I live in Michigan and when I get my license I'd love to find a church to go to. Preferably within the Lapeer, Flint, and Pontiac triangle.

What church do you go to? And what is it like? Does it lean Christian? Does it lean Pagan? Does it lean Atheistic? Is it completely neutral?

Hi I’ve been trying to understand what exactly UU is. The lingo seems to be Christian at least but what do you guys believe? Do you see yourself as Christian? Do you believe in Jesus? I know the answer may vary but I want to hear your personal opinion.

I (19 trans male) have labelled myself an atheist since I was 14. Recently I've found myself leaning agnostic. However, I've also somewhat realized that the only thing I hated about Christianity was the bigotry and dogma. I told this to a friend and they pointed me here. I know nothing, but from what I've been told you guys are basically a progressive branch of gnostic Christianity. I've been told UU embraces science, human rights, and does away with any dogma/doctrine. No homophobia, no transphobia, no misogyny, etc. Which is something I love to hear (if what I've been told us correct).

I'd like to learn more. Most of my time is spent in class or at work, so a podcast would work better than a book. Any suggestions?

Can anyone share suggestions about how to have a more diverse congregation? Like many UU congregations in the US, we are mainly aging baby boomers who are mainly white people and educated middle class. (I qualify for this label.) We tend to be very liberal in outlook - we do not have the scary reactionary factions I have read about here. We seem solvent financially for now and I know many congregations struggle with that - this is not about money. I am talking about age, ethnicity, economic, cultural, etc - all of it! Are there programs, events, service projects, changes in policy, etc that have actually worked for others to welcome and serve those who are not of this group? Forgive me if this offends people - we may be blind to what we are doing wrong! I would like to hear about what works, what does not, etc. We moved our congregation from a pricy suburb to a larger, more economically and ethnically diverse community and we have members who live there, too. We built it and they did not come. It may go without saying that we are doing something wrong! How to turn it around? MANY of us would like it to be different.

I’m a UU. As such, I’ve been exploring my relationship with God, higher powers and theism in general. I was raised Catholic and taught to believe in God in terms of Jesus and the holy Trinity. I don’t necessarily have any problem with this element of the Catholic faith or religion but I’m thinking about it.

I do find myself using phrases like “As God intended” sometimes for things I feel like are natural concepts I agree with (eg snow on Christmas Day, having a fire while camping, and so on). I say this because I think it’s a cool phrase and adds some emphasis on the idea or whatever. But I wonder how this comes off to other folks who are not theists, of which there some in UU. Any thoughts or opinions here?

UPDATE: thank you all! I’d like to mention that I’m not really a believer in the Christian concept of God, preferring a notion of the Devine.

Hi All,

How does repentance work in a faith where everyone gets saved regardless?

Many thanks :-)

My wife and will be in Orlando next month. We’re staying in a hotel near the parks, but not in a Disney property. We would like to use the Lightning Lanes if possible, and understand that they are available early for Disney guests at 7 am and not until 8 am for everyone else. We can switch hotels without penalty, but wonder if the benefit of early access is worth the extra cost? Basically we're asking if passes are generally available at 8 am for decent times after the Disney guest-only period or if the only reliable way to get them is to stay in Disney hotel?

I just re-read the proposed Article II for UUA bylaws that will be voted on in the upcoming GA and I finally identified something that's been nagging at me. It emphasizes relationship with other people, but there's not much about relationship with ourselves or our inner worlds. I suppose that I persoanlly do get a lot of that from the Buddhist teachings my particular congregation brings in from time to time. Our congregation also has lay led homebrewed contemplative practices that are inspired by the six sources and beyond. However, is there much in the UU theological tradition itself that deals with our inner worlds (psychology, meditation practices, spirit/soul models, self-awareness, etc.)? It seems like there such a focus on other people in UUism generally and not much about developing ourselves. Is it just me that feels this way? I suppose the fire communion is an example, but even that practice is vague. My personal point of view is that our inner worlds greatly influence how we can show up with other people, so it's an important piece of the puzzle. I don't want dogma, clearly I'd be barking up the wrong tree with that, but what about theory on the level of "the interconnected web of which we all are a part"? The interconnected web is a profound theological concept in my opinion. Beside inherent worth & dignity (or inherent worthiness) what else do we have inside ourselves?

