Just wondering what's left of Henry Ware's influence :)

I am agnostic but religions fansinate me. I want to learn more about some of them so I decided to reach out and speak with people who are members.

There are not unitarian universlists in my country (as far as I searched) so I decided to ask here. I would like to speak with somene in order to tell me about his/her religion.

Thanks in advance.

We could speak here on viber , telegram or on instagram if you want.

Anyone else thinking about spinning up a uua.social Fedi server (like Mastodon)? We could crowd fund it on Faithify. I'd want the UUA folks to be aware of it and hopefully support it, at least in spirit.

Im asking this in good faith but as a Jew I do not trust UU and dont really understand it. From my perspective, like Jews for Jesus, its essentially a Christian org that pretends its not despite having ministers, churches, celebrating Jesus, ect. I like all the left-wing aspects of UU but I have a hard time not seeing it as another way for Christians to destroy minority religions by assimilating them. I also find the using of our and others religious ceremonies and symbols and stripping them of their religious significance, presenting them as set dressing for a mostly Christian audience is offensive. Please correct me.

September 15, 2022

The Article II Study Commission is excited to share a full draft of Article II (PDF, 3 Pages) for feedback. The Study Commission's outreach team will be hosting Zoom feedback sessions in the first half of November, along with gathering feedback through a forthcoming online form for individual comments.

The Study Commission will present its final draft to the Board in January for inclusion on the agenda for General Assembly 2023. It will then be the subject of mini-Assemblies before the initial vote at GA 2023. If it passes that delegate vote by a majority, it will require a 2/3 majority vote at GA 2024 to become the new Article II of the Bylaws.

This draft makes significant changes to Article II. We invite you to read it using one of the practices we have started following in our work:

1. Read it the first time to observe how it makes you feel.
2. Read a second time, observe what it makes you think.
3. Finally read it a third time before thinking about any suggestions.

It will be ideal if you can hold suggestions until the online form is available so that they can be more easily gathered and read. But do feel free to direct questions to [changemanager@uua.org](mailto:changemanager@uua.org)

Zoom Feedback Session Registration

• Saturday, 11/05 at 3 p.m. Eastern
• Sunday, 11/06 at 2 p.m. Eastern
• Tuesday, 11/08 at 10 p.m. Eastern
• Wednesday, 11/09 at 8 p.m. Eastern
• Thursday, 11/10 at 7 p.m. Eastern
• Saturday, 11/12 at 3 p.m. Eastern
• Sunday, 11/13 at 2 p.m. Eastern
• Monday, 11/14 at 9 p.m Eastern

Last week several members from our local UU had our first unofficial atheist meeting. We all had a great time, and have decided to meet every few weeks and try to build a secular community in our congregation. The problem is we have no idea how this will look in practice. We all enjoy the social aspect of hanging out with like minded people, but as far as possibilities for affinity groups or ways to contribute to a service we don't have any refrence of how that looks. If anyone has a humanist group at their UU I would love to hear about your experiences.

I have gone back and forth about pursuing a M.Div. for nearly 20 years. I had once gotten to the point where I was applying to several programs but rescinded my applications and pursued doctoral work in Psychology instead (I'm a Psychologist, by training and practice).

That said, I read, most often, about Unitarian and Universalist history and often find myself writing and drafting sermons but never delivering them anywhere, even as a layperson--mostly because we don't have a Congregation or CC in my Rural area.

I'm happy in my role as a Psychologist, but often wonder if it'd be possible to "do both" [i.e., become a part-time UU minister or associate AND practice as a psychologist].

If I pursued the M.Div., I'd want to complete via a part time option online at either ML, SK, or HDS (I know HDS is a FT program, and unlikely to work out).

Any thoughts? Any seminarians with advice? Comments about their own experiences with PT M.Div at ML or SK?

I notice that the moderators of this liberal religion forum censor the voices of minority and marginalized UUs if their beliefs are different from the moderators. I also ironically notice that the minister moderator of this forum is a white man.

Perhaps the moderators can explain what "centering the voices of minorities and marginalized peoples" actually means. In practice here, it appears to mean centering the voices of minorities who follow your personal views. The idea that minority UUs should only have and express one view is an ignorant, condescending, narrow-minded, and, frankly, bigoted philosophy.

I have noticed other racial and ethnic minorities in this forum have expressed that they left their UU congregations because of the expectations of narrow ideological and political conformity. Such expectations of conformity, censorship, and "we only welcome and listen to minorities who believe what we expect them to believe" makes UU only more unwelcoming to most minorities. This is in particular as the prevailing expressed UUA positions run counter to the views of most minorities in this country.

