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So much for tolerance. Is that a Christian value? Somehow, I thought it was.
I suspect that the most common family value in southern christian homes ranges from intolerance to irrational hatred of anyone and everyone that does not share their narrow and twisted view of the world.
Bigotry is alive and well in all 50 of these United States of America. That includes you -- all of you, perhaps. In this case the bigotry seems to be regional in nature.
I have lived and visited in 42 of these 50 United States of America, as well as in several foreign countries. I have thoroughly read and studied authors like Malcolm X, MLK, Russell Means (he's an American Indian, for those of you who don't know) and etc. It is very easy for y'all to sit back and smugly blame everyone else for the World's ills. However, and as Christ said, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." If I were y'all, I'd be very careful before I threw a stone, because its likely to come back and smack y'all right in the a@@.
None of you (individually and regionally) is without sin. For any of you to think otherwise is to fall into the role of "Bertha Better'n-You" (Ray Stevens, Mississippi Squirrel Revival, 1984). And we all know what happened to her...
-- Nighteyes
P.S: Please note that I am not defending the South -- not at all. What I'm warning you about is to look carefully in your own back yard, both literally and figuratively, before getting all smug, self-righteous and complacent.
Last edited by Nighteyes; 12-23-2010 at 04:19 PM..
Many Christians in the South are of the "not peace, but a sword" variety.
I'm not sure many people really overcome anything down here. Those who don't believe never really did. True believers will never change, which is why things are still way they are.
Bigotry is alive and well in all 50 of these United States of America. That includes you -- all of you, perhaps. In this case the bigotry seems to be regional in nature.
I have lived and visited in 42 of these 50 United States of America, as well as in several foreign countries. I have thoroughly read and studied authors like Malcolm X, MLK, Russell Means (he's an American Indian, for those of you who don't know) and etc. It is very easy for y'all to sit back and smugly blame everyone else for the World's ills. However, and as Christ said, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." If I were y'all, I'd be very careful before I threw a stone, because its likely to come back and smack y'all right in the a@@.
None of you (individually and regionally) is without sin. For any of you to think otherwise is to fall into the role of "Bertha Better'n-You" (Ray Stevens, Mississippi Squirrel Revival, 1984). And we all know what happened to her...
-- Nighteyes
P.S: Please note that I am not defending the South -- not at all. What I'm warning you about is to look carefully in your own back yard, both literally and figuratively, before getting all smug, self-righteous and complacent.
I don't think anyone was implying that the North or anywhere other than the South was perfect. We are just pointing out how pervasive Christianity is within the South, and how it must take a lot for an individual to move away from the Christian paradigm in the South when it is so ingrained in the culture here. It's very tempting to pretend being Christian even when you don't buy into it because people's social lives are built around church. So to openly come to any stance other than Christianity here is to be willing to give up almost all your friends, family, people you see on a day-to-day basis. I think that takes a lot for anyone to do for whatever reason, whether religious, political or otherwise.
Deaf AND blind? How do you interact with the computer?
I use a software program that interprets the text on the screen and sends it to a hardware device called a refreshable braille display, which has little pins that move up and down in braille patterns that can be read by touch.
Anyway, I don't know how people who aren't Christian manage to get through their days here when Christianity pops up at their every turn, whether it's Bible verses on the walls or prayers in the name of Jesus held at otherwise completely secular events. I think I would get tired of having to see and hear that stuff all the time, because even though I don't care if someone is Christian, I don't understand why so many people feel the need to broadcast their beliefs to the world.
Last edited by nimchimpsky; 12-23-2010 at 04:52 PM..
Many Christians in the South are of the "not peace, but a sword" variety.
I'm not sure many people really overcome anything down here. Those who don't believe never really did. True believers will never change, which is why things are still way they are.
My friend, I have three things to say. Before I get started, let me clarify that I was born and raised in the South. I have lived in Tennessee (twice), Mississippi (twice), Alabama, Georgia and Florida. I also have a large number of relatives in Louisiana, and have spent an amazingly large amount of time in Arkansas.
1. Having spent a LOT of time in Texas in the 1990's, in a purely professional capacity, let me be very clear: "Texas" and "the South" are not synonymous. Though it was settled by people from the original South, modern Texas is indeed "a whole other country." Trust me on this.
2. The fundamentalists in the "real" South, though quite vociferous - sometimes to the point of being obnoxious - are not the only voice. Heck, they aren't even the majority (though they come fairly close).
3. Your dichotomy of believers vs. non-believers simply won't hold water. There are a whole danged lot of native-born, multi-generational Southerners who would probably love to stand in line to disagree with you, one at a time and in great detail, until your beard grew down to the floor (from your name I assume you are male). They include Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Episcopalians, Methodists and others.
Last edited by Nighteyes; 12-23-2010 at 05:02 PM..
My friend, I have three things to say. Before I get started, let me clarify that I was born and raised in the South. I have lived in Tennessee (twice), Mississippi (twice), Alabama, Georgia and Florida. I also have a large number of relatives in Louisiana.
1. Having spent a LOT of time in Texas in the 1990's, in a purely professional capacity, let me be very clear: "Texas" and "the South" are not synonymous. Though it was settled by people from the original South, modern Texas is indeed "a whole other country." Trust me on this.
2. The fundamentalists in the "real" South, though quite vociferous - sometimes to the point of being obnoxious - are not the only voice. Heck, they aren't even the majority (though they come fairly close).
3. Your dichotomy of believers vs. non-believers simply won't hold water. There are a whole danged lot of native-born, multi-generational Southerners who would probably love to stand in line to disagree with you, one at a time and in great detail, until your beard grew down to the floor (from your name I assume you are male). They include Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Episcopalians, Methodists and others.
I just wanted to point out the very first word achickenchaser said was "Many." Not all Christians. Many of them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by achickenchaser
Many Christians in the South are of the "not peace, but a sword" variety.
I'm not sure many people really overcome anything down here. Those who don't believe never really did. True believers will never change, which is why things are still way they are.
I don't think anyone was implying that the North or anywhere other than the South was perfect. We are just pointing out how pervasive Christianity is within the South, and how it must take a lot for an individual to move away from the Christian paradigm in the South when it is so ingrained in the culture here.
And I will, once again, point out the fallacious dichotomy that achickenchaser (and now you) asserted. Here are his exact words:
Quote:
Originally Posted by achickenchaser
Those who don't believe never really did. True believers will never change, which is why things are still way they are.
What he (and now you) describe are the evangelistic fundamentalist Christian sects, a large and extremely vociferous "in-your-face" minority, but a minority nonetheless. I once again point out that they do not represent all of Christianity in the South; nor do they represent the majority. IMO, anyone who claims that this dichotomy, as stated, IS the South either (a) simply doesn't know any better, or (b) is trying to sell something.
The people who are indoctrinated in public schools
Pretty much not true at least in Huntsville, al the past three years. maybe elsewhere, maybe another time. had two kids at hampton cove elementary 2008-2010 in huntsville, al.
otherwise the indoctrination (brainwashing) techniques are pretty much true
pardon the typing, using with one hand, orthoscopic shoulder surgery four hours ago
That means the rest of the country has stopped pointing at us as the center of religious nut-dom in the country.
Nobody has stopped, people still mentally map "Utah -> mormons -> weird".
Utah is still up there with the south. Instead of humid weird, Utah snow mountain weird.
(Since I am in permanent City-Data dog house, I use "weird" instead of more obnoxious terms.)
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