Hey fellow UU's my local group is revamping a lot of their materials. As such, they want to make a booklet to be regularly updated with member info as a directory of sorts.

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If your fellowship does use a directory or you'd make one, what software would you use to make it visually appealing or easy to put into a booklet or something like that?

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Hi All,

Do you have to be Pacifist to be a Unitarian Universalist?

EDIT: Thanks for your feedback everyone! :-) I should have said for context: I am a New Zealander, I support my country's military, along with the militaries of our allies ( Australia, the UK, Canada the US, etc) Also, my Granddad served in WW2.There are some individual wars I didn't agree with (such as the 2003 war in Iraq), but I support the militaries over all.

A few months ago, I had a burst of energy about going to church again. I [M/31] attended UU Meetings for about five or so Sundays, and stayed after each time. I even signed up to be part of SGM (Small Group Ministry)

But after a month or so, it slowly became so taxing. I started dreading going. Getting up to get ready on Sunday felt like an absolute chore. I just felt so burnt out, and I'm not even really part of it. Part of it could be the life I lead now. I have a somewhat active social life, and work demands a lot of me as well. I genuinely thought I could just fit SGM in, but I forgot it was happening, twice. I try so hard to remember, but it keeps getting blotted out by something else. Work, friends, girlfriend. Its exhausting.

As of now, I haven't been back in the chapel for almost two months. I want to go back, but at this point, this awkward, heavy feeling gets worse every Sunday. I want this to be part of my life, but even if I can drum the enthusiasm up, would they even want me back in?

Do you believe the academic consensus (as is represented by mainline seminaries and popularising works which lean slightly secular such as the New Oxford Annotated Bible or the countless non-confessional editions of study bibles) is accurate? Do you believe Jesus was a historical figure or are you mythicists? Do you believe the Jesus Semimar is overly conservative, as Thomas L. Thompson suggests?

I am asking these questions for three reasons: 1- you guys are the most educated religious group, by a long stretch. 2- you also form the bulwark of theological liberalism, at least to the mind of most of the American Christian sphere. 3- you are also the most diverse group, at least from a theological standpoint. One can be an Arian, a Gnostic, a Pagan, a Mithraist or a Secular Humanist and still be in communion with the UUA.

This question has been lingering at the back of my head for quite some time now. Almost all religions (not all), either the Abrahamic religions or Eastern religions condemn this type of behavior to some degree. What is the UU's stance on consuming alcohol and drugs like marijuana? Also, what about premarital sex? I've always been curious because I've heard UU is a progressive organization, but its also a culmination of many religions, and many religions more of less condemn this type of behavior.

Get ready for a fantastic shopping adventure! Join us Friday, November 17, from 9:00 – 3:00 as we offer you a treasure trove of amazing deals and hidden gems in the UUUF Yard Sale. Whether you’re a seasoned bargain hunter or just looking for something special, our yard sale will have something for everyone. CONTACT Kelly at [pr@unversityuus.org](mailto:pr@unversityuus.org) for more questions. We are located 1 mile East of UCF #ucf

John Adams is probably the most Unitarian in American History. Yet annoying my attempt to find out which kind he was have proven fruitless.

There are I know at least three different Positions on Jesus that exists among those who self identify as Unitarians.

1. Arianism which still views as being Pre-existence but not Co-Eternal with The Father.
2. Socinianism which denies the Pre-Existence but still views Jesus as as the Son of God from the beginning including a Virgin Birth.
3. "Strict Unitarianism" which generally denies Jesus any kind of Divinity.

I'm curious because when I engage in discussions about the Religious Beliefs of the Founding Father I want to be precise and nuanced and not make the sweeping Generalizations people on both sides tend to make.

And I feel those who want to also label Adams a Deist only have any case if he was the third option. Each of the first two involve a post Creation Divine intervention.

(I posted this a week ago and Reddit removed it as possible spam. Kudos to any spammer who would write such a detailed, topic-specific message. I'm posting it again in hopes that it will survive.)

