Has anyone else undergone a rebalancing of the sources in their lives or a change in faith?

I am recently finding myself transitioning away from a "Pagan" identity and moving on to a more ecclectic practice that retains a lot of the earth centered elements. Previously, I did a similar thing with Buddhism. I was a temple affiliated Buddhist practitioner for a period of time and now I just think of myself as having an ecclectic mindfulness practice. At the same time, I am finding myself drawing more from Abrahamic sources recently but also (opposite that in a sense) a lot of pop science stuff like Carl Sagan. I'm also begining to incorporate acadmic philosophy and social science info more mindfully into my spiritual practice.

Has anyone else undergone a transition in sources like that? I'm optimistic but it feels a little daunting trying to maintain a sense of flexibility in the face of uncertainty and where previous practices feel less satisfying and offer less insight.

Part of it, this time around, is that I feel like I'm having more of a UU awakening both in the sense that I'm framing it more as a transition within my individual path and also because I spent some time learning more about UU's specific history and theology.

I think most other religions would conider this converting to a different faith. It makes me appreciate the value of the UU approach.

I grew up in a community where kids were treated based on how well they met society's standards. Those at the bottom were slapped around and often humiliated and those at top received universal validation. This was promoted as a sort of meritocracy, where cruelty was seen as socially useful, for example fat shaming is seen a public health measure. Also, this hierarchy is defended as being natural/ inherent and criticism of it is derided as whining and pointless. I was often told I was being 'too sensitive' with the implication that if I wanted to be treated better I should simply do better. I began to internalize this harshness in the way I treated myself and I thought it was necessary to keep me a responsible functional adult. But this harsh internal shaming is too much. It actually makes it harder to function and it fills me with self-loathing, despair, and anxiety. I don't like being this way. I want to believe in the inherent worth of every person even though our society certainly does not treat every person as valuable. How can I believe in my own inherent worth while living in a society where worth is very conditional. This is especially hard since I am very precariously employed, facing racism from my manager, and dealing with chronic health issues and cannot afford healthcare. I understand religion plays an important role for many people but I am an irreligious agnostic and I don't see that changing. Could anyone suggest some books or any other means to help me believe in the inherent intrinsic worth of all humans?

​

Hi there,

My partner (M32 Agnostic) and I (NB31 Pagan) have recently been interested in finding community and the UU church seems to fit our values very well. With that said, we both had a rough time in our Christian churches growing up, and this has made us hesitant to participate. We’re worried about the similarities with the Christian church, like attending service on Sundays, the way the church leaders dress, etc, and how that may be somewhat triggering.

Does anyone have any experience with similar feelings, and/or advice on how to work past these feelings? Or is participation in the UU church not really that similar and shouldn’t be something to worry about?

Thank you for your help.

Final update 12/21: We are married!!! Our minister and honestly the whole congregation was so supportive, we couldn’t have imagined a better way to start our marriage :) I’m so, so grateful we found UU when we did so that we can continue to grow together within this community. Happy solstice!

Update 12/19: thanks so much to everyone who’s read our story and given suggestions! Please keep them coming, we love to grow our UU knowledge :)

Worship Web was a total game changer, what an incredible resource. I won’t go into the nitty-gritty of everything we’re deciding between but my favorite thing we found so far is this poem by Elizabeth Lerner Maclay:

“As drops of rain that find each other and build to become a track, a rivulet, a stream, a river, a sea, so are we drawn together; so are we fortunate to find each other; so are we bound together, on this shared passage toward an unknown ocean and eternity.”

Our minister’s script has a lot of emphasis on preserving individuality within a marriage, which is also very good and important, but we think adding this poem to our covenant helps highlight our interconnectedness as well :)

Original post:

Hello! I’m new to both UU as a whole and this particular sub, so I apologize if I'm breaking any community norms/re-asking something common. I did a quick search and didn't find exactly what I was looking for, so I did what any UU would and decided to convene a committee in reddit thread form :)

Long story short(ish): We decided yesterday (12/17/23) that we're getting married in our UU church on Thursday (12/21/23). Our minister wrote a beautiful plan, and we'd like to contribute with ideas or suggestions to personalize it a bit if possible. We're very new to UU though and not super familiar with all the literature/hymns yet. Any advice for music to include, essays/short pieces to read that might inspire some vows, and also any general wisdom on building a successful and happy UU life and marriage are welcome <3

Info that might help:

— We won’t have a live musician but there is a nice sound system, so if there’s a particularly good recording/version of a song we’d love to get a link :)

— My favorite hymn of the ones we've heard so far is My Life Flows on in Endless Song

— All 7 principles resonate with us in different ways, but we've connected most deeply with #7 (respect for the interdependent web of all existence)

Long story longer:

My fiancé and I have been attending our local UU church since early September, so a little over three months. Though that seems like so short a time written out, we've really found a home there and have become quite involved in various ways. We became official members of our congregation at the end of November, and we had already been thinking about how to incorporate our new faith community into our fall/winter '24 wedding.

We got word yesterday that my fiancé is part of a mass layoff, effective today. We're very privileged to have solid financial footing through my salary and our emergency savings, plus my fiancé was actually already in the process of a career transition and has good prospects to land on his feet soon (knock wood!)

That being said, I work in local government and have excellent benefits. We had already planned to add my fiancé to my health insurance when we got married next year, and had even discussed the possibility of having a courthouse ceremony a few months early if his career change might mean a lapse in coverage. I had done a bit of research on getting a marriage license in our county and even asked our minister if she might be able to officiate a small ceremony, but all on the assumption that we had many months to prepare.

That timeline is no longer feasible since my fiancé's last day of work is today and his benefits end on 12/31. Theoretically we could get married as late as 12/29 and get him on my plan in time, but with the bureaucratic standstill that is the last week of the year we’d rather not risk it. So, these overthinking hyperplanners need to act fast! We called the minister in a panic yesterday afternoon, and she graciously agreed to help us make our pseudo-shotgun wedding special and meaningful despite the circumstances. This Thursday has a nice numerical date (12/21, I like the symmetry) and it's the Winter Solstice, which is both a spiritually resonant day for us and means the sanctuary at Church will be decorated with pretty winter greenery. So, Thursday at 2pm it is!