Many white privileged American progressives have had a long history of arrogantly and condescendingly informing minorities "what they should believe" "for their own good." The new UUA, new UU ministers, "white allies" and this forum appear to be continuing this self-righteous tradition.

This is how you create a really tiny church, and, ironically, a really tiny church that most minorities in this country will not want to join.

It appears that the UUA and many UU ministers have forgotten what liberal religion means.

​

Prolegomenon to undermining the foundations/fundamentals of science

http://gamahucherpress.yellowgum.com/wp-content/uploads/undermining-the-foundations-of-science.pdf

or

https://www.scribd.com/document/591616840/Prolegomenon-to-Undermining-the-Foundations-of-Science

The greatest scholar of our time Magister colin leslie dean

Magister colin leslie dean the only modern Renaissance man with 9 degrees including 4 masters: B,Sc, BA, B.Litt(Hons), MA, B.Litt(Hons), MA, MA (Psychoanalytic studies), Master of Psychoanalytic studies, Grad Cert (Literary studies)

"[Deans] philosophy is the sickest, most paralyzing and most destructive thing that has ever originated from the brain of man."

"[Dean] lay waste to everything in its path... [It is ] a systematic work of destruction and demoralization... In the end it became nothing but an act of sacrilege.

Where does UU find its greatest spiritual depth?

I'm a preacher's kid from the Midwest living in Hawaii. I'm a member of a Friends Meeting and a Jodo Shinshu Buddhist temple, having been a member for about 50 years and 7 years respectively. I'm aware that spiritual depth can be elusive (or for that matter illusive).

A UU Minister answers the question (From 2009):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1NPVPLuM70

I don’t want to be a pillar of the community

Propping up the establishment

Maintaining the existing structures

I want to be a pillow of the community

Bringing comfort to those who need rest

A soft spot for animals to curl up

A gentle resting place for those who labour

A place of ease

A place of comfort

A place of love

Not a pillar, a pillow

(Feedback welcome - I wrote this after reading Terry Pratchett “Making Money”) edit because formatting on cellphones sucks.

The minister who runs the nonprofit gang rehab org “Hugs Not Thugs” is introduced as Unitarian Universalist: “those fools are like hippies, but angry.” Great description of us, and a fun show.

Paradigm shift in biology

https://www.simplypsychology.org/Kuhn-Paradigm.html

Scientists accept the dominant paradigm until anomalies are thrown up. Scientists then begin to question the basis of the paradigm itself, new theories emerge which challenge the dominant paradigm and eventually one of these new theories becomes accepted as the new paradigm.

Magister colin leslie dean has destroyed your biology with one sentence

you accept species

you accept species hybridization

thus

species hybridization-anomalies- contradicts the notion of species-thus making evolution ie evolving species nonsense

thus

a paradigm shift is required to take account of the fact that species and evolution are in fact nonsense

So why have no biologists in says the last 150 years seen the obvious which the Magister proves

evolution is nonsense ie evolving species because species is nonsense because of species hybridization so what is a species

Scientific reality is textual

http://gamahucherpress.yellowgum.com/wp-content/uploads/Scientific-reality-is-textual.pdf

or

https://www.scribd.com/document/572639157/Scientific-Reality-is-Textual

just a definition

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/species/

"A species is often defined as a group of organisms that can reproduce naturally with one another and create fertile offspring"

but

but species hybridization contradicts

that

https://kids.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frym.2019.00113

"When organisms from two different species mix, or breed together, it is known as hybridization"

"Fertile hybrids create a very complex problem in science, because this breaks a rule from the Biological Species Concept"

so the definition of species is nonsense

note

when Biologist cant tell us what a species is -without contradiction thus evolution theory ie evolving species is nonsense

evolution is a myth

Lengthy and detailed essay, including how the UUA has transformed into an illiberal democracy

"Intolerance and Illiberalism in Unitarian Universalism"

My dad recently told me about his experience with this specific church (he grew up in LA and his parents were members of it) and there was one part in particular that interests me: he told me that the pastor (or what ever they call it for non-religious groups) used to come by his house around dinner time and the "pastor" sat around the table with his whole family and try and talk about his feelings and stuff. He was very young and couldn't recall much. My dad told me he talked about this with his brother (who was also there) and asked him what was going on, but before his brother could tell him the conversation broke off.
I would now like to know if any of you guys and girls have the answer. This was in the seventees and they probably dont do this know anymore, so unless you've lived it, you probably won't know.