Our congregation, UUFRC, (UU Fellowship of Redwood City) restructured our Religion Education program and Sunday Services to deepen connections among generations and congregants as well as integrate newcomers more quickly.

We're now in our second year of the new structure. Here's the intro to a description of what we did and why:

“This is the most energy I have felt at church in a long time. And I don’t just mean since the pandemic, I mean in a really long time!” That’s what Cyndi said during coffee hour. The room bustled with people intent in conversation after our second “Action Sunday” workshop.

Here's the full write-up: https://pcduua.org/news/uufrcs-action-sundays-deepen-connections/

Personally, as a 60+ year UU, I've felt we need to find new ways to meet people's needs and spread our values as a church and a denomination. This new structure shows promise.

I've been living in Antananarivo, Madagascar for more than 9 years now. There is no UU church or fellowship here that I've been able to discover. Is there any way to connect with individual UUs abroad? A Discord server? A directory?

I'd be up for just a coffee meetup once a month – in English or French.

https://www.uusc.org/resources/congregations/gayt/

UUSC's longest-established fundraising and educational program for congregations.

2023-2024 GAYT Theme: Pursuing Liberation

The alarming rise of fascism, authoritarianism, and nationalism in the United States and in many places around the world is putting the lives of people, and the sustainability of the planet, in critical danger. These far-right forces have co-opted the word “freedom” for their own purposes, but the concepts of liberation and freedom mean something very tangible to UUSC’s grassroots partners in communities the world over. Whether they are fighting for the right to seek safety in Mexico and the United States, convincing the UN’s International Court of Justice to address the human rights threatened by the climate crisis in the South Pacific, or replenishing the energy of human rights activists in eastern Europe by addressing burn-out, UUSC partners invite us into an expansive, regenerative space to pursue liberation.

At UUSC, we believe that the transformational solutions we need come from communities most directly impacted by injustice. Join us for this year’s Guest at Your Table program to learn what UUSC partners are doing to address immediate injustices – as well as the collective liberation they envision for the future. At this extraordinary juncture in history, we think their stories will offer inspiration and guidance on the path toward justice and liberation for all.

Making a Gift to Guest at Your Table

Donations to Guest at Your Table help advance community-led human rights initiatives around the world. Donations of $150 or more are eligible to be matched by the UU Congregation at Shelter Rock in Manhasset, NY.

To donate online, please use this secure donation page, which can also be accessed via the shortcut uusc.org/givetoguest. To donate by mail, please make checks out to “UUSC” with “Guest” or “GAYT” in the memo field, and send to: UUSC • PO Box 808 • Newark, NJ 07101-0808.

Contact Information

If you would like to place a materials order, if you would like a personalized donation page for your congregation, or if we can be helpful with anything else related to Guest at Your Table, please contact Julian Sharp at jsharp @ uusc.org. Please allow 10 days from the time of your order for print materials to arrive.

What is Guest at Your Table?

Guest at Your Table (GAYT) is UUSC’s annual intergenerational program to raise support for and awareness about key human rights issues. Since UUSC works in more than 20 countries, with over 50 grassroots partners, there are thousands of individuals involved in and who benefit from the work that our members make possible. The program is an opportunity to celebrate grassroots partnership, support human rights, and learn about just four of these individuals—the “guests” in Guest at Your Table.

Planning a Guest at Your Table Program

By coordinating a Guest at Your Table celebration for your congregation, you help participants of all ages nurture lasting connections with UU principles, build awareness about social justice and human rights, and strengthen UUSC’s work. Thank you for joining us in this special tradition!

To register as your congregation’s Guest at Your Table coordinator, or to request materials or information, please contact Julian Sharp, Senior Associate for Congregational Support, at jsharp @ uusc.org.

A step-by-step guide for planning your congregation’s Guest at Your Table Program is available here.

Past Programs

2022-2023 Theme: Hope. Courage. Action.