A few family members are feeling some type of way about the whole situation, but we're trying to make the most of it and I'm excited to have UU play a bigger part in our wedding. We'll still be doing the "traditional" wedding as planned in late '24 to celebrate with all our loved ones, but we had already asked a close family member to officiate that ceremony before we even discovered UU, so I feel like now we get the best of both worlds.

We are so grateful to have found both UU as a whole and our local congregation in particular at the perfect time, and I hope this will be the first of many milestones and celebrations we will share with our beloved community :)

Thanks so anyone who read this far, and to anyone who has suggestions or advice as we catapult into this new chapter!

I would most accurately describe my present beliefs as agnostic pantheism. I believe that everyone and everything is God expressed - that we, as a part of one infinite whole, contain the whole - though, we cannot prove or disprove that as we cannot comprehend the totality of all things, therefore this belief is held primarily for its philosophical utility in a metamodern sense. I've been attending my local UU for a few months now, and the beliefs of the community seem to be at least somewhat aligned with this. Anyone else here have pantheist views or thoughts on the philosophy?

Hello! I found this subreddit literally 15 minutes ago, so I apologize if I'm breaking any community norms/re-asking something common. I tried to do a quick search and didn't find exactly what I was looking for, so I did what any UU would and decided to convene a committee in reddit thread form :)

​

Long story short(ish): We decided today (12/17/23) that we're getting married in our UU church on Thursday (12/21/23). Our minister is writing up a plan tomorrow, and we'd like to contribute with ideas or suggestions if we can. We're very new to UU though and not super familiar with all the literature/hymns yet. Any advice for music to include, essays/short pieces to read that might inspire some vows, and also any general advice on building a successful and happy UU life and marriage are welcome <3

​

Info that might help:

• My favorite hymn of the ones we've heard so far is My Life Flows on in Endless Song
• All 7 principles resonate with us in different ways, but we've connected most deeply with #7 (respect for the interdependent web of all existence)

​

Long story longer:

My fiancé (29M) and I (24F) have been attending our local UU church since early September, so a little over three months. Though that seems like so short a time written out, we've really found a home there and become quite involved in various ways. We became official members of our congregation at the end of November, and we had already been thinking about how to incorporate our new faith community into our November '24 wedding.

​

We got word today that the company where my fiancé has worked for the last two years is completely shutting down, effective tomorrow. There are definitely some potential labor law violations/general workers' rights issues that remain to be worked out, but that's somewhat besides the point for now. We're very privileged to have solid financial footing through my salary and our emergency savings, plus my fiancé was actually already in the process of a career transition and has good prospects to land on his feet soon (knock wood!)

​

That being said, I work in local government and have excellent benefits. We had already planned to add my fiancé to my insurance when we got married in November of next year, and had even discussed the possibility of having a courthouse ceremony a few months early if his career change might mean a lapse in health coverage. We knew his current employer was somewhat on the rocks, but the management made a big deal this week about how they got new investors who were going to keep the place running at least into January, with a good possibility things might stabilize in the Spring. I had done a bit of research on getting a marriage license and even asked our minister if she might be able to officiate a small ceremony, but all on the assumption that we had at least a month to prepare, if not 3-6 months.

​

That deal with the investors fell through in dramatic fashion this morning, so my fiancé's last day of work is tomorrow and his benefits end on 12/31. Theoretically we could get married as late as 12/29 and get him on my plan in time, but my department has an HR team of 2 who are notorious for slow processing times, so we'd rather not risk it. After having literally just emailed her on Wednesday that we were probably in the clear, we called the minister in a panic this afternoon, and she graciously agreed to help us make our pseudo-shotgun wedding special and meaningful despite the circumstances. This Thursday has a nice numerical date (12/21, I like the symmetry) and it's the Winter Solstice, which is both a spiritually meaningful day for us and means the sanctuary at Church will be decorated with pretty winter greenery. So, Thursday at 2pm it is!

​

A few family members are feeling some type of way about the whole situation, but we're trying to make the most of it and I'm excited to have UU play a bigger part in our wedding. We'll still be doing the "traditional" wedding as planned in November '24 to celebrate with all our loved ones, but we had already asked a close family member to officiate that ceremony before we even discovered UU, so I feel like now we get the best of both worlds. We are so grateful to have found both UU as a whole and our local congregation in particular at the perfect time, and I hope this will be the first of many milestones and celebrations we will share with our beloved community :)

​

Thanks so anyone who read this far, and to anyone who has suggestions or advice as we catapult into this new chapter!

Hi. Is there something like Unitarian Universalism but specifically for monotheists? I believe Unitarian Universalism admits within its ranks, so to speak, atheists, and of course polytheists. Theologically, I do not feel fellowship with such people. Each to their own beliefs, of course. I am looking for a Post-Christian (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postchristianity) monotheism is perhaps the best way to put it. Does anybody know of anything like that? I've scanned the entire New Religious Movement Wikipedia article and found nothing that fits this mold. Perhaps such a thing does not exist yet. I think such people just exist without any formal community - or they're here, of course.

​

Peace!

EDIT: I'm in Britain and so not all suggestions will be a thing here :) I should have mentioned this first.

Hello, I have a bit of a long and twisted story/background with my local UU church in Bellville Ohio, called All Souls. I started attending services in Aug 2019 and met with the minister there during coffee hour a few times in the first several weeks. Then I ended up in the psych ward for the very first time in my life. I was 29. I've now been diagnosed with bipolar w/delusions/psychotic features. At the time, I thought I was on a spiritual journey but after years of therapy it is now treated as mental illness. I still have a lot of trouble differentiating the two.