If so what did you think of it? Thoughts about it online?

Hi all. I will be in Seattle this coming Sunday and am interested in finding a church to visit. I know nothing about the area and I see there are three congregations in town.

Which is a good one to visit as a first-timer in the area? Bonus points if one of you is a member of one of them and wants to make a connection.

Peace be upon you,

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No words, really. Just wanting to put this down somewhere.

I've been attending a local UU's services via zoom for the last few months and yesterday they held a newcomers class. It was my first time going there in-person and as a socially anxious person I was...well socially anxious. But everyone there was super sweet and inclusive (I mean...of course, that's a staple of UU). It was nice hearing stories from other who had left Christianity for various reasons and found UU. There was a lot of overlap with my own story, and for once in my life I didn't feel like an outsider.

This is a very rural, Christian conservative area and in a lot of ways it's very lonely being a liberal agnostic. But there I was in a tiny chapel with a bunch of other like-minded folks. I could refer to myself freely as an agnostic without feeling like I was being judged or misunderstood. It meant a lot to me.

Within an hour I was invited to join the tech committee, to help with Zoom stuff, so I guess I'm part of that now :D Not even a full-blown member yet, and they want me to get involved. I'm happy to. Growing up, my dad was very involved in our Christian church and helped run the soundboard during service. Glad to be able to carry on that familial tradition :)

I'm a practicing Jew (Reform). I have attended a UU congregation for a number of years where I have taught an adult education course on antisemitism. I’d written the following two essays explaining how the UUA’s new racial essentialism, illiberalism, dogmatism and attempts to politicize the religion make UU increasingly unwelcoming to most Jews. The first essay was used in the course and is included in my congregation's racial justice resources.

Two Jewish friends with similar feelings and complaints about the national UU left their UU congregations in the last year. I've stayed because my congregation still champions liberal religion and congregations as independent entities, and allows and respects the expression of the diversity of views of its members.

Is the UUA’s Anti-Racism Model Anti-Semitic?

How Intolerance, Censorship and Dogmatism Make Unitarian Universalism Increasingly Unwelcoming to Jews

This is a throwaway account

So without giving too much away. I (27M) recently started attending a UU church in my area about 7-8 months ago. I quickly learned they were in a transitional period and felt like it would be a good time to join. It was apparent that the congregation was significantly older, 70+, but I had no qualms with that; however, my consistent presence I think has upset some of the members.

I am the kind of person who needs to be involved in order to feel a since of belonging. I desperately tried to find more info about events, get togethers, etc., but quickly learned the only way to really get that information was talking with people. So I did and I got involved helping plan activities just so I could know what was happening. This was fine for awhile, but then I kept constantly hear about how there were only a few leaders doing a lot and people, both from the church and the broader community, weren't showing up to things.

I think more than anything these comments really frustrated me because I really try to help and be there.

Recently there was a meeting which involved all those who were doing things within the church. Yet again there was this overarching tone of lack of leadership or outreach/ marketing for events. This also included statements about how we want the congregation to grow, especially with families, and I sat in that meeting thinking about all the ways I have offered to help, yet there was hardly ever any follow through.

I understand I am a gung-ho kind of person, but when all these people fail to utilize me, continue to complain, and then talk about how they want growth near my demographic I'm left utterly frustrated. I understand that it may sound like I'm being overbearing, but really try to understand and respect that I am fairly new to the church. I am not trying to implement really any change. I just want to be involved and help, and for some reason it feels like that is a bad thing or there is this imaginary line I have to cross before I am fully allowed to contribute.

There is another church in town, but it is significantly bigger and that really deters me as I have only really gone to smaller churches. I just feel like if I am going to continue going to this church I am going to have to pull back significantly and that really defeats the point of going for me.

I know younger people in general seem to have a hard time with this religion, but I really like it and I want other people to like it. However, if they are going to continue this pattern of behavior why on earth would I invite others?

I don't know if anyone else has gone through this before or how they handled it, but I would really appreciate different perspectives.

From the author: "The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) is attempting to both increase general UU membership and greatly increase racial minority membership. While the goals are admirable, the UUA’s approach is ill-conceived and likely to fail."

https://davidcycleback.com/2022/05/05/why-the-uua-is-doomed-to-fail/

I'm still figuring out if UU is the right path for me. I've been thinking a lot about the first principle and how challenging that can actually be.

Of course it informs us that actions which violate the worth and dignity of the individual ought to be condemned and never tolerated, actions including but not limited to murder, rape, child molestation, assault, abuse, discrimination, white supremacy and many others. But that's the easy part, isn't it?

