Bible belt christians? Do you think the church/god has something to do with your way of life?

I'm from New York City which isn't an easy place to live in but I feel it's much more planted in reality than other places in the U.S. .. I've left the country many times before but for the first time I left to a mid western state and was almost floored by what I saw. It was honestly the most surreal thing I'd ever seen in my life.. huge walmarts the size of schools, houses that looked like something out of a sitcom, fast food EVERYWHERE, but at the same time a weird feeling in the air of 'everything being ok' , I imagining thats what 'feeling american' is like (most new yorkers don't indentify with that at ALL) Then I went to super church ... !! To an outsider those places are WIERD, it's like small camps or indoor stadiums where Christianity is presented to kind of like a one of those Chruch retreats you on when your a Kid..So here's my question.. that whole life seems very interconnected in a way.. how much do you think the church (along with government) as to do with it?|||My faith has everything to do with my way of life--that's what "living" my faith means to me.





I have also been to other parts of the country very culturally different from the Bible Belt, so I can understand what you are asking.





However, I prefer small rural community churches to the "mega-church" you experienced. These places are a slice of what I expect heaven will be like--with folks who genuinely care about each other who will share your joy and pain--visit you in the hospital, bring food if someone dies, call %26amp; ask about you if you miss several services (not to be nosy, but because they really care), encourage you in your Christian walk, and even hold you accountable so that you are expected to life according to what you profess to believe.





I wish government had LESS to do with my life--I try to stay off their radar screen as much as possible, as in I pay my taxes and file my required paperwork and vote, and if I'm lucky, that's the extent of it!





The Bible Belt is slowly but surely eroding to be more like the rest of the country. I can remember in my lifetime when the Blue Laws and liquor laws were such that most stores were closed on Sunday to "honor the Sabbath" and allow families to worship, and churches banded together to keep alcohol in bars not family restaurants, or even whole counties were "dry" with no legal alcohol sales. Say what you want, it made it somewhat easier to keep it out of the hands of the kids, and the advertisements weren't in your face everywhere you turned.





My community is far from Mayberry (Andy Griffith), but I'm sure it's more like that than it is like New York City.





I wouldn't trade it for anywhere else on earth





P.S. If you are trying to correlate this adversely with education levels, I have a B.S., my husband has two master's degrees, the high school my kids attend made Texas Monthly and U.S.A. Today's lists of best in the state/country. My son just graduated with a B.A. in History after only 3 years, and was commissioned into the US Army as a 2nd Lt through ROTC. Just because we are proud of our way of life, doesn't make us backward or stupid. If you have never lived it, you are right that you have no idea why it's worth vigorously defending.|||The "church" has everything do do with it....the "church" is the body of Christ, we are His members. When you are together with so many believers and so many people praying and worshiping God...The Holy Spirit will be present.





It's weird for believers. also|||GOD is everywhere!!!


It is that simple!!|||I live in southern louisiana and I can tell you that the education level is lowest you'll ever see. But its ok since most of the population here makes it for it with church/religion. This sorta thing allows simple concepts like tolerance, diversity, or healthy living to be missed by the masses and avoided in some cases. Its really sad to say this but the bible belt areas are always going to be behind the times because of the backwards ways people tend to cling to like its a life raft. Hopefully future generations will break this trend.|||If you are living the life God wants you to have the government should have nothing to do with the Church. Each Church you visit is as different as snow flakes. No church is the same and it sounds as if you have had a bad encounter with a church.|||More of the Church then the Government but I would say Government officials from the Bible Belt are more likely to be Christians then one from the East or West coast.


Each member is apart of that Church body. Each Church is a part of the Lords body. It is so nice to walk up to a total stranger and feel relaxed knowing that they too feel and know that in the end everything will be alright.


Good question and observation|||yes.