This is purely out of curiosity from me. Please do not complain about another poll. Lol

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I was raised in a Unitarian church, and while I still find the basic principles and values to be worthy, I haven't been a regular church attendee since my mid teens. I'm 64 now. I should state that I grew up in Silicon Valley, so that you understand that science was the focus of a lot of the people my family interfaced with. I have been atheist since a very tender age (maybe 6 or 7).

I recently started dating after a divorce, and came across a UU minister who was single. She explained the diversity of her church, including New Age spiritual people and pagans.

I always felt that the principle that we use Reason to interpret the world around us was one of the stronger components of the the Unitarian belief set. But I would consider New Age spiritualism and paganism to be too herpy-derpy to even apply Reason to figure out where they fit in the world.

Have Unitarians become too tolerant of silly things like this? What's next, astrology? I know we're supposed to be Tolerant of all, but when we compromise Reason in favor of Tolerance, we end up with mental mush.

What do you think?

The comedy series Pen15 actually has a UU main character whose church isn't treated like a joke (hey, Simpsons!). I've never seen that before to this extent (this is where you feel free to tell me I'm missing some obvious reference).

(NPR story where creator/star Anna Konkle mentions UU background, warning for sexual content)

Now, I know it's not a show for everyone (gets pretty uncomfortable at times, but is hilarious IMO), but it was super refreshing this season just to see a UU church youth group, some UU stuff in the community, and even a UU service, like you would any other religion that a character happened to be part of. Chalices in the background and all.

Two discussion questions:

Did the youth group give anyone else flashbacks to their '90s/early 2000s YRUU or RE experience?

And equally important, does anyone's real church have quilts draped on all the pews? It seems like something we'd do. 😉

Lately, I have been a spiritual wanderer sort to speak attempting to find a place that best fits my understanding of spirituality, ethics, morals, etc.

For while (since 2016), I’ve been as involved as I can with many religious communities attempting to find what fit the best.

Admittedly, I was reluctant to embrace the UU church. Not because it was a bad option, quite the contrary actually, but because I felt for some reason my beliefs already existed in full in some crevice of a pre-established religion with it’s own book or doctrine detailing a comprehensive theology, etc.

To my dismay that doesn’t seem to be the case. Atleast not in a mainstream sense.

I come from a Mahayana Buddhist background. The Dharmic religions always seemed to have made the most sense to me but I’ve always appreciated Abrahamic religions as well. I still have a great interest in them.

I also am very much interested in the occult and esoteric world concepts. I also have a background in New Ageism and upon recently learning it’s esoteric ties I enjoy their ideas very much.

Ultimately, because I haven’t made a decision I lack what I really want in a religion which is a sense of community to share and discuss beliefs with people but also put into practice in a very real and tangible way of helping people.

It does concern me how UU doesn’t have a holy text, rituals, etc but that’s only because that’s what I often associate a religious body to have. However, I guess in this case it’s a good thing because it alleviates the church from being dogmatic.

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I live about 45 min out from KC (Kansas side). There is a local UU congregation where i live, but they are still closed due to COVID, and there were no people my age in the Zoom service I went to, and that makes connecting with others and making friends hard. So, I figured I would expand my search. Are there any good UU congregations in KC? I have been watching some services of All Souls Unitarian in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and noticed that there's a congregation of the same name in KC. Are they affiliated or similar at all? Thanks!

So, from what I've seen of it so far, I love UU. Very inclusive and socially open. However, I understand that there is not such an emphasis on God and the Divine. For me, I feel like it might be important to be a part of a congregation that emphasizes God more. But I do have a particular idea of God- namely, I would call myself a Unitarian (which already excludes most Christian traditions) Panentheist. A lot of traditions within Brahmanism, Sufism, Judaism, and others have similar ideas about God. I have been attracted to a few different religions- Bahai, Buddhism, Sikhism, even Islam and Hinduism- but when I dig deeper I usually find something or another that keeps me from converting. So my question is this: Is there a congregation/religion that is socially and intellectually open like UU, while maintaining intellectual honesty, while also emphasizing an approach to God similar to what I've described? Bonus if the congregation is not super boring (sorry for bluntness) and/or has a strong community and/or actually does stuff for their community. This may be a hard ask. Thanks in advance!

I have an interest in possibly attending a Unitarian Universalist Church in the future if I get the opportunity, but I curious of what the average service is like. I’m not Christian (ex Catholic), and I’m worried it could just be like a nondenominational Protestant service. Thank you for any answers

Our nuclear family is mixed faith. I was raised Catholic, still consider myself Catholic, but I am also a perennialist, who respects and loves to study the truth at the core of all faiths.

Would it be frowned upon to take my family to a UUC, while I continue to go to church from time to time at my Catholic parish as well?

R. Rapey (R. Kelly) did some of the most disgusting abuse of children I have seen since reading the accounts a man gave of his mother's abuse in A Child It. Teenage Children were forced to eat feces and drink urine and engage in bondage.

What type of Charities could I contact for my Church to help me and my church help could help black victims of child sexual abuse like R. Rapey's?

Dear Governor Newsom:

I have a weird and fantastic idea for your consideration. Today I was listening to news radio and a report said the homeless epidemic is the No. 1 concern for most Californians. Later, I read an article about how luxury cruise ships are retired and sent to "grave yards" to be dismantled. I put one and one together and I came up with the following idea.

Like in FDR's New Deal, help for the country must come from the top down. So why doesn't California buy some of the ships destined to be retired and provide centralized housing to the "unhoused and destitute" while the ships are anchored in local ports. I've noticed that the epidemic seems most critical in very popular port towns.

I don't know if you've ever been on a cruise ship but most of the rooms are not luxurious. Yet, they can provide a safe haven to single men and women.

Currently, Italy is using a cruise ship as a prison. I do not mean lets jail the homeless. Not by any measure of this suggestion. Yet, a room, a bed, shower, and centralized ammenities, medical care, and resources may be the 1st step to helping willing and able bodied people come back to us whole. The ships are huge and like some of our military ships, they are similar to small cities.

We need to get aggressive to fight the current tent cities and the dehumanization felt by our fellow Americans...all the while giving people the tools, to "learn how to fish".

I reiterate, let’s do this only for willing partincipants... the destitute trying to regain their place in society. As such, the stay for participants should be finite and the participants should be treated with the upmost respect. Everyone needs a little help at some time.

It is more cost effective to renting rooms at local hotels and motels and as such, the residents should be able to board and go off board at their convenience... hopefully to look for jobs.

This type of unconventional tactic might be the key to fixing our current state of emergency all the while at a good cost and in the absolute benefit to our residents and the state.

Best regards,

[u/TonyinLB]