that I usually find public displays of faith to be disingenuous. It is entirely contextual.

I grew up in a church family in Alabama. In the '60's and '70's it was not common, in my experience, to go out to lunch and see people sitting around praying before eating. It struck me a couple of years back visiting my best friend from high school (who was also in my church) and we were at lunch in a public location for him to say, "Do you mind if I say a prayer before lunch?" Not a silent one either. "Knock yourself out, man." While he was knocking himself out, I observed that at nearly every other table in the restaurant, people were praying over food.

When did that start? In fact, none of my friends, acquaintances, nor others I interacted with, seemed to be able to refrain from overt references to religion. This is new in my experience and not just because I live in one of the most unchurched states in the US. This seems to me relatively new to Alabama, now apparently a cultural norm.

I don't get it.