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I recently moved to the north Georgia mountains and I'm agnostic. I'm also southern born and bred. I got the "church invite" when I first moved here, but it was from transplants from Florida and southern Georgia, and not from the locals! I simply and without defense stated I'm agnostic. They stated that if I ever changed my mind I would be more than welcome to come to church with them. I said thank you and that was that. Actually, I took it as a compliment that they would want to sponsor me for church membership! When we go to out to dinner together they pray before their meal. Since they're in their 70s and I'm in my 50s I bow my head out of respect. Sometimes one must go along to get along, and not be so sensitive. There's an old adage that says that when one is a stranger in a strange land and has no reputation within the community upon which to fall back, thereby allowing one's actions will be viewed with mercy and grace, then one should proceed with caution, deference, and humility until one does. The same goes for the different "cultural zones" here in the U.S. Let the locals get to know you before you get your back up. You'll find they are far more accepting of your differences that way.
My 90 year old mother still makes it a point to visit newcomers to her local corner of Meriwether County and invite them to the local church. It is the only church in about a 8 mile radius and is still the center of the community, but in this day and age of falling church attendance it is nowhere near a foundation of the community it once was. This makes me sad.
Regardless of your religious perspective, you are missing out on the local community. For many rural communities, especially in this age of consolidated school systems, the church is the only gathering place for community identity. I would encourage you to try the local church for this reason if nothing else. Most rural southern churches are not high church, you sing a few hymns, hear some announcements, hear the prayer list of who is sick/homebound/hospitalized, hear the local singer give a "special," listen to a sermon and get to know your neighbors. Maybe a covered dish dinner once a quarter. Hardly anything to get offended about.
But then again, I am a throwback to a simpler time. I just hate to see rural churches that were once the cornerstones of their community dwindle away because of lack of interest, not only in spiritual matters, but in the life of the community.
My 90 year old mother still makes it a point to visit newcomers to her local corner of Meriwether County and invite them to the local church. It is the only church in about a 8 mile radius and is still the center of the community, but in this day and age of falling church attendance it is nowhere near a foundation of the community it once was. This makes me sad.
Regardless of your religious perspective, you are missing out on the local community. For many rural communities, especially in this age of consolidated school systems, the church is the only gathering place for community identity. I would encourage you to try the local church for this reason if nothing else. Most rural southern churches are not high church, you sing a few hymns, hear some announcements, hear the prayer list of who is sick/homebound/hospitalized, hear the local singer give a "special," listen to a sermon and get to know your neighbors. Maybe a covered dish dinner once a quarter. Hardly anything to get offended about.
But then again, I am a throwback to a simpler time. I just hate to see rural churches that were once the cornerstones of their community dwindle away because of lack of interest, not only in spiritual matters, but in the life of the community.
My husband and I were re-located to canton georgia for 16 months. Not once were we ever approached by ANYONE about church, religion, etc. We actually had to ask other people about area churches that we were interested in. Canton is a rural(ish) area north of marietta. I worked in Marietta and spent a lot of time in Kennesaw, Holly Springs and Woodstock. Again, was never approached by anyone to come to church, join a church, etc..
I've lived in Canton, GA for the past eight years, and my entire family is from the Atlanta area, so I'm no stranger to the area or Southern Culture in general.
I'm actually floored by the number of people on this thread who are seemingly irate that this question was asked, as if it were akin to some made up slur. When my family and I first moved to Canton, "where do you go to church" was CONSISTENTLY one of the first five questions we were asked as we were getting to know our neighbors, other folks in town, etc. I'm agnostic, so it was in few cases a little awkward, but I think around here it's just part of getting to know someone. I will say that there are those that do use this question to sort people into "Us" and "Them" categories, but would you seriously want to be friends with those people any way? I never saw it as a big loss myself.
So in general I would agree with others who have advised not to make too much out of it - just consider it one of the cultural quirks of living in the rural South.
And if on the off chance you do happen to get the cold shoulder from someone after you tell them you don't go to church, consider it a bullet dodged! : )
When we moved to the Marietta area, we were consistently asked where we went to church too. I'm puzzled by those who were never asked this question. Maybe you just don't give off a "church-y" vibe? Or maybe it's a question most often asked of people with children? I never took the question to be offensive. just a friendly way to extend an invitation to one's own church. We always responded that we're Catholic (conveniently leaving out the fact that we're Easter and Christmas-mass attendees only kind of Catholics), which was a good way to deflect the question... Catholics don't invite people to church, so it was a safe bet that whatever church we were about to invited to wasn't a Catholic one. One very elderly gentlemen responded that it was ok that we were Catholic so long as we loved Jesus. (Glad to know the oldest church in Christendom has his approval.) I know a generation back Catholics were still viewed with suspicion in certain circles, so I took his comment as an attempt to be cordial.
