tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29766289.post8401463297327535550..comments2024-03-05T10:58:13.425-05:00Comments on New Around Town: Faith: Public or Private?Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10916922360940636719noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29766289.post-1115065371711407702007-09-10T02:33:00.000-05:002007-09-10T02:33:00.000-05:00Since the 1930's St Patricks Church in Dilworth ha...Since the 1930's St Patricks Church in Dilworth has served the Catholic community who lived in Dilworth and nearby Elizabeth, Chantilly, Wilmore, Myers Park and Eastover. There have been a number of Jews and Catholics in Charlotte since the late 19th century. The difference that back then most of them stayed near the city and away from the "<I>sticks</I>" to avoid harrasment. I can tell you that within certain southern circles it is impolite to ask an aquitance about religion, politics or money.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29766289.post-11089610573597613872007-08-13T15:11:00.000-05:002007-08-13T15:11:00.000-05:00Before moving to Charlotte from New York, I was wa...Before moving to Charlotte from New York, I was warned to expect this question. I've lived here for over four years now, and nobody has ever asked it.<BR/><BR/>Just for the record, though, I don't go to church anywhere. I'm a Buddhist.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29766289.post-4405410385322732212007-07-31T15:32:00.000-05:002007-07-31T15:32:00.000-05:00I don't think it's awkward to say, "Oh, I don't pr...I don't think it's awkward to say, "Oh, I don't practice regularly" or "I haven't been to church in years" or simply "I don't go to church". Maybe bring up something you DO do instead; "I spend my Sundays volunteering at the Humane Society" sounds pretty respectable to me.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29766289.post-77782639654680191962007-07-30T20:07:00.000-05:002007-07-30T20:07:00.000-05:00Was nice to read I'm not the only non-practicing A...Was nice to read I'm not the only <BR/>non-practicing Atheist Jew that posted (who knew?). I honestly feel that religion is private, I don't want to hear about your faith, and you probably don't want to hear about my lack of it. Call me intolerant, I just have no interest. Religion is a personal choice, for those who don't believe, it does put us in an incredibly odd position. What do you say when someone asks you the church question, "I don't believe in god, but thanks anyway?" I'm not embarrassed or ashamed to be an atheist, I'm proud of it. But that doesn't mean I'm going to go around and talk about it with everyone and ask them about their faith. I know where I live, I accept I'm in the South and I keep it to myself... And maybe one day I will get used to people saying Merry Christmas to me at every turn, but won't be anytime soon.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29766289.post-13470305091528396062007-07-26T08:09:00.000-05:002007-07-26T08:09:00.000-05:00To 10:46,Funny that you take that stance. Did you...To 10:46,<BR/><BR/>Funny that you take that stance. Did your ancestors come here and readily accept the tongue of the Native Americans residents? Or perhaps you a decendant of those orginal people?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29766289.post-74453873342293568232007-07-25T17:03:00.000-05:002007-07-25T17:03:00.000-05:00Asking where someone attends church can hardly be...Asking where someone attends church can hardly be considered "accosting" them as some have suggested. You all make it sound as if we rush out our doors the minute you drive up to see what "kind" of Christian you are. Please, accept this as just one of the ways of the South instead of assuming we are unrefined clods. Sometimes it seems Northerners use it to assume a sense of etiquette superiority.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29766289.post-80222842447032354072007-07-24T11:05:00.000-05:002007-07-24T11:05:00.000-05:00To Bo:Thank you so much for your apology and it is...To Bo:<BR/>Thank you so much for your apology and it is accepted. I think maybe the differences in the way Notherners/Southerners speak does sometimes offend when none was intended, say like, asking which church one attends. <BR/><BR/>The reason I thought your post was arrogant is that you stated Charlotte's growth wasnt from the city's own effort, when, if you had been here in the 70's - 2000's, you would know that it was. But then you posted the BoA merger could "hardly" be considered effort, when in fact, it was a huge effort, took many many months to make the deal and wasnt just happenstance b/c it took legislation changes as well as determining which bank to merge with and still maintain a dominant position in the industry while keeping it all here. yes, the banking industry has lured not just banking jobs, but b/c of its resources has lured many investment dollars, which in turn has fueled the pop growth. But this effort of which you speak didnt come from outside. None came here to invest b/c they were good samaritans for our city. They came to make money.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29766289.post-66067612952559666632007-07-24T10:46:00.000-05:002007-07-24T10:46:00.000-05:00Touche' to the 9:10 poster. For all those newcomer...Touche' to the 9:10 poster. For all those newcomers who are offended: It's a shame you dont accept this practice as a Southern tradition and that's all it is. As far as I am concerned why should I have to change my ways for you? You came here - I didnt move to your area. Maybe it will be okay with you if we now have to all speak Spanish instead of English b/c we have such a heavy Latin influx. <BR/>If you get offended being asked - well - too bad, so sad.