Hi, all. I’m new-ish to my congregation, which is the first church I’ve joined as an adult. I’m really enjoying the community, the minister, and UU-ism in general.

My congregation has been without a settled minister for a few years. We finally found one who we like, who likes us back, and all parties want to make it official. Later this year we’re holding a settling ceremony and I’d like to get our new minister something to show my appreciation of their work and the positive impact they’ve made.

Would getting them a gift be appropriate? And if so, what kind of gifts would a minister like/use/appreciate? I get that everyone is different, but any ideas would be useful.

Thanks so much!

I grew up without religion or religious education. I tried reading the Bible when I was younger, just to see what all the fuss was about, but got so turned off by Lot and his daughters that I didn’t continue. I feel self-conscious of the allegories in western literature and culture that I don’t fully grasp because I don’t know the stories of the Bible. I want to try to understand where fundamentalists are coming up with their way of thinking. I want to understand history better. I want to know what the Bible really says, not what people say it does. Now 4 years into being a UU, I want to give it another shot, read the whole Bible, and approach it critically, like in a Jefferson Bible fashion. Has anyone else made this journey to tackle the “big book”? Is there a commonly agreed upon version, or one that religious scholars typically use? Any recommendations for making a read-through meaningful or successful?

I was raised Catholic, but I’m non-practicing. I don’t agree with most of the Catholic ideology and I always felt negative after leaving mass instead of uplifted. I’m a mom to two toddlers and I’m starting to consider how I’d like to incorporate religion into their lives. I think it’s important for kids to be raised with some kind of belief system with the freedom to eventually choose for themselves what they believe. I really like the UU philosophy, but it seems like my local branch is mostly pagan leaning. I’m completely accepting of pagan beliefs, but I still lean more toward Christianity ( I believe in some aspects of the Christian god, believe in heaven, hell, and purgatory). Is it possible to raise kids as Christian UU’s within a mostly pagan congregation?

John 1:1-2 3 and 14: 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 14: And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

I'm going to preface this by saying that if you've visited one UU Congregation you've only experienced one UU Congregation. I get that no 2 are exactly alike, and most aren't even necessarily similar. I want to say that before I get into this.

So, my wife and (up until today) had been members of one of our local UU Congregations for a little over a year. (January was the 1 year annieversary of us becoming members, though we had started attending several months prior to becoming members.) Everything, we though, was going really well. That's why we became members, afterall.

But then, last spring, some issues started to arise for us. It started with a Master Planning Committee and the congregation wanting to rennovate the church building. There seemed to be two minds about what needed to be done. There were those of us who wanted to fix the accessibility issues that exists within the current building (For example, the church has multiple levels, there are stairs up to the sanctuary, there are stairs to the basement where a lot of the meeting spaces are, there really is like no main floor to this place, there are like 5 different levels, it's crazy. So real issues for folks with even minor mobility issues. And folks who are hard of hearing are having issues hearing the sermon, stuff like that.) and to update the building to help us better live out our faith. (Add a shower, add a washer and dryer, add an ADA compliant restroom, add gender neutral restrooms, make modificationst to allow us to shelter those experincing homelessness, stuff like that.) And then there were folks who wanted to make cosmetic changes to the building. One big one being the restoration of the sanctuary facade, this large midcentury facade that is this whole wall in the sanctuary.

This facade became a pretty big issue. The congregation was hoping to raise $1 million for the whole project to finance these renovations. The original sticker price on the restoration of the facade was $300,000. Well, as we got further along into this process, the price doubled. Restoring this facade, and making no other rennovations, was now going to run north of $600,000. And the congregation was going to have to decide what to do. Well, they decided to plow ahead with the full restoration of this facade. (To be 100% fair, the facade was a big sturctural issue. But! There were other options. Like replacing the facade with a traditional standard wall.) So now, more than 60% of the expected money to be raised was going to this one project that wasn't going to fix any of the real issues we discussed that needed to be fixed. And now no money is planned to be spent making the improvements that would allow us to better live out our professed faith and values.