Through UUSC’s Guest at Your Table program, congregations provide vital support to those who need it most, including communities impacted by forced migration, climate disasters, and other human-made crises. UUSC’s global partnerships center the voices of those who are most affected by these issues and who best understand how to solve them. Join UUSC for Guest at your Table to learn more about our amazing global partners who embody the hope, the courage, and the action needed to uphold human dignity for all and honor our connections with each other and the earth.

2021-2022 Theme: Now is the Time for Courageous Change

The injustices and crises of the past year have underscored the importance of our shared goal – a world free from oppression, where all can realize their full human rights. They also have emphasized just how big a task that is.

To meet the enormous challenges of today and build a more just future, we need big ideas and bold change. We must fundamentally transform the way things are, so that we do not perpetuate systemic inequities and repeat the harms of the past.

At UUSC, we believe that the transformational solutions we need come from communities most directly impacted by injustice. Join us for this year’s Guest at Your Table program to learn what UUSC partners are doing to address immediate injustices – as well as what they envision for the future. At this extraordinary juncture in history, we think their stories will offer inspiration and guidance on the path toward justice.

2020-2021 Theme: The Meaning of Home

This past year, we highlighted the ways the pandemic has changed the relationship many of us have with home, as well as the importance of home to our UUSC partners, who are fighting for their homes amid violence, economic devastation, and climate change.

I have invited /u/Cult_Buster2005 to become a moderator of this subreddit. They've been an active member under a previous account name (they can provide details if they like, but I won't do so out of respect for their privacy) and are generally more active than I am, so they'll usually be able to respond more quickly to mod issues than the rest of the mod team.

Hey y'all!

I attend a lot of virtual stuff but want to find some in person service and community.

I'm in the Inland Empire but it looks like both UU chapters in the area are no longer around.

Does anyone have a church or study group they attend and recommend?

Bonus points if it's a younger crowd but not a requirement.

Anyone else reading Ruttenburg’s “On Repentence and Repair” with their congregations or on their own?

I just started a few minutes ago and can already tell I‘m going to be interested in what others think.

First I want to be clear and say I know who the Gadflys are and I don't agree with them. However, I do have a question. Why don't they just make their own separate denomination of UUism and spread that? I know in the Gadfly Papers there is an argument about splitting the denomination or dissolving it, in which I do not agree, but how come they don't officially separate and create a new Denomination outside the UUA? At that point they could dictate how they want their form of UUism to run and make changes to their version of the covenant if they so wish, without having to try to manage to (in the only words I can think of at the moment) "take over" the Association from the inside?

Also I guess a secondary thing to add upon this would be, do you think if the covenant changes next year, that they would split anyways due the fact they are generally against the 8th Principal (as far as I know of) and they more then likely would not like the new 3rd Value of Justice due to it incorporating parts of the 8th principal within it?

Hello everyone! I'm not UU, I'm more of a humanist, and I've gone to probably a dozen Sunday services of the UU church near me over the past year. I've volunteered my time to help out with projects on a handful of occasions. And I've attended some luncheons. I keep hoping that the sunday service will improve once I know more people and can feel more comfortable.

I really like the few people I've gotten to know, but to be honest, I do not like going to the services on Sunday. There are references to belief in God and faith (which I don't believe), touchy feely stuff, hymns being sung, etc. It feels like a bad fit for me in that sense.

This Sunday, one of the songs was all about faith in God being the answer and I just closed my hymnal and stood there politely, even though the choir leader was trying to get everybody to participate. I'm not going to participate when I don't believe.

And the coffee hour afterward feels awkward to me because while some folks have talked with me, it feels mostly like small talk. People there gravitate toward the people they already know well and are friends with and I feel left out. Yesterday after the touchy feely service, I just left and didn't go to coffee because I just felt so mismatched with the service. (Small group situations have been much better.)

I'm curious how many folks regularly skip attendance on Sundays and just do other offered activities that have more depth and actual participation and sharing?

Or could you share things your UU does to welcome visitors in a way that makes them comfortable and feel included?

I get the sense that this community genuinely wants to be welcoming, but just misses the mark and that's why they are not getting new and/or younger people attending again after a first visit.

Is there a branch in Toronto ON?

