https://open.substack.com/pub/davidcycleback/p/when-liberal-congregations-are-liberal?r=183vb&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email

I’m not a “conservative”. I’d consider myself libertarian/anarchist-leaning. I have the same “wants” for social change (reducing poverty, fighting climate change, etc), but my personal belief is that government is the least effective and ethical way to achieve these goals.

My understanding is that UUs tend to be politically liberal. Would I be an outcast, offensive, or not welcome because of my views?

27M from WI here. I go to a fellowship of about 50ish members. Similar to many of the younger UUs, I’m usually one of the youngest ones in attendance (we have a few kids every now and then). While I absolutely love so many of the older folks who attend, I do struggle with feeling a bit out of place at times. I’ve come to appreciate the principles of UU and I feel that many people my age might enjoy them as well. I’m joining the service planning committee in hopes of helping to bring more young people in.

What are some things that your fellowship has done that has helped to bring more Millennials/Gen Zs into the fellowship?

Or a variant of Christianity?

Like someone who loves religion in all forms and doesn't necessarily fit the mold of a certain religion but at the same time doesn't particularly enjoy radical (or really much at all) politics, left or right?

I currently live in a small town; the closest UU congregation is about an hour one way drive for me.

I left a main stream but somewhat cult-y church a few years ago and have been deconstructing my beliefs system since.

I’ll probably be healing from my old church in some ways for the rest of my life but that’s not going to stop me from building something new and good.

I definitely miss the community of church and I’m moving home to Ohio closer to a few UU churches this summer. I’ve been popping in to a few different UU churches online for the past few months and will likely start attending in person once I move.

I know I’ll find answers to this when I get there but I’m tired of waiting and I’m ready to at least start testing some things out. I believe there’s ‘something’ in The whole universe (“Mother Nature” I guess but that extents to the farthest galaxies for me) that connects us all… weather that gets elevated to a “higher power” or even God (of what flavor tbd) I don’t currently know for myself.

Are there any books/blogs/articles/whatever you would recommend I read/look at to help me with my journey? I just kinda feel like I’m flailing out here in my own and I don’t know where to turn. I spend hours just looking for something half way decent to read and research further. TIA

Im from the Caribbean, ive try to make contact with the local unitarian universalist church i had called them but apparently they havent been there for 5 years, i try to go to the church physically but it was close i even try to contact them in their facebook and no one answer, i dont know what else to do, can i join a online community with zoom videos or something?

I was raised Catholic and my mom would always say that the community aspect of church was so important. However, we never stayed for coffee and donuts in the parish hall! I wonder how much of my love for my UU church is because I want that sweet sweet coffee and treats.

I am in the process of becoming the adult forum coordinator at my Unitarian Universalist congregation. I have been working with the minister and members of congregation on ideas for programming, but also would like to have programs that draw in young and new people. Does anyone have any ideas for what works in adult programming to draw people in from outside our community?

For example one thing I am proposing is a “Banned Book Book Club.” Our church has a banned book library (I live in a red state passing all sorts of crazy laws) and I think this would be a great program to go along with this.

Raised catholic, would consider myself agnostic at best now and curious about UU. I’m missing catholicism and feeling an odd connection and wanting to “incorporate” elements of it, but never want to go back and feel disgust at the same time? I keep childhood stuff in a memory box and recently I came across some communion and confirmation gifts i got when i was younger and i felt pain my chest. I had a gold crucifix, 3 blessed rosary beads, lourdes keychains etc etc as well as pocket miracles booklets the works in the box.

I suffer from an anxiety disorder and insomnia and a sort of meditation and i suppose general …non traditional prayer with the rosary beads invokes a sort of positive less anxious feeling, same with wearing a st christopher’s medal. however, i can never forgive the years of purity culture and catholic guilt and also the general crimes of the church. I’m pro choice and pro LGBT all the way. it’s a really weird feeling honestly. I consider sometimes joining a UU church and maybe getting some prayer/meditation beads or just having a flick through the bible critically? Wondering if other ex catholics or similar on here have had this experience and if you’ve donated the catholic paraphernalia, thrown it out or just incorporate it in some way into your own life or practice?

Hi everyone! So my story with UU started when I was in high school, an edgy Christian-turned-atheist who was brought to a UU service by my best friend. Ever since then I’ve known of its existence and it always struck me as something very cool and important. I have a background in psychology and the years I’ve lived and the education I’ve received only served to cement the importance of a spiritual practice, especially one that could be community-based. I attended quite a few times at my university town; the sermons often moved my to tears, and it was just so fascinating to see nature and science take center stage as inspiration for a spiritual practice.

As an immigrant, for a long time undocumented, POC, I felt the social justice aspect was particularly important to these congregations, and I loved that. I settled in a major city last year and I’ve gone to a few sermons at my closest UU temple, and have had many very pleasant chats with people during coffee hour, and I have always enjoyed the sermons. But I was busy with other stuff and I definitely always intended to make it a more common habit but it hadn’t happened yet. My father passed in October, suddenly at 57. After a couple months I knew I was going to need to develop a spiritual practice (and in need of a supportive community) if I was ever to start healing. So I became really proactive about getting my holistic wellness in order.

Being signed up to their email list, I received one for a Women’s retreat. I had zero idea what to expect as I’d never been to one. I emailed the organizer to ask if it was normal and okay that I wasn’t part of the community. She encouraged me to attend as there would be newer people there. So I did it, especially because I was wanting to at the very least focus on mindfulness for a few days, and a retreat seemed like a great way to do that!

It was a life-changing experience. At 26, I was the youngest there. But I am not weird about intergenerational friendships, in my culture I was raised with a lot of respect for elders, and for a lot of love and warmth for older women especially. I met dozens of women whom I connected with on a very special level. When I was done with the retreat I journaled just a bit about the experience and I could recall 26 different names, and I know I am forgetting people, as every now and then I remember more. I met so many incredible, unique, talented, HILARIOUS women. All so open to learn, to share. I felt so unbelievably welcome and comfortable there. Like I never have before. I shared a lot of intimate parts of my story as an undocumented immigrant, and people were so respectful and curious and kind. I even met two other POC of similar backgrounds, which was really incredible.

People helped me deal with the death of my father and some shared their own experiences with it, as many went through the same thing. Many shared experiences with their own grief in general and that was really valuable to me too.

Then there was the spiritual aspects, but the post is getting too long as it is. It was all so much better than I could have imagined, and I did imagine it would be pretty cool, but never in such an impactful way.

I even started volunteering at a migrant center with one of my new friends, which has already led to even more enriching connections.

Tomorrow I am going to church, and I’m excited to see the dozens of new friends I made during the retreat. After I am having brunch with one of the other POC I met, and our families. I am so excited, and so thankful.

Basically what the text said. I am the OP from the post yesterday, Expensive_Case, and I had a nice chat with my brother in law who is a lawyer. Turns out I have a pretty good case against the mod for harassment, defamation, and emotional damage. Half of the stuff the public reddit didn’t see because it happened over chat. My speech is protected by the first amendment, the mods was not and falls in the categories that I stated above. I’m going to give the mod 48 hours, so by Friday 2/16/24 @ 6PM EST, to take the horrible post they made about me and my transition pictures down and make a MAJOR public apology explaining that they acted in the wrong way and frankly broke the law with what they said about me and explain that I am the person in both of those pictures, which I have endless proof for and can send to anyone who wants it. Just contact me on my expensive_case account cuz this is a burner one. So by Friday 2/16/24 6PM EST, if there is no apology i’m going to go ahead with my lawyer and move forward with this. I will also reach out to reddit corporate. I really don’t want to bring it to that point, but if I don’t see a major apology, I will. I will tell you that conservatives have NEVER treated me as a trans person this horribly, and as the group that is supposed to be loving and accepting of all kinds, that is the furthest from the truth. Im not no cry baby but I hold people accountable for their actions, and it looks like the mod is going to get into some legal issues with this one if action is not done.

