My fiancée is a Christian and I am a Satanist. Looking for a place we could both be comfortable.

I’m new to exploring UU, and I’m wondering, is UU considered Christian? I explored a lot of UU church websites, It seems to me that some UU church’s in my area are interfaith while others identify as Christian UU. Are there often faith differences between UU churches? Do Christian UU’s rely on the Bible?

This is a wild shot in the dark, I really don't think there are many of us here almost everyone I know has gone back to the USA.

I miss going to church a lot, and because I am UU (meaning that I can and have gone to Christian churches, mosques, ashrams etc) it's not really the same. It always feels there is something missing, know what I mean? Like I love Jesus, but when I go to church I miss Buddha. I hope you here know what I mean, it's weird explaining this to monotheist folk (what do you mean you worship more than one God?)

Anyway, no shame blame or prejudice to another (which would be against the Principles) but I want to meet and connect to other fellow UUs. I have joined the Discord which I think is a start?

May all be blessed in peace and light.

The 6th principle states, "the goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all."

Is the 6th principle speaking in favor of a world federation?

What is your favorite UU Guiding Principle and why? How have you applied it in your life today?

https://www.uua.org/beliefs/what-we-believe/principles

When the pandemic began, UUA president Susan Frederick-Gray released a statement encouraging congregations to prepare for planning virtual services through May 2021. Recognizing just how long it may be for this pandemic may last.

Last month my church had a congregational meeting regarding reopening our church building to in-person services, intending to do a hybrid of in-person and virtual via Zoom. Should we reopen, we would likely be socially distant with masks and no congregational singing.

It seemed like we were going to reopen by the end of May or beginning of June. Although I've just been told by a couple members we may not reopen until the end of September since the summer is often a downtime for our minister, board and other leaders.

What has been discussed within your congregations regarding reopening? Something similar?

Happy Easter to those who celebrate! I am curious about how you celebrate Easter and align it with your beliefs.

As a UU child I grew up celebrating Easter as my parents had both been raised Christian and my extended family still were. As an adult, I'm now faced with this holiday I traditionally celebrate, yet it always feels rather hollow to me since I don't believe in the religious aspect. Sure, I enjoy the secular aspects of eating good food, and I usually think of it as a time to greet the spring and connect to a more earth-centered practice. I know there are good UU sermons about celebrating new life. Yet I still feel a little weird doing this all still around Easter. Am curious to hear any thoughts about how you approach it.

What are you doing to make your congregations safer for trans folx? We may already be there and you don't even know it. Or we walk in the door, and get scared and leave because we see all the signs of welcoming, but receive anything but welcoming upon arrival. So what are you doing to make your congregations safer for trans folx?

Hi!

I’d like to ask are there any UUs from Finland in this subreddit? I’m interested in UU and it would be nice to talk with someone.

To read the report:

Here is the pdf https://www.uua.org/sites/live-new.uua.org/files/widening_the_circle-text_with_covers.pdf

And html with audio (you have to click on the link for each chapter) https://www.uua.org/uuagovernance/committees/cic/widening

To purchase a hard copy: https://www.uuabookstore.org/Widening-the-Circle-of-Concern-P18686.aspx

To participate in the discussion:

There is a UU Discord, there’s a link in the side bar. If you need an invite, please click this link: https://discord.gg/9d4EwJK

We’ve created a channel for the discussion which will be locked until the date and time of our meeting. In the meantime the discord is a nice place.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

For Reddit Only Discussion: I will post a series of discussion threads starting May 1!

Tell us about it!

I'm an... atheopagan... secular... agnostic... something like that. I love a lot of the social justice work my local UU is doing and I do miss being a part of a religious community.

Couple things though:

• How many non-Christians are involved in UU actually? I went to a couple services pre-Covid and everything was super nice and accepting, but it did feel very... Christian. Which is fine! Nothing against it, I just wonder how well non-Christians actually fit in.
• I really don't want to go to services. I like the community groups and activism, I even like the post-service mingle with tea and coffee. I think the services just brought up some bad memories and feelings for me. And I hate the singing. Are there people involved in UU that don't go to the services?
• Are there a lot of childless 20 and 30 somethings around? I don't want kids and I'm under 40 and it was another thing that made me sort of... stick out.

I'm aware different congregations will have different vibes and that's cool. I'm just curious what others' experiences have been.

Thanks!

