Religion

They don't call Charlotte the City of Churches for nothing (by the way, it's also called the City of Trees). You will literally find a church on every other block around here--big, small, fancy or simple. Baptists dominate here, but there's every variation you can think of as far as Christianity goes, and there's a few Jewish temples too. Something for everyone if they're so inclined.

I was raised catholic, but I confess I'm non-practicing. However, I'm all for people gathering together to practice their faiths. To each his own, I say. But we're in the south, people. And the bible belt to boot--so church going is serious business in these parts. There is nothing more spectacular than passing a church on Sunday and seeing the parade of women in the fanciest, feathery hats of the most iridescent of colors. And the men are no slouches either in their suits. It's better than any easter parade I've ever seen. Many larger churches actually have police presence on Sunday to help guide the parishioners in. Calvary Church on Rea Road in South Charlotte is one of the largest in Charlotte. The claim is that it is so large you can see if from uptown. It actually has three-tiered stadium seating like a Broadway theater!

The native Charlotteans are passionate about their religion, and it is not uncommon to be first greeted by one asking: "What church do you go to?" within the first 3 minutes of meeting you. For us transplants, that question can take some getting used to if you're not a regular church goer or if you're used to be an anonymous New Yorker. I confess I've struggled with answers to this one, since I am essentially non-practicing. There has been once or twice where I have just said "St. Matthews," just to extricate myself from the situation. Meanwhile, I've never stepped foot in the place. God forgive me.

You'll find the natives largely conservative and highly respectful in most respects, with their adorable "yes ma'am" and "no sir." These people were brought up right! Kids here seem more behaved then where I came from.

One issue I have, however, is that the natives don't seem to drink. In a recent neighborhood BBQ, Matt and I were astounded at the fact that not one single adult had a single drink. Now, I don't know about you guys, but Matt and I are social drinkers. If there's a hotdog in one hand, there's no better accompaniment than a beer in the other. It's Americana. We assume its just part of their conservative, church-going nature--but in the bible, Jesus was turning water into wine on virtually every page. The last supper? There was wine in them darned goblets! Charlotte natives, however, don't seem to care to imbibe. And, Matt and I have a motto: don't trust anyone that doesn't drink.

When we moved to Charlotte and were seeking out potential friends in the neighborhood, we looked at our neighbors garbage to decide who we would be friendly with. There's no better way of learning about folks than by looking at their recyclables. The night before garbage pick-up, we'd cruise the recycling bins. One neighbor had prune juice bottles in there--not a fit for a friend. The next had laundry detergent and dishwashing soap filled to the brim of their bin--clearly a clean bunch of folks, and likely not social drinkers. Next bin: Absolut vodka bottles and beer cans--now we're talking! These are definitely people we can cozy up to!

So, good luck in finding an answer to the inevitable question about what Church you're attending. Perhaps you can answer legitimately and honestly, or maybe you're just going to be sitting behind me at St. Matthews next Sunday!

;-)

-Lisa