Also I’d like to say that the poster this morning was not me and for anyone who harassed that person, shame on you. I watched it all go down as I was collecting evidence for my BIL.

So mister u/cult_buster2005 if you don’t want this to all go down, I suggest you do some serious work on yourself and how you treat others. If I end up going forward with this, i’ll know exactly who you are and i’ll let your church know what you did and how you broke every single rule of UU.

And mister u/tgjer you’re up next if this mod doesn’t do anything so if I were you, I’d be crossing my fingers that the mod takes responsibility for their actions.

Edit: If reddit wants to ban me, they wil. But they should also ban the person who broke the rules of their own sub and the law.

I got myself so caught up in the world’s negativity and disapproval of leftist propaganda. I am gay and trans but i feel like the left now goes against what I believe in. So i decided to try to help myself heal at UU. I started going three weeks ago and the second time i went was about the laws against trans kids in my state. Great just exactly what I came here NOT to hear. Is it really going to be like this the whole time? I just don’t want to sit there and get preached at that i’m oppressed because, here in America, i’m not. From what I understand, UU is supposed give a sermon and people can pick and choose the good messages that they feel that applies to their life. But I simply cannot do that about the sterilization of children that don’t know any better, or other leftist hypocritical talking points. In no way am I conservative, I disapprove of their talking points just as much to make it clear. Please tell me this whole thing is not the leftist agenda pretending to be a religion.

Hello everyone and thanks for reading this. I feel really alone sometimes. I am asking for prayers and good vibes for the healing of my body and soul.

A few years ago I was diagnosed with Neuropathy in my legs. It started out not too bad, but just like the doctor said it progressed and progressed hard. My legs are constantly tingling and they burn so bad I cannot stand it. I now can no longer stand for more than 15 minutes. I am on medication and going to the doctor regularly and since I can't work I am considered poverty and qualified for Medicaid so I am thankful for that, but still it doesn't help the pain much, the doctors or the meds.

This has also left me in a dark depression since I have been off work. I was a construction worker, but I had to quit about 12 months ago. I applied for disablilty immediately. I got denied and called an attorney, and they are going to take the case I think. I filed for an appeal, but it could still take months and I have applied for food stamps but still nothing on that yet either. It's getting hard. I am probably going to be evicted, no food, no money, no truck (kicked the bucket and sold for parts months ago) and just at the end of my rope. Mentally and physically.

I know one day I will get better. I hope, at least, but my legs hurt constantly and I would do anything to go back 10 years. I am in my early 40's and I would take living to 50 only gladly if I could just get a few years pain free. Life is life though and I know that's not possible. Friends, I do know my God is a healer though, and even though I have never felt further from him in my life I know he can steal heal my body and soul, and I have asked, maybe I haven't humbled myself enough idk, maybe someone needs healing worse than me? I am almost certain they do and i know I am not his only child who needs healing, but this hurts. I know that he will leave the 99 to rescue me, but hurry my shepard, this lamb is lost thirsty and hungry. I look forward to heaven, and crave it like like home, even though I have never been there.

I am going to keep clawing and fighting through this and praying the whole time. Like I said before though, it gets really hard especially when I am flat broke. I have no food or anything and never in a million years did I think I would have to ask, but if anyone could help me with anything I would be forever grateful and pay it back when I get on my feet. I have cashapp and my name there is $blueneonfish if anyone can help me with anything. I also have Venmo. My name there is @rccarracer9 I mean it, anything helps. I don't have anything. If you cant help, thanks for reading this anyways and still pray for me please, I understand everyone is having it hard right now so I understand if anyone can't give, I just figured I would try this because it's my last resort becasue I have no speakable family and my credit is awful where I have lost everything. I have tried some churches, but most of them cannot help as they are out of supplies themselves. I know this looks really suspicious, but I promise you it's not. I am just this desperate for help. It's like I am trapped in a prison in my mind and body.

I know it will get better at least I hope, I just really do not know how much more I can take. I am not going to give up though.

This has been a troubling trend that I have seen in my UU congregation that I attend at least twice in the 20 years that I have been attending. It feels like our congregation is either not sure or doesn't want to deal with folks that enter our presence that are struggling with mental health and addiction issues.

What brings this up is there has been a young man who started attending service and participating in activities when we reopened post-Covid. I am starting to realize that I am the person in the congregation that has probably bonded with this person the most since they have been there, including socializing with them outside of the church setting. Over time I have noticed some possible mental health and/or addiction concerns that are going on with this person. They recently returned after months-long hiatus and whatever is going on seems to be getting worse. This person has told me that they struggle with some mental health things, but the conversations also lead me to speculate addiction issues as well.

What is bothersome is how I have been dismissed by my congregation when I try to discuss these issues with them. Or am told things like "he is trying to sort things out in life" or repeat the face saving reason he gave when he left the first time (even though I knew more was going on). I am not doing it to gossip, but rather out of concern. It is my hope that the church would build a welcoming sense of community around this young man. We have a number of folks in the congregation who work in mental health, social work and other related professions who could address these concerns. I also am looking for support in responding to our relationship.

The minister has been marginally more supportive of my relationship with this person, but stated that he can't really do much unless this person comes to him with their concerns, or are experiencing suicide ideation, are being disruptive or are a threat. I have another meeting with him next week to discuss this issue. But he did tell me that he has noticed that this young man is "anguished by something" when he sees him in the pew.

I ran into this our congregation 10 or so years back with another person going through similar issues. The church also took kind of a "hands off" approach as well. That person ended up dying by suicide.

Is this something that folks experience in other UU congregations or have answers as to how I could respond to this better?

I’ve been feeling a pull towards god for about the last year after spending my whole life as an atheist. I’ve looked into Islam and Christianity but just recently had the Unitarian thing recommended to me. Any info or insights into it would be super helpful.

I’m completely new to UU. I started going to a church less than a year ago and decided to take their adult OWL program so I can know first hand what they teach about sex and what my son would be learning someday. Last week they talked about relationships and for some reason there seemed to be a lot of focus on polyamory. Is that because it’s common in UU communities?

For some reason it makes me uncomfortable and it feels like the first red flag I’ve experienced in a community I otherwise have really enjoyed. I’m waiting a whole year before I decide to join and I’d hate for this to be a deal breaker. I can’t say I’d feel ok with my son learning about or being encouraged to get married to more than one adult and raising a family that way.

Can anyone who has been in UU longer talk about how common polyamory is in their fellowships? Are a lot of people in these communities swingers or have polygamous families? I guess it’s just something I’ve never been around or understand.

It saids in the wikipedia that there is a problem of racism within the unitarian church

Internal controversy over the hiring of the UUA's Southern Region Lead (a white man from outside the region was hired rather than a Latina woman who resided within the region) led to resignations and apologies in 2017. UUA President Peter Morales, the denomination's first Latino president, resigned amid criticism of his failure to address the diversity controversies.[122][123] The three co-presidents who took over commissioned a "racism audit" to address white supremacy within the denomination.[124] In April 2018, The Washington Post reported that the UUA "in the past year has been asked to help resolve 15 congregational conflicts involving religious professionals of color".