To read the report:

Here is the pdf https://www.uua.org/sites/live-new.uua.org/files/widening_the_circle-text_with_covers.pdf

And html with audio (you have to click on the link for each chapter) https://www.uua.org/uuagovernance/committees/cic/widening

To purchase a hard copy: https://www.uuabookstore.org/Widening-the-Circle-of-Concern-P18686.aspx

To participate in the discussion:

There is a UU Discord, there’s a link in the side bar. If you need an invite, please click this link: https://discord.gg/9d4EwJK

We’ve created a channel for the discussion which will be locked until the date and time of our meeting. In the meantime the discord is a nice place.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Can we please put a moratorium on Stone Soup? I've heard it in sermons. I've heard it in children's services. I've heard it from guest preachers. I've heard it from guest speakers. Enough!

​

(Joking, mostly. But c'mon folks. Enough.)

I’m an atheist who recently heard out Unitarian Universalism. I’m not exactly looking to join a church, as Groucho Marx used to say, I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member. Nonetheless I enjoy learning about religions so I kept reading on about it.

At first glance UU sounds like a religious humanist group that studies the world’s religion from a “Jeffersonian” stand point. The mileage of wisdom one can find in any giving religion will vary, but it’s an intriguing idea for a religious group.

From my research I gathered two things. One, that the UU churches are more interested in social justice activism then actual religious studies and two, the faith they seem most interested is neopaganism or “Earth-centered religion.” As I’m sure you know, there is even a sub-set of UUs called CUUPS that focuses solely on paganism. This contradicts my original understanding of UUs as humanists. Humanism denies the existence of the supernatural, neopaganism doesn’t.

In a humanist “church” I expected to hear lessons focused on the naturalist aspects of religion, like Jesus’ words in forgiveness or the Buddha’s teachings on self realization. Paganism does teach some naturalist philosophy, like do no harm, but from what I gather UU pagans are big on pagan rituals which are rooted in a belief that these rituals can curb the trajectory of your life, or the events in the world at large. In short, it’s supernatural thinking.

As for the political activism, Now I’m not saying a congregation being active on social issues is inherently a bad thing, but I get enough politics elsewhere in my life. Plus not everyone has a bleeding heart and that’s ok. From what I gathered, the UU churches are all about being activists. As an introvert, I’m out.

I guess the point of this all is to ask, is this an accurate impression of UUism? And if so how did the church go from believing in universal salvation & denying the Trinity to a progressivist pagan church??? Is everyone in the church happy with the direction the church has taken or is there dissent?

Also, to be clear, different strokes for different folks. My impression of UUism is that it’s not for me, but if it works for you I’m happy for you.

Here is the pdf https://www.uua.org/sites/live-new.uua.org/files/widening_the_circle-text_with_covers.pdf

And html with audio (you have to click on the link for each chapter) https://www.uua.org/uuagovernance/committees/cic/widening

I recently (today) made the decision to become a Unitarian Universalist. I have spent the past few weeks researching UUism and had one question that I couldn't really find an answer to: what do y'all think of the paradox of tolerance, or the idea that "if a society is tolerant without limit, its ability to be tolerant is eventually seized or destroyed by the intolerant"? Do you think that UUism and society at large is immune to that because if we're tolerant enough, the intolerant would eventually get annoyed and voluntarily leave or should we do something to actively discourage intolerance? I personally think that we should tolerate intolerant ideas until the people who hold these ideas start acting on them but I'm not sure if that's the best solution and would really like to hear some alternate ideas. Thanks!

If so, tell me about yourselves, like why you joined, etc

I consider myself an Agnostic Deist. And this looks like a very nice community

Hi all, I am not a UU member but I hope it's okay if I talk about some things I'm feeling. I just need some community and I am really struggling to find it. I had a friend who was a UU member, and it seemed like a very accepting place, so I thought I would at least reach out.

I started reading the Bible seriously for the first time about a month or so ago, and playing with Christianity has given me a sense of faith that I've never known before. I feel like it gives me a new kind of strength to help me move through life, and I feel like I can love myself now, because I know that God loves me. I've wanted to interact with other Christians in some kind of community, but honestly it feels like they don't want me.

