The Alexander City Outlook

Southern culture becoming secular

Several years ago I was having a conversation with a young man from Germany. Our discussion ranged over a wide variety of topics from foreign affairs to American culture. On this last topic my friend was surprised to learn how different the South was in comparison to other regions of the country. From his European perspective, American culture was a monolithic whole with very few differences.

At the time I was very surprised to hear someone refer to American culture as a “monolithic whole.” From my perspective – someone who grew up in Alabama – it was obvious southerners are different from folks who hail from the North or far West. From the way we talk to the way we worship, southerners are a unique part of the American cultural landscape.

As I discussed these differences with my German friend, he was very surprised to hear how important religious belief and worship was to southern culture. I described to him how common it was to see people sharing their faith not only in church, but also in public places like the grocery store.

My friend was shocked to hear how southerners openly shared their faith in public. This was something that never happened in Europe. To him, religious belief was a relic of Europe’s medieval past and was something that should be forgotten.

As I look back on this conversation I’m amazed to see how southern culture has changed over the years, especially with respect to religion. Let’s face it; we don’t see people discussing religious topics like we used to.

It’s true we still feel comfortable sharing our faith in Sunday school or in a worship service. But, this really doesn’t count as “public discussion.” Churches are safe havens where everyone, or almost everyone, shares the same religious views. It’s easy to discuss your beliefs with like-minded people.

Conversely, it’s uncomfortable for must of us to discuss matters of faith with a stranger at the grocery store. We tend to avoid these conversations because it makes us feel uneasy, like something is wrong with what we are saying.

This general feeling of uneasiness is evidence that southern culture is changing into something my German friend would recognize and probably appreciate. I was reminded of this fact recently when I shared an elevator ride with an older man. Upon entering the elevator the man turned to me and said, “Do you know you are covered by the blood of Christ?”

I was stunned. It’s been years since anyone asked me a question with such deep religious significance outside of church. After a few seconds I sheepishly said yes and said nothing further. The rest of the ride was uncomfortable, as both of us tried to avoid eye contact.

A few days later I began to think about this encounter and suddenly realized its significance. Southern culture is becoming secular, much like the rest of America. The reason I felt uncomfortable is because we are conditioned to feel uncomfortable by society at large. We are told religious discussions in schools and other public places should be avoided. So we avoid them.

I believe the South is losing its cultural distinctiveness and I am saddened by this fact. I’m afraid as the years pass our region will look very different than it did a few years ago. My greatest fear is my German friend will visit Alexander City and feel right at home in our “monolithic” secular culture.