there are more than a few just like yourself!!
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