Are Southern elites mostly evangelical or mainline?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
From Pew Research

https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/religious-landscape-study/region/south/

Religious composition of adults in the South
Christian
76%

Evangelical Protestant
34%

Mainline Protestant
14%

Historically Black Protestant
11%

Catholic
15%

Mormon
1%

Orthodox Christian
< 1%
Jehovah's Witness
1%

Other Christian
< 1%
Non-Christian Faiths
4%

Jewish
1%

Muslim
1%

Buddhist
< 1%
Hindu
< 1%
Other World Religions
< 1%
Other Faiths
1%

Unaffiliated (religious "nones"
19%

Atheist
2%

Agnostic
3%

Nothing in particular
14%

Don't know
< 1%

Almost everyone in the South is religious. In the South, even the so called "liberal" elite denominations of Christianity (i.e. Episcopalian) have mostly conservative, Republican/DINO members. They may not be evangelical, but you won't be able to easily tell the difference between the religious beliefs of rich people and poor people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In contrast to their northern counterparts, Episcopalians and Presbyterians in the South aren't liberal,

This isn't necessarily true. I am Southern, Presybterian, a Democrat, and liberal. The Presbyterian Church is decided into PCUSA and PCA. PCUSA is modersate to liberal, PCA is conservative.

Episcopalians in the South who are Republican are probably Republican because of taxes, maybe gun control, but less likely to be anti abortion or engage in promise ring nonsense. They aren't as likely to be Trump fanatics.

Traditionally, Episcopalians and Presbyterians were the wealthiest, particularly Episcopalian (Presbyterians have wealthy people but also have more income diversity than Episcopalians). They are the least likely to be socially conservative and right wing Republican.

Baptists and to a lesser extent Methodists are more likely to have working class roots. The mill owners would be Presbyterian or Episcopalian themselves but would establish Baptist and Methodist churches for the workers.

But of course there is some income mobility. Someone who grew up working class and Baptist may have studied hard and gone to college and become wealthier.

I'm talking about white people, of course. African Americans in the south tend to be Democrats.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In contrast to their northern counterparts, Episcopalians and Presbyterians in the South aren't liberal,

This isn't necessarily true. I am Southern, Presybterian, a Democrat, and liberal. The Presbyterian Church is decided into PCUSA and PCA. PCUSA is modersate to liberal, PCA is conservative.

Episcopalians in the South who are Republican are probably Republican because of taxes, maybe gun control, but less likely to be anti abortion or engage in promise ring nonsense. They aren't as likely to be Trump fanatics.

Traditionally, Episcopalians and Presbyterians were the wealthiest, particularly Episcopalian (Presbyterians have wealthy people but also have more income diversity than Episcopalians). They are the least likely to be socially conservative and right wing Republican.

Baptists and to a lesser extent Methodists are more likely to have working class roots. The mill owners would be Presbyterian or Episcopalian themselves but would establish Baptist and Methodist churches for the workers.

But of course there is some income mobility. Someone who grew up working class and Baptist may have studied hard and gone to college and become wealthier.

I'm talking about white people, of course. African Americans in the south tend to be Democrats.

Oh, I forgot to add that Baptists and Methodists are more likely to be Republican than PCUSA or Episcopalian.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Obviously Baptist is far and away the most common denomination among southerners. But are the upper classes Baptist mostly as well or are they Episcopalian/Methodist/Presbyterian?

Well, they are mostly Republican, as far as religion. But some of the richest families are Episcopalian and Democrat. Did you know the Murdaughs were Dems? Doesn't sit well, but that doesn't speak for the rest. No seriously, there are rich Episcopalians in the South. The evanglical pastors are rich as balls, and the evangelical followers tithe their earnings to those dudes with no complaints and go to ballot box to vote for idiots. So yeah, I suppose the elites are Episcopals.

God bless their beautiful hearts.

Above all else.