Southern Atheist Roll Call (USA) and a Little Vent

[Ecurb Noselrub]

I've only left LA twice since we moved in April 2011-once to fly home, and once I drove to TX to go to the Marshall Pottery Factory and get food poisoning at a local burger joint.  I'm amiable to driving, I just need to have somewhere to go and someone to go with me or to at least meet me there.

I highly recommend Jefferson, TX for a fun weekend. It's small, but it's a little bit of New Orleans in Texas.  Go on Halloween, as it's the most haunted town in Texas.  Stay at the Excelsior House Hotel.  

There's also Nacogdoches, Texas, which claims to be Texas' oldest town.  Have a drink at the Hotel Fredonia.  Neither of these towns are too far from Whitney in Dallas, so she should be able to meet you there.

[Squid]

I'm currently in small town south Texas about 30 miles north of Victoria, TX.  I wouldn't recommend this area at all.  I ended up back here due to some unfortunate factors like being laid off from my previous job, a disabled father who has only gotten worse the past few years, a breakup (an ugly one) and subsequent divorce...but enough about my problems.  In Texas just about any of the larger cities will have plenty of like-minded folks.  If you can, try visiting Austin - the only place you can go where the hipster employees play trance music on the store loudspeaker at Dollar General.  The traffic on the main roads is horrendous though and 6th street isn't what it used to be.

Anyhow, don't feel too bad, you're not as alone as you think .

[Gawen]

So..how do you do it?  I know there are other atheists or at least secular humanists out there, but I wouldn't know where to look.  So Southern atheists, share your wisdom.  Tell me of any places you know that are more open, or any groups you might know of.  And maybe where you are located, if anyone would possibly be interested in a meet up of some sort.

Well, Whitney and I live in an area that boasts 7,000,000 people and growing. You live in rural La in a city of around 13,000. If you take the 10% of 7 million that are atheists, one would think that the current atheists/free thought groups in D/FW Metroplex could boast a total of 700,000 members. Uh uh...*shakin my head*. The largest group I visited pulled in perhaps 80?

Someone mentioned Meetup.com. That seem to be your best bet.

[Whitney]

We've had over 100 before at some of the group things...there are over 850 members on meetup for FOF and, Fort Worth Freethinkers has over 470, Metroplex Atheists has over 470 (some overlap)...it's just hard to get everyone to show up to the same place at the same time (herding cats and all).  The number are fairly accurate because meetup has started deleting the accounts of members who are inactive and fail to indicate desire to remain on the list; happens after 6 months of inactivity and that feature has been in place for at least 6 months now.  There are a lot of people who are secular yet don't know of the groups or have absolutely no care to be associated with them (either due to not feeling a need or because they are apprehensive).  Just because people are a certain label or worldview doesn't mean they'll want to go out and and do something with like minded people...so it's unreasonable to assume that 700,000 freethinkers will all be wanting or needing to seek out community.  Even in the religious communities the churches only pull in a fraction of those who actually claim the label; and that's with fear of damnation over their heads.

[philosoraptor]

So..how do you do it?  I know there are other atheists or at least secular humanists out there, but I wouldn't know where to look.  So Southern atheists, share your wisdom.  Tell me of any places you know that are more open, or any groups you might know of.  And maybe where you are located, if anyone would possibly be interested in a meet up of some sort.

Well, Whitney and I live in an area that boasts 7,000,000 people and growing. You live in rural La in a city of around 13,000. If you take the 10% of 7 million that are atheists, one would think that the current atheists/free thought groups in D/FW Metroplex could boast a total of 700,000 members. Uh uh...*shakin my head*. The largest group I visited pulled in perhaps 80?

Someone mentioned Meetup.com. That seem to be your best bet.

I'm sorry if I was unclear-I live in Shreveport-Bossier.  The population is definitely more than 13,000, although if I drive even 15 minutes outside of the part of the city where I live, I'm in seemingly rural Louisiana.

