Some of it's racial? When you go into the surrounding counties, Union, Jefferson, Hamblen, you will find not only populations that don't have ANY racial diversity, you will find populations that DON'T WANT to have any racial diversity. In anything that affects them.

I always enjoy reading a liberal rant about religious bigotry, since liberals practice it so well. Blame it on churches is so right from the liberal HORDE manual of attacking religion. What I want to know is how do you explain the gay marriage ban in California, what with the results showing that it was due to blacks coming out and voting for Obama that sent Proposition 8 to victory? I guess it was all of those "church-going blacks" to blame huh?

As a Christian and a Southern Baptist, I hope that what other Christians learn from this is that rather than putting their faith in a party or in politicians from that party, they need to refocus their attention on doing God's will in their daily lives, everyday and not just on
Nov. 4.

Both politicians and religious leaders have benefitted from this alliance, but I found it troubling from the beginning. I believe that Jesus was crucified because he refused to get involved in politics at all. He was busy with more important things.

I think too many Christians have been substituting political activism for personal witnessing, and I think that has led to a devaluation of the faith and an over emphasis on the importance of politics and governing in the daily lives of Christians.

Churches scare people about abortion and get them to vote against their best interest on practically everything else. I know about it because I come from one. I do regret that an Obama vol told me that true Christians would support Obama. I don't like rhetoric like that. There were other reasons than abortion and racism that folks might have liked McCain. But I know people living in poverty that would stand to gain nothing from the GOP but vote out of fear about abortion and in Tn. also fear of taxes.
As far as race in East Tn., in the biggest mega-church in Halls there are a few inter-racial couples. A football star from Halls from a few years back is married to a black woman and runs an urban ministry. I grew up there and know its huge.

Union County is home to several up and coming gated communities, but that's seperate than the rest of it. If I was going to move somewhere and I was concerned about diversity and politics I might read their local paper or how they vote or something. What gets me is folks move down to Halls to Maryville or wherever to retire to the lake and are shocked to find out what a red state we are. It wouldn't take much reading to know that beforehand.