I'm lucky enough to live in the northeast, where these stereotypes are not nearly as prolific (and we get live acts, with some big venues in the area and a lot of smaller ones). I can even wear my band t-shirts to the office and no one bats an eye. But I do run into it sometimes nonetheless, and certainly see it plenty online and a lot of it does come from an extremely conservative religious standpoint. And being a woman who's into it certainly raises a few more eyebrows, and unfortunately, even within the metal subculture itself, there's still some issues with women who enjoy the music. Like Bragatyr said, anymore, it does seem a bit funny that these stereotypes persist. This stuff has been around for decades and we're still here. Plus many mainstream religious people, of all religions and cultures, like the music. Just going to a show reveals that. The diversity at the Amon Amarth show was pretty amazing. It may be a bit of a reflection of how diverse Boston is, but still, it crosses boundaries when you let it.
Hukos, I'm also pretty far removed from religion, but black metal is the one sub genre I have some difficulty getting into. I can listen in short bursts, but I'm slowly getting the taste for it. I tend to like black metal bands that incorporate progressive or thrash elements, like Enslaved and Skeletonwitch, respectively.
And Silver, you're still welcome.
