Liberal Atheist in Oklahoma City (May: neighborhood, school, taxi)

[eddie gein]

You need to look harder............

Humanists of Central Oklahoma
PO Box 10641
Oklahoma City, OK 73140
(405) 769-6770.

or Box 94043 OKC, OK 73143 (405) 677-4141 is the Oklahoma Reality Check phone number.

There are a number of groups in OKC and Norman that are humanist and athiest oriented and are easily located on the internet. Google "meet up groups."

You tube "Reverend Real". Clinton is from OKC and is a guy you will need to meet if you get involved with these folks.

[TulsaArtist]

You mean the different atheist groups don't have TV commercials and such in OKC?

Rational Response Squad: Tulsa Atheist TV ad #1

Just saw another one on TV here last week.

Also, if ya ever feel like a trip up to T-town, there is a group you might at least find interesting. I believe the All Souls Unitarian is the largest Unitarian group in the US. I have never been, but its in a beautiful part of town and I have friends who go there and really enjoy it. They constantly have different activities, live music/coffee shop, getting ready for a Mardi Gras party. Its near the "hip" Brookside area in Tusla.

All Souls Home


I cant speak specifically about OKC. But over time I started to notice something here. You constantly hear people complaining about conservative this, religious that. Then it occured to me, there are a LOT of people like that lol. You are not alone by a long shot if you are conservative, humanist, liberal, etc. here. There are indeed a lot of very religious and vocally religious people here, but we tend to somehow not register or look past, all the many many people who are not that way and who often complain about how conservative it is lol. I have found there is a good helping of all sorts of people here.

[Merlander]

terveloc, I think you could definitely find folks to identify with in OKC, so don't give up. The city has a pretty diverse group of people, and I think all niches are represented. Having said that, you'd probably be better off closer in to the city than up in northern suburbia.

I remember driving up and down Classen and seeing everything from Quakers protesting the Iraq war, to an old converted church that had been turned into a heavy metal rock & roll club, to some sections where all you saw are Vietnamese residents. It's all there.

I rarely talk politics with people I don't know, as so many bridges are burnt nowadays because of one's opinion. One thing I've found, though, is that Okies are one of the friendliest and kindest group of people I've met anywhere, and that really counts for something. Give it a chance, and get out to some new areas - I think it'll pay off for you.

[TU 'cane]

Dude, it's part of Oklahoma. To most I say this: leave if you don't like it. But I don't judge anyone no matter what their religious beliefs are and personally Norman would probably be your best bet I would assume, it being a college town. The people who instantly judge someone (unless you act like an idiot and your disturbing the public in any unnecessary ways) are morons. I wouldn't sweat it, give it a few years, Oklahoma is starting to see a growth in the liberal and other non christian populations, everywhere is in fact. Try talking to someone if they pull anything like that on you.

I agree you don't have to be associated with anything to be a good person with good values. But I've yet to see that myself.

[okcpulse]

Since my family and closest friends in OKC are progressive-minded, it is much easier for me to enjoy it their. After all, I was born and raised there. Moreso, Oklahomans are good at pointing the finger at each other for being closed-minded, but few come out and actually say "Yepp, that's me".

And if you do run into someone that will mail you to the wall for being Atheist, they probably have issues that aren't worth your time.

Why is it that everytime I am in OKC I am always around open-minded people, yet there are always those that show up in OKC saying they can't meet anyone?

[weathergal]

Originally Posted by okcpulse

Why is it that everytime I am in OKC I am always around open-minded people, yet there are always those that show up in OKC saying they can't meet anyone?

It sounds like with your family and old friends, your social circle is already established. To someone new in town, it can take a while to find the group that you fit in with.

To the OP, don't give up yet, especially if you have a good job here. I second mjm572's suggestion to read the Gazette. You can find out about some of the more progressive events going on there, as well as just about every other concert, art showing, poetry reading, etc that is going on in town.

