Does the political/religious climate in your city jive with your beliefs?

[CoffeeCat]

I am very interested in hearing how my fellow Progressives feel about the cities and towns in which they live--as this relates to meshing with your political, spiritual and personal values and beliefs.

Is where you live affirming of your political/religious leanings…or not?

I'll admit that my question is a bit self serving, as I am having a difficult time finding friends, making meaningful connections and feeling comfortable in my city of 70,000 that is (for the most part) conservative, and also very religious. I live in the Midwest.

One of the women in my book club told a story about her family driving to church. As they passed a house with children and parents playing outside, her child wondered aloud why this family wasn't in church. My fellow book club member responded, "All we can do is feel sorry for these people and pray for them."

I quit that book club.

I am wondering if others feel like a political fish in conservative waters--And how do you deal with this? I'd also love to hear from those who are liberal who feel that their communities jive with their beliefs. Wow, that must be nice!

It's to the point where I feel that I must hide these parts of myself. I also find myself a bit irritated with neighbors and other locally-based friendships--and their social-media posts. They deny climate change, they accuse Obama of trying to put a mosque on every corner. And the religious banter is mind boggling: People praising God when their pool pump suddenly starts working again (seriously, I'm not kidding), and claiming that "God is good" when they're the only one unharmed in a multi-car accident, when others *were* injured.

I'm very social and friendly. I do a lot of volunteer work in my community (for the schools and my kids' activities), but I find myself feeling like an odd duck. I'm happy and at peace with my views, I just wish I had more people like me who I could connect with on a deeper level.

What's more, I feel that I'm spiritually and politically "in the closet." It's uncomfortable.

Does anyone relate?

Anyone have any stories about your locations--and how your political or spiritual beliefs fit in (or don't fit in)?

[valerief]

1. I don't have beliefs to compare them to. nt

[Throd]

2. For the most part no, it doesn't jibe with my beliefs.

I live in a very affluent, white, religious community. It's a great place to live, but a lot of times I just keep my opinions to myself.

[upaloopa]

3. I live on the Central Coast of CA

Generally the closer to the ocean the more progressive things are. That is because even though there is wealth in our coastal communities the wealthy back progressive land use policies such as limiting coastal development. Also we have a lot of progressive student communities. More inland the growers and oil companies are more conservative yet they are not well represented in county government.

[Fumesucker]

4. Best laugh I've had all day...

[JonLP24]

5. I laughed when I initially saw your thread title

I live in Mesa, AZ



http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/08/08/chart-of-the-week-the-most-liberal-and-conservative-big-cities/

Democrats don't even exist on my local ballot.

[irisblue]

13. where is the peoples' republic of Ann Arbor?

I'm calling bushwah on this.....FTR I live in Columbus, and I'm content. But where is A2? and for that matter Madison Wisc?

[JonLP24]

15. The cutoff was 250,000+

This is from a survey (a good one which looked at a variety of factors and given our Mayoral races face a Moderate Republican against Conservative Republicans nailed it on Mesa) and the list is most conservative & liberal cities of 250,000+. If Ann Arbor isn't on the list it probably means they don't have as many people at-the-time of the survey.

[irisblue]

18. I sit corrected.....

A2, 114K, Madison, 243 K. Huh...I didn't know Corpus Christi was larger then A2. learned new stuff today. thanks for the knowledege

[JonLP24]

20. Mesa only has 1 high rise

a 16 story Bank of America building. Many probably don't know they have a population larger than Minneapolis or Atlanta because they don't strike the imagination of "big city". Mesa is basically a suburbanite's wet dream, a lot of low income apartments & rental houses are blocks or sometimes next to large, sprawling homes -- the neighborhood tucked inside the Westwood HS, Carson JH, Webster elementary neighborhood best describes this. 2 story mansions would probably an accurate description.

[Bluenorthwest]

25. What is 'A2'?

nt

[irisblue]

27. Ann Arbor

home to the University of Michigan, widely derided by people from Columbus & Toledo Ohio. But Toledo did deserve the sneers in the 1970s.....jus sayin

[sinkingfeeling]

17. They're not over 250,000 population cities.

[CoffeeCat]

22. I'm sorry! Stay strong, my friend.

Wow, you are living in conservative-ville.

Hang in there!

[Arugula Latte]

6. Yes

Portland, Oregon. Very progressive, and tons of non-churchgoing, non-religious types, atheists (like myself) & agnostics.

The religious people I know tend to be kind of mildly religious & groovy, not fanatics, believe in evolution, are pro-choice, etc. On the other hand I make it a point to stay away from the overtly religious types.

[CoffeeCat]

23. Sounds like utopia...

I'd like to move there after the kids graduate from high school. I see no reason to
stick around here after the kids leave the nest. We're here for them and the
good schools.

Enjoy your amazing city!

[Arugula Latte]

34. Thanks!

We'd be happy to have more liberals!

[Tracer]

7. Yes.

And what I mean by that "yes" is that people keep their religious (or non-religious beliefs) to themselves in my town, a suburb of Boston.

I have never, ever, heard anyone even talk about their faith. Perhaps people here think that their faith is nobody's business but their own.

I am appalled sometimes when I read about stories like yours. It's like you live in a completely different country than I do!

[femmocrat]

8. I can relate. I am a true misfit here.

I live in gun-loving, deer-hunting, pickup-truck-driving conservative country. I have no idea what their religious beliefs are other than worshiping guns and following hunting seasons. Obama was not far off when he made that remark about "clinging to their guns and religion."

