Once upon a time

I grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the '60s of the last century.
Time Magazine rather cutely characterized Tulsa as "the buckle of the Bible Belt."
Oral Roberts held sway. Oral Roberts University was established. Oral Roberts Ministries owned lots of property.
During Junior High School I was routinely invited by my friends to attend Baptist and Methodist Sunday Schools. I usually accepted these invitations.
The communications - many via FaceBook - concerning my 40th high school reunion (which I, sadly, did not attend) suggest that most of my high school classmates are today conservative Christian Republicans.

BUT: In Jr. High and High School I never felt ostracized, belittled, pariahed BECAUSE OF my religious beliefs, or lack thereof.

Today? I feel I'm a foreigner in my own country!
The Bible-beating conservatives seem to own the airwaves - all the while decrying the (non-existent) "liberal media".
Religious tolerance - enshrined in MY U.S. Constitution? Apparently it means nothing to these xenophobic Christianists.

Canada's looking better & better.