Are you artistic at all? I have some rather liberal cousins in OKC that are very involved in the art scene (one was president of the Arts Council a while back). They are older than you, but I'm sure there are some younger people involved and it probably wouldn't hurt to check it out.

TulsaArtist mentioned the Unitarian Univeralist church in Tulsa, and there is First Unitarian Church in OKC. Many UU's consider themselves "humanist" or "agnostic", and even a few are atheists. The UU congregation in OKC proclaim themselves as "Welcoming" to gays and lesbians, so their outlook is decidedly on the liberal side.


Good Luck!

[happytown]

Possibly go to some events at IAO and OVAC, which are the leading visual art organizations in the state. A show coming up at IAO is called Edge Art Now or the show called Momentum for OVAC is always great to meet like minded people like yourself. Just give it some time. People at the Paseo etc. can be a little snobby. Good luck.

Individual Artists of Oklahoma

Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition

[HeatherDawn]

Originally Posted by azriverfan.

Oklahoma is religously conservative. I couldn't tell you how many times I had people telling me that I needed to go to Church to be saved. There are so many Baptists there. There was also a lot of anti-Islam and Middle East sentiment. I also remember how one of my colleagues was Mormon, and he used have people question his religion and accuse him of not being a Christian. I live in Phoenix and we have a lot of Mormons here. The Mormons are also conservative but unlike the Baptists, are respectful and don't tell people they need to be saved. That's not going to change there because it's a part of their culture.

Once again I'm responding to this guy. Anyway, try to look at it from another person's perspective. If you believe that to go to heaven you must be saved, then you also believe that a person goes to hell if they are not saved. Wouldn't it be awful of a person who thought you were going to hell to not try to help? I don't like anyone cramming stuff down my throat either but that is extremely rare and I find that most people who want to talk about it have your best interest at heart.

[okcpulse]

Originally Posted by HeatherDawn

Once again I'm responding to this guy. Anyway, try to look at it from another person's perspective. If you believe that to go to heaven you must be saved, then you also believe that a person goes to hell if they are not saved. Wouldn't it be awful of a person who thought you were going to hell to not try to help? I don't like anyone cramming stuff down my throat either but that is extremely rare and I find that most people who want to talk about it have your best interest at heart.

And likewise, in all of my years spent in Oklahoma, I rarely encountered people who told me I needed to go to church and be saved. I am starting to doubt the validity of some of these claims of being bombarded by 'bible-thumping' baptists. I think what happened is this guy or girl befriended someone who was a strong Baptist who extended an invitation to church, and probably said he or she needed to be saved.

And thus, in accordance with the good old American mentality, this person will now assume that such encounters will take place when meeting everyone in Oklahoma. It happens all the time.

My best friend from high school is an athiest, but I still to this day consider him to be a good friend, and never once did anyone from our high school cram their beliefs down his throat.

[karibear]

Originally Posted by okcpulse

And likewise, in all of my years spent in Oklahoma, I rarely encountered people who told me I needed to go to church and be saved. I am starting to doubt the validity of some of these claims of being bombarded by 'bible-thumping' baptists. I think what happened is this guy or girl befriended someone who was a strong Baptist who extended an invitation to church, and probably said he or she needed to be saved.

And thus, in accordance with the good old American mentality, this person will now assume that such encounters will take place when meeting everyone in Oklahoma. It happens all the time.

My best friend from high school is an athiest, but I still to this day consider him to be a good friend, and never once did anyone from our high school cram their beliefs down his throat.

I haven't been in OK all that long, just going on a year now. But no one has tried to recruit me for their church, no matter what denomination. I have in the past been plagued by Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormon missionaries, but not in OK. What I have heard here is a few -very few - people speaking of what Jesus has done for them, and considering the contexts of the conversations, for them it was a good thing. Cheaper than long term psychotherapy or addiction treatment, anyway - and no matter how satisfied they were with their own situations, not a single one urged me to turn to their church. In fact, I haven't even gotten a casual invitation, it just never came up, not even with the few people previously mentioned.