There have always been these “Christians in name only” group in the South, because of the strength of Christianity in the South.
Not just in the South...
I’m from the most liberal northern city in the U.S. and I’ve got Catholic family who “support a woman’s right to choose” and vote straight Democrat.
That’s probably why I turned “Born Again,” pro-life, pro-gun, nondenominational Christian.
I’ve lived many years in Oregon, which is among one of the most unchurched states in the USA. There are Christians there, but it’s not ingrained as part of the culture. You have to “stand” for what you believe, and many do.
But, in the South, the culture has been so that if you’re not a Christian - then you can actually be ostracized and shunned and looked down upon. It has been that way in the past, but it may be gradually changing now.
Businesses here are advertised as “Christian” and that’s supposed to help in advertising that business. Even in political offices that’s supposed to help. I saw a local race in Antlers, Oklahoma (where I have a few relatives) where one candidate advertised that they were Christian and had a Christian family and went to church (obviously as opposed to the other candidate). This was on their flyers, printed in black and white.
Now this shows you WHY there are a lot of “Christians in name only” in the South. They are “cultural Christians” — meaning if I’m conservative (politically) THEN “I’m a Christian by definition”!
“I’m from the most liberal northern city in the U.S. and I’ve got Catholic family who “support a woman’s right to choose” and vote straight Democrat”.
You mean sort of like those protestants, especially the black ones,all over the South and the rest of the country, who go to church three or four times, staying all day on Saturday and Sunday, singing and shouting how much they love their Lord, all saying they believe in real marriage and not murdering their unborn, who voted overwhelmingly voted for Obummer?
Moral of the story. Hypocrites are in all faiths.