But how are we to affirm the worth and dignity of even the people who themselves have commited these acts, ie. the rapists, murders, assaulters and oppressors? To my mind, the first principle firstly rejects the idea that anybody is "born evil", and that every person has the inherent potential for goodness.

Secondly, it seems to inform that even in the case of someone who has commited terrible actions and needs to face the consequences of those actions (for example being removed from society and placed somewhere where they can't cause further harm) we still have a moral obligation to see the human being and that we ought to oppose capital punishment or any form of cruel and unusual punishment and that the first aim of justice should always be rehabilitative/restorative rather than punitive for the sake of vengeance.

I also have the thought that harmful actions themselves are not the result of some supernatural evil, but rather (often but not always) the result of traumas, mental defects, mental illness, and other factors that a society is better able to address when we do recognize that every person has inherent worth and dignity. That's not to say that people don't have personal responsibility for their actions, but rather that we shouldn't dehumanize anybody, regardless of what they have done, as a pretext to treat them as though they are some kind of monster rather than human.

Lastly, I suspect the first principle is the first precisely because it is challenging and difficult, and it does present certain paradoxes.

I don't know really what other UU's think of all this. I don't know if this is what is actually meant in the first principle. Maybe I have it all wrong? What are your thoughts? Would this community be a good place for me?

EDIT: I want to thank the people who have shared their thoughts with me, on this post and others I have made recently. I have come to the conclusion that UU is not the path for me. I simply cannot reconcile the first principle, and the contradictions I see within it, with my own view and experience of human nature. Nor can I with those I see in some of the other principles as well. In some ways I admire you all. But I don't think I'm one of you. So I think I'll return to the outskirts, and wander for a while longer.

because so far, the answer I'm getting is no, not really. I'm sensing a lot of using the fourth principle as an excuse to be either outright phobic or to "both sides" issues of bigotry. See:

https://old.reddit.com/r/UUreddit/comments/ualfsr/is_there_a_specific_reason_for_the_existence_of/i6j1n2q/?context=10000

I'm honestly not trying to stir anything up, I just feel disappointed rn.

What I mean is has there been some point(s) of contention in the past or some sort of schism? I notice this sub has more moderators.

edit: I've also come across UUnderstanding and what I've seen there sems pretty disturbing and very alt-right to me. Just trying to understand if UU is a good path or a good fit for me...

I've made other posts this evening if anyone wants to check those out and offer any feedback.

How does one deal when struggling with the principles, most specifically the first two?

I'm finding it hard to find worth and dignity in certain people...

I'm finding it hard to deal with certain people compassionately...

These certain people mean me and people close to me harm. I've got friends that are LGBTQ+ and I will defend them and their rights, using violence if necessary.

That doesn't sound too UU to me.

What do you do when you're confronted with certain people that go so far against your beliefs that you find it hard to feel any sort of worth in them?

All faiths are welcome, small group of 4000+ members, for religious discussions and general chats.

Official Discord: https://discord.gg/theology

Partner website chat: thechat.cafe/theology/

Hi all,

I think the title of my post says it all. Basically I believe in the trinity and I believe in the divinity of Jesus, but I am universalist. Would I be totally at odds walking into a UU church with both the people and the sermons etc? Is it common to occasionally come across a UU member or even a pastor with these beliefs? I find my beliefs really don't fit into a theological bucket very well. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Edit: Just to clarify, I never meant to be disrespectful or anything, i am an universalist and didnt mean to be offensive. I was drawn to UU because it seems more free to believe whatever you want to believe, and mix and match between different religions. I love this, and would like to spend some more time in UU circles. Thought this might be appreciated here, but if i offended anyone, I am sorry and it was not my intention. I an open to people having different religious views, an open way of looking at faith and religion. Just wanted to spread some love ❤️

Luke 3:6 "And all people will see God's salvation." (NIV)

John 17:2 "since thou hast given him power over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom thou hast given him." (RSV)

1 Corinthians 15:22[28] "For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive." (ESV)

1 John 2:2 "He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." (NIV)

Romans 5:18 "Then as one man's trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one man's act of righteousness leads to acquittal and life for all men." (RSV)

Romans 11:32[28] "For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all." (NIV)

John‬ ‭1:16‬ ”For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” (ESV)

All people shall be saved, jew and gentile, man and woman. We are all saved by the grace of God.

I'm looking for some books to share with my child - especially ones that tell about different religious stories and practices, appreciation of differences, and love of nature. Any suggestions?

