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It is not the number of people who go to church in any given community that matters to the OP, but whether the overall culture of the community is vocal about religion or non-vocal about it, or sports a religion-optional mentality rather than making religion the focal point of the community. Charlotte, from my experience, is like every other big city, inasmuch as it exists as a pluralistic society in which people's worship habits are THEIR habits, and which does not revolve around a single religion or church or belief system as the core of its society.
As I've said before, a lot of folks seem to believe that up in "the North," where the OP is from, everyone is an atheist. They are not. If you read the latest study on religion in the U.S., you will find that there are very few states where atheists/agnostics number more than just a few percent of the population. In the North, the plurality of citizens are Catholic. So the OP is clearly used to living in a society where atheists are a minority, because atheists are a minority pretty much everywhere in the U.S. The issue is not the number of atheists but whether the culture is centered around religion or is pluralistic and does not favor those who adhere to any specific religion over anyone else. Small, Southern towns, as the OP discovered, are likely to both base their societies on religion, and are likely to favor certain types of Protestants over everyone else.
I hope Charlotte, known by many as "the city of Churches," is going to have the social and cultural solution for the OP. We will be glad to help her on the Charlotte forum.
meetup.com had no atheist or agnotics group within 25 miles of Hickory
Quote:
Originally Posted by NC~Mom
Church isn't the way for a non believer to meet and make friends with like minded people.
OP....you can find local, non religious groups through Facebook where ever you decide to settle.
CAA (Charlotte Atheists and Agnostics) has regular events and volunteering opportunities, there
are many groups out there....you should have no problems finding non religious friends.
Maybe other ways for non believers to meet and make friends. But I found no meet up groups of atheist or agnostics within 25 miles of Hickory. May be there under different names, but my search came up blank. Maybe the OP will have better luck with facebook.
Am sure Charlotte has CAA, but that is a mighty long commute to Granite Falls and with the cost of gas and housing...
I hope Charlotte, known by many as "the city of Churches," is going to have the social and cultural solution for the OP. We will be glad to help her on the Charlotte forum.
The only solution rests between her ears. If we don't subscribe to her views on peace, love and acceptance, then she will have no reason to tolerate us.
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
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Quote:
Originally Posted by anifani821
I hope Charlotte, known by many as "the city of Churches," is going to have the social and cultural solution for the OP. We will be glad to help her on the Charlotte forum.
That's what I was getting at in one of my posts, Ani. I've met people from all over, including Hickory. No one has tried to "save" me. I still think that it's a nice touch that the Church of Wicca adopted East Dixon & North Dekalb in Shelby.
Maybe other ways for non believers to meet and make friends. But I found no meet up groups of atheist or agnostics within 25 miles of Hickory. May be there under different names, but my search came up blank. Maybe the OP will have better luck with facebook.
Am sure Charlotte has CAA, but that is a mighty long commute to Granite Falls and with the cost of gas and housing...
OP hasn't decided where to settle yet, so it may not be that far out of the way, once they decide where they will live.
You just have to Google to find people who have things in common with you.
I've never used the "Meet Up" sites to find people....but since you brought it up, I looked, and here are some on my first try. Atheism Meetups near Hickory, North Carolina - Atheism Meetups - Hickory
And remember, just because a group is based in a particular location, doesn't mean that they have all of their events there....I noticed a Gastiona group is having their meeting at a bookstore in Hickory on July 1st.
I think you would love Asheville. It's a good sized town, very liberal and tolerant. According to Google Maps it's not much further than the Charlotte suburbs from Granite Falls. Even the more rural eastern parts of Buncombe County and Black Mountain would be a lot more tolerant than the Hickory area.
But it is a long drive, probably an hour or so on a good day. Most of I-40 from Hickory to Asheville has 70mph speed limit but there are some mountainous parts that could make the drive treacherous at night and in the winter and it'd be a lot of gas money too. But I do think you should drive out there and check it out. You will not find a less conservative place than Hickory in the foothills of North Carolina unless you are inside the 485 beltway in Charlotte.
I think you would love Asheville. It's a good sized town, very liberal and tolerant.
I don't think the OP wants a town that doesn't have a Trader Joe's nearby.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 828MOM
All I want is a safe, clean place my kids can grow up in without feeling like social outcasts...and if its not too much to ask I'd like a Trader Joe's and a GAP (neither of which are available in Hickory). I think Charlotte suburbs are going to be the way to go. Thanks for all your help and advice.
I think you would love Asheville. It's a good sized town, very liberal and tolerant. According to Google Maps it's not much further than the Charlotte suburbs from Granite Falls. Even the more rural eastern parts of Buncombe County and Black Mountain would be a lot more tolerant than the Hickory area.
But it is a long drive, probably an hour or so on a good day. Most of I-40 from Hickory to Asheville has 70mph speed limit but there are some mountainous parts that could make the drive treacherous at night and in the winter and it'd be a lot of gas money too. But I do think you should drive out there and check it out. You will not find a less conservative place than Hickory in the foothills of North Carolina unless you are inside the 485 beltway in Charlotte.
I think OP has left us, but in case anyone else wants to know, the drive is about 20 minutes longer (33% longer).
Have you ever even been to the South? This post is so full of it, I don't even know where to begin to respond. So I'll just quote it, so everyone will be sure to see how dumb it is.
Um.... I grew up in Mississippi, which is a considerably more Southern place than is North Carolina.
But your post did lead me to a question of my own. Have you ever been to Planet Earth? Just wondering...
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meetup.com had no atheist or agnotics group within 25 miles of Hickory