Anyway, I ended up being kicked out of the church January 2020 because I pushed too many boundaries, I was told. (I've got BA in psych but still don't understand the language they use to explain why I was actually kicked out. Maybe I'm just too stupid to get it, but the pastor is tired of explaining it to me.) I feel like it was because the pastor made a move on me (from my honest perspective) and then I returned the advances. Maybe he didn't think he made a move on me and thought I was just coming onto him. That is totally a possibility in my eyes. However, I've told members of the church about it, and have never had a real conversation with anyone about it to resolve it. The pastor himself never brings it up in plain language, anyway, and no one else has mediated the relationship to my satisfaction yet.

Fast forward, I was welcome back a year after being kicked out and officially joined the church as a member like last year or the year before. I can't remember when exactly, but I stopped going to services for a while or it was very far and few between for some time due to life circumstances.

Skip ahead to this fall, I had stopped taking medication because I was exhausted with trying so many meds and none of them working. I lost hope, but believe me, I tried for years before I stopped. I tried so many, I couldn't list them all even if I tried. I've now been hospitalized something like 12+ times and they change the meds almost every time I've gone.

So in September I had a manic episode, pretty extreme one where I was awake for 4 days with something like only 3 hours of sleep, thanks to NyQuil. I had tried asking for some sleep meds just to knock myself out because I know bad things happen when humans don't sleep for days, but they would only give me Risperdal (a side effect is drowsiness, it's not a sleep med).

I went to church with no sleep on Sept 17 and was considered to be rude and disruptive. Then I was hospitalized later that same day.

The following week, I went to the next service, and was asked to leave and not return to any services until someone contacted me.

I'm pretty sure it was the minister himself that told me I had to meet with their Right Relations Committee, a week after they had their own meeting to discuss their decision on what to do with me. They ended up putting me on hiatus for a year until October 10, 2024.

I asked if I could go to a different UU church. The minister said I had to meet with the pastor there first, so that's what I did. At the meeting between me, the Bellville pastor and the Wooster pastor, the Bellville pastor tried to explain the situation and ended up accusing me of assaulting a police officer, which is untrue.

I've tried for several weeks now to understand why he said that about me when it's not true. He is unwilling to explain himself. He says I'm just arguing with him.

Why? Why lie? If he lied about something that serious in front of me, what is he saying about me at these meetings I'm not allowed to attend? How am I supposed to get fair treatment when he's telling people rumors and gossip like that?

I just want to attend the church like a regular church goer. I've admitted and apologized for my mistake of going while manic with no sleep and have offered to not go to church if that ever happens again. Like, I'm trying to behave, I'm just mentally ill, but not a threat like he's making me out to be a violent, abusive person with the accusations of assault.

I've reached out to the Wooster pastor and the primary contact for the region, Rev Sunshine, but I don't expect a quick response with it being so close to the holidays. People are busy.

Does it sound like I'm seeking pity? I hope not. I'm just asking for help with being treated with dignity and respect. No one likes untrue rumors spreading around, especially when an authority figure is the one perpetuating them.

I brought this idea up before and a few people were into it, so seeing if I can get a handful of people to start this thing. It seems like many of us are feeling left out due to the congregations skewing older. I thought it may be nice to have an online UU group where we can reflect on our spiritual practices.. and whatever else we feel like. Maybe even make some friends. I had a Discord group I was in where we shared voice notes daily reading whatever had touched us that day and our thoughts on it. I thought something like that may be nice for us “younger” members.

EDIT: I made one! There’s another larger one in the comments too, but as I said below, I’m hoping for this to be more like a chalice circle. Hope you’ll join and help get it going! https://discord.com/invite/2nm8aNBr

EDIT2: There is a Discord community for young adults mentioned in the comments. But if you are an older Zoomer who doesn’t really relate to the 18-25 crowd anymore please join us! Anyone who wants to join is welcome.

Genesis 1:1-2 Genesis 1:26-27 TRINITY is there before Genesis. All uncreated.

Every time God creates something (which is created by sending His distinct Spirit) he expresses "Let there be" and there was. In any case, when God created ADAM (MAN in HEBREW) he changed it for the sole time and said "Let us" and "Let them" (Adam is "THEM" they're plural,) Adam images God just like a divine plurality and solidarity, that work divinely as multiple persons, 3, make 1.

Genesis 1:26. “And God said, Let US make man in OUR image, after our likeness: and let THEM have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air,

WHY WOULD THE FATHER SPEAK IN PLURALITY IF ITS JUST HIM?

-Genesis 1:26-27 God made man in "OUR" (plural God is an "us" and an "our") image then in Genesis 1:27 he made God in his "own" (singular God is a "He") image. in the image of God, he created him. Which is them.

-How is Adam a "him, (male singular,) " however at that point becomes a "them" (Male and Female) in

-Genesis 5:1 the context is this is the generational book of "Adam" (both male and female are called "ADAM") the creation of a man who is a finite temporal, created being, two genders with the in flesh bodies, and they're created by an infinite, uncreated, genderless divine God with nobody, who can go into creatred flesh or whatever he needs, whenever he needs. That is the way we reflect God, by being a finite multiple persons with the same inseparable nature working together and united.

. In Genesis 5:2 HE HIM (ADAM single) the Male and Female made (HE THEM PLURAL) Both Male and Female are "HE HIM"

• Genesis 2:23 If Eve came out of Adam her flesh was made from his flesh, that should mean she has the same nature as Adam. If she's made from Adam's flesh then she can't be inferior to him., because it's " my flesh, my bones" That is the very thing she's called "WOMAN" because she was formed and taken out of the (Womb) of man.

-Genesis 2:24 the connection of God, "cleave unto one flesh."

-"ONE" in Genesis 2:24 is the same word in Deuteronomy 6:4 to describe God being one. "God is ONE Lord." ONE=ECHAD

-Male and Female are two separate in flesh beings, two separate genders and persons, yet they are the same flesh since one came out of the other, they are the same nature. and when they "cleave unto one flesh" (Genesis 2:24,) they become united as one. A divine relationship is used to show the likeness of God being the Divine trinity. FATHER, SON, HOLY SPIRT = 3 different and distinct persons, yet all the same divine nature and are united as one as God.