To be blunt: I'm bisexual, and lets just say I'm pretty far left on a lot of issues. My family, and other Christians on reddit, don't really take kindly to either of those aspects of my personality, and they see God as in agreement with them. In reading the Bible though, I'm understanding God to be all-loving, compassionate, and generous... and a lot of people I've interacted with don't seem to agree. Others have said that God doesn't love me because of my sin, but I really don't understand how an omnibenevolent God's love can be conditional, or that He 'picks favorites' among us.

Reading the Bible makes me feel inspired, but interacting with Christians has made me feel like I and so many others are not worthy of God's love. I've felt dull all day, wondering whether I'm lying to myself, and God really doesn't love me.

Are there other queer people in the UU Church that have had similar experiences with Christianity? Has UU been helpful to you? Would you recommend joining UU? If so, what are some starting points or texts to consider?

Thank you for taking the time to read this and consider my situation, it really means a lot to be able to talk about this with lovingkindness. Stay well

? for y’all. So apparently one the UUA board members turned out to have been running fake non-profits and some internet scams. Once the truth was revealed she went underground and up and deleted all her SM as a means of damage ctrl. Seems like a real prob having someone charged with governing a large, well funded non-profit be involved with financial fraud. Does anyone know if board members can be recalled when stuff like this happens? Like is that even an option? It’s disturbing to think they could’ve slipped threw the cracks like this. Don’t we vet board candidates or something?

I'm trying to grow my children's at home library! What are some of your favorite children's books that go along nicely with UU? They don't have to be explicitly Unitarian Universalist, but if they are that's great too!

I make the "prelude" videos for our congregation's Sunday services. They're basically animated slideshows with motion graphics, text, and music, and I've been mostly displaying the UU 7 principles.

But now I want to feature inspiring/thought-provoking quotes from UU leaders/ministers/authors etc.

What are some of your favorite sources for UU-related quotes? Thanks!

Tell us about it!

Hello! I'm new here and new to UU. It's hard to get connected during a pandemic but I've been watching some of the online sermons for the UU group I think I want to "try" when it meets in person again.

My husband and I are expecting our first kiddo soon and I really want to get plugged into a community. I grew up Protestant and it was such a huge, beautiful part of my life except in all the ways it wasn't. But I want that community again and I don't want to be grasping at straws trying to figure things out - I want to gather with folks who have shared values and I want that for my kiddo.

My husband grew up Quaker and is still a bit interested in that but he's less interested in community than me. It just wasn't something he ever had growing up with church and it didn't become that important to him.

I've gone to a few Christian churches before by myself and even the ones that were a lot more liberal leaning were really rude about the fact that my husband didn't come with me. What are UU thoughts on that? I don't want to push him if he doesn't feel it's important for his spirituality and he's totally open to me going and to me taking our kiddo, he just doesn't want the social side. Is that going to be okay?

Tell us about it!

My friend Jay Kiskel is running for a seat on the UUA board of trustees. His platform is pro-democracy, starting with his own campaign. There haven't been any elections for trustees since 2012. All current trustees were appointed without votes. Here is Jay's candidacy statement.

https://fifthprincipleproject.org/2021/02/12/candidate-for-uua-board-of-trustees/

I'm excited/anxious but I asked my minister if it were possible to have a renaming ceremony during the service. They said we could definitely do something like that and that they'll get back to me about the next steps.

I feel that it's kind of self-absorbed or self-centered but I keep being told that it's okay to celebrate myself and important milestones in life.

So yeah anyway I'm interested to see how this shapes up if it happens.

It went well!! Nice songs, nice lesson, and nice people

I attend UU online. Most of the congregation are seniors and I’m 18.

Since I can’t attend in person, I would have no way of knowing if there are people my age.

It’s possibly that there are people my age at my church and I just don’t know it, or since it’s online, they just haven’t been attending.

I started attending UU during the pandemic so I haven’t had a chance to meet people or talk to anyone, other than attend the meetings. (I have Panic Disorder so I haven’t the courage to attend a small prayer group online yet when they do breakout rooms in the zoom call).

But I would like to get to know some people. Just don’t really know how to go about doing that.

I’m 16 almost 17 so ig I could join zoom meetings for now. Any thing I can also do?

I am best described as agnostic. I grew up in a very Christian home and due to the sheer stress and pain it caused I just left. I am not anti theist just apathetic towards religion. I only go to church when I am with my parents. However, a lot of research shows that going to church is good for a sense of community and developing discipline. It also seems somewhat beneficial to raise children in such environments. I disagree with the dogmatic nature of a lot of Christianity and but I am too culturally separate from other world religions like Islam and Buddhism.