I just want to know if is true...

I have had a wild ride in terms of religion. I was born Christian and then somehow my family turned Atheist, though I always maintained I believe in God in prayer. I always turned to God in my darkest moments.

I met my ex who is Muslim and ended up converting because a lot of the things I’ve read about Jesus not being the son of God and Jesus, not being God made a lot of sense to me .

However, there were still some parts of islam that I did not necessarily agree with .

I still have a very strong belief in God, and one God. I believe that praying to God is very important, and I do believe in evil as well, but I believe there’s many methods and ways to protect yourself from that evil, and to connect with God, not necessarily one specific religion .

I also believe in energy and I believe in the soul and I’m learning Reiki and I don’t believe that it’s satanic .

I’ve been rejected by the Christian community for that reason, I also don’t really fit in with the Muslim faith or community. Now that I’m divorced.

But I do want a sense of community for my kids. I went to church with my friend and I couldn’t get over how they kept saying Jesus was God so in my search for answers I came across Unitarianism.

And then I saw that there’s a church near me and I’m really considering bringing my kids there !!!

I don’t know how my ex would feel about that because he wanted the kids raised Muslim. But I guess he doesn’t even have to know?

Anyways, that’s besides the point it seems like they have a great program for kids which teaches them all about religion and different religions .

Anyways, does it sound like I would be a good fit for this ministry or religion ?

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.

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 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, 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

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...

Hello,

Does anyone have any recommendations for UU churches in the Denver area?

Thank you

This morning in church we were warned of a new wave of right wing protesters disrupting UU services in progress. I don’t doubt it but I couldn’t find any more info upon googling. Can anyone fill me in more or redirect me?

UUs generally do not seek converts, but it seems so many are unaware of what we have to offer and are pleased to discover us. Can we have suggestions on how to appeal more to the public?

Nearly two weeks ago, I nearly died. I have been homeless for over 6 months, and I'm barely coping with the end of a trauma- Bond relationship. I have been questioning my future, and seeing no light at the end of my tunnel for quite some time. After having stayed up a couple days on stimulants, having been unbearably depressed, and I had received yet another rejection from my unrequited love object, I was given a large amount of opiates; visibly, far more than my tolerance. I honestly can't remember if it was on purpose or not, but I just snorted the whole thing, and in hindsight I remember thinking oh my, that was a bit too much. 5 minutes later, it took effect and I was out.

I remember waking up on a hospital gurney, nurses and one cop all looking at me. I was, frankly, rather pissed to have woken up. I was told that I had not been breathing for nearly an hour, and it had taken a whopping of 17 of Narcan to revive me. This is an astronomical amount of the lifesaving drug, more than anyone had ever heard of being administered. But, nonetheless, my life had been saved and I was still on this planet. I went through a period of numbness, followed by some sort of epiphany, and flow-state of energies.

I had thought, "maybe there's a reason that I meant to be kept alive." Well, apparently there was.. well, maybe. I had learned that a fellow homeless man, also a long-term close friend of mine, had a painful infection. He is an IV drug user, and due to sensitive skin, had sores on his arms and legs. Apparently, has a left leg had gotten severely infected. Fate had it that I ran into him, while driving a friend's van. I told him please let me take you to the Urgent Care Clinic. Reluctantly, he went, and they told him to go directly to the ER, and that his leg may have to be amputated! So I insisted that we go half an hour south to a far better Hospital than the crap one in our city. The owner of the van was reluctant, but I insisted. He's been there for about 6 days now, and they're still pumping him with antibiotics. I was told today that he had gotten a Nasty form of encephalitis, and That I had saved his life.

By all means, I should not have survived that overdose. It's quite an anomaly. Is it possible that this is the universe at work, and that I was not meant to pass on yet, because I had a duty to selflessly save someone else's life? Either way, it's an emotional thing to hear, especially after devaluating my own life so much. I'm very glad he's alive...I have left the city, and when he is healthy enough to be discharged, is joining me for a new start in a much better area.

Why does the GA Sunday worship service always come off as cringeworthy? The last few GAs that they have held them, it reminds me more of something that I would experience in an Evangelical Christian church vs anything type of Sunday worship that I have experienced in a UU congregation over the last 20 years. What is with the dancing and various body movements that people are doing when they are singing hymns?

Granted, I only watched the service through a video feed at my local church so the actually being there might be a different experience. But these services need to be done better if they are a vehicle to attract people to UUism.

On dynamic that I have noticed in our UU congregation is that when young adults attend or become members, most only stay for a few months to at most a few years. This seems to be more true of young adults who don’t have children. What is even more sad and frustrating is that some even get heavily involved in congregational life before they leave. I understand that people move and have life changes, but this seems to mostly be the case (it also happens in other community organizations). I wonder if this happens in UU communities elsewhere and what we can do to change this cultural dynamic in our congregations?

Is there anyone in this thread that participates in regular worship/programs/events in another spiritual community other than your UU congregation? I go back and forth between UU and the local Episcopal Church regularly. I love the stimulating and intellectual sermons and programs that the UU church offers, not to mention a like minded liberal community. On the other hand enjoy the liturgy and especially the music that the Episcopal Church offers. I especially love their services at Christmas and Easter. Also the local UU church mastered virtual worships, programs and social events much better during the pandemic than the Episcopalians did.

Are there any Filianyi or Deanics here? I just found out about Filianism the other day and it’s tickled my religious studies curiosity. If there are any what do you believe and where are some good communities to find more information?

Hello everyone, I’m 15 and I have autism and I believe that dolls/action figures have souls and that marriage is eternal. I want to establish an independent Unitarian Universalist church for my action figures that is just for them and I want to become the Minister of my congregation. I was wondering if there are any Unitarian Universalist minister in this sub who could virtually ordain (by saying a blessing for me in a comment here) me as the minister of my congregation of my action figures.

One of the things I have noticed in the local UU congregation is the fact that the minister frequently gives thinly veiled sermons about church development, especially in the area of church fundraising or volunteering your time (but especially about money). The sermons often have an attention getting title like "Exploring Your Relationship With the UU Church" or some such thing. I actually want to explore my spirituality, not be guilted that I have to give more money or time to the church. I do understand that the light bill and staff need to be paid (or the coffee made for after the service). But the constant sermons about development can be a turnoff to members or attendees that don't have the means or are of a lower socioeconomic class.

I don't know if this applies to this sub, but LOST was a show that incorporated themes of religion/spirituality, free will, destiny, science, philosophy, synchronicities, mythology, demigods, elements of consciousness, quantum physics, magical elements, dreams/visions, it's own Source, and a whole lot more.

If anyone has any thoughts on it, feel free to post them.

I’m interested in joining a congregation. Unfortunately the closest UU church is over 50 miles away from me so I’m considering online attendance for the most part.

I was raised a UU. I stopped going to church in my teens. Was always an atheist or agnostic.

Recently have been learning more about Jesus, but not really willing to call myself a Christian. I think one of the best things about being raised UU is having the awareness that all people from all around the world are equal, I don't need to believe "my way" is correct, and the billions of people who follow any other religion are wrong. But ya I haven't gone to a service in a long time but still think I mostly identify as a UU just believing no one way is correct and all people have the right to believe in whatever they choose.