-Matthew 19:4-6 Jesus elaborates that God made 2 separate genders (in flesh) yet when united they make one flesh. Like the Trinity, each of the 3 are divinely united so don't say there are 2 or 3 Gods. There's 1 God, who is multiple persons

-John 1:1 The Word (Revelation 19:13) with God before creation, and was with the Father, and the Word was God. Sent, distinct, yet same nature as God because the Word was God. After creation and after the creation of Adam there was Eve, and Eve was with Adam (the male,) and Eve was Adam in nature.

-Jesus is the Word and the Angel of the Lord commander of Yahweh who is sent, is distinct, fights for Yahweh, all while being Yahweh who speaks as sharp as a sword. For example Numbers 22:31-32 Angel of the Lord with the SWORD was JESUS before created flesh.

Revelation 19:13-15 John 1-3 Zechariah 3:8

John 11:41-43 to John 5:30 to John 5:17 to John 18:6 to Revelation 19:15 to Hebrews 1:3

Joshua 5:13-14 Wisdom of Solomon 18:13-16

Genesis 18:

Trinity has been there since the beginning.Abraham encountered God in 3 persons, sent & distinct from God, but all God. That’s why he BOWED when he saw THEM (plural, not when he saw HIM,) & was amazed & claimed “My lord” in verse3. The Father, The Angel of the Lord, & the Holy Spirit. In human form, then into created angel form.

He Bowed just like Moses in the burning bush, etc when they encountered the Angel of the Lord they bowed and hid their face, but I though that was only for The Father John 1:18

Jesus in the OT

Angel of the Lord is God and became Jesus in flesh Angel of the Lord is always a big “A” until Matthew 1:20 why? Because Jesus was now in flesh.

Bowed down and hid face verses:

Exodus 23:20 24:16&33

Matthew 17:1 Mark 9:22 Numbers 22: 32-34 Judges 13:13-22

Acts 7:37-38 Genesis 32:24 (Jacob wrestles with a “man” created God in flesh)

Hosea 12:1-5 (God is created “angel” just like Genesis 18 in Sodom and Jacob in Genesis 32:24)

John 14:24

God sent as messenser but is God.

Hi. I have been attending a UU Church since October of this year. I was invited to attend a BIPOC meeting but I don't know what to expect. I am a person of color, latina to be exact.

Hello! Quick thought dump for anyone with a few minutes to read:

Background: mid-30s. Grew up in a mostly non-practicing Catholic family. Mostly Atheist myself. Found a nearby UU church and this is my second year going. My disposition is that I love people, real conversation, helping others, but I am not a social butterfly or mingler (coffee hour is very unpleasant for me). I like growing weed, heavy music, raunchy humor, but also like, spreading positivity and acceptance wherever I go, however I can. Just to paint a picture, haha!

Started off just sitting in the back, being healed and spiritually renewed by the music and words (love the reverend at this church). People are of course very friendly. Encouraged to join. I did. Have helped with services a few times, and even joined a small committee this year.

But it seems the more I get into it, the more detached I'm feeling. The church is generally older and, as is the town it's in, what I would consider quite affluent and educated. I'm, like a lot of people my age, married with no intention of having kids, and doing okay enough.

I've felt this way for a little bit now, but thought being more involved would shake that. So here are some thoughts that keep surfacing.

-I just need to try other UU churches and find one I feel more at home in.

-Maybe I'm just not someone who needs a community at this point in my life OR maybe my feelings on that will change if I find the right one.

-Is it just the age thing? I am wary of being ageist, but I can't help think about the fact that a lot of these folks are retired and that is impacting how things are run. Like, I feel SOMETIMES (not always, to be very clear) these committees, meetings, business side of things, are a little stretched out because folks are looking to fill their time. And that's totally fine! I understand a church doesn't run itself, and that collaboration is important. Please understand I'm talking about nuances of approach.

-Different religion a better fit? I kind of like the meditative, rooted in the current, joyous but socially focused ideals of this church, but sometimes I really want to be, hmm... Filled with the spirit, if that makes sense. It's almost like I feel it teeters in this middle ground. Like, I am craving something more transcendent and joyous OR something deeper and more contemplative.

I try not to have regrets, as they're not useful. However, I can't help but think if I had continued to just come and hang in the back, politely stated what I'm like in some way, I wouldn't be considering finding something else. But then again, maybe it's not a bad thing that I leaned in and discovered it's not a perfect fit. And maybe my community is out there somewhere! I'd love to come and go, try other churches, but at this point I almost feel it would be weird to just start showing up way less frequently... Like I'm cheating on them 😅

Any thoughts or been through something similar?

How much overlap is there between this community and players of table top roleplaying games?

I’m slowly starting to put together the idea of using the Wanderhome game (by Possum Creek Games) as a vehicle to have fun teaching children the 8 Principles (or the article 2 reframing of the language). So I’m wondering if anyone else has had similar ideas or started any similar frameworks with other games.

Besides the charming setting, what’s drawing me to Wanderhome for this is that unlike a lot of other TTRPGs, there are no combat mechanics (so fighting isn’t even a direct option for conflict resolution).

Thanks!

https://www.religiousforums.com/threads/no-unitarians-on-rf.274107/

Looks like we need more representation there!

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

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

Hi All,

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

Many thanks :-)

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

​

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

​

Hi All,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2023-2024 GAYT Theme: Pursuing Liberation

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

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

Making a Gift to Guest at Your Table

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

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

Contact Information

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

What is Guest at Your Table?

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

Planning a Guest at Your Table Program

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

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

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

Past Programs

2022-2023 Theme: Hope. Courage. Action.

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

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

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

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

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

2020-2021 Theme: The Meaning of Home

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

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

Hey y'all!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Is there a branch in Toronto ON?

