I've lived in KS, MO, CO, FL, MS, IL, TX, CA, OR and WA.
I no longer have the tolerance to live in a religious state.

Do what you need to do to stay safe. We are here for you too. I'm in the Twin Cities and it's a fairly open and welcoming place with a decent economy. Getting more expensive but still cheaper than Seattle or Portland. Denver area isn't bad either. If you want smaller then maybe a college town? Take care.

In your case, head to Asheville ...have your social life ‘up there.’ You’re deep into it! I’m SW of Roanoke VA, and wondering the same. Plus, I’m ‘new,’ meaning, I’ll remain new forever … especially from Oregon..

I joined our local Democrats, fortunately there’s an active group. I’d been living rural in OR, too, and the Dems were my salvation. But crap, every time I meet someone around here they’re describing some ‘church oriented social activity’ and coxing me toward it. Had my neighbor describe how to get somewhere when he said, “ya turn left after the church.” ‘The Church?,’ I asked, ‘there’s a dozen churches in the little town!’ He smiled…

I like to write, and one ‘good’ letter to the editor can screw you permanently, which I’ve kinda done.. I’m thinkin ..fuck-em - my job’s not tied to them, and, I’m armed, too… I’ve no real advice though, but feel free to contact me - I could be down I-77 PDQ if ‘one of us’ was in trouble

you'll find their bark is far worse than their bite but i'd move if i were you

I thank the sun, the moon, the stars and Luck that I do not live in the Bible Belt South. I would go bonkers. There are Thinkers in the Bible Belt - they are just very closeted. Keep looking for them. There are some out there. Come online often - the Internet is good for getting support when it is hard to find in your own town.

This dilemma of being surrounded by pushy, entitled, and even threatening religionists is a large part of why I developed a morbid fascination with Christian scripture and dogma. I find it very helpful to challenge the fundies, not by directly asserting their Gawd doesn't exist; rather, by pointing our their own stupid inconsistencies within their chosen faith paradigm. Christians are virtually all guilty of very selective application of their doctrines, and they ignore blatantly problematic stuff. It's much easier to convince a believer that their understanding is faulty than it is to convince them there is no god whatsoever. And for most people, I think they have to get to that point of recognizing their own fallibility before they can even imagine that the whole house of cards is the hoax that it is.

I live in the South, too. You can't swing a dead cat without hitting a church. I refuse to be silenced by anyone. I've found the best way to handle the nutjobs is with humor. It hangs most of them up. If you make them laugh, you disarm them (metaphorically speaking). It's also extremely helpful if you have the means to defend yourself if any particular nutjobs threaten you. Record everything, save messaged threats. Refuse to be intimidated. Know No Fear.

You almost look scared in your picture!
Your dog doesn't look too ferrocious !!!!

This is what sparked the verbal attacks in franklin nc

[smokymountainnews.com]

That's so sad. Life is much easier in Oregon for nonbelievers.

Same as you but recently I had called those people a cult cause their lack of humanity was enabling them to act like ass holes stomping and slaming whenever they're around me I haven't found a way of politely telling them to fuck off, but at least my presence is disturbing to them so I guess that'll do for now.

when I lived in Gadsden , Alabama I did a lot of listening and observing and less vocalizing. I lived in a private place and enjoyed the nature around me.People tried to save me but I kept a perspective like I was Margaret Mead studying a new civilization. A little lonely but no conflict on religious grounds

Alrighty... welcome home. Your going to love the people here. It's safe here...

Make a plan and when you can, move. Your safety, mental and physical is more important. Stay safe.

I grew up in SLC, where religious peer pressure was a daily feature. Carry a big stick and don’t be afraid to use it.

I don't live in the South. Are there any other neighborhoods or other towns you might feel more comfortable in? Can the police or ACLU do anything?

I think it would be very scary to live somewhere where I was literally pursued due to my beliefs.
I would definitely stay to myself, try to stay safe.