Hey folks. I was raised heavily catholic (my dad is a deacon). When I was a teenager and became old enough to think rationally and really question things I went through an edgy atheist phase, and the older I got and the more research and studying and reflecting I did I came to believe that the concept of God that I had been debunking was a rather underdeveloped one at best, and became more open minded to religion. These days I consider myself an agnostic with heavy pantheist leanings. I think that there is some wisdom to be found in most religions.

In my research, UU seems to be the closest thing to a religious community that would match my beliefs. However, from what I've found the actual practice has less to do with discussions or rituals or whatever addressing life questions and issues from an existential or spiritual perspective as much as it is all about social justice without any solid metaphysical or existential belief motivating it.

Now, don't get me wrong. I think social justice is extremely important, but why not just make it an organization instead of a religion if the only thing connecting it to religion is the fact that it takes place in a church?

I think our society right now is experiencing a crisis of meaning in our secular age, and it's not surprising that people are turning to politics to find meaning. You also have political organizations that are dressed up as churches. On the right, you have baptists who've turned their pulpits into political soapboxes, and on the left you have UU. Not to say that these are the same. One preaches fascism and the other social justice, but neither seem to properly address that crisis of meaning.

From the sermons I've listened to, I just never got the sense that this is a place where I can experience the wonder and mystery that I would hope to expect from a religion that matches my beliefs.