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

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

Can someone explain exactly WHAT Unitarian Universalism is?

Thank you!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cashapp $winterstorm55 Venmo @winterstorm55 PayPal @winterstorm55

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hi everyone!

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

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

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

Your insights would be greatly appreciated!

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

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

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

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

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

I'm interested in becoming a Unitarian as my town has a Unitarian church and I'm a bisexual man and a panentheist. I believe God is the soul of the universe and the universe is his body, all living things are consciousness that broke off or emanated from God's consciousness. But my theology relies on mind-body dualism. So when I read the sources of the Unitarian Church and found this one, "Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit." I wondered, what does that mean? Is the Church taking a firm stance that mind-body dualism isn't a thing and taking a stance in favor of metaphysical materialism? Would love to have this explained, thanks.

Have they flocked to the mainline churches, such as the ones in the Presbyterian, Congregationalist and Anglican traditions? Have they become Christadelphians or Adventists? Are they still around after the fusion with the Universalist Association?

I am really curious to see if there are still biblical Unitarians, that are similar to John Biddle and Isaac Newton, who have not went into the Church of God, nor to the Christadelphian religion.

Hi, I’m new to this community but attend a UU congregation in Oklahoma. We have lost 3 of our Pride flags that are hung from our flag pole outside the building. The vandalism is escalating in that they used to steal them. Now they cut and slice them with a box cutter. The vandalism has been reported to the local police but to no avail. I’m just wondering if anyone else has had similar issues in their community, if we should be preparing for more violence or if any one has suggestions other than reporting to the authorities on how we can mitigate this. Thanks

Hi! I am a Catholic Christian and I am theologically very conservative. Yet I have always valued ecumenical dialogue and interfaith communities: I find them so enriching. So I am fascinated by UU. I believe that "Unitarian Universalism" can speak to me too. To me "Unitarian" means affirming the Unity of humanity and "Universalist" means that every experience is welcome. Though I believe that only a specific religion Is the true one, I believe that I can find elements of Truth in all faiths. I respect other people's beliefs and I would not try to force mine on them. So, although being a Trinitarian Unitarian could sound as a paradox, do you think I could be part of the group? Thank you in advance

I recently moved states, and attended a service with one of my local UUA's to hopefully find a congregation that I fit into. As expected, the population of the UUA was predominately older folks (60+), and due to the area, predominately upper class and white. The service was wonderful. The congregation left some things to be desired.

There was a side meeting held to discuss the recent adopting of an eighth pillar, one that specifically strives to bring racial equity and undo behaviors within the congregation or within themselves in order to make it a welcome place for all. We were able to share during the meeting, but my partner and I had little to contribute if only because we were new and did not know enough of what had been happening to say too much on it.

I guess to summarize, the congregation has been having discussions about how they might go about actually adopting this pillar, but not a lot has been done to actually do that. It's talked about almost as if the fact that we are talking about it is worth celebration, and yet it has been two years since the pillar was adopted, and no committee or leadership has been created to address it. Understandably, many in the congregation who are impacted by microagressions or outright discrimination in and out of the co gregarious are frusterated. Some individuals voiced their frusteration, asked when there was going to be a planning phase, some actions done, and there was a lot of "we tried our bstz but don't know what we are doing" and "it's up to the congregation to decide how to adopt these principals". The I dociduals impacted have voiced that it is a lotto shoulder to be expected to lead the charge in dismantling beliefs about their intersectionalities, and holding accountability for microagressions against them, and that congregational leadership should and needs to hold a more active role.

I see why there is frusteration. I had multiple interactions with mostly older men that were pretty uncomfortable. They didn't like when I corrected them, changed subject, or waved the conversation off. My partner did not get the same kind of treaent or interest despite being new as well, and announcing that he was new to UUA's all together. It was frustrating, not infuriating, but I definitely felt put off by it.

I'm going to try a different congregation in a population that is more like partner and myself, and looking online, it seems that congregation bringd in many diverse speakers. So my thought was, maybe there were initiatives in other UU's we could point to, so leadership can tyen pivk their brains and take action, since their main hold up seems to be that they don't feel they know what they shoukd do. I do have groups and activities I want to be a part of with the lovelier people from this first one (specifically their LGBTQIA and young adults), and these seem like good places to test sone of these steps so we can see if it is appropriate for this congregation. I also wanted to bring the conversation here, to see if any one had adopted similar things into their congregation, and perhaps what suggestions you all may have in navigating this kind of behavior within the congregation, having accountability, and addressing concerns in these meeting with leadership, e.c.t

Hi - I've been trying to find a picture of the actual symbol designed by Hans Deutsch and used in WW2 era. Do any of you know where I could find it, or if you could share it with me? There are a lot of interpretations of the flaming chalice symbol that can be found online, but none that are directly attributed to Deutsch (from what I've seen). Any help appreciated!

I believe every religion leads to the same God. Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, and many more are extensions of the Supreme divine.

God came to earth as those formed in different periods to encourage unity and spread positive teachings.

Does anyone have the same beliefs?

Specifically the UK. The closest we have here are Unitarian churches but I haven’t been able to find any UU congregations.

Edit: I’ve just realised that the “Unitarian” churches here are actually closer to UU congregations than traditional church congregations. Thanks for your replies!

Hello, I am doing this because it is literally a last resort before homelessness. I am in my 30's and have taken care of a family member for the past 8 months. The family member passed and I tried to find a job really hard because I just lived off of their income, anyway, no job and the months passed and I lost my car and I got diabetic neuropathy and now I cannot work a job outside of the home because of my legs. I also have crippling anxiety and live in a rural area. I have applied to endless online jobs but to no avail. I am losing my internet and probably going to be homeless at the end of the month. I have no speakable family because they dont like that i am gay and i also have horrible credit so i cannot borrow money. I know this looks suspicious as hell, but I promise you it is not, it is just a last resort. I am hungry and going to lose everything. If anyone could help at all my cashapp is $captainmidnight515 anything that you send will help me. Also, if you cannot send money please send prayers. I missed my loved one I took care of so bad, and so much heartache, but I would still do it again, we have some good times. Please just send good thoughts and vibes, I have also tried a few churches and food banks to no avail. Sorry, and I know people have it worse than me, just feeling down. I just do not want to live anymore. Will this ever get better? I hope it does but I don’t think it will. I just miss them and all this is just more than I can take. Please just manifest, pray for me, anything, there has to be an end to this. I know there are people with it a whole lot worse than me but this still hurts awful.

