OBSERVATIONS

Art By Barbara Kiwak

An Outsider in the Bible Belt

NAN CHASE

Special to The Jewish News

W

hat would you do if
your child came
home from his first
day of school talking about
Jesus?
Nothing? That's 'what I did.
It's a different world down
here in the Bible Belt, where
fundamentalist Christianity
is a powerful force, intimi-
dating and self-perpetuating.
I consider myself an expert
on the subject since moving
to rural North Carolina from
Wisconsin seven years ago
with my husband and chil-
dren. While the Bible Belt has

charming aspects — people
seldom steal things or shoot
strangers, and the plumber is
a bargain — this is a land of
frustration for the outsider,
more so for even the most
tenuous Jew, such as I.
Individuals are kind-
hearted and generous, of
course, but the institutional
overlay is visibly and ag-
gressively Christian, fun-
damentalist Christian. Out-
siders of any religion who
choose to settle here can fit
and lead active lives in school
and civic organizations as
long as they don't ask for
changes in the established
order. Relations between the
old-timers and the newcomers

We moved to rural
North Carolina seven
years ago. Since then,
we have become
accepted — and have
had to accept some
things we don't
particularly like.

remain cordial as long as no
one criticizes Bible study in
public schools, prayers at
public meetings and religious
paraphernalia displayed in
public offices and on state-
owned vehicles.
The new settlers, who in
many cases have come for
good job opportunities and a
safe environment for children,
find themselves in a bind: If
they speak out forcefully
against what may be an un-
constitutional mixing of
church and state, they will be
unable to enter the political
mainstream that has the
power to separate the two
spheres. These new settlers
forfeit full citizenship as soon

as they become residents.
The prevalence of religion
in public schools is particular-
ly disturbing because here
new generations are being
formed in the traditional
mold. And unfortunately,
some of the best teachers —
the most inspired and tireless
— are also the ones keeping
religion in the schools. It may
not be much: a - religious
poster or a short prayer on
the wall or a Bible verse in
cross stitch kept on the
teacher's desk. Or it may be
insidious, such as teaching
Christian ditties to the tunes
of favorite nursery rhymes.
But parents who object
privately rarely want to break

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

119