Adapting to the bible belt ? (Chattanooga: school, allergies, living in)

[BirdieBelle]

Originally Posted by 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.

It would be better to start a new, separate thread for that.

[bawac34618]

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.

I don't like it, but it's a part of the culture in the Bible Belt. People down here see it as a friendly gesture. They assume everyone is religious (because 99% of people are) and if you don't go to church, they will usually invite you to go with them if you are new to the community.

The Bible Belt has a difficult culture than the rest of the US. I would say Oklahoma and Northern California are as different culturally as the U.S. is compared to places eastern Europe. There are some things that are rude in certain cultures that are considered friendly in others.

[USERXXXX]

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

As long as neighbors won't recognize you in the local news story when if you protest for "LGBT" rights, you should be fine.

[SFBayBoomer]

Originally Posted by Wmsn4Life

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.

Those symbols are common here in the SF Bay Area, too, and I can't even remember who has it on their car and who doesn't. (Most don't). They don't bother me in the least.

Several of the people I hire regularly are overtly very religious, like my Mormon handyman and my Christian auto repair guy (he owns the shop) and he displays the fish at the top of his website, so I assume his personal car has it on the plate, too. But neither tries to convert me, and we get along very well.

As for "sorting" questions, I don't like those at all, whether the questions are about religion or whatever. If I don't know you, let's just chat about the activity we're involved in, our opinions, the weather, our town, anything which is not directly personal. We'll find out better if our personalities mesh, which to me is more important than the personal details.

[DubbleT]

Originally Posted by SFBayBoomer

As for "sorting" questions, I don't like those at all, whether the questions are about religion or whatever. If I don't know you, let's just chat about the activity we're involved in, our opinions, the weather, our town, anything which is not directly personal. We'll find out better if our personalities mesh, which to me is more important than the personal details.

She is saying that it isn't personal, not in the way you mean it. People aren't asking about your religious views so much as they are asking about where/who do you hang out with. It's generally not viewed as anything more personal than asking where you work or what team do you hope wins the super bowl, or whether you are a pirate or a ninja, lol.

[BirdieBelle]

Originally Posted by DubbleT

She is saying that it isn't personal, not in the way you mean it. People aren't asking about your religious views so much as they are asking about where/who do you hang out with. It's generally not viewed as anything more personal than asking where you work or what team do you hope wins the super bowl, or whether you are a pirate or a ninja, lol.

Yep. You'll know they're getting personal when they hit you with, "Have you accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your savior?" as you're in the checkout line.

[Pixelpie]

We moved here in June. We must have gotten on some list... because we've had three churches near by all stop by our home unannounced to invite us to their church. I found it unnerving to have someone knocking at my door because where we came from... you didn't open the door for strangers.

We are not religious...so when we've been invited to go to church we just politely decline... and so far everyone has been very nice about it.

From what I've seen in this community... people here are kind to each other. These Christians you seem to be leary of... have gone out of their way to help and comfort people suffering with the recent tragic bus accident that we lost six children and the horrible fires that destroyed nearby Gaitlinburg. They are so willing to help each other!

I haven't experienced anyone trying to cram their beliefs down our throat... I haven't seen any hate.

Are there churches all over the place? Yes! I'll take church folk any day though... they are much nicer to live by than some of the alternatives.

LOL We do say that sometimes we're stuck ina "Jesus Jam". If you happen to be on a road at the same time church is being let out and the parking lot is unloading... you may have to wait a few minutes.

[rm10269123]

We are also hoping to relocate from nys in 2018 and I won't mind the Christian community at all. We are new Christians and will love the welcoming feeling they give. No. I don't like being smothered and forced into something, but I agree with the above poster, it's better than the alternative in syracuse, NY you will find ppl who will look at you like you're from outer space. It's ridiculous.

[Pixelpie]

This is exactly what I mean...

Mueller: A community's worst nightmare | Times Free Press

Not bad people to live by if you ask me!!

[CCaDL]

How much you hear about religion depends on who you hang out with. I'm a part of several running and cycling clubs and groups, and have maybe heard God or religion brought up two times in two decades. And even then, it's about a 10 second mention.

When someone from California visited us here in Georgia, we were headed to the Blue Ridge area to go mtn. biking when he asked if we knew anyone who was in Deliverance, believing everyone in it, other than the 4 main protoganists, to be real, not actors.
Other than that book/movie, which was supposed to be set in 1970, I can't think of a single movie about the south that is based on modern times (Gone with the Wind- 1861, Django Unchained-1858, 12 Years a Slave- 1853, Fried Green Tomatoes-1920's, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Help, Mississippi Burning, Driving Miss Daisy, Forrest Gump....and so on) And now that I look at the list, it also appears that every single movie about the south portrays Southern white men as evil and/or developmentally disabled.