Do people who don’t label themselves as UU go to UU services or watch UU services online. I’ll use me as an example I label my as a Liberal Quaker but I like watching UU services online more than going to online Friends meetings. I know this is a weird question to ask. I just want to know.

Hello, I am doing this because it is literally a last resort before homelessness. I am in my 30's and have taken care of a family member for the past 8 months. The family member passed and I tried to find a job really hard because I just lived off of their income, anyway, no job and the months passed and I lost my car and I got diabetic neuropathy and now I cannot work a job outside of the home because of my legs. I also have crippling anxiety and live in a rural area. I have applied to endless online jobs but to no avail. I am losing my internet and probably going to be homeless at the end of the month. I have no speakable family because they dont like that i am gay and i also have horrible credit so i cannot borrow money. I know this looks suspicious as hell, but I promise you it is not, it is just a last resort. I am hungry and going to lose everything. If anyone could help at all my cashapp is $captainmidnight515 anything that you send will help me. Also, if you cannot send money please send prayers. I missed my loved one I took care of so bad, and so much heartache, but I would still do it again, we have some good times. Please just send good thoughts and vibes, I have also tried a few churches and food banks to no avail. Sorry, and I know people have it worse than me, just feeling down. I just do not want to live anymore. Will this ever get better?

We all know the movie The Exorcist. Demonology is a fascination with me as if I can show proof of it then I show proof of a God. Maybe not Christian but something good versus evil. This priest's diary came to the public of the real life exorcist of the real 14 year old boy the movie was based on. Not sure what to think about it.Is This Exorcist Real?

Do you know of a congregation who is practicing sociocracy as a governance model? I know there are some and my congregation would like to pursue it. Thanks!

Ref: https://www.sociocracyforall.org

Could someone explain the difference please?

I stumbled upon UU on tiktok and went down the rabbit hole and it seems like something I’d be very interested in. My boyfriend and I both struggle with religious trauma (I grew up baptist, he grew up catholic) so we’re a bit iffy and both feel a little like it’s “too good to be true”. I’m at a point in life where I’m trying to hone in on my spiritual journey and what exactly that is for me. I see that this church is welcoming of all religions, so is this a good idea for people who have experienced religious trauma and have a bit of a bad taste in their mouths for the religions that hurt us?

I’m a Naturalistic Christopagan that has been getting involved with my local CUUPs chapter but am searching for a local UUCF chapter to supplement the Christo part of my practice alongside the Pagan. So far, I have been able to develop my Christianity by also attending an Episcopal Anglo-Catholic church as well as a United Methodist Church & I really enjoy them both. I was wondering if there is anybody else in my position & what were your experiences like attending Christian churches while remaining actively involved with the UUA to some degree or another? Or for those who are involved with the UUCF, do you supplement your practice with other denominations & if so, which ones?

The church I go to most regularly is in a bigger town, and there are plenty of kids. They have a kid come up to the front every week and open the “wonder box” and do a little lesson. It’s cute for the kids, inoffensive for the adults.

I went to a UU church in a smaller town yesterday, and they did a “time for all ages,” which seemed like the same thing. Only, it was obvious that every last person in that building could legally drink alcohol, you know? A woman in her 30s came up and opened the “wonder box”. Super awkward, because the activity was obviously made for kids, and we were all adults. Everybody played along, and seemed to have fun, but it just struck me as odd.

Does every church do this? Will they do this every week? My husband and I are thinking of moving to the town where this new church is - are they weird?

https://www.star-telegram.com/article278602294.html

Fort Worth police said Friday they are not classifying the arrest this week of a heavily armed man at a Unitarian Universalist church as a hate crime. A church official told the Star-Telegram that the man found inside All Peoples Church Unitarian Universalist on Wednesday had been attending services for a few months. Earlier that day, the church discovered he had brutally killed his dog on the property “We believe this was not an attack on the church’s progressive values, but the actions of a lone disturbed individual,” wrote Dan Sexton, board president of All Peoples Church, in an emailed statement.

Police initially responded to All Peoples Church, formerly known as First Jefferson Unitarian Universalist Church, at 1959 Sandy Lane in Fort Worth on Wednesday morning after they received a 911 call about a dead dog in a field behind the church, next to its community garden. A teacher at a private school that operates in the church building found the dog’s body and called police. Officers arrived to find the dog had been cut open and was surrounded by multiple bullet casings and a rifle. A church security camera recorded shots being fired around 3:45 a.m. Police returned to the church later that afternoon when they received a call about a man inside holding a shotgun and wearing ammo on his chest. He was immediately taken into custody.

The man has since been identified as 27-year-old Roman Collins, police said. Collins is being held in the Tarrant County Jail on charges of terroristic threat, cruelty to a non-livestock animal, and carrying weapons in a place where they are prohibited. In a statement to the Star-Telegram on Friday, All Peoples Church administrator Karl Thibodeaux wrote that he had found Collins in the doorway to the church’s library. Collins was wearing a tactical vest stuffed with ammunition and a holstered gun. A long gun lay beside him on a table, he said. The administrator said Collins told him he killed the dog, and that he was planning “further carnage.” The dog was later identified as Collins’ pet, the statement reads. Thibodeaux said that the children had left the building and the school had closed for the day, so he was alone when he heard Collins walk in the back door and “slip into the library.” The administrator said he went to see who was there, thinking it might be someone who arrived early for Wednesday evening choir practice.