I was about to give up hope and came across UU. What are the main principles and goals of UU? Is it appropriate for agnostics? How strong is the sense of community? How regular are church services etc? Is it heavily involved in politics (as a church, not as individuals) or does it remain somewhat apolitical? Anything else I need to know?

I am an Agnostic Atheist but I think I’m interested in this religion. I don’t believe in the supernatural but although I’m atheist for the most part, I wouldn’t fully deny the possibility of a higher power or maybe even an afterlife. This seems like a chill religion and I would like ya’ll to tell me more about it and what I could do in it.

I can't be the only one who sees Satan as a liberation figure way within reactionary Christian narratives when viewing them from the outside. Maybe it's a queer/trans thing and a weird juxtaposition of reclaiming religious iconography that's used as slurs? For reference, my position on the god claim is agnostic atheism founded in the principles of scientific skepticism. That aside, I dunno... I just spent so many years getting told that I'm either the spawn of Satan or the spawn of a demon on account of my transness and my only response anymore is...

"...okay. That's pretty punk rock, I guess," before going back to talking about whatever radical stuff I was talking about before.

TW: Transphobia, racism, rape, state violence, general venting of frustration, scremming into social media void

Fair warning: I will block any user who I feel like is posting bad faith replies. I'm not here to debate.

The past four years have been... uh... not good. For trans people? Not just for trans people, but for a lot of other kinds of people, too. Anyways, there's a feminism-appropriating reactionary transphobe at my sorta former congregation who is kinda mucking things up. I say "sorta former" but really it's complicated. I was introduced to this: https://www.uua.org/uuagovernance/committees/cic/widening and then I realized that "Hey, does this mean my experience isn't the only one like this, but a drop in a whole cesspool of awful across a lot of UU congregations?" And honestly, I just don't understand where in the guiding principles it says that bigots MUST get platforms in our spaces, and considering the stuff that happened to me happened in the context of a time frame when trans people were being pushed out of spaces and being subjected to... well... this: https://transequality.org/the-discrimination-administration (and anyone who thinks that fascism and genocide are over because there's a new prez better buckle up because the US has been exporting that since before we were even the US).

Another layer of irony is the fact that the leadership of the church is super into doing homeless outreach, and I was facing the possibility of homelessness a few months ago, and the only reason I'm not is because I've spent a long time cultivating good community in a lot of different spaces... anyways, the TERF says I'm not a real woman or whatever, but stops short of out-right saying I'm a threat (wow, how benevolent of her), and one of the homeless shelters I talked to before I found stable housing told me that even if I did have bottom surgery (which... none of their hecking business, and also, I have), I'd still be housed with men. Which... yeah... is totally safe for me? Right? Who has had less testosterone in her system than the average cis woman for over ten years and struggles to open glass jars?

Anyways: yeah, no. UU spaces are not the places for bigots to have platforms because no one should have to debate the legitimacy of their own humanity in a space where the first principle is "the inherent worth and dignity of every person".

Now if you'll excuse me... I'mma go watch cartoons.

I just moved to a new city and the nearby congregation does not offer Soul Matters groups. I've always wanted to try it and think it sounds like a great group to be a part of.

I’m an American UU and I married a Catholic woman from the Philippines. We’ve been married for 5 years and we have a 10 month old daughter. We were so happy, everything was great but since the birth we’ve had a lot of conflicts and they are getting worse and more frequent. In the last 2 years I’ve also become very spiritual and have recently joined a UU church. I’ve always been a UU and she has known that since we were married. I was not active before but I am now. But recently I’m beginning to think that our spiritual and maybe cultural differences are starting to reveal themselves. I want to make things work but for that to happen we need to grow together even though our faiths are different. Unfortunately I just see us growing apart. I’ve seen a lot about Christian UUs, Buddhist UUs, Athiest UUs, but nothing about Catholic UUs. Are these belief systems just totally opposite? Are they compatible at all?

Want to discuss or chat anything on or off topic? Let’s get to know each other.

UK Census 2021: What is Your Religion? Unitarian Universalism form guide

Number of respondents answering ‘Unitarian Universalism' to the What is Your Religion? question

2001=39

2011=0

2021=?

Check out the form at Betfair-Metaphysical.com form guide.

Seems like these threads are no longer created... How was your service this week?