One of the things I keep hearing about when it comes to comparing UUism to other religions or especially Christian denominations, most people compare it to The United Church of Christ, by saying they're like UUs disguised as Christians or that UCC Christians are basically Christian Unitarians.

Because of that, and especially with the UCC is recognized for being very liberal compared to other denominations, is the UCC that similar but with a more Christian twist or are there more differences than similarities?

Can someone explain exactly WHAT Unitarian Universalism is?

Thank you!

A member of our Fellowship reflected on why it is important for all children to see themselves represented in childrens literature. She's a librarian and educator who has thought about this topic for many years.

She reads a commonly-banned book at the beginning of the video (until January, when our permission to include that reading expires). Set aside 15 minutes and watch the video. Here's the link: https://youtu.be/A8IjBv3RnDo

Can someone help me understand why an atheist would want to lead a congregation? My current experience is an atheist uu minister that is very clearly anti christian. How can you be UU and anti Christian? How can you lead a congregation of people who believe in many different things but you actually look down on certain beliefs? I’m not a Christian, but I am UU and my understanding is that we’re open to all.

Found UU 4 years ago. It had been a healing journey and going well. We got a new minister 2 years ago and it’s entirely changed my view. Our church wasn’t big into UUA and for the first time in years I felt like this was a church I could actually be part of. New minister is head over heels for the UUA and now it feels like we’re getting UUA shoved down our throats every week. It’s completely turned me off. I don’t go very often. Feels like I’m back in a Christian church being told what I have to believe.

Hi, I'm interested on learning more about UU and was looking for some books to read. The problem is I have very poor eyes sight so I rely on the accessibility features of ebook readers to get by. I can't seem to find many UU books to purchase in a digital format. Is there something I'm missing or are UU books in digital format not really a thing?

Hi there. I'm a progressive Baptist minister who just landed a great staff job at a large UU congregation. I'd like to explore UU better to understand and serve the congregation.

I'd appreciate any books you'd suggest about being Christian and UU, as well as books about the modern history of UU. I already have a basic understanding of UU culture and history from online sources and previous experience, so I'm looking for something a little more academic and in-depth.

To be clear, I'm already LGBTQ+ affirming, universalist, pluralist, etc. I'm quite comfortable with my Baptist heritage. I don't need to be convinced *out* of being Baptist, just guided *into* UU.

Has anyone here ever been on a pastoral search connitteee for a UU congregation?

If so, what was the experience like? Did you find it rewarding or frustrating? or both? How time-consuming was it? What did you have to do? I am imagining that you would have to somehow figure out what the congregation wanted in a minister, then cast a more or less wide net for a candidate, then evaluate the candidates? Right?

I‘m trying to figure out if I should volunteer/try to get myself nominated for a search committee that my congregation is putting together,

Another issue: We had been a lay-led congregation for our entire history until we stuck our toes in the water a few years ago with a part-time interim minister who is now leaving. I am not sure if this is an anomaly or not, but we never had a vote about whether or not we wanted a minister in general before hiring our first minister, partly because sentiment was split on the issue and partly because those who really wanted to hire a minister, saw a perfect opportunity (someone local that they liked and would be willing to take a part-time position) and wanted to take action before that opportunity went away, So, instead of having a vote on whether or not we wanted a minister in general, we just had a vote on whether or not we would hire that one person in particular for a short period of time as sort of a trial run.

Well, now that this contract minister is leaving, instead of having a vote about the “experiement” and whether or not we want to continue to have a minister, they just decided to go ahead with another search.

I have pointed this out and was told that we will indeed have a vote soon (at our next quarterly meeting), but it is clear that they are still going ahead with forming the search commiteee in the meantime.

So, I am feeling a bit befuddled by and apprehensive of the process so far.

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Hello!

Thank you for having me.

I'm an atheist in Southern UT that is going to try out the UU here in St George, UT. I'm interested in seeking a sense of community and joining social circles outside of just kids school, our neighborhood etc in a place that is welcoming to an atheist.

What should I expect? Will I be welcomed as an Atheist?

Also, I dont know how to ask this without coming across as ageist or something, but can I expect millennials like myself? I dont mind what age anyone is, but would like it if there are other families or possibly other millenials.