To boot, while all of this is going on, we have our annual church meeting about the budget. A proposal from the floor comes up to give the ministers and church staff a 5% cost of living raise. (Keep in mind, even with this raise they're actually still going to be making less because inflation is greather than 5%.) Much is made about the fact that this will cause the budget to be unblanaced and we'll have a budget deficit. (All while people are making pledges to finance the restoration of this facade. Folks are willing to give the money to restore this facade but not to give a cost of living raise to church staff? What's that about?) So, this whole thing is really causing me to second guess my decision to be a member here and whether or not this congregations' values are what they say they are.

Well, summer comes and our minister is going on a sabbatical at the end beginning of September. Before she leaves, a letter is sent out from her to the congregation. In this letter she reveals that several months ago she had challenged the board to address instances of Islamophobia that she's experienced at church from members of the congregation that she's informed them of. (She is a woman of Iranian descent and is visibly so.) The implication being that they haven't yet done so, and indeed it turns out they had not. I'm shocked by this revelation. I wait patiently for the board or one of the various other leadership committees or the sabbatical minister to address this. Nothing happens. Months pass. So, in late November I email the board about this situation. Ask why nothing has been said or done. Our minister has been subjected to bigotry and intolerance at church, they've been informed, they've been asked to act, they're not acting. Why?

Well, the sabbatical minister asks to meet with me. I meet with her. One of the things I said was "Our board lacks the courage of convicition to even issue a statement condemning Islamophobia?!" She takes this idea as a suggestion to the board. By late December they finally issue a statement condemning Islamophobia. (Which is, in all honesty, the bear freaking minimum. It took them from late August when the letter went out to late December to issue a simple statement condemning Islamophobia.)

I'm going to add that I was participating in this group's CUUPs group. Before the minister went on sabbatical she asked us to do the Samhain service on 10/30. We were happy to do this because we had just reorganized the group and this would serve as a good re-introduction to the congregation. We do an ancester communion ritual, invite members of the congregation to bring pictures of lost loved ones, we include the names of some recent members of the congregation who passed away in the ritual, goes really well I thought. Well, afterwards a board member approaches me and thanks me for keeping the ritual "reasonable" and proceedes to tell me how some previous iteration of the group had worn robes, and had staffs, and etc. I was floored. Imagine coming up to someone who performed a personalized and meaningful service for the congregation and telling them that a more full and complete expression of their faith practice would be unreasonable and unwelcomed? So, I say that to say that I too had experienced religious intolerance from this board.

Our minister's sabbatical ran through the beginning of January. She comes back, immediately announces that she is resigning and goes into detail about why. The previously alleged instances of Islamophobia are given greater explanation. Well, crap really hits the fan as a result. This overwhelmingly white and overwhelmingly older congregation loses it. They get super defensive. They deny, deny, deny, deny these allegations of Islamophobia.

The congregation is basically split in two now. Those who believe the former minister was wronged and those who don't. (In fact, the board issued a statement following her resignation in which they say "How do we care for those who were hurt by Rev.(redacted) and also embrace those who feel she was wronged." Pay attention to that language used there. It is a fact that the former minister allegations of Islamophobia hurt members of the congregation, but the rest of us only "feel" that the minister was wronged. To me it was unbelievable.

So, as you can imagine, tensions have ran white hot in the aftermath of this. White older members of the congregation post in the church's Facebook group about how they've never seen, heard, experienced, or witnessed any Islamophobia or phobia or any other kind at this Church. Meanwhile, POC and other religious minorities (such as myself, a pagan) within the congregation who speak up and talk about what we have experienced in the way of intolerance, microaggresions, xenophobia, are told that it isn't intolerant, racist, bigoted, etc, or told we are blowing it out of proportion, making more of it than it is, or have it denied altogether.