My child is about 2 years old, so I'm looking for ones that would be appropriate for toddlers. But, I'm also open to favorite books for older kids too.

Unfortunately we don't live anywhere close to a UU community, so going to a congregational library isn't an option for us.

Thanks!

Hello, I'm a married man in my late 20s and expecting a baby. I used to be a devout evangelical Christian, but has grown more and more liberal over the past 5 years. I have studied buddhism and some new age-like (or should I say non-dual) traditions (such as A Course in Miracles and Seth) , and recently become more interested in psychedelics after several impactful experiences with psilocybin mushroom.

Both my wife and I are in the mental health field. We both find it hard to find local young adult friends that also have interest in progressive spirituality.

I live in Ontario, Canada. Our local UU church is mostly nice, elderly adults. The lack of people in 20s and 30s bothers me though. I really wonder why this is. Where are the spiritually-inclined younger people? Do people here have any advice for me?

Thanks.

I'm more aligned with UU than I am with liberal Christianity, and I should probably be able to find my home there, but I just cannot with my local church. Maybe I'm stuck in the past - they had a great, challenging, interesting minister years ago (he retired). I attended yesterday, the current minister tends to "scold" the congregation for all the things they aren't doing well enough (having their own beliefs, not being covenental enough, not respecting "God language" and Christianity enough, posing the possible risk that we won't do what minister wants us to do next with sufficient seriousness and reverence ). I really don't need to spend my Sunday socially distanced, in a mask, scolded, and then hustled out (because no coffee hour and no socializing permitted at this time). I'm also now wondering if minister really does respect humanists and others who aren't of minister's particular "pro-God-talk" mindset. What will we be "corrected" for next?

I want UU to survive, I think that it offers something that we need and cannot usually get elsewhere, but sometimes I look at individual churches and wonder how that will be possible.

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!

Are there any children’s books about the nativity story that don’t assume the reader is Christian? Like that are told the way the Judeo-Christian cannon tells “myths” from other traditions? Maybe with like “their king” or “their savior” instead of “our/your savior”?

My wife and I are UU and don’t consider ourselves Christian. We celebrate Christmas and want to teach our children about Christianity as well as other world religions, and don’t want to treat the Christian perspective as the default.

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

I grew up in a UU church and now learning about the Outdoor Service Guides! r/outdoorserviceguides it seems that that organization’s values line up great with how I understand UU. I’m thinking that having organized activities not centered on churchiness would be fun and help make UU more popular/accessible. What are your thoughts on this? Thanks!

I was watching this really nice sermon from a UU church in Albuquerque and the comments were just heartbreaking as all it was is from hateful Christians shoving their beliefs down our throat, claiming that we have nothing to stand on, and an empty religion and it got me thinking, have you guys faced hatred for being UU? I remember that is what happened in 2008 when a psychopath caused a shooting at a UU and he spewed almost the same hateful rhetoric these Christians are preaching.

https://youtu.be/gVAHTRW8MB0

Hey folks. I would say that after watching some sermons and reading things about the faith, I'm safe to say that I do consider myself a Unitarian Universalist and whenever I have the chance, I'm interested in going to a UU church whenever they have a service but because I've never been to one, what is the experience usually like?

I was raised Catholic so in those churches, the experience was basically full of stain-glassed windows, smells of candles and incense, and priests talking and singing in low voices about the sermons, while also donating money and doing communion, and singing mellow music. How different is it?

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]

Am I the only one who's getting tired of people, especially from evangelical Christians, who claim we are nothing but a hippie, devil-in-disguise cult, just because our beliefs are not in line with theirs? Like, I saw a few UU sermons on YouTube and a good chunk of the comments were full of hateful Christians who claim we're falling for the Devil's temptation and Christ is the answer. I'm getting tired of it so, what are your guys' best rebuttals against these hateful and judgemental people?

So I was watching on A&E the show where Leah Remini discusses how she escaped Scientology and then made a special episode where she later covers Jehovah's Witnesses and how they are a cult of repression, fear mongering, isolation, not allowing free will because it is "Satanic", emotional abuse, emotional blackmail, etc. Basically, a cult as repressive as Scientology and it got me thinking that with UUism being open-minded and allowing different religious ideas and backgrounds, is it okay to be critical of other religions because I have always been critical some religions as I personally don't like what they believe in, such as Christian Science for being anti-medicine and the Jehovah's Witnesses for what was shown in the Leah Remini series. Of course, Scientology is one I'm critical of, that's a given so almost no one likes them but even then, is it okay if you don't feel those religions practice stuff you don't like?