If you feel like it, share a link to the recording too :)

I have been attending Christian non denominational churches for over 20 years. I feel lost. I love the teachings of Christ but there are issues with the doctrines and teachings. Issues I can’t get over or ignore. I am also hurt to see the church turned into a mouthpiece for a political party. I have briefly looked Unitarianism but I ow almost nothing. Is this a place that welcomes questions instead of blind adherence to doctrine? Is it mostly apolitical? TIA

Hello all,

I am currently a Baha'i but find some flaws with the teachings-- which I would not like to necessarily get into here-- so I am considering attending some Unitarian Universalist services. That being said, I am not the type of person who benefits from just going to church and then not doing anything after it. I'm wondering if there are any rituals, holidays, obligatory prayers, dietary restrictions, etc. associated with the UU church.

I realize that UU offers, for lack of a better word, a home for all people from all walks of life. And asking these questions, I realize the answer is probably "no". But still, what do you do in your life to stay disciplined and/or show your commitment to Enlightenment/God/Whatever you believe?

I’m jointing my first UU service (via zoom obvi) this Sunday and I am very excited! I’d also like to become a member in the church. This may seem like a dumb question but does anyone have any tips on joining or even how to act? Thanks I’m just new to this all!

I say I'm Christian, but I don't really believe exactly as other Christians. I believe when Jesus died for our sins he died for everyone regardless of religion. I don't believe lgbtq+ is a sin. I believe the biggest thing is love God and love others. I also love learning about others religions, points of view, and experiences. I don't understand hate and I have a lot of religious trauma from traditional Christianity...

Reading about the about page I agree with the values y'all stand for but idk if I'm in the right place or where to begin?

New to the UU community and had a question that I couldn't find an answer to online so here goes....

What is the churches position or thoughts on cannabis use?

Do congregations discriminate people if they use marijana medically or recreationally?

Hello all - for context, I am a lapsed Catholic who disagrees severely with their anti-LGBTQ teachings, and I'm disgusted by the lack of punishment for paedophile priests, and the horrific findings of recent "mother and baby home" investigations. In short, I respect the faith but NOT the institution, and I feel continuing to identify as Catholic outwardly suggests that I overlook, or even condone these crimes, which I absolutely do not.

I've questioned my faith for some time, but on the whole, I don't feel that I can say I've renounced all notions of the existence of a higher spiritual being (or some such). Unitarianism intrigues me as it seems a lot more open and tolerant, and fitting for a progressive society, but coming from a position of ignorance about it (pardon me), I'm worried I'd just be swapping one doctrine for another.

In short, has anyone else ever been in my position? Did Unitarianism help you at all? Thank you for your time.

Please don't judge me/be harsh on me for posting this. I don't intend to offend anyone. I am trying to understand if UU church could be a good fit for me.

I really like UU inclusivity and regard for nature. But I am also a scientist and am a little concerned if UU church actively promotes pagan practices among church members, like belief in astrology/cosmology or superstition, which in my opinion involve limited critical thinking. I am especially concerned about promotion of any anti-science or anti-vaxxer movement, crystal healing, reiki, etc that sometimes is affiliated with pagan or wicca groups. I personally don't think I could handle/filter out that type of information from a church service.

Otherwise would you recommend any other affiliation/religious group that may be better suited for me?

Hi all, I’m going to divinity school with hopes of becoming a UU minister. My question is this: what makes someone a great minister? What do you look for in one?

I literally just found out about this scrolling through a thread were someone mentioned not believing in the trinity. My first thought to this was "similar to Muslims".

Not believing in the trinity is a clear difference between other Christian denominations but I'm curious as to what would be the fundamental differences in beliefs between the UU and Islam?

With the start of the new year I am trying to get back into reading more frequently after a hiatus for a couple years during school. I’m going to be cycling from a fictional book, to non-fiction historical book, and then to a psychology/spiritual book and repeat. I was raised catholic but gave up those beliefs years ago. It is only recently I’ve begun really investing my time and energy into learning about the UU community after years of solo-practicing meditation. Anyways I’m open to almost anything, that’s just a vague background if it helps. Thank you!