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29766289.post-40153125955974747192007-07-24T09:10:00.000-05:002007-07-24T09:10:00.000-05:00This inner Christian battle is plain ridiculous. W...This inner Christian battle is plain ridiculous. Whether your are Catholic or Baptist shouldn't make a difference. Being offended by a simple question reflects your inability to participate in dialogue and understand other peoples views. Whether your Christian, Jewish, Muslim Atheist .... your faith does play a role in your life, why not speak about it? The worst that could happen is you might disagree, it's not the end of the world and certainly should not hinder a relationship. We should all be open minded about this, especially Christians who are called to witness (regardless of your denominational affiliation). I'm not too familiar with other religions however, I bet there are many similarities about sharing our thoughts.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29766289.post-70875684374293820932007-07-23T21:35:00.000-05:002007-07-23T21:35:00.000-05:00i'm a non-practicing atheist jew and find it annoy...i'm a non-practicing atheist jew and find it annoying when people ask me what church i go to. but i put it in perspective. in other countries its still a crime to be a heretic. in many places in the muslim world, convert or die is the way of the land. in this country, the worst that can happen is someone gives you a pamphlet, or engages you in an awkward conversation. annoying, but not the end of the world.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29766289.post-79372550049164358472007-07-23T21:13:00.000-05:002007-07-23T21:13:00.000-05:00I didn't intend to be arrogant. My apologies.I didn't intend to be arrogant. <BR/><BR/>My apologies.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29766289.post-18857618503450742212007-07-23T19:52:00.000-05:002007-07-23T19:52:00.000-05:00Bo 2:12Whether BoA merger was happenstance or not ...Bo 2:12<BR/><BR/>Whether BoA merger was happenstance or not is irrelevant to your mistaken contention that Charlotte's growth was due to outsider effort. The effort was homegrown, son. I'm not saying you have to be long-timer and lived here to understand these things, but it helps b/c you're more likely to follow the day-to-day progression of business growth. Your arrogance and that of many newcomers is very offensive to those of us who have called this area home all of our lives.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29766289.post-33838958633281328162007-07-23T17:29:00.000-05:002007-07-23T17:29:00.000-05:00Considering that Catholocism has over 2000 years o...Considering that Catholocism has over 2000 years of existance while all Protestant denominations are only a few hundred (if that), it seems some 'Christians' don't know who is the 'real deal', but that would open another can of worms on this board wouldn't it. catholics are allowed to drink and play bingo too, so why shoudn't everybody want to be one anyway? :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29766289.post-77292697491597163942007-07-23T16:37:00.000-05:002007-07-23T16:37:00.000-05:00I've been here 20 years from Pennsylvania. The fe...I've been here 20 years from Pennsylvania. The few times I was asked, I was not "offended" by someone asking me my church affilition, it's just that I was taught that it was my personal relationship with God that mattered, and I was not used to having it up for discussion with someone I might have just met. What I DO find offensive is having to defend my religion (Catholic) and made to feel that it isn't "Christian" enough. I happened into an unpleasant conversation with one of the ministers cited in Leigh Dyers article several years ago. We were in a public place, and as in the article, he brought up the comparison of spreading the word of his type of Christianity as in telling a cure for cancer. <BR/><BR/>The problem with this, is that it is insinuating that being without his type of religion is equal to a diseased state. How pompous! In addition, he said that Catholics "lived by God on weekends and the devil during the week", called Catholicism a "work-based" religion (having to perform good deeds to get into heaven versus just believing) and said he felt sorry for me having been raised as a Catholic. I had never been so insulted in all my life, and by a so-called man of the cloth. I am glad I got to see the true colors of this person, but it is terrifying to think that this is the message being spread by one of the "authorities" of the Charlotte religious community. <BR/><BR/>THIS is the attitude that Northerners and/or Catholics and/or anyone else that doesn't believe in YOUR religion finds repugnant. If you are TRULY interested in a new friend and aren't asking about their religious affiliation for the sole purpose of telling them why yours is the "right" one, then that's wonderful, but I've found here is that when someone wants to talk about religion, it's really to tell you about THEIRS.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29766289.post-21511229790456568082007-07-23T15:07:00.000-05:002007-07-23T15:07:00.000-05:00When moving to a geographic area you should first ...When moving to a geographic area you should first learn about their customs. Asking about church is a nice way of making people new to the area feel indluded and welcomed into society. If it is offensive, please feel free to move back North. We will not miss you one bit!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29766289.post-67457334109338923732007-07-23T14:12:00.000-05:002007-07-23T14:12:00.000-05:00Merging NatBank and BofA can harldy be considered ...Merging NatBank and BofA can harldy be considered effort. Mergers are a happenstance in most industries.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29766289.post-60282004894258525012007-07-23T11:54:00.000-05:002007-07-23T11:54:00.000-05:00To BoDont know why you think charlotte growth is a...To Bo<BR/>Dont know why you think <BR/>charlotte growth is a result of any outsider effort. Quite the contrary.<BR/>B of A, was a merger masterminded by former Nationsbank CEO Hugh McColl, a long time regional native and in the Charlotte banking arena since early 70's. The only reason for BoA to be based in San Francisco and for the name change was to make the merger happen. Only when interstate banking laws were relaxed to allow interstate mergers and increase competition was this able to happen. Hugh McColl was a major player with that change in legislation. The move back to Charlotte was always going to happen. you dont think we were actually going to keep BoA hq in Ca do you?