Christianity In The USA

[WaveMechanic]

One thing I've noticed is that, at least in the wider Midwest, Catholics tend to be concentrated in the cities due to historical immigration patterns from Italy, Poland, etc. So if you take a look at Pittsburgh, Detroit, St. Louis, or Chicago, you'll see they have huge Catholic populations. But the surrounding rural regions tend to be mostly Protestant.

So because Catholics never had the same strong rural base, they were always much more prone to liberal influences. Of course there are exceptions like the Catholic Cajuns in Southern Louisiana who are religious and conservative, but still more laid-back about things like alcohol than the evangelicals to the north.

A large percentage of the Hispanics in Texas are Catholic, and quite conservative.

But like you mentioned have absolutely no problem enjoying alcohol.

A lot of Texas also has a substantial German and Czech ancestry which also tempers the teetotaler influence in much of the state.

 

[analyst_green]

The low church opposition to alcohol goes back to England during the industrial revolution. You had millions of people going to work in the factories, which paid more than farm work, but it still wasn't much.

Often the men would get their pay and blow it all in the bar on their day off, and leave nothing for their wife and kids. If they would not drink, and would spend all their money on supporting their family, plus setting aside a little in savings, then they could make ends meet, and over the course of years their saving could actually build up enough to buy a little cottage, and to pay for the children to learn to read and write.

The temperance movement developed in this environment, trying to stop the scourge of alcoholic fathers leaving their families in poverty, starving and freezing. They had a pretty good point, because the masses were living in squalor, and yet actually had the resources to live well if they would be hard working, prudent, and frugal.

I suppose a big reason why they became alcoholics is because of the stress. Factory work today is nothing like what it was during the industrial revolution, pre-unionization. It was an incredibly dangerous job, they were given no suits or masks to protect from toxic chemicals, and the working day could be 12-16 hours long. And there was no time off or insurance. If you worked in a Chicago factory and lost a few fingers on the job and couldn't work anymore, there would be a huge line of freshly arrived Lithuanian immigrants outside the factory standing all day in subzero temps just hoping to replace you.

This unfettered capitalism is a major impetus for the downfall of Christianity in the US in the 20th century. People had no time or energy left to devote to God. In the countryside the situation was a bit better, but it deteriorated after the Civil War. Pre Civil War, the South especially had a laid-back leisure economy consisting primarily of independent, yeoman farmers. People were diligent and conscientious workers, but work was just a means to make a living and they left enough time to devote to their family and church. After the War, the Northern industrialists either forced people into the factories in the cities, or bought out the land for large-scale industrial farming. And that's probably why the US today, and particularly the South, ended up with this bland, corporatist "Walmart culture". Even the soulless megachurches are a reflection of that.

 

[GodfatherPartTwo]

I will say that with Protestants, there is the stereotype of the super theologically minded Reform/Calvinist guy that likes to smoke so that's an exception to the trend I just mentioned.

Funny thing is it was actually a Calvinist Baptist who popularized this image. I do like the squeaky clean image that most low-churches have, between no smoking or drinking, but I'm not going to bind anyone's conscience at the end of the day. I will smoke a cigar to the glory of God.

 

[Giordano Bruno]

If it wasn't for Evangelicals, America would be a communist hell-hole by now. So give credit where credits due. I don't blame the good guys for what the bad guys are doing.

That said, many of the mainline Protestant denominations have been targeted for infiltration by the left because they held the most institutional power. It doesn't matter what the institution is, the left always seeks to infect and propagate itself. Everytime the left successfully corrupts enough of any one denomination, the conservatives break off and form a new organization to keep things pure. This is what happened with the PCUSA, and led to the formation of the PCA. Same Presbyterian denomination, but one group is pozzed and the other is not.

Based on all of the data I've seen, Protestantism is the only one of the three main branches of Christianity that consistently votes Republican over Democrat. Hopefully this will change since it is becoming ever more apparent that the left is secular and atheist to the core.

I found the meme I was looking for.

Spoiler: Better version

 

[Douglas Quaid]

I ran into one of my friends at a liberal coffee shop. The people that work there are nice, but lots of left-wing signs, rainbow stuff, the usual things at places like this. There was even a tranny in there.

Well my friend and I started talking about Christianity and politics. We even started being critical of Jews and Israel at one point. The looks some of the people were giving us was hilarious. But I really don't care anymore. My friend will say whatever pops in his head out loud. Pretty funny stuff.

It got me thinking though, that it's important to spend your money and time in places with similar values. I'll stick to the conservative, Christian coffee shop I usually go to.

 

[Psiman]

It got me thinking though, that it's important to spend your money and time in places with similar values. I'll stick to the conservative, Christian coffee shop I usually go to.

I tend to agree, but I also see nothing wrong with occasionally bringing some righteous diversity to places that need it.