People might ask where you go to church- I've been asked myself but it was really a respectful if not thoughtful invitation rather than any sort of demand. I did not and do not go to church. You definitely won't be made to go to church. The church community here seems to be dominated by larger, progressive, congregations- the attendees look like boy band members its actually a weird sort of church vibe if we have one at all. As someone who is not particularly religious I will say that we generally have the "good Christians" so to speak- the kind that are good, kind, respectful people who don't bother anyone.
My husband and I were re-located to canton georgia for 16 months. Not once were we ever approached by ANYONE about church, religion, etc. We actually had to ask other people about area churches that we were interested in. Canton is a rural(ish) area north of marietta. I worked in Marietta and spent a lot of time in Kennesaw, Holly Springs and Woodstock. Again, was never approached by anyone to come to church, join a church, etc..
And yet ... the East Cobb / Cherokee / North Fulton area is home to some of the biggest (and most influential) evangelical MEGA churches in the entire country -- Woodstock FBC, Johnson Ferry BC, Mount Paran, North Point, First Redeemer (and PLENTY of smaller mainstream congregations as well)!
My husband and I are two years away from retirement. We are both natives on southern California, but have spent a great deal of time in the north Georgia mountains in the past 20 years. We love Blue Ridge, Dahlonega and Ellijay. We have rented cabins in the these areas and because we're both teachers, we have been able to spend 2 months every summer to get to know the culture and the area. We've also spent significant times in the in winter in the mountains. Climate is not an issue, it suits us.
Though we have always loved Georgia and the people, I admit we are wary of culture shock if and when we actually buy a retirement home. But I want to stress: we are NOT interested in changing anyone or anything, we are not anti-gun, anti-Southern culture or wanting to bring a bunch of liberal political ideas into a new community. We don't host gay parties, listen to Rap music or have posters of Obama on our walls. We respect the traditions of the south and in no way have some kind of "progressive" mindset. We just want to live and let live, be friendly to all and be accepting of our neighbors.
The one possible fly in the ointment is that we are not religious and we've often heard that locals may be trying to get us to go to church. Is this a myth or does this really happen? So often I hear that within days of moving into a home, neighbors will come around and their first or second question will be, "what church do you attend?" In California, this would be unheard of, nobody would ask such an intrusive question and nobody would care.
IOW, I want to retire to the north Georgia mountains but I do not want to be asked about my religious views or have that be an issue. To me, the subject of religion is very private and nobody's business whether I am a Holy Roller or an atheist, or something in between. Perhaps the info I've received is erroneous. Any thoughts from locals would be appreciated.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tenn82
all I know is if you don't go to church then you're going to go to hell so, it's your soul.
But I'll pray for you. It's the Christian thing to do.
as for listening to rap? alot of famous rappers come from Georgia, many still live there.
Im pretty damn sure, as you say, " THE info YOU HAVE RECIEVED IS ERRONEOUS."
you and EVERY OTHER LAST SINGLE Idiot on this ENTIRE website when it comes to people outside the South, wanting to move to the South.
all of you should really stop watching Mississippi Burning before you ask stupid questions. It makes you look even more stupid than we already think you are anyway.
That's seriously not to truly insult anyone either, its really is just the truth. No offense.
Im from the South, have lived in the South my entire life and have NEVER been asked what church I go to and neither has my own grandmother or anyone of her generation or anyone in m entire family
where do you all come up with this crap? No one is going to just walk up to you and ask what church you go to? I have NEVER witnessed it my entire life not even in small ass country towns
unless you are talking to a person who happens to be a preacher and you didn't know it or something or you're at some church food drive or some crap maybe??
the only time I was ever asked anything even remotely similar is when I was in the hospital and they ask standard questions while taking your insurance info and they say "would you like to receive visitors? would you like us to give your code out to anyone if they call and ask about you? do you have a living will or power o attorney? would you like to receive a visit from any clergy or preacher?"
that is literally the only time I have EVER been asked anything remotely similar to what the OP is talking about and that's common in any hospital anywhere in the U.S. and is not even in a religious context.
people coming here act as if they are entering a foreign country or something they've only seen on the Discovery channel. It's completely retarded.
is it just one small group of about 5 posters/trolls who get on these "wanting to move to the South threads"? its the EXACT SAME RETARDED QUESTONS EVERY SINGLE TIME and I see it in EVERY SINGLE THREAD about a state that is in the South on this website
you Northerners just CANT be this LAME?????? Im sorry (Mods) but there's some things on this site about this very subject that are just too repetitive to be true or take seriously from the people who post them, like the one above.
Yet you can't take the time to read where they are from in the first place.
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