foolkiller: I don't believe that "redneck central" horse hockey about the appalachian area for one minute. the only places I might really worry about are the backwaters of Alabama and Mississippi (and, I hear, portions of florida). I'd be smart enough to make sure i could good ol boy them right back, anyway.
I take it you haven't heard the one about how Obama is Muslim and will open the door to Al Qaeda? Or my personal favorite, "Obama is Muslim, just like Jesus, so you should vote for him." It is on both sides of the aisle here in Kentucky.
And trust me, I can show you places where they still don't have running water and electricity. I'm not talking Deliverance crazy, but they don't call it the Bible Belt for nothing. I remember being in college at Western Kentucky University, in Bowling Green, the only non-Christian or Country radio station I could tune in was the campus station.
I live in Amish Central in this state (but not in Amish Core, IE Lancaster), and I've been working with these guys for five years, I think I know them by now.
Amish are far from representative of the Moral Majority. If you think they represent the thoughts of the Christian basis in this country you are mistaken.
this country was FOUNDED by religious extremists and the bitter disposesed,
Um, no. Colonized, yes. Founded, no. If it were we would have a national religion, and we don't. This country was founded by capitalists who wanted to run their newspapers the way they wanted to, so they stirred up the population.
I'm looking for security, and in this country, there's almost no such thing.
Considering recent court rulings I can't believe you have so little faith in this country and its willingness to defend your rights. Sure, certain individuals, and possibly even a majority, wants to limit them, but read Danoff's sig quote. That is why we have a Bill of Rights, a Constitution, and multiple branches of government.
Twenty years ago you could have been legally kicked out of an apartment and fired from a job. I just did our company's annual disciplinary and harassment training and I can assure you that cannot openly happen today. Any manager wanting to do it would have to attempt to find a legitimate excuse.
Just looking at things that have happened in my own lifetime I can guarantee you that the changes in this country show a trend not leading to a religious dictatorship. You are openly gay, at least on this site, and I remember a time when saying that would have meant ruining your life. The debate has moved from should we tolerate homosexuality (the answer ended up being yes) and has moved on to how to define homosexual marriage.
america has and always will lean toward the right BECAUSE (as far as I'm concerned) of all the religious freedom.
I think you have that backward, at least somewhat. It depends on how you define religious freedom. Is there a religious right because people are allowed to practice religion at all? Yes. Outlawing religion is a Communist thing. Is there a religious right because we are allowed to practice the religion we choose? No. To see the other side of that look at places like Iran or Taliban run Afghanistan. That is a religious dictatorship, and religious freedom is preventing that from happening in the US.
I think your problem is not based on the US, but rather on the area you live in. Working in the largest city in Kentucky I know plenty of people who were in your situation and moved to Louisville to get away from it.
I also think you know the wrong kind of religious people. My cousin and her wife had a wedding ceremony in a church (technically it was a commitment ceremony, but I use the terms wedding and wife because that is really what it was).