P.s. my favorite authors are Dostoyevsky and F. Scott Fitzgerald if that helps as well and “the art of happiness” by the Dalai Lama

Do you know this year you can read any book from the thousands of great books from people who have achieved really great things, learn any skill to help yourself and others, you can learn to play an instrument to soothe your soul and others, enjoy every Sunset, every single moment of your life and cheer a few along the way. To Be You and not someone else’s idea of you. All this is possible if you can think for your self long enough, What you want and Why you want it? And then follow it up with your own Discipline.

Tell us about it!

Hi folks, Wondering if there’s anyone else who identifies as Unitarian Christian? I used to go to a UU service but left because I wanted something more explicitly Christian. Now I go to an Episcopalian church because they are relatively progressive, but still identify with UU (don’t believe in the trinity, don’t believe Christianity is only path to salvation, etc.) Wondering if there is anyone else in the same boat and if you want to share your thoughts. Happy holidays & hope we have a better new year.

Welcome to /r/UUReddit's Weekend Coffee Hour. Let's get to know each other. Chat about current events (global, national or local), something going on in your personal life, or whatever you feel like discussing. Are you working on a cool community service or activism project? Have you written or created something online that you want to share? Tell us about it. Topics do not have to be strictly related to Unitarian Universalism.

It is also freeing to understand that all the above is a result of conscious decision from our end to find a purpose and then working for it, to sacrifice unconditionally, to have innocence to dream on... the quote is adapted from Kant, in case you are wondering ? Merry Christmas ? everybody

Got a link?

Hello all, Episcopalian here who is always interested in learning more about America's rich religious history. So as I understand it, UU is a religion that evolved from the merger of two liberal branches of Protestantism, the Unitarians, and the Universalists, but that at this time would not be classified as strictly Christian. So my question for those interested in the history of your denomination, is what were those previous Unitarian and Universalist branches like? Were they Christian, albeit heterodox compared to the majority of Christian denominations? Did the shift away from a liberal but *Christian* identity take place within both denominations before the merger, or was it more the result of the merger? And do there still exist churches that are say, Unitarian, or Universalist, but not UU? And I should say, as regards the Unitarians especially, I am aware that some branches of Christianity like the Mormons and the Jehovah's Witnesses are nontrinitarian, but that's not really what I'm talking about when asking about Unitarian Churches. I'm thinking more about a church that has similarities to the historical Unitarian denomination. Thanks!

Tell us about it!

I’m in my 20s, ex-Catholic. Pretty content without having any sort of religious aspect in my life but at the same time interested in UU. Any young adults who are UU but not brought up that way as a child? I’ve heard a lot that congregations are largely retirees. Also wondering if it’s normal for people to be involved with a local fellowship for an extended period of time without being a member? I’m not sure if I’d be ready for a commitment any time soon especially financially as a broke graduate student living at home. Thanks and hope everyone is enjoying any holidays you may be celebrating!

Welcome to /r/UUReddit's Weekend Coffee Hour. Let's get to know each other. Chat about current events (global, national or local), something going on in your personal life, or whatever you feel like discussing. Are you working on a cool community service or activism project? Have you written or created something online that you want to share? Tell us about it. Topics do not have to be strictly related to Unitarian Universalism.

Recently I’ve been questioning my faith after I felt what I think is god. I’ve been Buddhist for over a year and a pretty devoted one but it’s hard for me to continue knowing there’s more to it then meets the eye. So basically I want to continue practicing Buddhist philosophy and meditation but still follow god. Does unitarianism allow this? Thanks!

Let's look back at some memorable moments and interesting insights from last year.

Your top 10 posts:

• "This one weird trick keeps authoritarian public officials from using *your* historic church as a prop!" by u/Follenite
• "Being PoC is not about activism."
• "The Unitarian Universalist Association Says It’s Time to Defund the Police" by u/hallelooya
• "Visited the Unitarian Congregation of Niagara in St. Catharines, Ontario. The building was supposed to be a much taller Catholic church but the land was found too unstable. They wouldn't sell the property to the Unitarians due to their theology, so a lawyer purchased it then sold it to them." by u/jaseh146
• "Unitarian Universalist Association Calls for Supporting Indigenous Communities and Reckoning with 400 Years of Colonialism" by u/hallelooya
• "When you live stream service with only essential staff and leaders but everyone can sit six feet apart." by u/hoobu
• "Advent Spiral walk and lighting ceremony for solstice." by u/pinnegan
• "Thought I'd share. Purchased this hymnal from my church's library/bookstore for just 50¢. Published in 1937, this hymnal was jointly commissioned by the American Unitarian Assoc. & the Universalist General Conference. It also contains prayers, orders of services, guides for baptism & communion, etc." by u/jaseh146
• "Stop Calling the Police and Start Eradicating Anti-Blackness" by u/hallelooya
• "Is UU *actually* unique/spiritually open-minded? Or is it mostly just low-key liberal christians?"