The powers that be in the congregation simply will not listen to those who try to talk about where, when, and how we have been hurt, marginalized, offended, or belittled by the church as a whole or specific members within the congregation. They do not want to hear any experiences that might be negative. Which makes it impossible to learn or grow from.

As a result of all of this, today my wife and I resigned from membership at this church.

I tell this story here not to attack or criticize UUism as a whole. But to recount my personal experience with a UU church over the last year and some change. Hopefully other UUs can learn from this. Learn what not to do when someone says that something isn't right at church, that they've been racially abused, when they've experienced religious intolerance, when they've been hurt by church. Please listen to folks. Please don't dismiss them. Don't gaslight them. Don't tell them it didn't happen. Or that they didn't mean to hurt you so it's okay.

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.

Just curious. A family member sent me some material on the Unity Church…which I’m interested in actually.

A proposal to replace Article II of the UU Bylaws (which in turn will replace the Seven Principles and Six Sources) will be voted on by UU delegates to UU General Assembly in June. The agenda for Article II is outlined here.

...

EDIT:

The proposal of the Article II Study Commission is a significant rewrite of Article II in the UU Bylaws. It fact, it does replace both the Seven Principles and the Six Sources.

More information can be found on the Study Commission website. They are currently accepting feedback through an online form, until April 30.

The website with essays is: https://savethe7principles.wordpress.com/. (And to correct an assumption some people made, I had nothing to do with the creation of the website.)

I suppose I should not be surprised, but leaving a group we found to be unsympathetic to anyone unlike themselves, determinedly anti-intellectual to the point of harming themselves and devoted to mindlessly repeating cable TV slogans would be unsympathetic to our need to find a group closer to our more thoughtful point of view. Our, now former, friends have treated our decision to begin attending our warmly friendly and accepting, somewhat offbeat and kooky, highly intellectually charged local UU church with a mixture of disdain, aspersions that we lack agency and are somehow being led or tempted by dark forces and bland and unthoughtful sloganeering.

We had a friend over for lunch and walk around our neighborhood and he told us we were being lazy and didn’t want to ”do the hard work” of being a Christian as narrowly defined by the group. When gently cajoled with the story that some idiots had decided that the Bible did not mention water treatment and therefore the government and dark insidious forces were preventing us from the benefits of “raw water”. Some nitwits sickened themselves and their children by drinking water from a culvert (don’t do this) and I asked our friend gently to find some common ground and see if he agreed that some anti intellectual trends were causing Christians to harm themselves. The only example he could think of, gears clearly grinding hard, was that some communities and countries were trying to deemphasize use of petroleum which was OBVIOUSLY outrageous. I began to explain that we used to drive by massive smoke belching refineries in Louisiana surrounded by poor neighborhoods and although it might be familiar and convenient to fuel our vehicles with petroleum products it would be beneficial to all to be less…. Our friend‘s blank stare and complete confusion cut off a long treatise on the environmental and health impact, historically temporary nature and geopolitically unfortunate addiction to cheap oil as fuel. They are really just not interested in any kind of critical thinking and it saddens me.

suddenly, we have no friends and I am worried about my spouse who needs social contact much more than I.

anyone want to commiserate?

I'm a cubscout leader in the US. My best religious experiences were not from the United Methodist church I was brought up in, but from participating in nondenominational vespers at the scout summer camp where I worked as a youth. The BSA had (maybe has?) a program called "A Scouts Own Religion" that says any religion a scout follows is valid. My experiences in scouts shaped my view of religion, and eventually I joined a UU fellowship as a result. Many members declare they are buddist, christian, humanist, athiest, agnostic, etc. I don't think I'm any of these.

First of all, my concept of god is an idea of a supernatural connection between humans that compells us to be good. I feel there is some supernatural element. I feel that the religions that give god a name do it to simplify the concept. Making god an entity instead of a feeling gives god a voice. It's not human conscience compelling you but gods voice. I think it's an artistic way to present the concept.

