BlueMeanie

I was wondering if all of you people out there that have ever lived in the bible belt could share with me your stories of discrimination. I want to know how bad it is there for nonbelievers to live. I have heard, and read several stories that have disturbed me greatly over the past few years, and want to hear from all of you personally how severe it can get. Since I have grown up in a community that wasn't fundamentalist I am pretty much in the dark about alot of the discrimination that goes on in these parts of the states. Please share all that you can so that I get a deeper understanding about what goes on in these states.

LymanLover

Well, one person's opinion isn't representative, but here is mine. Bit of a ramble, too, but I am writing it as I think it..

I grew up in NE Arkansas. The nearby town (Jonesboro) is a hotbed of Baptist activity - in fact I think we have one of the largest Southern Baptist communities in the state.

I haven't personally been discriminated against very much over the years. I also haven't worn "God is Dead" t shirts around Arkansas. I have found, if nothing else, a reticence to discuss the topic in my community.

Understand that I am a big guy, and rather imposing in an argument.. I tend to go for the throat right off the bat when arguing verbally. Thus I won most of them. The only direct "discrimination" I really recall was when I was still Catholic, working in rice fields at the age of 13. The Pentecosts tried to convince me I was going to hell. Other than that, not much overt criticism.. People also asked me if I worshipped the Devil on occasion. More fear and ignorance than outright hatred.

I guess the people I argue with the most are the ones on my dad's side of the family. Dad is an atheist, but he grew up in an extremely fundy environment. Now I have the pleasure of arguing with five or six of my relatives at the same time. They don't intimidate or discriminate, however. We are a family.

When I was in high school I wrote letters to the editor criticizing a local fundie's assertions about church-state separation and the attitude of the Founding Fathers. I used a lot of history, he used a lot of conjecture and misdirection. The local paper isn't really into intellectual discussion (preferring wedding announcements and other vapid topics).

I also recall going to a CoC discussion once, with a friend of mine who was atheist. I went as support for him, because his parents required his attendance.. We argued with the man who gave the lecture, etc etc. Again I found more outright ignorance and fear rather than hatred.

I haven't had any trouble finding a job because of my position, but I usually just leave the religion blank empty...

I'm sure there are others out there who have had worse experiences.

never been there

They ask that on a job application??????!?!?!?!

What is the correct smilie for a Canuckistani head spinning?

LymanLover

Well, my memory could be faulty, but I think I've seen it on there before... It's pretty silly, no?

southernhybrid

They don't ask *that* on a job application, or at least not legally. It's against the federal laws of the US.

I've lived in the Bible Belt for 32 years and have never once been discriminated against for being an atheist. I've been open about my atheism in almost every of the many, many jobs that I've held. I'm a professional nurse and atheist nurses are very rare, but except for a few coworkers that have made negative remarks I've never had any problems. Most of my coworkers were very supportive and didn't think it was a big dea that I was an atheist, or if they did they never showed it. Good natured teasing was the worst thing I was usually subjected to by them and I had no problem giving it right back to them.


My husband has also been out in most of his jobs and it's never been a problem or concern. He's an IT professional so nontheists are quite common among his ranks.


What many outsiders fail to understand about the Bible Belt is that the symbols of Xianity have permeated the culture, but the people themselves are usually no more religious than any other parts of the country. We do have a lot of churches here though. They are mostly social institutions for believers. They don't bother me. I do respect people's freedom to assemble for religous purposes even if I don't respect their actual beliefs. Since less than half of my neighbors even attend church, I'm not in a minority when I stay home on Sunday mornings. Naturally, this is just my own personal experience.

Shake

OK, this doesn't quite fit your question, but it's close...

I was stationed in Charleston, SC for about 7 years. During my time there, I worked with a guy who was a Taoist. Very nice guy, friendly, outgoing. One day he was out during lunch at a Wal-Mart (IIRC) and got talking to this woman and her adult son about things in general. She asked him what church he went to (this is a common question to be asked in the Bible Belt), when he explained that he was a Taoist, she said, "Oh! You seemed like a nice xian boy, too."

After he related the story to me, I had to ask him about Taoism, and he was more than happy to tell me about it.

OK, this was more about ignorance rather than discrimination.

callina

I was born in Tennessee and lived in Georgia all of my adult life. I don't know if I have been actively discriminated against, but I get annoyed sometimes living in a god-soaked area. People just assume that you are a christian. When people ask me what religion I am, it really means "what church do you go to?" I get surprised looks when I tell people that I am an atheists, and some people act disappointed. Occasionally, people seem unable to really understand what atheism means. "But you still believe in god, right?" Or, "So, you're Jewish" My favorite misunderstanding was when I told someone that I am an atheist. He asked me to explain and I said that I don't believe in supernatural beings. He assured me that he felt the same way because he only believes in the works of god. Huh?

But I have never had the nerve to announce my atheism at work. I taught public school and just kept people guessing about my beliefs. I was nervous about the way that the parents in the community would react, but I really never had evidence that it would be a problem. But I do live in a state that is trying to adopt a state flag that says in god we trust on it.

RufusAtticus

Umm, Callina, our current state flag says TSURT EW DOG NI / IN GOD WE TRUST on it.


As far as personal discrimination, I've never experienced any probably because I am a clean-cut white guy from a middle class southern family. I wouldn't be suprised if most people assume I'm just a complety typical white southern, if the idea of religion comes in their head. I've also always lived in a diverse, moderately liberal college town, so the concept of identifying a person based on what church they go to is absent in our community.

However, I have seen some "group" discrimination towards non-belivers and atheists in general. Usually just stupid stuff posted in newspapers and such. We do however have an atheist columnist on our college paper who does a good job representing views similar to mine.

Eric Starnes

The worst i had it was my freshman year in highschool. I was warming the bench on the baseball team and had a conversation that went "deep" with one of my teammates. It came out during the course of the conversation that i did not believe in god. All hell broke loose. For the next week i constantly had people wispering behind my back and even confronting me to my face about my atheism(i didnt even know i what an "atheist" was at the time).

Everything pretty much went like this: I would hear someone wispering "see him, ya that guy, hes an athiest. No way, he worships the devil? Thats what i hear." Then the group would appoint someone to come over and try to convert/harrass/yell at me. After that week though it died down and and everyone but a few idiots pretty much left me alone.

The few people who didnt leave me alone after that first week were really assholes about it, but being insulted by those people is a compliment in my book.

I actually count myself luckly, i have heard horror stories about what happened to some Jewish students in a school near mine.

callina

[pretending she knew that all along] So, what's your point? [/pretending she knew that all along]



Well Rufus, guess that just goes to show the close attention that I have been paying to the issue! It's such a cluttered flag, how's a girl supposed to read all of it...