Do UUs ever hire their Interim minister as their settled or developmental minister?

According to google “Unitarians believe that God is only one person. Unitarians reject the Trinity and do not believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God.” Is this true of every single Unitarian Universalist or is this just a general Statement?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Km9Rv_3bN5E

What do you think of this video? Examples of comments made on it are as follows:

@TwizzElishus

One can at least commend them for not falsely calling themselves Christians.

_____________________

@duaneadams5210

There is a Unitarian Universalist church near where I used to live. I never could understand what they stood for and never seemed to have a spiritual foundation that I could see. There was not any "glue" to hold them all together. I like your method of explaining things and find you easy to understand. Thank You for bringing insight to all of the different belief systems. I always look forward to your presentations.

________________________

@a.violet5905

When coming out of my non-Christian beliefs, I went to a UU congregation. I still believed in God, but didn't know what that meant. Once I found that their roots were Christian, then it started me on my journey to Christ. I never became a member and then went to the UCC , then UCC in an ecumenical church with 4 denominations, the Episcopal Church. Now after years of study and looking, I became in Orthodox Christian. I'm done. No more needing to search. I'm home.

___________________________

@jamesreed5678

Interestingly, this pseudo-church denomination, UU, has held fairly steady in membership over the last few decades, while most other denominations are imploding. On the other hand, their membership is only about 150K.

____________________________

@user-jb5no1xw1p

If you don't support the idea that there is, ultimately, a right answer to spiritual questions, how can you say you're 'pro-reason?' I mean, even if you're a spiritualist like me and see the fullness of God as incomprehensible, to deny objective truth is to embrace absurdity and deny the existence of right and wrong...which can be discerned through reason. How can they make the world 'better' if they can't sort out good from evil objectively? What then would be the difference between meaningless change and progress?

__________________________

@russellt4474

They claim to believe in science, yet do not believe there is "one right answer". They don't believe in empirical truths, but in personal truths. As an actual Unitarian with an education and background in a field of science, I find this organization to be deeply alienating and offensive to my beliefs.

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@patrickmccarthy7877

What do you get when you mix a Unitarian and a Jehovah's Witness? Someone who rings doorbells but doesn't know why.

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@robertpease9834

If you don't believe in something, you will fall for anything. This doesn't sound like any sort of Church, just a place to gather and talk. I guess the sermons are just for entertainment and allowing people to feel good for the sake of feeling good. It sounds like the perfect attitude in today's society. Don't tell anyone they are doing wrong, it might hurt their feelings.

______________________________

@pastorart1974

I have visited several UU congregations and I was told you could believe anything except for Bible Based Evangelical Christianity.

_______________

Finally, someone defends us with what we are really about!

@brentchaffin9603

The assumption that UU's "can be anything" is actually a common misconception. We actually have 7 core principles and an overarching covenent that must be adhered to. Anyone is welcome to attend UU services but membership in the church requires dedication to upholding these principles and this covenant.

I am proud to be a Unitarian Universalist and I hope we UUs can help the world to have a brighter future!

https://www.uua.org/pressroom/press-releases/psc-nominee-president

November 15, 2022

The Unitarian Universalist Association’s (UUA) Presidential Search Committee is pleased to announce the nomination of the Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt for UUA President, for the 2023-2029 term. Rev. Dr. Betancourt is an experienced leader and theologian in Unitarian Universalism, including formerly serving as a professor at Starr King School for the Ministry and as Interim Co-President of the UUA in 2017. She currently serves as Resident Scholar and Special Advisor to the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee.

Review the Nomination Process section of this announcement for more information on how the PSC made its determination, and for information on the process for running by petition in accordance with the UUA Bylaws.

The President is the primary public and spiritual leader of Unitarian Universalism, as well as the UUA’s Chief Executive Officer. The member congregations of the UUA, through their delegates, elect the President to represent and lead the faith on a path to Beloved Community, in which people of diverse backgrounds, identities and theological beliefs can thrive. The President must be committed to transparent, shared, and aspirational leadership, using their understanding of power and privilege to advance transformative faithful practices within the Association. At the heart of this work is the UUA’s commitment to dismantling oppressive societal systems and creating communities of equity, belonging and liberation. This requires centering the voices of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities, members of the LGBTQIA+ communities, people living with disabilities, and those with other marginalized identities. The President leads UUA staff, volunteers and members of the denomination to create a Unitarian Universalism that welcomes the questions, gifts, and talents of all who are attracted to this faith tradition.

Nominee Biography

The Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt currently serves as Resident Scholar and Special Advisor on Justice and Equity at the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC). She previously served as interim Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Associate Professor of Womanist Theology and Ethics at Drew University Theological School in 2021-22. From 2016-2021, she was on the core faculty of Starr King School for the Ministry, and served as its Acting President for a term. She was the UUA’s Director of Racial and Ethnic Concerns from 2005-2009. In 2017, she was appointed as one of the three-part team of UUA Interim Co-Presidents. She has been a member of the UUA Appointments Committee since 2016, and previously was a member of the UUA Nominating Committee.

Rev. Dr. Betancourt’s ministry centers on work that is empowering and counter-oppressive. Her academic work focuses on the environmental ethics of liberation through a womanist and Latina feminist frame. She previously served as the Senior Minister at the First UU Church of Stockton, CA, as Consulting Minister of the UU Fellowship of Storrs, CT, and as Interim Minister at the UU Church of Fresno, CA.

She holds a Ph.D. in religious ethics and African American Studies from Yale University, graduate degrees from Yale University in Religious Ethics and African American Studies, and an undergraduate degree from Cornell University with a concentration in ethnobotany. She is an ordained UU minister, with a Master of Divinity from Starr King School for the Ministry. Her book, Ecowomanism at the Panamá Canal: Black Women, Labor, and Environmental Ethics is available from Lexington Books (published February, 2022).

Nomination Process

Under the UUA Bylaws, the Presidential Search Committee (PSC) is responsible for nominating candidates for UUA President. The PSC is made up of seven members, five elected by the General Assembly and two appointed by the UUA Board of Trustees. The PSC was established in the UUA Bylaws in 2010 through a vote of the General Assembly, to support the democratic process of nominating candidates to serve as UUA President. Prior to the creation of the PSC, all candidates for the UUA Presidency ran by petition. The 2023 Presidential election is the second time the PSC has led the nomination process.

Two members of the PSC were appointed following General Assembly 2021 (one later resigned), and the five elected members were affirmed by the General Assembly in 2022. The PSC members are, in alphabetical order by last name: Rev. Jaimie Dingus, Denise Rimes, Cathy Seggel, James Snell, Rev. Theresa Ninán Soto and Marva Williams.

For this nomination, the PSC developed and led a fair and timely application and nomination process that was open to any leader who is a member of a Unitarian Universalist congregation. Over its first few months, the PSC reached out to a wide variety of stakeholders to provide feedback on the Presidential job description and key qualifications, the development of the application and interviews, the recruitment of potential qualified applicants, and on the overall nomination process. Congregations and members of the public were kept informed of the nominating process throughout the spring and summer of 2022.

