And to the list the once more common community places, like church which pretty much disappearing from modern life (at least in the US and Europe). I'm not religious but more and more I think that church as a community place back then had a postive effect on local communites.
Even the places where church is still a significant part of the social fabric have trended towards the mega-church format. It’s the difference between trying to get to know someone in your 30 person section course versus the 800 person lecture hall.
Tried to get back to university as a means to socialize more, in my 30s. It didn't work as intended, because attending classes while holding a day job left very little time for actual socialization with my colleagues. Ended giving up. I think it would have worked better with more free time to invest on it.
It's not difficulty level, more like just raw time. Most social interaction occurs while hanging on between classes, while having lunch, paying a visit to the library, et cetera. It doesn't work when you rush in to the class and then rush out back to job soon after. Just hanging around people and getting to know them takes time.
I'm going to answer assuming you're not being deliberately obtuse: Yes.
Obviously it's not a bar where you're looking for a one night stand or a casual hookup. But churches as a general rule encourage their congregations to get together in a myriad of social settings. So yeah, if you were looking to meet a person who shared similar beliefs and values to you, joining a church would be a pretty decent way to get frequent exposition to those people.
I don't attend a church now, but my parents were heavily involved in our local Catholic church when I was a kid. Not a week went by where I wasn't taken to some sort of social event - fish fries, Sunday 'socials' (i.e. donuts and coffee after mass), volunteering opportunities. Not to mention just general small talk after services.
If you didn't grow up religious, it's really hard to oversell just how much church events are part of your life, and how much the people you meet can become a community for your family. My dad loves to tell a story of how one year they gave a family friend a few hundred dollars around Christmas, because they knew the guy had just lost his job. A few years later, unprompted, they returned the favor, at a time that turned out to be really helpful for my family.
I don't take my family to church but I do really miss the communal aspects of the whole enterprise, and wish there was a good way to get a similar vibe without the aspects of religion I don't like. But I think there is something special about a group of people with a shared commitment to a set of beliefs that makes the upsides of church difficult to replicate in secular settings.
>I don't take my family to church but I do really miss the communal aspects of the whole enterprise, and wish there was a good way to get a similar vibe without the aspects of religion I don't like.
Maybe there's a Unitarian Universalist congregation near you?
You know, I've always kind of dismissed UU. Not sure why. Having taken a look at the website for our local congregation it actually sounds way better than I've given it credit for. Might have to check it out.
+1 for UU. I'm not formally a member, but as far as churches go it's one of the few that I know of that atheist me might be able to tolerate. If you would prefer Xian, Jesus-y content with your (still quite-liberal) church, another to consider would be the UUC: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Church_of_Christ .
Also Unity: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unity_Church . 'Unity describes itself as "for people who might call themselves spiritual but not religious."' If you ever are in the KC area, Unity Village is a nice place to visit, the church has a beautiful campus there.
Thought I'd just say that I met my wife through my church. The above is absolutely the truth, though churches vary enormously in demographics. Get connected to a young church with a 'singles' group and you will meet lots of prospective spouses.
Marriage first, at least ostensibly, but yes. Many churches have special small groups/social events for people in prime dating age ranges and those groups are often meat market-y.
