GA: NOT prepared for the level of antis during Mitts run

[_harmony]

Here's some of the comments I get:

"Wow! A Mormon in a bar! What you are drinking?" (from a bartender in Denver)

"Mormons write steamy romance novels?" (from a staff partner, back when I was still writing)

"It must be hard to be a gay Mormon man." (from my gay office manager)

[_Yoda]

Here's what I have found. When people knew I was LDS, they were polite and respectful. Once they found out I wasn't a believer, they said things like (this is a quote from a manager I worked with), "Oh, good. I couldn't imagine you believing in that stuff." One guy said, "You always seemed too smart to be hanging with that crowd." A lady I worked with every day in Houston was always nice, but when she found out I was an apostate, she said, "I've been praying that you'd get out of that cult."

So, yes, your friends and neighbors are most likely much more polite to your face than they are when you're not around.

Agreed. But I think there is also a lot of self-importance stated here on how much the majority of people really actually know about Mormonism.

I live in the Bible belt. It is extremely common for the topic of religion to come up. I have discussed scriptural quotes, etc. with several steady co-workers. When I am asked about what Church I belong to, most of them just simply view the Mormon Church as another Christian sect.