Second, I think that demigods and saints serve a useful purpose. They give a person something to focus hope upon when they need a mental lift. I'm praying to St. Anthony to help me find my keys, or Freija to help my crops grow better, or Ai'wa when pandora is invaded by blackwater operators etc. I sort of believe that these fictional characters become real enough when we need them to be.

I also think we can't even comprehend the complexity of god, but that god must be accepting of our attempts. God is good, so I think god is goodness and kindness, not that god just likes goodness and kindness. I think it's right that people follow their minds and express faith as they see fit.

So what am I? How do I describe this concept? Religion is a significant part of Scouts. I don't want to lie to others and tell them I'm Christian or whatever. I don't feel the need to identify as Christian. I do think Jesus was real and taught people what is right, but I also think that an indescribable force exists which is bigger and more pure than the Christian concept of god. So what am I? What theology should I study to educate myself? I feel like my god IS goodness, kindness, and hope. So what do you call it?

Are they appropriate in today's UU church, or exclusionary relics from last century?

I noticed that there’s some similarities.

Like most congregations, ours is recovering from the effects of the pandemic, but realistically, needs to turn the tide of years of declining membership.

I’m looking for innovative fundraising ideas, particularly those that help the church reach out to the community and hopefully, attract more newcomers.

TIA

Hi UU folks with disabilities & our allies! How can our homes be more accessible? We all want to welcome diverse guests into our homes, and 100% of us are aging. Click below for the new issue of the UUCE Accessibility Task Force (ATF). Find out about a free, national webinar this Sunday, 4/30, noon pt. Please share:

https://conta.cc/3L0FNb7

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.

Hi there y'all. I am probably going along with a friend to a local UU service this weekend. My friend is a member of UU and is involved in some volunteer community work that uses the UU's meeting space a couple of week nights per month. This volunteer group is open to all, not just UU folks, and I've wanted to get involved, but I thought it might be nice to get to know the UU community there as well.

Partly it just feels like good manners to make that effort. But I've also been wanting to widen my personal sphere of community and work on developing my spiritually a bit. And now I feel oddly shy!

I guess I just don't know what to expect. I've never been particularly religious. My mother has been an active member of Unity Church my whole life and I attended the youth programs there as a kid, fell away from that in my teens, identified myself as an atheist for a long time, then came around to the idea of a non-religious spirituality. In time I've come to define that spirituality as pagan in nature.

I live in a relatively progressive city in a deep red state. I don't really know other pagans, I don't have anyone to share my practice with, have discussions with, or learn from. I've felt very lonely in this regard, and sometimes also silly. I know my local UU does do services and hosts events for some pagan holidays like Yule, so it may be a good opportunity to connect with some of that community.

I'm not and never have been Christian, despite attending Unity as a kid. I know that Unity is based in Christianity specifically and UU is not, but since childhood I haven't attended any kind of Sunday service at all. I guess I worry that I'll stand out or will obviously "not belong" in some way, or that I'll be too out there even for UU, or even more intimidating: that I'll like it and want to come back.

I know no two UU communities are identical but I guess I'm asking what, in general, should I expect?

Edit: even if I haven't responded, I have read all of your comments and I appreciate y'all's input! Thanks!

Hello. I am doing this is a last resort because I am hungry and pretty much on the brink of homelessness. Please pray for me. I lost a loved one in September that I took care of and have been in between work from home jobs and now have no job and no home in two weeks. I lived off my fathers income because I took care of him. I am now down to nothing and live in a rural area and I have my rent internet and everything due. No speakable family and no transportation. I’d appreciate anything if anyone could help, and even if you can help financially please send me prayers. I have thought about giving up but I don’t want to but it makes it dang near impossible not to. I am also ostercized for living in a small southern town and being lgbtq. Anyways I’m sorry to ask for this but I need money in the worst way I literally don’t know where my next bill or meal is going to come from? And if you say I’m faking I don’t care and won’t respond. Please help me even if it’s prayer. I also have cashapp if anyone could help.