Tell us about it!

What are the core beliefs of Unitarian Universalism?

What are the core beliefs of Unitarianism?

What do Unitarians think of Catholics? Are they not Christians?

I am an ex-Muslim. I consider myself drawn to the religion of Christ, but cannot bring myself to believe that ethical Muslims, ethical Hindus and ethical Buddhists will go to Hell.

Don't Catholics think that Unitarians will go to Hell?

Hey everyone, I’m new to unitarianism. It sounds very appealing to me. I grew up Lutheran and I eventually strayed away from religion. I believe in God, a higher power. However, I’m unsure about Jesus. I don’t believe that Jesus was the son of God. I think it’s possible, but I can’t rule out definitively other religions at this point. Does is sound like Unitarianism is for me? If anyone had any resource (books, podcasts, etc.) to learn more about core beliefs of Unitarians (especially on Jesus) that would be helpful! Thank you.

The older I get, the more I notice how much of an impact OWL has had on my life. I wonder if other people feel so strongly, though, as I’ve never actually met another adult graduate. They seem really hard to find! In the past 2 years of attending all 3 UU churches in my large metro area, I’ve never run into another late 20s/early 30s attendee who grew up in the church. I would really love to find a community of other people who also went through OWL, but it doesn’t even seem like there are forums or FB groups for graduates.

Thought maybe I’d have some luck here.

Mostly I’d like to hear from other OWL grads about how it’s affected your dating and friendships.

Personally I feel like the comprehensive curriculum, combined with lots of practice from a young age in having deep conversations about sex & relationships, was almost like being inadvertently signed up for a lifetime role as peer sex educator. Which was fine for a while, I was happy to do that in college, but now I guess I just feel kind of burnt out from years of being the person people called when they had a contraception question or STD crisis, or talk through their sex hangups or gender identity issues, or about their abusive relationships. (I also did literally work as rape crisis counselor and worked in the lab of for my family’s medical clinic, so those things probably also contributed to why people saw me as a resource. So, maybe this isn’t a common experience for OWL folks, I’m not sure.)

Relatedly: Does anyone else find having massively better sex ed than 99% of the population makes it really challenging to date?

I’m hoping I have just had a string of rotten luck and need to have my perspective reset, but I sometimes feel like I’m living a Groundhog Day style sex-ed nightmare in how often I find myself returning to middle-school level conversations about STD prevention with potential dates. I now literally keep a file of pamphlets about the Gardisil HPV vaccine to hand out, for instance. (All these people were eligible for free or affordable vaccination, and none had medical contraindications, I should note. Frankly, most of them have been science grad students or Ph.D.s, so it’s not like they lacked access to information or care.)

There’s an article on the UUworld website written by a doctor and OWL facilitator which talks about a similar experience:

I was discussing a case about contraception with my first-year medical students recently and had just launched into a tirade about how latex and polyurethane condoms are the only kinds that protect against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Looking around the table, I was taken aback to see blank stares. These brilliant, accomplished adults knew less about condoms, I realized, than the seventh graders in the sexuality-education class I teach at my church.

Frankly, part of me worries about offending people even here by putting it so bluntly (because people have been), but can't figure out why I'm failing to meet more adults who have “mastered” basic sex ed, or at least the OWL basics — like contraception, disease prevention, and understand the differences between intimacy/romance/sensuality/sexuality, and how varied sexuality is across people and cultures. Somewhere between high school and my late 20s, finding a community of people like this has started to feel like an impossible dream — at least in the US. (According to the statistics I dug up there are only 200,000 people who have ever taken even 1 OWL class in the last 50 years…)

Perhaps I’ve somehow been going about it wrong and failing to attract the right people? (I admit I am an introvert, and not on social media … but I’d consider joining Twitter or using Reddit more if people could point me to an appropriate community for this type of stuff.)

Maybe someone here has some suggestions, or at least relate. If people want to talk about other experiences with OWL, I’d love to hear those, too. There weren’t many OWL-related results when I searched this forum. Thanks for reading.