I may try meetup.com, since a few of you are suggesting it.  I actually posted a craigslist ad when I first moved down here looking for friends, but it was flagged for removal-I can only assume because I made reference to being atheist and liberal. 

[Whitney]

I actually posted a craigslist ad when I first moved down here looking for friends, but it was flagged for removal-I can only assume because I made reference to being atheist and liberal. 

That's weird...I have frequently cross posted atheist and freethought meetups onto craigslist without any flagging that I'm aware of.

[philosoraptor]

I actually posted a craigslist ad when I first moved down here looking for friends, but it was flagged for removal-I can only assume because I made reference to being atheist and liberal. 

That's weird...I have frequently cross posted atheist and freethought meetups onto craigslist without any flagging that I'm aware of.

Yeah, it was bizarre.  There was no cursing or anything that would've violated CL guidelines, so I couldn't figure any other reason for it to be pulled.  My local CL seems to be mostly dominated by stuff of the "Obama is a terrorist" nature though, so I guess it's not surprising.

[Gawen]

I'm sorry if I was unclear-I live in Shreveport-Bossier. 

You're three hours away from Dallas.

I found this for Shreveport:
http://atheists.meetup.com/cities/us/la/shreveport/

or

http://www.meetup.com/FoFShreveport/

[Whitney]

http://www.meetup.com/FoFShreveport/

^If you go to this one let me know how it went.  I've been meaning to go check it out sometime since they are our sister group..I'll let you know if I have plans to come into town.

[fester30]

I'm in Arkansas and I'd recommend Eureka Springs. We're pretty much the San Fransisco of the south. I don't have any groups though =/

I haven't been to Eureka Springs, although the wife and I have been intending to go.  I've heard there's some cool stuff there, and she loves haunted houses.  However... are you joking or serious with San Francisco of the South?  Isn't Eureka Springs famous for the Passion play?

I'm in Jacksonville, btw.

[philosoraptor]

I'm sorry if I was unclear-I live in Shreveport-Bossier. 

You're three hours away from Dallas.

I found this for Shreveport:
http://atheists.meetup.com/cities/us/la/shreveport/

or

http://www.meetup.com/FoFShreveport/

Thanks a lot!  I will definitely check that out.  I was recently laid off, so I have plenty of time to do meetups.  If/when I get to a meeting, I'll let you know how it went.

[Wessik]

Yeah... San Antonio is where all the Catholics are. It's a really big Catholic Community. There's not too many atheists around this far south, but luckily, staying down here is kind of like an atheist's paradise. The people are so easy going, you can tell thems straight up that you are an atheist, and they'll be like, "oh, ok." Atheists and christians tend to leave each other alone down here.

[Anti-antidisestablishmentarianism]

It's would be pretty hard to find anywhere in the southern U.S. where you can get away from religious bs.  I moved to Augusta, Ga 8 months ago and had no idea what I was getting myself into.  Nobody is even from here yet everyone is a Baptist.  Nobody here is even really from here they all come from somewhere else, yet some of the worst ones are from the north.  I gotta hear some guy from Jersey talk about dying on a cross in calvary.  On a regular basis.  I'm still not sure what calvary was.  A place? the same guy will prattle on about god all day, but say one thing against god and he is offended.  I tell him well I am offended by all the god talk so deal with it.  The best places to go would be maybe California or one of the corn states.  Illinois is pretty cool.  Everybody is a Christian, but none of them ever go to church or bring up the god thing.  Being in the south is horrible.  I get into an argument with somebody on a regular basis down here.  The level of ignorance in this state is astounding.

[ThinkAnarchy]

Welcome back. I'm in Louisiana and have never had major problems with those around me. I have two Ron Paul magnets on my car and bumper sticker that reads "No Gods No Masters" with the atheist A on the back of my car and have never had problems. I differ from the majority of the population here politically and religious belief wise, but have never had major problems. The baptists piss me off as well, and I haven't found but one I like to associate with.