TW: CSA as the *middle question, please skip if it is sensitive for you

Are they allowed to swear? I’ve been lurking a bit and I have not seen anyone swear in this forum. It’s not a deal-breaker, and it’d be expected in a tolerant religious forum, but it’s interesting.

How the the UU Church handle things like child abuse? While I imagine the extremely progressive policies turn away a lot of would-be abusers, abusers can exist in all places and any positions of power. What does the UU do to both prevent and rectify any issues of child abuse / SA? While I agree that all humans should receive love and dignity, I believe that victims have a right to safety that takes precedence to an abuser’s right to community and I have no interest in being part of a church that does not reflect these values.

What’s the rub? These values seem to reflect the interests of many young leftist Millenials and Gen-Z - many of us are desperate for community, lonely, and depressed, and this church seems to be a great place to fulfill those needs and reconnect with others. Why aren’t more people a part of this? Admittedly, I thought Unitarians were just leftist Christians until a mom’s Facebook group post explained it further, which piqued my interest. I also saw a noticeable lack on info on social media - are Unitarians against evangelizing online?

ETA: Is polyamory accepted in the UU? I am not poly but I’m just wondering

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.

I like: -community gatherings -doing stuff together like gardening or cleaning up trash -making and eating meals together sometimes -basically cult behavior but just once a week max.

I believe: -no “God”. -i am open to the consideration there may be a higher power. I will never have faith in one or be convinced of it. -And I don’t believe in “Jesus” whatsoever. -I like psychedelics and -believing we’re all connected -I think humans are alike to nature with no greater purpose than to live similar to the trees and ants have no greater purpose.

I’m thinking maybe Unitarian Universalists (?) And I do like the values of Taoism and Buddhism but they lack a “church” community. Whatcha think?

Who leads it? A pastor??

Whats the content?? What do they talk about? (if everyone believes something different and follows a different book, what do they do?)

Is it interactive? (Or is one person speaking to the rest)?

Is it kinda like AA where you can come and stand in the back corner and no one will acknowledge you or speak to you, or are people super friendly and try to get everyone to engage?

Hello, I am 35 years old and I have diabetic neuropathy and have not been able to work because of it. I singed up on my disability but have been denied, but keep applying. I do not want to do this, but I lost my dad in Sept. and I stayed and took care of him. When I lost him, I lost everything. He didn't have any insirance and left behind a lot of medical bills. I am asking if someone can please help me with anything? My cashapp is $rcb5167 and my paypal is the same if you can help. He was an elderly man and caught covid and it set up on his lungs and killed him. I have no food or money and my rent is coming due and I have no way to pay for any of it, I know I shouldnt beg online, and It looks suspsicious, but I swear to you it's the truth. I miss that man so much I cannot stand it sometimes. What is a way I can miss him less? Also, I have been cast out by the rest of my family because I am gay. Anyways, please just send me good vibes and help if you can, I have also contacted churches and ministries but that did no good. Sorry for the long post, I just needed to rant I guess. I just dont get how my family can hate me so bad for just being me. I know there are other who have it rough, but this is pretty rough. Please send good vibes also.

Hey guys and gals.

As the title says, anyone here a religious "refugee", as in someone who came to the UU Church after escaping from another religion they desperately wanted to leave? I remember reading stories of UUs who used to be Jehovah's Witnesses but got tired of the cults repressive practices, as well as how they got shunned by their family and friends for going their own ways instead of being obedient and thus, found shelter in the UU Church and converted. Same thing with evangelical Christians who got tired of the fire-and-brimstone stuff, like being gay and abortion are "evil" chose to be a Unitarian-Universalist instead. Anyone had stories like this where you guys converted to UUism after escaping from religions, or even cults, you guys wanted to leave?

I'm hoping you can share some of your favorite readings, prayers or poems that brought you some comfort and/or closure after a loss.

​

I'm not one that really relates much to bible verses or the traditional catholic church preachings, but after suffering a loss in my family, my heart feels like it's craving some spirituality.

