I lived in the South most of my life.
It ain't the heat. It's the stupidity.
Great for year round gardening.
Political climate a different story

I’m near Houston. I had to go all the way to L.A. to find a suitable mating partner, but oh what a partner I found

Been living in Alabama since I was eight. I certainly haven't experienced some of the horror stories that people not from the south perceive it to be, but that doesn't mean they don't exist. This place feels like home to me and I wouldn't say that I've been "dealing" with living here. I just stay in my lane and worry about myself. I've got too much going on to concern myself with people who I don't or wouldn't mesh well with.

I am from the Pacific Northwest, Seattle area, fairly progressive. I have been living in either Alabama or Louisiana since 1991, so quite a while. The ONLY way for me to survive it emotionally is to seek out like-minded people. Hanging around academic professional types helps. I attended a Unitarian Unitarian "church" for a few years, which really is not a church in the traditional sense, because they have no actual doctrine that adherents are expected to profess faith in; only suggested principles, and they teach respect for diversity. Currently I am part of a small Freethinkers meet up group in Baton Rouge that meets a couple times a month. Oh, and I am dating someone I met on a dating site, where I prominently featured my non-religious and political persuasions. It took months and months but we finally found each other. ?

These kinds of ideological enclaves exist everywhere, but they each have varying levels of tolerance for religious and political dissonance in their community. I live in Southern CA, in a county which has a largely Christian conservative demographic. It is very difficult for me still, as I am attending college out here. Hang in there brother, things will come around eventually. Winds are changing, I can feel it.

I live in Arizona so I feel what you're saying, have lost many a friend over them not being able to accept the fact that I'm an atheist, one of my friends of faith thinks I should hide my belief, my reply has always been fuck that, I don't judge folks on their faith, why should I hide from others what I believe, just as this nation guarantees you the right too worship the religion you choose, it also guarantees me the right to be free from religion, besides that if they are that small minded they got no business being in my sphere of friends.

I work nightshift and avoid most everyone ?

I live in the Austin area, which is an island of liberalism in Texas. I'm not sure that exists in TN.

I feel for you, maybe move to Canada 74% of us have no religious affiliation, we are way more secular - but the religious here keep trying to push it back into schools etc..

I lived in Nashville for 4 years in the mid eighties. Hopefully, it has changed some, but I found the people to be very religious (not surprising) and very judgemental. It was like living in another world. Think about it, they pay a lot of money to see gaudy country/western performers, but I found them looking at me like I was trash. Once, I went to a grocery store wearing tight work-out attire, and the men were running their grocery baskets into displays trying to get a look. If they went to strip joints, I guess they would suffer serious trauma.

I'm with you Willy. I have a few friends here. They are believers and republicans. One motorcycle riding friend who lives 50 miles away who is atheist.

I feel like a fish out of water here 100% of the time.

I feel you. Most of my friends don't live near me. I don't date, like at all.
Luckily, I found this site. Beats the hell outta arguing with the idiots on other sites.
The only arguments I get into here aren't about religion!

I moved to TX from MN with my wife. We came here to support a particular organization and if that organization should cease to be, we are out of here. There are plenty of xtians, conservatives, racists, etc in MN. But down here, it's the systemic anti-intellectualism that drives me nuts and is very much a foundation for the other problems. Left or right, the level of political discourse here is maddingly immature. There's also the anti-science crowd not to mention the anti-feminism and pro-racism crowds.

Texas government is a self-fulfilling prophecy. "Government sux at doing anything therefore we should starve the government. There see, that proves that government sux."

Bigotry, Racism and Religion feed off one another and create an very eerie feeling about mankind in General. You have to see it to know what it is I am relating.

People like this guy would help, wouldn't they? [facebook.com] (Trae Crowder)
He certainly changed my idea bout the Southern States of the US as an outsider, (well along with my mates from Tennesse and Okie )

I'm always curious about the South, my only experience of it as a European being through films and books. The way it's presented isn't good - incestuous, extremely racist, very hostile towards outsiders and liable to murder anyone who isn't a local... I'm sure it can't really be like that, right?

Move. Tennessee is a nice place to visit.

I don't live in the South, but I've heard lots of horror stories about it. I don't know how people who aren't conservative Christians cope with it.

I feel your pain! I have lived here in Lebanon, TN for almost 9 years now. The overt racism is still shocking to me after having grown up and mostly lived in the North. My experience is that most people out here are very religious and conservative. I did find some like minded folks when I started volunteering with the Wilson Co Democratic Party, but seems I have to go closer to Nashville to find folks like me. Hang in there!

Virginian here.... to me being Southern is a state of mind. It's being kind to people, helping out when and where you can, awesome accents, mudding, pig pickings, and dealing with the stereotypes. I've traveled all over the US and let me tell you, idjits, rednecks, racism and stupid people are not specific to any one particular region of the country. Me... I love being Southern.

I lived in alafukinbama for years. Most of my friends there ended up being people who weren't from the South. We kept each other somewhat sane. That said, I moved to Minnesota a couple years ago & have loved it. I don't see myself ever leaving this place, unless Canada suddenly decides to kidnap me.

If it wasn't for the barbecue, I'd move back to Missouri. Seriously, I do have some very good atheist friends in Arkansas. The Fayetteville area is quite progressive. Sadly, I moved away from there and now I live in KKK city, Harrison. I think there's one other atheist, here.

I’m in Louisiana close to the NO. It ain’t that bad here but still it’s the south. I do have some good friends and find people here different to other places in the great belt. My last girlfriend is from Memphis area and when we met she was a believer with some skepticism. But thanks to the spaghetti monster now she’s an atheist I would say. I think our deep conversations got her to think bout the issues that matter. We’re still great friends. We could talk bout everything. After all it’s your behavior not your beliefs or lack of that gets to people.

I moved the Memphis from Arizona when I was 11. Culture shock going into 7th grade they would administer whoopings for not answering the teachers with sir or ma'am. You learn to keep your mouth shut about politics or religion I always love to ask them hot question on both never showing my opinion but listening to their non sense. Can be quite entertaining and you learn their 'true colors'. As for family my father is a methodist minister, so I learned long ago to keep opinion to myself