Oh boy, I don't even know where to start. My grandma raised me since I was little because my parents were out of the picture due to drug abuse and my father died when I was 1. Anyway, I loved her more than anything. She was my mentor, mother, friend, everything. My grandma was always single when she had me so it was just me and her for 35 years. I continued to stay at home after high school and worked and lived with my grandma. She was the best. She took me fishing for the first time and taught me how to throw a curve ball. We was poor but I didn’t know it. She always found a way to take me to Pizza Hut after those ballgames. She never missed one btw. Even if she had to take an oxygen tank. She loved those cigarettes lol. I swear sometimes I can still smell them here and she’s been gone a while. We lived in the southern United States so she was a great cook and we know food here trust me. I am hungry right now and I have no way of getting any food I’d do anything for her to cook me one more meal.

Well, about a couple years ago my grandma went for a regular checkup and it came back breast cancer. She had her right breast and then a few months later her left breast removed. She did fine for a while but the cancer ended up coming back more aggressive than ever and she died two months ago. I didn't work because I took care of her for the past year and half and I lived in her apartment. She did have just enough burial insurance to bury her but thats it. I also have a severe disability and am applying for disability right now, I have been turned down but I am appealing.

Anyways, since I lived off her income as she did as her caretaker since it was just us and since I am just a grandson I have no income anymore.I do not have a car and live in the middle of nowhere. I have applied to wfh jobs but my internet just got shut off and my electric gets shut off at the end of the month and I will also be evicted unless I can pay the bills. I also have no food and am honestly hungry. I have been so cripplingly depressed since she died I cannot get out of bed some days and I don't have a car and the nearest jobs are 10 miles away. I have horrible legs and they are so bad I have tried to work but it feels like someone set my legs on fire. I have went to the doctor and applied for disability and food stamps but like I said it taked forever and I have no speakable family to ask for a ride. I know people have it worse than me and some people will tell me to suck it up, but I have been hit with everything at once and I miss my grandma.

If anyone can help, I will list my cashapp Pp and venmo below. I know this looks awful, but I don't care. I know I am not lying and I miss my grandma more than anything. Even if you can't give anything please send good vibes, but any little bit helps, like I said I am down to no food at all and everyhing is due.

You know, I think there is a special place in heaven for people who raise children who know one else wants. She saved me from foster care and I will be forever grateful for that.

Cashapp $winterstorm55 Venmo @winterstorm55 PayPal @winterstorm55

So this was something that passed through my mind when I was thinking about the nature of the divine, the concept of a supreme being, and what it would mean to be The One.

So I'll pose this in the classic philosophical thought statement. If we suppose God to be omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient then it would mean that God is everything everywhere. Every action and event in existence is, in the literal sense, caused by God. This would then mean that the realm of infinite possibilities and actions is open only to God as a being without limits. God has done everything, is doing everything and will do everything. However, this presents a paradox (as so often happens in questions about God).

What defines our freedom as limited beings is the fact that there are only so many things we can do and we have to forgo options to choose other options. In essence, having a choice is necessary for freedom to exist. However, by God's own nature, God will do all of the choices. God cannot, in fact, abstain from any choices as God is everyone making all possible choices. So, here's the question that currently has my brain acting like a cat batting around a ball of yarn. Isn't having no limits itself a kind of limitation and makes any action you take meaningless because you have access to all of the actions?

I'm on a spiritual journey and have been told that thos place is accepting of wherever your at in your spiritual journey