My spouse and I are looking to attend a service soon (our first). We have a 4 month old that will have to come with us. Of course if she’s fussy one of us will step out with her, but are UU services generally accepting of infants? Probably my religious trauma, but I’m terrified of getting looks from people if she starts fussing.

The other day I was chatting with my partner. We’re in our 40s, have a 9 y/o daughter, small three bedroom place, couple cars: life is really good.

We came around to some other family that is in a higher tax bracket than we are. They already have a massive house in an expensive area. Apparently no locals use the public beaches where they’re at, they become members at a private beach where the only requirement is money. Maybe $5k to join? We love (and like!) this family; they are totally reasonable people.

I have things like this beach in my life too! I just bought a pair of $700 headphones that I love. Yessssss (insert Jack Nicholson crazy town yes-face gif) there are $1k headphones I’d also love!

So, there is a philosophical question here: how much is enough? Why do I live and feel the way I do about all this stuff? I think the answer is straight forward enough (consumerism, rat race, keep up with Jones, capitalism): but for me, it’s gonna be a journey of unlearning. Like all journeys begins with a step, I’ll start with a Reddit post.

What do you think? Do you struggle with living in the moment? What about Buddhism? Read any good books about this?

Sure letmegooglethatforyou.com lmgtfu, but I usually find some excellent minds and community right here in subreddits and my algorithms are different than yours.

Thanks!

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?

I'm looking to see if this is gonna be a comfy place for someone like me? I left the church due to the fact that for me a loving God cannot exist in the same place as a hell. I also have a hard time accepting that a loving God would allow so much suffering.

However I miss the community that comes with church, and I do believe in a Power. I subscribe to animism, and I think that Power is the Spirit of the Universe.

Hey everyone!

I was raised UU, but haven't been back to regular service since before high school. My partner is Hindu, and because I am not spiritually religeous, I celebrate hindu holidays and we eat by his religeous dietary restrictions. Hinduism is an open practice, but we have no temples specific to Hinduism in our area, and he worries as a non-indian practitioner coming in with a white partner, he might be judged. I had suggested maybe we could check out some of the UU's in the area, see if maybe there are individuals there he can connect with that he might find a spiritual community where he can go to a regular weekly service, and he's very interested.

He specifically really wants to be able to wear traditional temple wear and is concerned about the public perception of this in a congregation. In support of his beliefs, I've become more of a philosophical hindu that an spiritual one, and I dress in a saree with him when we celebrate holidays, and I put on Tilak with him. He's asked if this would be odd or shunned in a UU setting if we were to show up dressed like we were going to Temple. I wanted to turn to our greater community here to see if anyone has had experience with their UU on this, and maybe some suggestions of UU congregations in New Jersey that would be open to us.

It could be a Christian or Muslim that left a homophobic church/religious setting but still holds onto their views or a racist agnostic because they only heard what their own race told them and rarely interacted with other races?

Since we are about accepting those who are different from us and respecting their opinions, but at the same time, giving room to debate their ideas and accept the possibility we could be wrong, what would be a ideal way a Unitarian Universalist would approach the person about their views?

https://thebridgeblog.webflow.io/posts/the-laws-of-the-universe-aka-the-12-commandments

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.

I’m by no means a Universalist but am being moved by the Spirit to check it out. Besides First Universalist in Providence (which doesn’t stream unfortunately), are there any explicitly (or implicitly) Trinitarian Universalist congregations in the UUA? There’s plenty of traditional Unitarian UU congregations but I’m not a Unitarian. Thanks! Links to streams/past services are a must

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?

Hello all!I posted about Trinitarian Universalism yesterday, without giving much context. Being imperfect and rather slow, I failed to realize that my congregation does in fact welcome Universalists (it’s a UUA/UCC community in Orleans, MA). My beliefs are still unequivocally Trinitarian and more traditional but I’m more than happy to attend worship at a UUA congregation if that’s what God is calling me to do. Officially, I’m a member of Cathedral of Hope in Houston and haven’t looked back. Each week, I worship with them and an Episcopal Church in Philadelphia. Both churches have made me a better person and have shown that no matter what, we’re all God’s children. Thank you for having me and I look forward to engaging in thoughtful and respectful conversations with you!