In addition to opportunities for input from the general public, the PSC consulted key interested parties, including religious professional groups such as the Liberal Religious Educators Association (LREDA), the UU Ministers’ Association (UUMA) and the Association for UU Music Ministries (AUUMM); identity-based groups such as Diverse and Revolutionary UU Multicultural Ministries (DRUUMM), Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism (BLUU), EqUUal Access, and Transgender UU Religious Professionals Together (TRUUsT); youth and young adult communities; and UUA staff. Based on this input, the PSC sought candidates who could address the current needs of the UUA, and support the UUA’s mission and its commitment to the recommendations of the Commission on Institutional Change’s 2020 report, Widening the Circle of Concern. The PSC worked with the UUA Board of Trustees to establish a presidential job description capturing these qualifications, which was approved by the Board in February 2022.

The application and nomination timeline of the presidential search process was:

• Applications opened on April 1, 2022
• PSC members engaged in outreach to potential leaders, encouraging applications, including through conversations at General Assembly in June 2022
• Applications were due on July 15, 2022
• The PSC conducted interviews, engaged with applicants and reviewed references from August through October 2022, in preparation for selecting its nominees

The PSC received applications from Unitarian Universalists who represented a range of experiences and talents, including ordained ministers and non-ordained leaders. The candidate pool was comprised of majority women and transgender/non-binary individuals, and a majority of people who are Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC).

At the conclusion of its process, the PSC unanimously nominated two exceptionally qualified leaders to be candidates for President. One of those nominees declined the nomination. Once the nominations were made, the committee determined that the only fair and appropriate course of action was to move forward with the nomination of Rev. Dr. Betancourt, rather than reopening the application process. The PSC members respect the decision of the nominee who withdrew, and will continue to honor their privacy, as was done throughout the interview process.

Nomination petitions from additional candidates may be submitted, according to the procedures described in the UUA Bylaws and Rules, by February 1, 2023. The election will conclude in June 2023, and the next President will be announced at General Assembly 2023. The current UUA President, Rev. Dr. Susan Frederick-Gray, will reach the end of her term and will serve until her successor takes office. As with the current President, the next UUA President will serve a single six-year term and will not be eligible for re-election.

Conclusion

The search for a President of the Unitarian Universalist Association asks us to live into our best selves and our most imaginative futures, working to fulfill our deeply held aspirations. The Presidential nomination process is a call to covenant and to making our values real in the world through our actions. As shared in the June 2021 Commission on Appraisal report, Rev. Carol Cissel notes:

We are the promises we make and the vows we break. In this faith, Unitarian Universalism, covenants bind us together and strengthen our relationships. They create a pathway toward inclusiveness and, in times of both joy and sorrow, remind us that we are tough, resilient, and thoughtful.

So may we, in faithful keeping of our promises as a movement, elect our next UUA president. The PSC was unanimous in its belief that UUs are blessed by the candidacy of Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt. Once the election process concludes and the new UUA President is announced at GA 2023, our Association will continue on its transformative journey to create the anti-oppressive, multicultural world we all imagine.

__

This announcement constitutes the PSC’s report for nominations, as required by UUA Bylaw Section 9.5.

For questions and additional information, please reach out to [elections@uua.org](mailto:elections@uua.org) and visit this elections page.

For more information contact [elections@uua.org](mailto:elections@uua.org).

All UUs are invited to post as comments various stories about UU churches, UU Ministers, and sermons by them.

https://www.beliefnet.com/faiths/unitarian-universalist/unitarians-seeking-more-piety-less-politics.aspx

One Sunday, the Unitarian Universalist church in Florida that David Burton was attending featured a Sufi Muslim leading a "universal service"--which included passages from the Jewish and Christian Bibles, the Qur'an, and Buddhist and Taoist texts.

To Burton, it was what a UU service should be, drawing meaning from the spiritual wisdom of various faiths. Instead, Burton said, "That was one of the most controversial services ever held in that church."

"Theists and Christians are almost unwelcome in many UU congregations," said Burton, an attorney who lives in northern Virginia. "It's rare to hear a UU minister discuss God from the pulpit. On many occasions, when a minister does discuss God from the pulpit, it leads to division because there's such a strong humanist or atheist representation."

The problem, as he sees it, is that the Unitarian Universalist Association--the denominational organization of UUs--has strayed far from its roots, emphasizing diversity and pluralism and in the process leaving no room for traditional belief. To counter that trend, he has started a new organization seeking to return Unitarianism to its roots as a God-centered liberal religion based on spiritual exploration.

The new Unitarian organization has taken the name American Unitarian Association. To those with knowledge of UU history, that name speaks volumes about the intent of the new organization: Before merging with the Universalists in 1961 to form the UUA, the main Unitarian denomination was called the American Unitarian Association.

And that has the UUA crying foul, and planning to file a lawsuit against the new AUA within the next few weeks.

"The UUA doesn't have any problems with this group's theological and political perspectives," said John Hurley, spokesman for the UUA. "We do have a problem with their use of the name, which is the name of one of the antecedents of the UUA."

But to Burton and Dean Fischer, co-founder with Burton of the new group, adopting the AUA name sends the message that its members want to return to a Unitarianism they think has been abandoned by the UUA.

The UUA is the latest liberal religion to face charges that in the name of tolerance and diversity it has abandoned its core beliefs. A recent Hartford Seminary survey found that the fastest-growing religious groups place the strictest demands on members--which is not what religious liberals tend to do. Meanwhile, across the spectrum, denominations are facing pressure from small but vocal groups to re-emphasize traditional religion over liberal theology and left-leaning politics.

In recent months, several Episcopal parishes have opted to associate with an African Anglican diocese, rather than their local one, claiming they are theologically closer to the more conservative Africans. In 1999, Reform Judaism, after a bitter debate, adopted 10 principles pushing the denomination toward more traditional Jewish ritual. And in the United Methodist Church, the conservative Confessing Movement, launched in 1995, declaring that the UMC "is now incapable of confessing with one voice the orthodox Trinitarian faith."

While conservative movements are particularly strong today, they are an ever-present element of liberal religion, said William Hutchison, a historian of American religion at Harvard.

"It's not only natural, it's a good thing. Liberal movements at some point need corrective measures," Hutchison said, explaining that without them, faith groups can veer too far from where they started.

The new Unitarian organization, which was incorporated in September 2000 but only became public in late December, remains small; its founders declined to discuss how many members it has garnered so far, saying only that membership is growing at 20% per month. Co-founder Dean Fisher said a quarter of the group's members are clergy or have a pastoral care background, and that several UU congregations are considering affiliating with the new group. The organization's first major event will be held April 21-22 in Alexandria, Va.

The UUA bills itself as a "non-creedal" religion, which means members decide for themselves what to believe and how to act. Founded as a Christian faith, the modern Unitarian movement was formed in the early 19th century. Unitarianism, as the name implies, rejected belief in a divine trinity in favor of believing that God is one and indivisible.

As Unitarianism grew during the 1800s, its membership included Ralph Waldo Emerson and U.S. President William Howard Taft. Then, as modernism and secularism developed around the turn of the 20th century, Unitarianism embraced these new ideas and began shedding dogma. With the birth in the1930s of the humanist movement--which rejects any traditional notion of God--Unitarianism's shift away from Christianity became more apparent. To this day, secular humanists remain influential in the movement.

The American Unitarian Association merged in 1961 with the Universalist Church of America, and the AUA name was retired. Secular humanism was a dominant force in the newly formed UUA through the late 1980s, when many UUs began to seek a more spiritual path, Hurley said. Since then, he said, UU humanists have been joined by resurgent UU theistic and Christian movements, along with newly formed UU Buddhist and pagan groups.