Hello, I am asking for prayers for my life. It is a mess. I am down to my last loaf of bread I had frozen, disconnect notice on electric and water and just to my end. I am in my 20's and feel like I am going nowhere. I have no job, car or family. I lost the only family I had about a year ago and I have tried to work but I cannot due to crippling anxiety and I have horrible type 2 diabetes and get infections a lot. I have no family I can borrow off of and my credit is trash, so I can't borrow money. I have cashapp if anyone can help. My cashapp name is $captainmidnight515, if anyone could help I would greatly pay you back when I get on my feet, if not please send me good vibes as I have never felt this low in my life. I literally have no food, rent is 2 months behind, getting evicted at the end of the month, health is hot, no family, sometimes I just feel like I should not be here. I am gay also and my speakable family disowned me for that. I have been to several churches to no avail. I was able to apply for disability but was told it could take months to years upon years to get it. I just need help right now, my stomach is hurting from hunger, and I need some help. I also have paypal. My paypal is rcb5167. I am ebarrased to do this but I have nowhere else to turn. I have tried to get help from churches and other organizations, but to no surprise I was turned away and told they didnt have anything. But I know there are people who have it worse than me, but I am scared I cannot make it. I dont have a car or anything and live in a rural area. I am so scared. Please, even if you cant send me money please send me good vibes and thoughts. I know this looks very suspicious, and I do not blame you for thinking that, but I swear I am not lying and am at the end of my rope, I really think I can't go on. Sorry, I hope I didn't make you depressed by reading this. I miss my family, but i am still weirdly mad at them? Is this normal? I have applied for medicaid and am going to try and get mental help when it gets approved it just takes forever. I would just like to ask everyone again, to send good vibes, I really feel like I cant go on and if you can send anything please do anything will help. This is very embarrasing to do, but I have no other options. On top of all this I’m just starting to transition to the woman I’ve always been so that isn’t helping either. This is the worst feeling in my life and I don’t know if it will get better is that the scary part is.

So hey there is it possible for being both as some people called me out that you can't worship Christ being a Hindu but Hinduism allows it

My church has just put out a document in which we read that “chalice lighters” (the children who light candle in the chalice at the beginning of each service) “are expected to state their pronouns.”

To my ears, “expected” sounds coercive. (A little like there might be a nun waiting in the wings to slap them with a ruler if they don’t state their pronouns). I would rather the document read “chalice lighters are encouraged (or strongly encouraged) to state their pronouns.”

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What do you all think?

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Hi everyone!

I'm a 32-year-old American woman from the South. My early years were spent attending a small Methodist church in my hometown. However, due to personal reasons linked to an experience there, I distanced myself from it. Since my mid-teens, I've identified with Secular Humanism. I also identify strongly with liberalism.

I've always been intrigued by different cultures and religious beliefs, though I personally don't subscribe to supernatural notions. A few years back, I attended some UU meetings in my previous city, but I haven't explored it again since relocating.

I'm keen to hear from fellow atheists about their experiences with the UU community. I'm genuinely looking for a group of like-minded individuals, though I admit the term "church" still brings some unease.

Your insights would be greatly appreciated!

I had a kind of tough emotional experience at church this week. My minister gave a talk about updating article 2. She said it is an exciting movement for UUs. We are changing with the time. We have identified six values that represent UU today which will replace / update the princples and sources.

The whole thing just made me feel left out, like those 'we' statements didn't really have anything to do with me.

I am emotionally invested in being a living tradition, and I was aware that the article 2 commission did a lot of work, and I have seen the six values. None of that was a surprise. And I'm not here to fight change.

What was surprising to me was how it made me feel. Being informed "we" as a religion are going through these changes made me feel ...alone? Irrelevant. It's such a contrast to the 8th princinple project which had so much positive discussion, which each church was invited to opt into.

I'm wondering if anyone else is experiencing the same or has words of wisdom for me.

We have a local UU Congregation and I have been a few times trying to decide if it's for me or not. The last time I went, a lady in charge of various committees came up to the microphone and started yelling at people and swearing saying what the hell is wrong with all of you and why don't you come to the things I set up. Sounds like she is in charge of various meet ups, maybe work parties or fund raising things, and she clearly just got fed up that not enough were attending.

What got me though is it seemed perfectly normal and nobody batted an eye to her yelling at and swearing at everyone in the room. Not a very respectful way to be heard and if I'm honest it really put me off to that Congregation and I haven't been back since.

Does this kind of thing happen often? Was it an unusual thing? 🤔

This is pretty detailed so my apologies for the length…you should see my emails. :)

Our congregation has been experimenting with a version of Whole Worship where all ages are present for the entire service. Young children (ages 1-6 or so) sit on rugs at the front of the sanctuary to the foot of the podium playing with toys, wriggling and interacting as young kids do. Throughout the room there are a handful of very young children in their parents’ arms.