Thibodeaux told Collins he had to put something in the office. He left the church through a side door and drove to a nearby member’s house to call 911. He told police that Collins had made threats about killing people. Dozens of law enforcement officers responded quickly, and the arresting officer told Thibodeaux that Collins was waiting by the front door with a gun and said he was waiting for people to arrive, Thibodeaux wrote. Collins, who according to court records lived about a mile away from the church, does not appear to have a prior criminal record in Tarrant County. He’s being held on $200,000 bond.

Police had the Fort Worth Fire Department’s Bomb/Arson Unit sweep the church, its courtyard and Collins’ car following his arrest. The police department’s SWAT team also searched Collins’ home with the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. When officers searched Collins, they found a shotgun, a large knife, a handgun and several loaded magazines, police said in a news release. Inside his truck, they found a rifle that had been converted to accept handgun magazines.

According to court records, defense attorney Lesa Pamplin was appointed to represent Collins. She declined to comment Friday. This incident isn’t the first crime that’s occurred at area Unitarian churches in recent months. In July, Plano’s Community Unitarian Universalist Church was firebombed when someone tossed an accelerant in front of the church and set it ablaze. No one was injured during the incident, but the front door and foyer sustained damage.

Just a few weeks earlier, the Plano church, which like other Unitarian churches affirms the LGBTQ community, had been trolled by anti-LGBTQ YouTubers who pretended to be gay and made fun of the church, the Dallas Morning News reported. There’s still no word on who set the Plano fire. A spokesperson with Plano Fire-Rescue said Friday that the investigation is ongoing. Plano authorities said last month that their initial investigation didn’t find a connection between the video prank and the fire. A representative for the Community Unitarian Universalist Church told the Star-Telegram that they never found out who started the fire — the little evidence they had from eyewitnesses didn’t provide answers.

The national Unitarian Universalist Association in Boston said in a statement Friday, “We are in close contact with the Fort Worth congregation, and our thoughts and prayers are with them in this difficult time as they respond to the incident in their community. Unitarian Universalists believe in the inherent worth and dignity of all people, and we invite everyone who shares our values into our spaces of worship. “We urge everyone to prioritize the safety and well-being of their community,” the association said. “We believe this is a moral requirement — and that it is everyone’s job to keep communities safe. Unitarian Universalists will continue to uphold our values and commitments to principles of welcome, acceptance, inclusion, and belonging.”

https://youtu.be/n7mrDuPxOWE?si=-LiryzC-3_UvH2N4

We often recoil at the phrase “Christian Values”. But what we object to is a certain interpretation of them. Do we have any problem with REAL Christian values?

Filmed in the sanctuary of First Universalist Church of Rochester, New York on August 13th, 2023

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I've tried to find one, but haven't come into any luck doing so.

Edit: I have already ascertained my regions Unitarian Universalist ministries.

The first question is whether you can be strongly against humanism and still be a member of the community. I've seen a lot of people mention humanism as one of the main things to do with the community but I'm not a very big fan of humanism.
The second question is what's the community consensus on hell? A lot of the faiths that are common in Unitarian Universalist community have some concept of hell but I imagine it would be a bit of a taboo subject to talk about.

By which I mean, are UU atheists usually (or expected to be) tolerant and respectful of the religious beliefs of other members? What has your experience been, either as an atheist or as a religious member of a UU congregation?

I’m not Christian or a theist but I do follow a particular religious tradition. I attended a discussion group last weekend, and the conversation devolved into atheists equating religion itself with fundamentalism. I don’t understand how that could be acceptable in a church setting, even if that church has no shared creed. I’m new to UU but have attended every week for the past couple months. I really didn’t expect to get the sense that other members are actively anti-religious or unwilling to honestly engage in interfaith dialogue. Is this an anomaly?

Clearly this is a subjective post, but this experience affected me, and I’m genuinely wondering if anyone has insight into what is typical of a UU church and whether this is a norm I just have to accept if I want to keep attending.

I really like praying for stuff and the idea of heaven and it gives me a lot of comfort and happiness but I haven't been allowed to join any Christian sects because they all said the rest of my beliefs aren't compatible with their religion. I like stuff from Gnosticism, Taoism and Buddhism too, mostly the stuff that relates to philosophical pessimism and individualist stuff. I really like reading philosophical nihilist, pessimist and individualist books and philosophy and it comforts me as much as my spiritual stuff but my issue is that almost no spiritual communities tolerate those sort of beliefs. I wanted to know if I'd be allowed to join a Unitarian Universalist church or community to pray in and find people to make friends with because I'm worried they would turn me down too because some of my beliefs go against things that basically every religion agrees on.

My wife and I are looking for an LGBT affirming religion/church in our area and people have told us about unitarian churches. But I'm not going to lie when I tell you I don't understand alot. We both grew up southern Baptist in North Texas. We are practicing pagans but I've been feeling a pull back to Christianity. My path is at a "x" right now. Because I believe so much of both religions.

Can someone send me in a good direction?

So I was attending my first UU Sunday service and was seated in an awfully big hall considering there was only 5 of us there, including the minister and piano player. I later asked during morning tea why the church was so empty, and the minister explained that the congregation used to be overwhelming atheists and agnostic, but the minister I was speaking to was a conservative who believed Unitarianism to be an exclusively protestant form of Christianity, and so expelled all the humanist because they were going to "takeover the place". I was dumbstruck upon hearing this considering UU has the reputation as "the most liberal denomination of Christianity". It was especially awkward considering I'm a secular pagan who believes Yeshua was merely a mortal philosopher. On top of this, this white minister complained that schools in my city were "completely Chinese now" WHILE SITTING NEXT TO, AND EATING FOOD MADE BY, CHINESE PEOPLE. I feel really guilty I didn't say anything then, and feel so unlucky considering this is the only other UU congregation in my entire country except one on the other side of it. Oh well, looks like I'll just have to worship at my shrine again...