"Compared with 20 years ago, theism has clearly made a comeback, in particular with the laity but also with the clergy," said Roger Finke, a religion sociologist at Penn State University and author of "Acts of Faith: Explaining the Human Side of Religion."

In his book, Finke tells of a UUA pastor in New York City who a few years ago was booed in UUA churches when he "concluded services with a benediction that invoked 'God.'" Today, though, that pastor says he can "get away with God language with impunity."

Gila Jones, an active UU member, said the UU's religio-political balance is partly a result of its leadership. As younger people take over, she expects to see an even heavier emphasis on spirituality.

"The group I call the 'pre-boomers' tends to be rather intellectual, suspicious of traditional religion, and very interested in politics," she said. "The boomers and post-boomers, on the other hand, are frequently involved in redefining religion on their own terms and discovering a spirituality that is meaningful to them personally."

She added: "As people of my generation start to have more time to devote to leadership, UUism will turn more towards spirituality and somewhat away from politics. That's already happening. Many of the pre-boomers feel threatened by these changes."

However, she believes the AUA has defined itself too narrowly by focusing on monotheism and rejecting political activism: "The UUs I know who feel UUism is too political are not in favor of removing all politics from our religion," she said. "I know many UUs who want more spirituality in UUism, but few of them are monotheists."

Still, the trend toward greater spiritual emphasis has not accelerated far enough or quick enough to make everyone happy. Even within the UUA, there are some who are dissatisfied with where the denomination stands religiously.

Davidson Loehr, pastor of First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin, Texas, said he isn't familiar with the new AUA group, but he sounded many of the same themes.

"There isn't the degree of honest and probing religious discussion there should be, mostly because in UUism.the politics is primary, the religion is secondary (or worse)," he wrote in an e-mail correspondence. "I've hardly ever found colleagues who are interested in or able to carry on any informed and significant discussion on religious questions, so I share the frustration of folks who wish there were fewer UU political/social cells, and more UU churches."

He added, though, that he stays with the UUA because "there is still more freedom to pursue what I believe is honest and responsible religion than there is in any other denomination."

To the founders of the new AUA, however, theistic UU groups do not have a strong enough voice in the UUA and are not welcomed or respected nearly enough. And they, too, complain that politics has been given too heavy an emphasis.

"Most people don't get up on Sunday to hear a political rally," Burton said, "but to hear an intelligent discussion on ethics, on religion, on how to live one's life."

Has anyone else gone to a unitarian universalist church just to find out that nearly everyone that goes there is fake? I'm only asking because I may try a different uu church some day but if they're all like this then I know to avoid them.

I' m not going to go into too much detail just in case someone from my old church is on here but I had been going since I was a teenager, I live in a very conservative state and wanted to go somewhere accepting. My church had always acted very open minded, very welcoming of everyone etc. But it's turning out that that isn't true. They have been discriminating against my mom and I just because we do not have as much money as the rest of them do and despite claiming to be into equality for all and supporting women's rights, they are protecting a man that's been obsessed with me since I was a teenager.

Just to keep it short, I'll sum it up, the head of the care them bullied my mom repeatedly for needing help with a bill, and the man that's been obsessed with me has a long history of harassing women, even violently harassing them and no one at the church sees anything wrong with any of this despite being aware of it all. We have no minister and we've told the president and the entire board of the church about this, they don't see anything wrong with it. They know how severely this man's obsession with me messed me up emotionally, they don't care, they've defended him repeatedly and told me it was my fault for it happening even though my mom and I have been trying to get it to stop for years.

https://youtu.be/JR-gpy0aItU

Would you say that UU and CUUPs are a safe-enough space for a Black female pagan/witch?

Would you say that UUers in general and even UU pagans specifically, regardless of race, are more likely to believe that Spirit has no race and thus be committed to strengthening Collective Consciousness?

I ask this as I am still debating as to whether or not I should give the seemingly nice, local pagan meetup +/- the local Unitarian Universalist congregation the “old college try.”

I am concerned I will find the same (or even worse) racist, exclusionary, and/or megalomaniac tactics I have encountered in other religious communities including Seventh-day Adventist Christian, non-denomination Christian, African/Kemetic, and eclectic pagan spaces.

I don't want this to come off as mean, I just want advice.

I grew up very involved in the Episcopal Church, but I've slowly lost faith and became an atheist. I attended multiple UUs, but I always end up getting annoyed and leaving due to the fringe folks in leadership. I want to learn how to be a better person internally and externally by learning about different religions and philosophies to life, but I don't wanna hear vaccine conspiracy theories or other forms of alternative medicine. Crystals and "positive energy" won't heal your cancer. In my opinion, if you wanna have crazy medicine go join the Christian Scientists. I won't support people with views that will cause actual harm.

Anyways, love 80% of y'all. 20% of y'all drove me out.

Anyone have any advice for UUish people in my position?

https://www.uusc.org/three-reasons-why-juneteenth-is-the-united-states-true-independence-day/

By Mike Givens on June 16, 2022

June 19, 1865, was a watershed moment for Black Americans living in the American South. That was the day Union soldiers landed in Texas to inform Black men, women, and children that slavery had been abolished two years prior by 1863’s Emancipation Proclamation, signed by then President Abraham Lincoln. These people—who’d seen generation after generation of rape, murder, abuse, torture, dehumanization, and cultural decimation—were finally free to live independently and free from the shackles of an oppressive and racist system that benefited off of their labor.

The road ahead would be long and filled with adversity as former slaves and their offspring would be subjected to water hoses, literacy tests, lynchings, segregated restrooms, miscegenation laws, mass migration, and countless protests and demands for justice. The cultural genocide encapsulated in anti-Black racism is still prevalent in the United States—and in many ways, the fight for equity isn’t over—but Juneteenth is an acknowledgement of progress and liberation and beckons us to continue the fight for freedom.

Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021, and though this act is a tiny step toward addressing America’s “original sin,” there are still many more steps that need to be taken for equality and equity to be truly lived and felt in the United States.

Here are three ways that Juneteenth is the true Independence Day for the United States:

July 4, 1776 Was Never About True Freedom For All

Eighty-nine years prior the liberation of Black Americans in the South, the Declaration of Independence boldly advanced a revolutionary agenda to sever the ties between the 13 colonies and Great Britain. There was just one glaring—and hypocritical—conundrum: The practice of kidnapping African people and transporting them to the colonies was still alive and well. “Freedom” only truly extended to White people living in the colonies. People living under and within the confines of slavery were not treated as people, but property.

Twelve years later, the U.S. Constitution would be amended to include the “Three-Fifths Clause,” a political concession that counted a person who was enslaved as three-fifths of a person of a free individual. This clause was not a step toward recognizing the humanity of these people, but a means for southern states to have more political representation in the nascent American government. It was a compromise rooted in political gain, not human rights.

Black Liberation and Resiliency Are Powerful Metaphors for the Struggle for Human Rights

Countless times in American history, Black people have had to fight to ensure their humanity and personhood were acknowledged and respected. From the slave rebellions in the 17th and 18th Centuries to the Civil Rights movement in the 20th Century, Black Americans have fought hard and set a strong example when it comes to advocacy, activism, bravery, and persistence. Repeatedly, Black Americans have taken situations of oppression and turned their narratives against the oppressor. Some battles have been won, others have not, but what has always remained the same is the outspoken activism that calls attention to injustice and demands the United States do better.

