I have a lot of anxiety and I’m wondering if it’s really ok to just show up on Sunday? Should I email or call before the first time I go? I don’t know how active it is or what’s expected of me. I’m sure I’m over thinking this lol.

I watch a service from the town over online so I have a little bit of knowledge. But I really want to go to a service in person. I don’t know what I’m really looking for. Maybe some reassurance or stories from your first time at a service?

Similar to a previous poll I posted. I'm honestly just curious.

I wanted to add an option for 'other' and 'I don't know', but ran out of poll options. If this applies to you, you can comment below!

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I've just discovered uu and am looking for online support as there is no uu churches in my areas.

Need some help.

Best friend checked himself on suicide watch. (Great- I’m proud of him!) Treatment restricts communication w friends (bad for me)

Another good friend passed away last year. (Horrible)

Single dad to special needs son (blessing, but challenge)

On uua.org many links for references to conference centers that host UU retreats, most are canceled due to covid.

Anyone of any upcoming retreats? I’m needing help. Thanks

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?

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.

We are not a Christian church, but I really enjoy our candlelight and carols service on Christmas Eve.
We practice a secular Christmas at home and it's nice to be able to enjoy that with our church friends.

While our church occasionally talks about Jesus as a teacher during the year......... talk about the nativity, or the Holy Family, or angels, etc. is not part of our holiday celebration. We do non-religious carols like Good King Wenceslas , Jingle Bells, Winter Wonderland, Silver Bells. There might a "savior" or two in there, IDK, I don't really care.

We also have a solstice celebration with earth poems and bonfires and intention setting practices.

​

Does your church do anything for the holiday season?

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

Your top 10 posts:

• "There's a couple more I could think of, but I ran out of Spidermans." by u/5135kensington
• "Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo" by u/Nativereqular
• "60 years ago today, the American Unitarian Association and the Universalist Church of America formally consolidated to form the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). Here's a photo from 1961 regarding the occasion." by u/5135kensington
• "The Unitarian Universalist Church of Oak Cliff in Dallas, Texas just celebrated our 60th anniversary and we're getting a facelift!" by u/elluvadeal
• "Some hUUmor for your Saturday" by u/doxymoronic
• "Made myself a chalice to use while my community continues to meet online!" by u/ajastr
• "Canadian Unitarians have adopted an 8th principle" by u/prescod
• "Atheists who attend UU?" by u/ilikeanimeandcats
• "Is anyone else here an OWL (Our Whole Lives) graduate? Could we talk about how the program has affected your dating life and friendships?" by u/a_tired_scientist
• "The UUA Decries Anti-Asian Violence" by u/hallelooya

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. 😉

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.

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!

Wear a mask in public and get vaccinated in order to protect others from getting the virus?

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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

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?

Hello my beautiful UU folks,

Any Meadville-Lombard seminarians here? I'm applying as a transfer from my current seminary (I moved across the country and they don't offer an online program) and would love to chat!

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?

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!

Hello, everyone! Hope we're all having a great fall so far! Just wanted to let y'all know that next week, we (the Unitarian Universalist Circle at William & Mary) will be having a workshop with national UU leaders on building community and campus ministries. It will be on the 27th starting at 7p, virtual, and open to everyone. Please consider RSVPing!

https://forms.gle/o2TcGagWniHS7x7i9

Facebook page for the Circle: Unitarian Universalist Circle at W&M

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

I feel UU is a good fit for me and my family.

I went to my first service and liked a lot about it.

But all they ended up talking about was social justice and politics. There was no element of spirituality to the service. It honestly felt like I was back in college in a Socialogy class. I am a staunch Democrat and even I felt very uncomfortable. I was immensely disappointed because i want very badly to find a home with UU.

Is what I experienced a common occurrence in UU or is it a rare experience would you say?

Thanks

Tdlr: went to UU Service, liked a lot of things but the sermon was all politics and no religion. Is it always like this? Is this common or rare?

