My job takes me all over the place, and last week in particular I worked a rural job site--a retail store of a big public corporation, mind you--and they had a crucifix on the wall and some book whose title I can't recall but had the title and look of a book you just know is going to be religion-steeped before you open the cover. Well, the book was out in the customer area, not on the wall.
So what's up with the rural areas tending to be more religious? Maybe there aren't enough people to point out the more blatant nonsense? Maybe those people are stoned to death?
Why can't I ever stumble into a rural pocket of critical thinkers? Wouldn't that be something?
That reminds me of a time years ago I had a computer service call out in the boonies. The call was for an in-home service contract which was unusual for me; usually I work on corporate PCs. So I'm following the directions, turn off the freeway onto a side road, turn off the side road, across some railroad tracks onto a dinky asphalt road. Then run onto a gravel road, then turn onto a couple of ruts running across a field and through some trees. On the other side of the trees I come to a clearing with a trailer house, 2 or 3 pitched tents and 3 barking rottweilers (or similar big dark scary dog). Oh, did I forget to mention the huge confederate battle flags draped about? I'm about as white as the background behind these words, and if I had been any less white I would've whipped a U-turn and hauled ass outta there. I'm not kidding. I almost did, anyway, but figured somebody would have to take the call and I couldn't think of anyone whiter than me. The scene was straight out of some movie I saw where some racist group had a camp and would kidnap black people, set them loose in the woods and hunt them. I guess the men were off hunting black people or jews or something because there was only a woman and a baby there, and she immediately came out and tied up the dogs and I fixed the computer, thankfully without the need for a return visit.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Rural Religion++++++++++
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2 comments:
It's because the rural pockets of critical thinkers can fix their own computers. Having lived in Arkansas for five years, I can tell you they do exist. They're just more rare and tend to not be vocal. I mean, would YOU be vocal in the rural US?
I think that rural areas tend to be more religious because they are smaller communities. Most of these areas are in the south and the north and the west coast tend to be where most of the liberals go. There are already so few of us in this country in the larger cities. The proportions are so low that it is harder to find free thinkers in rural areas. Plus, didn't it become illegal to lynch in the 1960's? Talk about being behind the time...
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