3 ms·

> or if you don't go to church This is something to be very careful about. If you aren't religious -- or, actually, if you aren't evangelical protestant or may

> or if you don't go to church This is something to be very careful about. If you aren't religious -- or, actually, if you aren't evangelical protestant or maybe in some places catholic -- there are many, many rural communities where you will be a de facto outsider. There are also many rural communities where this isn't true. You just have to be aware of this when deciding where to move.

uberman 4y ago
When we moved to our rural community, we had visits from I'm guessing all the churches welcoming us and wanting to know if we would be joining their flock. It was awkward to explain again and again that I am an "agnostic atheist". Just like telling people in my community that I am left of center politically or telling them that I am an immigrant. (I got a lot of "Oh, well I was not talking about European immigrants") In the end, I feel our community has embraced us. I coach a girl's field sport that now 50% of all school age girls participate in. When we "go to town" everyone knows me and calls me coach. I feel I have been able to show a small rural community that atheist, liberal, immigrants are not here to destroy America as many suspected we might. They have showed me conservatives can act with compassion and stunningly (to me at least) that many laws that make perfect sense in a city make absolutely no sense in the country.
byyll 4y ago
Join a religious community and be surprised you are an outsider for being non-religious?
- thwayunion 4y ago
  Right... that's why I am providing OP with the advice that many rural communities are religious communities, a fact of which he may not be aware. Or, if he is aware, may not have thought through the implications. We're all posting here to help OP make a good decision for OP, not bicker about urban vs rural, right?

3 ms·

> or if you don't go to church This is something to be very careful about. If you aren't religious -- or, actually, if you aren't evangelical protestant or may

by thwayunion 4y ago

uberman 4y ago
When we moved to our rural community, we had visits from I'm guessing all the churches welcoming us and wanting to know if we would be joining their flock. It was awkward to explain again and again that I am an "agnostic atheist". Just like telling people in my community that I am left of center politically or telling them that I am an immigrant. (I got a lot of "Oh, well I was not talking about European immigrants") In the end, I feel our community has embraced us. I coach a girl's field sport that now 50% of all school age girls participate in. When we "go to town" everyone knows me and calls me coach. I feel I have been able to show a small rural community that atheist, liberal, immigrants are not here to destroy America as many suspected we might. They have showed me conservatives can act with compassion and stunningly (to me at least) that many laws that make perfect sense in a city make absolutely no sense in the country.
byyll 4y ago
Join a religious community and be surprised you are an outsider for being non-religious?
- thwayunion 4y ago
  Right... that's why I am providing OP with the advice that many rural communities are religious communities, a fact of which he may not be aware. Or, if he is aware, may not have thought through the implications. We're all posting here to help OP make a good decision for OP, not bicker about urban vs rural, right?