I want to be a southern Catholic. It surprised me, the map showing NJ generally more churched than NC. The feel down there is so different - God an acknowledged every day part of people's lives. Maybe I just know a better class of people in NC.
Mrs VS
Look at the map showing where Catholics are, and then look again at the general map. Where there are Catholics, there is strong religious adherence. (Surprised to see how Catholic the Plains states are?) I think liberal, white Protestants have come to identify religiosity with conservativism, whereas liberal Catholics feel more comfortable in associating with their church enough to be identified as Catholics. "Cafeteria Catholics," "A&P Catholics" (the reference is to Ash Wednesday and Palm Sunday, two annual masses), etc. (The ones that truly are more religious do tend to be socially conservative.)