Did you have, have you attended, or have you officiated a UU wedding? What did the ceremony, verbiage of ceremony, and exchange look like?

I am a newish (3 years) member but have not attended another UU officiated wedding and I’m just curious what the script would potentially look like if we had the pastor of our church lead it and I want to find verbiage/a script I feel passionately about.

Thanks in advance!

https://sbskochko.medium.com/dont-trust-the-uumuac-74c0c8a47021

Are there any in particular?

*Almost forgot to mention, a lot of the UU churches around here do more informal services or group outings in the summer. From what I understand, it comes from back in the day when everyone in Massachusetts would vacation to the Cape in the summer. Not sure if this goes on elsewhere.

Joined a UU this past year and went all year. Really changed my life (35, atheist). They have some summer activities on Sundays, and I have gone to a couple... But my spirit is really aching for a full service.

As much as I love the community and people I've met, and I've enjoyed playing with the choir on percussion... I really really do enjoy just sitting in the back, soaking up the sermon and music. I love people but social things are hard for me... Let's just say I skip coffee hour a lot!

I'm curious if there are any good online services you'd recommend? I'd love to watch live if possible. I'm floundering a little without my weekly "spiritual calibration" as I call it. I do mediate and practice mindfulness, but it doesn't entirely fill the void.

Unitarian Universalist?

Haven't seen this question posted before. I've seen allot of posts lately about undercover universalist and ultimate reconciliation church members inside infernalist denominations. Are they open to ultimate "Christ-centered" reconciliation?

I'm not currently a member of UU?

Has anyone found UU to be more open to Jesus Christ-centered Ultimate Reconciliation?

Has anyone else in UU churches considered universal reconciliation?

Why or why not?

There's a Unitarian Universalist church close to where I live. Except I'm a trinitarian and believe Jesus Christ to be the only true path to/of salvation. No wrong or right answer, just an honest one.

CONTEXT:

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By some estimates, as many as 46% of UUs are atheists.

here

In 1997, the Unitarian Universalist Association surveyed more than 8,000 active UUs and found that humanists — a category that includes agnostics and atheists — constituted 46% of the membership.

The most recent nationwide survey to ask that question was conducted in 1987 by the UUA Commission on Appraisal, which found that 7% of Unitarian Universalists picked "atheist" over other options, including "humanist." Going back even further, 21% of Unitarian Universalists in 1979 said that the concept of God is irrelevant or harmful, down from 30% in 1967.

According to a 2001 report in The Christian Century, a study by Ohio University professor James Casebolt found that 18% of Unitarian Universalists whom he polled in Ohio, West Virginia, and western Pennsylvania considered themselves atheists. By comparison, a 2002 City University of New York study found that just 0.4% of all Americans say they're atheists.

Kennedy, D. (2003) 'Are You with the Atheists?'. Unitarian Universalist Association. Available at: here.

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EDIT: This question encompasses all types of irreligion, including those who approach UU as a secular religion, from a social scientific standpoint, syncretists, etc.

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EDIT: More studies.

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According to a 2001 report in The Christian Century, a study by Ohio University professor James Casebolt found that 18% of Unitarian Universalists whom he polled in Ohio, West Virginia, and western Pennsylvania considered themselves atheists. By comparison, a 2002 City University of New York study found that just 0.4% of all Americans say they're atheists.

Kennedy, D. (2003) 'Are You with the Atheists?'. Unitarian Universalist Association. Available at: here.

Moreover, this study (page nine, figure seven) exhibits further contrastive trends in "religiosity" between the 'general' American population versus the UU population:

As Figure 7 shows Unitarians are less religious and by far more secular in their outlook compared with the general American population. Nationally, 37% of American adults regard themselves as “religious” and 38% as “somewhat religious,” namely 75% of the adult population. This is in contrast with only 37% of religious outlook Unitarians. Furthermore, the ARIS sub-sample indicates that 39% of Unitarian regard themselves as “secular” and 19% as “somewhat secular” in outlook whereas only 10% of adult Americans describe their outlook as “secular” and 6% as “somewhat secular.”

Interestingly, the Unitarian pattern tends to closely resemble that of American Nones, those who profess no religion among whom 40% regarded themselves “secular” and 13% as “somewhat secular” in 2001. However, the Nones perhaps not unexpectedly have a smaller proportion with a “religious” outlook (only 8%).

Even more interesting is the finding that the UUA pattern (58% secular) also somewhat resembles that of America‟s Jews (i.e. persons who identify as Jewish-by religion). Among these “religious” Jews, 44% describe their outlook as “secular” or “somewhat secular.”

Kosmin, B. A., and Keysar, A. (n.d.) Unitarian-Universalists in the United States 1990-2008: Socio-demographic Trends and Religious Patterns, A Report Based on the American Religious Identification Survey. Trinity College, Hartford Connecticut. Unitarian Universalist Association. Available at: here.

Does the unitarian universalist church require its members to pay a tithe (10% of your earnings), if they do; can you explain how does the money is being use, like does the money goes to charity or is it use to help the needy or is spent on the church?

https://secure.everyaction.com/p/RaDgToPCokW21_ufsIS2nw2?emci=67c8fff8-f32a-ee11-b8f0-00224832eb73&emdi=27113209-f72a-ee11-b8f0-00224832eb73&ceid=6250877

The 2023 Action of Immediate Witness Stop Cop City calls on all UUs to join ongoing organizing efforts. "Cop City" is a $90 million militarized urban warfare training complex, proposed by the Atlanta Police Foundation, Atlanta City Government and a committee of over 40 corporate donors. The planned site is in a predominantly Black neighborhood and will destroy 381 acres of remaining green space in Atlanta. Join us to phone canvass calling potential volunteers to recruit a mighty team to hit the streets! No experience is necessary + calls can be made from anywhere! It will be helpful if you have both a phone + a computer. Sign up here: https://www.mobilize.us/stopcopcity/event/570830/

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