I cope by keeping to myself. When I still worked, I got along fine with everyone. I just never discussed religion or politics, just as my parents taught me.

[immoderate]

9. I have mostly lived in cities with significant secular pluralities.

I haven't had much conflict with religion, -- that I haven't sought.

Even if your town has 1% freethinkers you should be able to find or form a meet-up group. Think about it. You can't be the only one there with a brain.

--imm

[Dont call me Shirley]

10. No, I live in a community of mega-church-religious-wrong-winging-war-lovers. They have elected

their alec fascists to city government and school board. They have passed voter suppression laws.

It's been difficult making friends here. The poison churches have replaced real community. The reich-wing racist attitudes of the kids in the schools have damaged my children. I wish I could move.

[Capt. Obvious]

11. According to the loudest neighbors, no

According to vote totals, mostly.

Based on the yard signs and bumper stickers I assumed I lived in a very red area. Every November tells a different story though.

[arcane1]

12. It's a little New-Agey where I live, but I fit in fine for the most part.

[whatthehey]

14. Yes but not really and hell no

I live in a smallish <80k "city" which votes Democratic consistently. However the demographics and cultural apartheid of the city mean those with whom I am in frequent contact, being the better off and mostly white residents, are very much Republican. It feels like a right wing city because I live and work and even socialize away from the Democratic majority for the most part, although the latter is due to my pastimes rather than preferences.

Religious? There is not a place in the US that would jive with me. Even downtown SF or Manhattan, not that I could afford either, have far more overt religiosity and religious influence in politics than I would prefer.

Go outside even this humble burg? It's anti-choice billboards, right wing yardsigns and Baptist churches for about two and a half hours highway speed in any direction.

[sinkingfeeling]

16. Absolutely polar opposites. I am surrounded by those good SBC supporters who

know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they have all the answers directly from god. The state has shown in several surveys that the majority population think blacks are lazy and taking their tax dollars. And of course, anyone who isn't lily white is up to no good.

I'm not shy about my politics and the fact that I'm a free thinker. Yes, I feel like an odd duck, but I don't really care. I have found a cluster of like-minded folks with the Freethinkers group and OMNI organization that promotes peace and is anti-war.

[CoffeeCat]

24. Good for you...

I am glad that you have found your way, despite being surrounded by such ignorance.

I guess the key is "not caring" as you said.

Finding like-minded folks helps, I'm sure.

Thanks for sharing.

[bigwillq]

19. Yes (nt)

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

21. Kinda. Considering I'm a Buddhist/Pacifist/Anarchist.

At least I haven't experienced any lynch mobs, burning torches, or even threats here in SW Washington.

[marlakay]

26. I live in a conservative area

but it's not all that way. about 30% are like me and I have sought out those people to stay sane. my neighbors on both sides are religious right wing.

I asked around until I found a Bookclub of liberal ladies. I found out about most of it through my gym.

try a yoga class.

we are actually selling and moving to liberal area. I am fine but husband after ten years hasn't made friends and the closed mindedness gets to him.

[BainsBane]

28. Yep, I live in Minneapolis, MN-05

represented by Keith Ellison. The city is overwhelmingly Democratic and comprised largely of progressive Democrats at that.
The way to have an impact on the political direction of the nation is to start at the local level. People can complain about their choices for President, but it all starts at home. Mount progressive candidates at the local, House district, and state levels, and progressive legislation can be passed. Focusing entirely on the Presidency accomplishes none of that.

Also in Minneapolis, people don't flip about about seeing a woman in a hijab because we see them every single day. Nearly every store has Somali men and women working there. My local Starbucks stays open late during Ramadan. We are a diverse community, and we like it that way.

[surrealAmerican]

29. It's not an accident that I live in a very liberal town.

There are people here of various religions, but, since it's not a religious monoculture, they do pretty well at tolerating one-another as well as the non-religious among us.

[Comrade Grumpy]

30. Where I live, Republicans are something you look for on scavenger hunts.

Sonoma County, California. I got tired of being in red states.

[RebelOne]

32. I live in Cherokee County in North Georgia,

and you would be hard-pressed to find Democrats. They are a rarity around here.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

31. No. I live in very conservative East Texas.

I inherited a nice old house here.

I don't talk to the locals because I'm not religious or politically conservative. I don't know any other white Democrats. There is no Democratic party structure here, because the Repubs have taken over. I'm not in Louis Gohmert's district, but close to it.

When people say "get involved in _______" we just DO NOT HAVE THOSE THINGS here that you take for granted. Like shopping choices. I quit a book club because they talked about Jesus and God a lot even when the book they were reading had nothing to do with religion. And their politics were Fox News. Two guys decided to start a spin-off book club where they were going to drink and discuss Shakespeare. I decided that I would not go. One guy told me I was not welcome there because I would be "disruptive" because we had some e-mail arguments. Then he changed his mind, and I decided I wouldn't bother.

I have to go to the city to find intelligent life to talk to and musical events to feed my head. Here it's guns, shitkick music (yuck) and Confederate flags. I grew up in the city and I really miss the culture, because I feel more alive around creative people.

[yuiyoshida]

33. San Francisco

Love this city, love its Politics!

[TheKentuckian]

35. Meh...could be worse for sure, it isn't uncomfortable.