The Bible Belt

Old Virginia Blog ^ | 02/16/2009 | Richard Williams

[Davy Buck]

A few months ago, another Civil War blogger mocked my contention that the South remains the last great bastion of Judeo-Christian conservatism in the United States, even though poll after poll shows that to be the truth - the South is still the "Bible Belt."

Now comes this story . . .

[Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus]

Guess this all depends on your definition of "Bible Belt". Saying that "religion" is an important part of your life is great, but begs the question of "What religion? What do you actually believe?" Poll after poll suggests - and I've seen it first hand right down here in the Bible Belt - that most Southerners don't even hold to a truly Biblical worldview or theology. Even the South has been infected by the syrupy "Joel Osteen" nonsense that passes for "Christianity" these days.

[contemplator]

The important question here in the South isn’t whether or not there is a Bible Belt, but how big of a belt buckle do you need for it?

[napscoordinator]

Even the South has been infected by the syrupy “Joel Osteen” nonsense that passes for “Christianity” these days.

syrupy “Joel Osteen” lol. I actually think he is a good guy. I am Catholic and still can listen to him occasionally. He makes his more of the nondenominational brand.

[contemplator]

He is a blend of a ‘self-help’ motivational speaker and preacher. A bit more of the former and less of the latter IMO. In practical application though his variety of preaching probably helps people more than those who instruct folks to simply ‘turn it over to the lord’ and let god sort their problems out.

[Tennessee Nana]

“79 percent of Tennesseeans” and TN is in the highest bracket...

yes that would be about right...

[Dudoight]

I resent, to some extent, the term ‘religion’. Plenty of people have ‘religion’, go to church on Sunday, etc. But not so many have a relationship w/ the Supreme Being. I find that in the Bible Belt it is important to have religion...like going to a church on Sunday...but living the ‘life’ during the week is less practiced.

[HighlyOpinionated]

In the South, religion is an important part of family life. More entire families attend church. Teens are expected to attend with their parents and churches have active youth groups.

I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a youth group from the West Coast or North East that traveled to Appalachia to help the poor or who went on a summer trip to Mexico to help the poor.

But I hear of those activities in the South a lot . . . nearly every Baptist and Methodist Church in my section of Georgia has had youth who traveled on “missionary trips.”

[Davy Buck]

This is in a very broad, cultural context.

[Between the Lines]

[Between the Lines]

Check out the top 16 states.

Now check out this map.

See any correlation there?

[Rustabout]

God save the South!