U.S. history is filled with people and incidents that not only show the resiliency of Black people, but the oppression they’ve faced, the injustice that’s birthed from it, and the resiliency and beauty of Black culture.

• Frederick Douglass—A 19th Century Black abolitionist and suffragist who wrote eloquently of the hideousness of slavery and the need to end it as an economic and social practice in America.
• Henrietta Lacks—She died at the age of 31 in 1951, but her “immortal” cancer cells (HeLa cells) were used by White researchers to develop a polio vaccine, test treatments for cancer and HIV, study the impacts of zero gravity in space on human cells, and train thousands of scientists across the world in cell biology. There are almost 11,000 patents that involve the use of HeLa cells and science and medicine have benefitted tremendously from their use. Lacks never provided consent for her cells to be used and her family has never been compensated for their use.
• Tuskegee Syphilis Study—Between 1932 and 1972, roughly 400 Black men with syphilis were studied by doctors with the goal of understanding the disease. None of the men were informed of their syphilis diagnosis or consented to be studied. The pretense of receiving free medical care masked the true intention of studying the infection. Around 100 men died from the disease and it was spread to several participants’ wives. More than a dozen children were born with congenital syphilis. By 1947, penicillin had emerged as an effective treatment for the disease, but the participants were denied it for the sake of continuing the study. It is one of the most egregious examples of racism in medicine in the 20th Century.
• Modern Gynecology—J. Marion Sims was an American physician who in the 1840s performed gruesome experiments on enslaved women as part of his studies of the vagina. He did not provide any anesthesia for these women and no consent was given. His experiments helped advance the field of gynecology, but at the cost of the suffering and deaths of several Black women.

• Linnentown—In the early 20th Century, Linnentown, Georgia was a bustling Black town and home to 50 families in the northern part of the state. In 1962, the University of Georgia forcibly removed all of the families through eminent domain, razed all of the homes and buildings, and proceeded to build college dorms.

  These are just five of many lesser-known stories about the abuse and oppression of Black people. Despite slavery, medical rape, forced displacement, and dehumanization, the Black community has still advocated tirelessly for progress and justice. That day in mid-June in 1865 would be the impetus for many travails, but also many triumphs.

Black Activism Makes American Democracy Work For All of Us

From the Civil Rights Movement to Black Lives Matter, the advocacy of Black Americans has continually kept progress and the fight for justice moving forward. The Civil Rights movement played an instrumental role in so many other movements for change, from women’s rights to the LGBTQ+ and anti-war movements. Even today, Black activism is responsible for a range of social justice and human rights victories, including:

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• Reforms in the criminal legal system
• Increased scrutiny of federal and local law enforcement
• Hate crime legislation
• Efforts to stem the tide of mass incarceration
• Laws protecting certain groups from discrimination in housing, employment, public spaces, and education

As we celebrate Juneteenth, we commemorate the abolition of slavery, but also Black liberation and the many advancements Black activism has ushered around the nation. As we reflect on this day and its role in history, we understand that “freedom” never really is freedom unless each and every one of us experiences in all of our personhoods and identities.

https://www.questformeaning.org/clfuu/

Wherever you are in the world, wherever your truth takes you on your spiritual journey, the Church of the Larger Fellowship (CLF) is here to keep you connected with Unitarian Universalism (UU). Our 3,500 members and friends, with their children, live all over the world. What brings us together is the desire to connect, seek, share and grow in our faith journey.

Quest for Meaning is a program of the Church of the Larger Fellowship (CLF).

As a Unitarian Universalist congregation with no geographical boundary, the CLF creates global spiritual community, rooted in profound love, which cultivates wonder, imagination, and the courage to act.

Connect // Deepen // Act

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This is as close as UUism would ever come to televangelism. And anyone can join it, even if on the other side of the world!

The fundraiser says it best: freedom should be free. Unfortunately, a bail fund doesn’t exist in Hardin County, Kentucky. The legal system has failed this individual, so he’s reaching out to the community to assist with this bond. Would you consider helping his family with this? https://gofund.me/87f32357

https://www.uua.org/worship/words/time-all-ages/honoring-fallen-soldiers

By Erika A. Hewitt, Paul S Sawyer

Think of where you feel safe and at peace. What’s the signal that tells you it’s okay to be at peace?

For people in the United States military, there’s a special signal that says “you’re okay, and you’re at peace.” It's a melody called "Taps," and it's only 24 notes long. It was composed by a general in the Civil War and his bugler.

It’s hard to remember how important bugle calls were in the military once upon a time. In the days before radio, bugle calls were the only way military units could communicate to groups over a large area.

In the 1860s, the end of the day was important. If there was time and peace enough to play Taps, that was a signal that the camp was relatively safe. It meant that you were not under attack. It meant that there were no enemy soldiers to worry about.

To a camp of soldiers, the notes of Taps meant that, unless you were on duty, you could close your eyes and sleep in peace.

They say that the first time Taps was played at a service for fallen soldiers also took place during the Civil War. In those days, the traditional military salute was, as it still is, the firing of a three-round volley of rifles. But this one time, they say, was after a long battle, when finally a cease-fire had been called, and both sides had stopped to bury their dead.
In one camp, as the work ended and the memorial service began to take shape, the soldiers knew that sounding the artillery salute might be taken as a return to fighting, and not as a sacred memorial. Someone had the idea of sounding a bugle, and that sound would never be taken as an aggressive act of war.

Taps came to mean the same thing. It meant the safe and quiet end to the day, time to rest, time to turn the lights out, to let their eyes close, and as best they could, to be at peace.

That’s what Taps means: it's like a powerful prayer.

We try to make our congregations places where people can feel safe and at peace. We work outside of these walls to create a community like that, too: a world where everyone feels at peace in their neighborhoods and towns.

This week, many people in the U.S. are remembering and honoring all those who have died while serving in our military... so you might hear Taps again. If you do, maybe you can stop what you're doing and think of every soldier who might have been afraid, and then let Taps remind you that they're now at peace.

https://www.uuworld.org/articles/psc-application-start

Association’s next chief executive and spiritual leader to be elected at General Assembly 2023

Elaine McArdle 4/4/2022

A new Unitarian Universalist Association president—the public, spiritual, and executive leader of the UU movement and the UUA organization and staff—will be elected at General Assembly 2023, for a six-year term.

The person elected will succeed President Susan Frederick-Gray, who was elected at the UUA’s General Assembly in 2017.

The Presidential Search Committee (PSC), which the General Assembly created in 2010, is tasked with evaluating applications for president and selecting at least two nominees.

The PSC posted the application form online on Monday, April 4, 2022. From this day on, it began accepting applications. The deadline to submit applications is July 15, 2022. Nominees will be announced on November 15, 2022.

The six-member Presidential Search Committee comprises the Rev. Theresa Soto; the Rev. Jaimie Dingus; Denise Rimes; Cathy Seggel; James Snell; and Marva Williams. The team said that, while it anticipates nominating two nominees, it would consider nominating a third if there are three standout candidates.

In accordance with the job description, UUA bylaws, and Massachusetts law, a candidate must be “a member in good standing of a UUA member congregation; a resident of the United States; at least 18 years of age; able to travel extensively and work both weekdays, weekends, and evenings, and able to spend a significant amount of time in Boston.”

