Wouldn't religious communities be the most dangerous to be trapped in?

[Toppers]

Extreme Catholocism and other radical religions leave us not far from the days of the Witch Trials and literally no different than people killing for Allah in the Middle East .  People are willing to kill abortion doctors for a "god", what makes you think SHTF small-town communities aren't going to arm themselves and round up the "atheists" like myself, i.e. the minority that don't participate in religion.

Religion, the bloodiest concept in history, will only serve to make life even worse in a lawless society.  Yes there are exceptions like the Amish who actually benefit greatly from the community aspect of it and don't try to push their beliefs on others, but it's the other 90% of religions that scare the hell out of me.  Those people are scary enough in a society with order.   Westboro Baptist church + guns anyone?

Please discuss how to get around this if at all. 

[Cycling in Hollywood]

Extreme Catholocism and other radical religions leave us not far from the days of the Witch Trials and literally no different than people killing for Allah in the Middle East .  People are willing to kill abortion doctors for a "god", what makes you think SHTF small-town communities aren't going to arm themselves and round up the "atheists" like myself, i.e. the minority that don't participate in religion.

Religion, the bloodiest concept in history, will only serve to make life even worse in a lawless society.  Yes there are exceptions like the Amish who actually benefit greatly from the community aspect of it and don't try to push their beliefs on others, but it's the other 90% of religions that scare the hell out of me.  Those people are scary enough in a society with order.   Westboro Baptist church + guns anyone?

Please discuss how to get around this if at all. 

Move to a more tolerant place...or join the dominant group.

FWIW I agree with you, religious intolerance is one of the scariest kinds.

[cygnus]

On the other hand, it does provide a strong sense of community - as long as the leaders aren't too wacko. 

Can't believe I'm saying this but - if it came down to being on your own for everything and joining a group that's religious in tone but not insane, well - might be better to join than get picked off. 

 

I just hope it doesn't come down to that, personally. 

[OldHorseman]

what makes you think SHTF small-town communities aren't going to arm themselves and round up the "atheists" like myself, i.e. the minority that don't participate in religion.

   First off, the little country church down the road is going to be far too busy trying to pull together to tend to their little flock to waste time and effort "rounding-up" non-believers...  Unless you make yourself into some kind of a threat to them.

Religion, the bloodiest concept in history, will only serve to make life even worse in a lawless society.

   Actually, government is the bloodiest concept in history.  (Although government and religion are essentially two flavors of the same poison.) 

   

Westboro Baptist church + guns anyone?

   I dunno about Westboro...  But the Baptist churches I've know already had guns aplenty among the congregation.

Please discuss how to get around this if at all. 

   Be as self-reliant as possible...  Your problem will probably not be "crazy Christians" coming to burn your heathen ass, but the fact that you'll need help and community interaction, and the local community might very well be church-centered. 

[Green2Go]

Reminds me of a church in Lexington KY
The name of the church is
Man O' War Church of God

(Man O' War Boulevard being named after the racehorse)

[Trooper1]

Being an Greek Orthodox Christian myself I don't see a group of the people in my congregation going "Off the Wall" and hunting down atheists or believers in other religions. I think any group, religious or not, post collapse will be too caught up in protecting what is their's and the "mundane" tasks of everyday survival. I think a more likely threat will come from criminal gangs who will see the absence or at least ineffectiveness of any remaining government forces like the police and military as cart Blanche to set up their own little fiefdoms. While groups like MS-13, La Familia, the Crips and Bloods, etc. are mainly operating out of urban centers (at least for their headquarters), eventually they will migrate to where the food is: well organized suburban areas that have cooperated with each other to produce food, or rural areas where production of food is the highest. Protecting yourself or group from these types will be a priority, as will protection from truly desperate groups of ordinary citizens driven to crime because of food and water shortages (a truly heartbreaking development post collapse).

There may be "Christian" groups like the ones you envision out there, but I think worrying about getting burned at the stake for being a heretic is probably pretty low on the list of risks/threats you will face after the collapse. If you're that worried about it, organize a group of folks who share your beliefs and prep as much and as quickly as you can. Something tells me we don't have much more time on the clock before things really start to fall apart.

[HungryRaven]

Most American Christian churches are pretty heavy in the forgiveness, love one another, help each other angle.   Most don't spend much effort talking about the godless heathens.  Most think the godless heathens are one good sermon away from falling in worship to Christ or will see the light someday.  They certainly are not going to view a collapse as their long pent up chance to grab machetes and start hacking those they haven't seen in church lately.   Now go to Africa and you see a whole different story whether it is religion or not at the root of it but they like to hack each other for being different then themselves. 

If you find yourself stuck with Christians just enjoy your time with people not likely to start raiding and raping victims.   While they are praying to the lord respectfully not interrupt them just spend the time in quiet reflection or making your own versions of prayers.  Then as another poster mentioned show up to their events with baked goods.  Only good Christians would be so industrious to make cookies and they will be friendly. 

[EWHM]

I see I've successfully spread the Gospel of Baked Goods :-)  Baked goods and Christianity go WAY WAY back...all the way to the Last Supper in fact, with the whole passover feast being like an alpha version of it.  Pretty much every religion, in fact, bonds over sharing food.  Bringing food and contributing demonstrates that you're not intending on freeloading or failing to pull your weight in the group.  That's terrifically important, people absolutely hate being played for suckers.  Get that signal down right and the theology is of little temporal importance.

[funkyspec]

   Be as self-reliant as possible...  Your problem will probably not be "crazy Christians" coming to burn your heathen ass, but the fact that you'll need help and community interaction, and the local community might very well be church-centered. 

The Amish rock. And I am as atheist as they come.

[Tinfoil Hattie]

The Amish rock. And I am as atheist as they come.

I am reading "Better Off: Flipping the Switch on Technology" by Eric Brende.  He and his wife spent 18 months living with a Mennonite-type group in Pennsylvania.  (He doesn't name them in order to protect their privacy.)  The interesting thing is that many of the people in the community were converts from a regular technology-based background, and not all of them were full converts to the religion. So far they seem like good people to be around.

[MtLouie]

For truly good people, Mennonites can't be surpassed.  They have their own issues, which our Mennonite friends used to laugh about, even as they followed their own dictum:  suspenders vs. no suspenders, beard vs. no beard, white cap vs. black cap, zippers vs. buttons, etc. 

I'd much rather have those problems than 'The Handmaid's Tale' variety.  The church I went to would be in that camp.

[kopperhead]

zippers vs buttons...oh the stress.  i feel a migraine comin..lol

i hear ya bout the church you came from...i will be dodgin members from my old church forevah...but they are easy to spot, with their lds prairie look done hillbilly style