Godless Mom in the Bible Belt

I was raised non-mormon (Protestant) in Utah. I'm no stranger to being a theological minority, I've pretty much been there my entire life. No big.

I currently live in Houston, TX. It isn't exactly the heart of the Bible Belt, more like the extra hole you punch in the belt when you lose weight, but Christianity definitely runs the show. When I first moved here in November of '99 I thought I wouldn't have a problem living in the American mid-section. I figured I had seen every sort of religious hubris while growing up. Nothing could phase me. I was wrong.

There is a nauseating trend here that, in my experience, is unique to The Belt. Jesus in advertising.

If I had a dime for every J-Fish I've seen printed on the corner of a business card, placed near a phone number in the Yellow-Pages , added to a marketing sign posted on the side of the road or stuck in an obvious place on a company vehicle I could buy my very own golf vacation with Tom DeLay. Jesus is as common a sight on business paraphernalia as the Better Business Bureau insignia. The implication is, "Not only am I a plumber, I'm a Christian plumber! Therefore, you should give me your business. I'm better than that non-Christian plumber over there because I'm filled with the Holy Spirit. I would never rip you off, or over-charge you for simple services because that would be un-Christian. The quality of my work is better because I am guided by the hand of God." It's sickening.

The crown jewel of Jesus marketing here in Houston is the sign on the side of Interstate 290 between West and Jones roads. It is one of those simple signs where the letters can be changed on a daily basis to reflect the message of whomever happened to rent the sign for that day. There is a local pool-building company, Perry Pools, that usually rents the sign. For the first couple of years that I lived in Houston the sign always reflected standard business advertising "34 pools and counting....Thanks NW Houston!." However, since September 11 the sign has taken on a decided preachy, holier-than-thou attitude. The one that I find most offensive is the "Proud to be and American. Proud to be a Christian." message that has been posted periodically over the last few years. Apparently, at Perry Pools, Christianity and patriotism go hand in hand, you cannot have one without the other.

After they posted this message the first time I sent them an email stating my objections to the message. The next week the sign read, "If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything." I can only assume I wasn't the only person to complain to them but the new message seemed clear, "If you aren't Christian you are a gullible idiot."

I've written them off, they aren't worth stressing about. I'll make damned sure not to use them to build a pool in my yard though. It is an obscene use of personal faith when it is used to promote a company and draw lines between "us" and "them."

Christianity in the Bible Belt can feel decidedly un-Christian at times.

And what does all this have to do with parenting? Well, Liz is inundated with these images on a daily basis. The message is always there.