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29766289.post-17206333165636001462007-07-23T11:38:00.000-05:002007-07-23T11:38:00.000-05:00Hey ronny, you have to believe in biblical inerran...Hey ronny, you have to believe in biblical inerrancy before you take any scripture seriously. if you're Unitarian, Hindu, Bhuddist, muslim, Jewish, or any Christian denomination that believes in open interpretation of the Bible, things are not as simple as you have stated. This is reason alone for people to mind their own business and not accost people about what church they go to.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29766289.post-3568212417791636162007-07-23T10:59:00.000-05:002007-07-23T10:59:00.000-05:00Asking someone where they attend church shows Godl...Asking someone where they attend church shows Godly love and concern. God COMMANDS us to ask. Those who study and obey His word are commanded to "save souls and keep souls saved." For those who STUDY the bible and believe in God, the answer to the question, "What church do you attend?" should be very simple. The answer is "The Church". There is only one mentioned in the bible that was instituted by Jesus himself. Matthew 16:18Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29766289.post-37011452098128855502007-07-23T06:30:00.000-05:002007-07-23T06:30:00.000-05:00The banking lift was initiated by B of A's move fr...The banking lift was initiated by B of A's move from San Fran to Charlotte. The result was increased competition, and an influx of workers to feed the demand. The growth in Charlotte is a direct result of outsider efforts. In time, the influx will fade. To be truly competitive in the banking industry you need a strong position in investment banking. That cannot be attained in Charlotte.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29766289.post-71665836293997155922007-07-23T05:48:00.000-05:002007-07-23T05:48:00.000-05:00Now I'm confused. Was Charlotte ever like Mayberr...Now I'm confused. Was Charlotte ever like Mayberry - a place where The Question could be asked without offense?<BR/><BR/>The second to last anon who says that Charlotte is no <I>longer</I> like Mayberry seems to also be saying that it never <I>was</I> - not if we've had these problems all along. Mayberry didn't seem to have corruption or a need for transit as far as I remember, and Barney Fife wasn't staring down MS-13 gang members - at least not on a regular basis.<BR/><BR/>Oh, and I welcome the newcomers as much as anybody. I myself am one of them. However, I wouldn't say they are the <I>cause</I> of the prosperity. Rather, it's the other way around. The prosperity caused by good banking jobs and low housing costs is what has brought them here. As a longtime Charlottean, you should take more credit than that.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29766289.post-25902127115318629342007-07-23T00:38:00.000-05:002007-07-23T00:38:00.000-05:00i grew up in charlotte, and was singled out in sch...i grew up in charlotte, and was singled out in school for telling a teacher i didn't believe in god. i don't like to be asked that question since everyone acts like there's something wrong with me for being atheist. people here do not accept or tolerate people like me.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29766289.post-33111981791773860262007-07-22T22:02:00.000-05:002007-07-22T22:02:00.000-05:00No Rick, I've been here over 20 years and we've ha...No Rick, I've been here over 20 years and we've had many of these problems all along. I don't know what you missed out on. Sorry to disappoint. As far as the secularizing of the city, I think that is a good thing. People should mind their own business and let people practice their faith (or lack thereof) as they wish. All of the newcomers are bring an ecomonic and cultural prosperity never seen before in this part of the country. I accept the bad elements to an extent, but welcome all the benefits that a big city has to offer by all of them coming here.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29766289.post-57896934437437983142007-07-22T21:52:00.000-05:002007-07-22T21:52:00.000-05:00Well anon, all of those things happened after I mo...Well anon, all of those things happened <I>after</I> I moved. I had spent several weeks here over a couple years, prior to making that decision and had no delusions of Charlotte being a small town. In fact, one of the reasons I moved here because it was growing <I>and</I> I liked the culture.<BR/><BR/>When I moved here just a few short years ago, there were no gangs according to the Charlotte police and the local govco officials. NC had not yet decided to give drivers liscenses to illegal immigrants. Taxes were reasonable if still the highest in the South, and the corruption, dishonesty, and incompetence behind the transit plan had not yet been exposed. (By the way, I love transit. Spend all the money on buses for all I care. Just don't waste it on trains now that the problems with that have become evident.)<BR/><BR/>Where you and I seem to differ is that you expect growth to result in crime, corruption, waste, and other bad things. I don't.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29766289.post-81722455575308022552007-07-22T21:25:00.000-05:002007-07-22T21:25:00.000-05:00Rick, I don't think anyone who researches a new pl...Rick, I don't think anyone who researches a new place to live finds too many stats on religious atmospheres. Sure, many probably have stereotypes about the South when they come down, but as one of the 25 largest cities, they expect some standard of tolerance and similarities to other metropolises.<BR/><BR/>As much as you complain about crime, immigration, taxes and public transit on other threads, it seems to me that you didn't do enough research on Charlotte before you came down here. All of the above is well known about here more than any religious vibe. It seems to me you thought you were going to move to a more conservative small town when you came down here and have become unpleasantly surprised that we have the economic and cultural challenges of any other big city. Welcome to reality, this ain't mayberry.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com