Candidates may also run by petition rather than through the PSC process. The petition process opens on December 1, 2022, and closes on February 1, 2023. Candidates who run by petition must follow a process outlined in Bylaw 9.6a (PDF), which requires that their petition is signed by no fewer than fifty certified member congregations, including at least one congregation from three of the UUA’s five regions.

Continuing the UUA’s commitment to dismantling white supremacy culture and other systems of domination and oppression—and receiving a wide pool of diverse applicants—is a top commitment of the search committee.

It is addressing this commitment in a variety of ways, including making sure its members have done continuing education, along with the rest of the UUA staff, on disability justice, and accessible and inclusive hiring practices. The PSC will also be doing work around implicit bias in order to be open to a variety of candidates.

As the process for applications is heavily dependent on written communication, the PSC offers any potential applicant the option to contact the committee with suggestions for a different form of application that better shows off the applicant’s gifts and perspectives, and it hopes people take that opportunity.

The PSC is also seeking input and advice from different stakeholders. Members of the committee are meeting with a variety of UU organizations, including DRUUMM (Diverse & Revolutionary UU Multicultural Ministries), BLUU (Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism), TRUUsT (Transgender Religious professional UUs Together), and EqUUal Access, to get their input and to encourage members to apply or to nominate leaders from their communities.

The 2023 election is only the second election in which the PSC has been involved. While the committee is basing much of its process and timeline on the previous PSC’s work, it has a more condensed timeline because the presidential election period has been shortened.

The committee has also sought the reflections and input of the previous PSC, as well as from current UUA President Susan Frederick-Gray and other candidates from the 2017 presidential election in order to learn and to improve the process based on their perspectives.

https://www.uuworld.org/articles/congregations-change

UU congregations across the country are grappling with change. Here are five that chose equity and inclusion over “the way we’ve always done it.” How might your congregation engage with change?

In 2020, after years of consideration, two congregations previously named for Thomas Jefferson voted to rename themselves, the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Charlottesville, Virginia, and All Peoples, A Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Louisville, Kentucky. As Charlottesville explained in its announcement, “We want to choose a name that will not obscure our values of working for justice and undoing racism behind a name that tells a different story to many.” Louisville’s announcement said, “perhaps even more important are the lessons we’ve learned along the way about letting go of the old, fostering empathy, trusting each other, and embracing a better version of ourselves.”

When the UU Church of Greater Lansing, Michigan, relocated to a former school building in 2016, the congregation recognized that the increased space opened new opportunities for community engagement. It now partners with the local Refugee Development Center to offer free English classes, legal assistance, and social support for immigrants.

Since 2015, First Parish in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has partnered with Y2Y Harvard Square to provide a 4,725-square-foot shelter and daytime drop-in center in its basement where homeless youth and young adults can connect with various resources. The student-run shelter has remained open during the pandemic.

In 2021, the UU Fellowship of Central Oregon in Bend voted to remove pledging as a requirement of membership in favor of a wider understanding of ways to be supportive, accountable, and in covenant with the congregation. “We wanted the membership procedure and requirements to reflect our values and principles and to fit with what we say we believe—that truly all are welcome,” writes Susan Kinney, past president of Bend’s board.

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I will add one more to this list:

https://firstjefferson.org/home-page/about-us/name-change/

Name Change!

And Then There Were Seven…

Name Change Voting—Round Three on Sunday April 17

With two rounds of elimination behind us, we’re getting very close! Round Three of voting for the new Name for the church will be on Sunday April 17. Like we’ve done the last two weeks, the revised list of names still in the running will be posted on the large plate glass windows in the foyer. This time you’ll get ONE colored sticky dot to use to place on the Name that you prefer. And also, like last week, if you are not able to vote in-person at church you will have the option to vote in our online poll. Check your email on Sunday for a link to the online poll.

A Name Change Town Hall meeting is scheduled for all interested members and friends this Sunday, April 17 after church at 12:30 pm in the Sanctuary. The purpose of the meeting is to review where we stand and our ongoing process in advance of the final vote at our congregational meeting next month. One issue we’ve already identified is about the use of the word “Church” vs. “Congregation” in the Naming. We’ll add this to our agenda. You can also use this forum for campaigning for your favorite Name and how it might advance our mission and vision.

The Name Change committee will have some sandwiches and cookies available for a light lunch, in addition to the coffee hour snacks provided.

Thank you for your robust interest and participation in our Name Change process. Please direct your questions and/or suggestions to [namechange@firstjefferson.org](mailto:namechange@firstjefferson.org) We hope to see you at church on Sunday!

List of Proposed Names

All Peoples Church Unitarian Universalist
Chosen Faith Congregation, A Unitarian Universalist Community
First Unitarian Universalist Church of Fort Worth
Harmony Unitarian Universalist Church
Labyrinth Meadow Unitarian Universalist
Shady Creek Unitarian Universalist Church
Ten Pines Unitarian Universalist Church

https://clfuu.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/1277214

How might Unitarian Universalists understand and relate to Islam, as a faith tradition? Please join us for this three-part seminar, co-sponsored by the Church of the Larger Fellowship and the First UU Congregation of Ann Arbor, Michigan, for Unitarian Universalists to move into a deeper understanding of the Islamic faith and its beliefs & traditions.

Unitarian Universalist-Muslim leaders, Reverend Summer Albayati and Reverend Doctor Mellen Kennedy will co-lead this seminar. Advance registration is required.

This class is being offered at no cost to participants. However, if you feel called to support our ministry and help us offset the administrative and instruction costs of running this and similar classes, we invite you to make a donation.

Upcoming Dates

• May 11, 2022--------7–8:30pm EDT
• May 18, 2022--------7–8:30pm EDT
• May 25, 2022--------7–8:30pm EDT

I consider myself Christian Universalist meaning for me that I don’t believe in damnation, at least not in the infernal suffering sense. I was raised Protestant, namely Baptist and Methodist. I’ve been to an Episcopalian church and I liked it, I liked the people. I don’t know how common it is for Catholics to be Universalists or for Universalists to incorporate Catholic practices into their lives, such as the rosary. I have rosary beads and I want to incorporate that into my life. I don’t know of any specifically Catholic Universalist churches, but I suppose there is probably something like it somewhere.

is there any online UU services that are online? if not would anyone wish to organize one? perhaps we could do it in vr

sat siri akal, and hello everyone. I am a sikh without a Gurdwara (sikh temple) in my area. from what i have read the UU looks like an accepting place, and i am wondering how it would be to attend a service with you all? in Sikhi we have a concept called "sat sangat" the sangat is the people around you on a similar journey through spirituality, or their quest to understand god/the universe. i feel like i am missing this aspect in my life currently. as a Sikh we believe all god/gods are the same just described and worshiped in many different ways, as long as the people/person of any religion are on the path to be closer to whatever they believe we are all the same. we are taught that there is truth in all different paths, and encouraged to learn from and about other religions. would a bearded man with a turban be welcome in the UU? would there be opportunity to involve myself and serve the congregation and the community? thank you for your time.

I’ve been just thinking about the future and I feel that of all the churches I’ve researched, if I wanted to take my future children to a church and make that a part of their life, the UU church is the one I most would want to become a member of. My question though is this: as a queer family (I’m a lesbian and so I’d be attending this church with my wife and kids) would I be welcome, and would there be a decent portion of queer couples and families who attend? I want my kids to be exposed to other families like theirs and I’m curious for people who already attend what the demographic of the average congregation tends to be like.