There are between 5 and 10 young kids at every service. They do have one role near the end of the service when they drop stones in water before a moment of silence.

There have been concerns voiced by a substantial proportion of the congregation: the moment of silence is never silent, the kids are a constant distraction during the message, and the lack of an alternate place for children during the service does two things - it puts a burden on families who want their children to be in a kid friendlier space during the service and does not offer targeted religious education for kids.

We used to have the first portion of the service for whole worship and then the kids would go to the lower floor - which is 80% child oriented art, education and play spaces - for religious education / kid social time.

Although church leadership claims our form of whole worship is common in UU, the group who has been disenchanted with the state of affairs has been unable to find any congregation who is currently doing service this way.

Has your congregation tried whole worship in this manner?

If so - Has your church stuck with it? How have you dealt with the distractions and noises young children provide?

Church leadership has decided to offer two services - one at 10 geared towards kids, fellowship between and a second service at 11:15. With less than 100 active members it is hard to see how this works long term so maybe there is another way we haven’t considered.

Thanks for getting this far and have a great day / week / season.

Recently I was involved as a designer with a UU church. One of the members took a disliking to me and sent my personal information to the congregation, including my name, phone, email, address, and financial information. She then claimed I was unprofessional, scamming the organization, and mentally unhealthy.

The board and congregation believed her. They fired me.

The way this congregation treated me was abysmal, I've never experienced anything like it in my nearly 50 years of life. I've never had a design client treat me this bad, ever. And I've worked with well over a hundred with marketing, design and consulting.

What I want to know is ...

Does the UU condone stigmatizing mental health?

Has this happened in your congregation / fellowship? If so, how was it handled?

If not, what is the best policy for addressing this?

I've reached out the the local conference and to the main headquarters about this.

As it stands for me and how I was treated, I'm not seeing any difference between UU and any other toxic organized religion. And unless there is accountability within the organization, I'll not attend any UU ever again.

Edit : Some extra info and I wanted to add that this has been a massively demoralizing, soul-crushing experience. The way UU presents itself makes it seem very welcoming and inclusive, and my wife and I had intentions of joining as members. There is no way we want to associate with abusive people and those who enable it. Stigmatizing mental health is hate speech.

My fiancée and I are getting married in September next year. Neither of us are baptised, nor Church-goers but we would like to share our relationship with a higher power so have chosen to be married in a Church. My family is Anglican, so we have booked a date with our local Anglican Church.

When it comes to my own spirituality, I strongly align with the beliefs of Unitarian Universalists. I believe in a higher power, appreciate the principles of Christianity, Humanism and when travelling, have always revered the sacred spaces of all religions - from Shinto to Buddhist to Muslim, with the highest regard. I believe that wherever I pray, or connect, that higher power will hear me.

Our priest is liberal and doesn't expect us to be baptised. However, he has offered baptism is we are interested. In terms of connecting with God, something is calling me to be baptised. I feel as though it will be a symbolic gesture of my spirituality that I've never undertaken in my life before, as it has been an entirely personal journey.

Despite this, however, my beliefs are so liberal, I feel I would completely lack integrity by being baptised. My fiancée and I, for instance, have a live-in relationship and this will not change. I also believe that humans are human and much of the strict 'rules' purported by Christianity doesn't reflect the multitude of experiences, mistakes, learnings, growth etc. that encompass being human.

And yet still, I feel an urge to have that connect with god solidified in baptism - even though I will not live my life according to the rules of a strict Christian Church. I feel in such a crisis and the experience has left me with so much shame, even though usually, I feel comfortable with my choices and life. I don't feel like I can be baptised unless I follow the rules exactly as it really lacks integrity.

Ironically, I have no issue with being married in the Anglican Church. I respect that space and see it it as a space of reverence that is a pathway to that higher power, due to the faith of the people who worship there.

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I'm not sure what to do, or even perhaps what I am asking because I'm having trouble even explaining my own complicated feelings around this dilemma. Any advice from your perspective is so welcome.