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?

I'm currently reading "Testimony: The Transformative Power of Unitarian Universalism" edited by Meg Riley. It is a great book! I've found it to be so encouraging to my faith. My family officially joined our local UU Church last Sunday after about a year of virtually attending. I'm so glad we have finally found a place to belong.

I'd love to hear your story! What brought you to Unitarian Universalism? How has it changed your life over the years?

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?

It's a very rare occurrence, but I have seen it both in my life and others. I initially made posts regarding this in the Christian subs, but the replies were overly monotheistic in nature (if you worship more than one God you're going to have a bad time, etc)

I discuss God a lot with people in general and my therapist in particular (who is Christian, but knows I am UU) God/Higher Power/Divinity etc has made His/Her/Their presence made known in my life in many ways, but NGL this has been a really bad year for me so far, so I am praying for myself and loved ones a lot. (I pray everyday and have for about 2 decades now)

I have had questions directly answered before, and also...not. I feel I have a generally good relationship with The Great Big Thing, and obviously He/She/They are not some kind of cosmic slot machine you put prayer coins into and expect a big payoff...that would be very disrespectful. But yet I continue to pray and have faith because...we're all on this Big Blue Boat together, and bound by something greater than all of us.

So for context, I'm a 20-something. In the last few days, I've become interested in exploring spirituality. But there have always been little things that bothered me about them, with making any sort of specific commitment, and I've never been one for how much they try to force an opinion.

That being said however, after spending about a quarter of my life going from edgy atheism to just depressed and isolated, I'd like to think there is something beyond what I can perceive or study, and I'd like to show whatever may be out there that I am at least trying and hope they understand and accept that. Then I happened upon UU in a Reddit thread by chance (or perhaps by divine design if you are convinced of such), and I had been mildly intruiged when hearing about it previously. So I came here reading through the thread, and I liked a lot of what I read in theory.

Then came the anecdotes about the practice. I've encountered a lot of talk about this 8th Principle, and a lot of chaos. Further, while I recognize I'm not in the greatest position to have an informed opinion, my gut instinct doesn't seem to coincide with consensus. On another instance where I considered buying a book that I reached through a link here, I encountered the spelling of 'folx'. And there, I do feel comfortable as both bisexual and transsexual in openly (though respectfully, mind you) disagreeing with the mindset that sort of thing tends to stem from. Lastly, I've seen comments attesting to congregations consisting of generally older people, and of an active desire for demographic diversity. While I've no problem with diversity, I can't relate to actively seeking it out; and being a young'in I'm not exactly looking to be surrounded by people thrice my age.

It overall, to me, feels very reminiscent of the political screeding one may expect to see from apocalyptic Protestant congregations, just from a different cultural 'side'. And, I've enough experience to know I don't care for that sort of thing, having come from an extended family of devout Pentecostals. It registers for me as alienating in a very familiar way.

That all being said, I do want to supplement all that I've said above by confirming that I have gathered congregations can be very different from each other. Which on the one hand, could mean what I'm looking for is out there, but on the other makes everything I've looked at somewhat uncertain, and I already couldn't be sure I'd actually find what I'm seeking.

I'm overall left feeling rather conflicted. Because on the one hand, I'm still quite interested in exploring spirituality in a way that isn't going to try to force a particular doctrine; which everything I read tells me is exactly what UU offers. But at the same time, what I'm hearing is telling me a very different story. So I've left it to simply ask you folks outright for an outside take on my situation. I recognize some of my issues may not make me seem the best person in terms of my non-religious beliefs, so I will endeavor to be as respectful as I can in those domains so long as I can expect the same. I'm looking to explore myself, not proselytize politics; I find that doing so is rarely productive for anyone anyway.

Lastly, I hope the long essay I have written doesn't prove insurmountable, and thank you to anyone who's gotten far enough to read this particular sentence.

How was your service today? Did you have an Ingathering service? If so, what did that look like?