Who’s heading to Pittsburgh? Any delegates? It’d be fun to have a Redditor meetup!

Is it a group with ties to any specific religion? Does it exclude people for reasons of race, ethnicity, gender, sex, or sexual/romantic orientation? Are only certain religions welcome? Like, could someone be a Heathen or Rodnover or Dionysian or Wiccan, and still be a UU?

Are there rules or control systems? Are there certain political views associated?

Does it require Church attendance to be a UU?

Is it more like an ideology? Is it a religion?

Is criticism welcome when an issue is noticed?

I’m worried to join this subreddit because I (no offense) am worried it may be an abusive, anti-LGBT, anti-BIPOC, or generally anti-progressive cult. I have no knowledge of it, except for that it was founded by someone who left the Bahá’í faith because of the issues with Bahá’í. But I’m also confused because if I remember correctly, they describe it as conservative. Conservative, from what I know, has a lot of implications like being capitalist, pro-hierarchy, anti-progressive, anti-minority, against seeing animals as people, etc.

Apologies if I have worded anything badly, or misunderstood anything, or have made this too long, or have asked too many questions. Thank you to anyone who answers, and have a wonderful day/night!

I’ve been eyeing up my local UU church for many years now. I grew up going to Christian school at first and went to church with my grandma and later a friend, but not within a religious family. There were always things about Christianity that I didn’t agree with even as a young child and things that I believed in that didn’t align. I fully rejected organized religion as a teenager but was still open-minded to certain aspects of paganism and new age spirituality. That kind of stuff was appealing to me as a little nature-loving hippie.

I then spent a few years active in AA and found a home there as a young adult. I became much more open-minded to seeing universal truth in various religions including Christianity (still was not Christian, just found value in the teachings of some Christian mystics due to early influence on AA texts and certain authors’ popularity among members). I enjoyed service commitments and felt spiritually fulfilled. It’s a long sad story, but it’s not really my home anymore and I feel like I’ve been missing that sense of community with other seekers for the last 5 or so years that I haven’t participated. I’ve been sort of trying to seek a sense of spirituality again on my own but it’s lacking. I have since explored paganism more than ever, but still have beliefs rooted elsewhere. I usually just say I’m agnostic lol.

I’m now pregnant and starting to feel like this is the time to finally explore UU. I want my child to grow up in a like-minded community and to have fun and meaningful opportunities like I did from participating in church. I wish I had grown up learning about all sorts of religions and been encouraged to explore my own beliefs. I also won’t be working much for the next few years (or so it seems like it’ll go that way) and I think it’ll be good for me to have somewhere to be. I want a more accessible avenue for volunteering and activism. My husband is just curious and would like to tag along. He very much likes the idea of our child being involved in something like this though.

Anyway, I don’t know why I’m typing this out. I guess I feel like most of my friends and family won’t understand this sort of thing and I tend to analyze my decisions into exhaustion. I’m excited though and can’t stop reading the local church’s website. They have a pagan group, a drum circle, a writers group, mindfulness group, a large vegetable garden, and many “teams” for various issues including food security. All things that are particularly appealing/familiar to me! But I’m looking forward to exploring anything they have to offer. I just really hope I like it. Thanks for reading if you made it this far.

Hello all!

I'm currently in the process of researching UU with the desire to return to my pursuit of spiritual growth and personal peace. I was hoping that by posting here, I could get some questions that myself and my partner have, and perhaps find the courage to actually reach out to my local congregation.

So first off, I would like to say that UU seems like THE option for us, partly because my partner and I do identify as LGBTQ+. But our marriage is typically seen by outsiders as heterosexual because we both identify as our AAB genders and we do not pursue our other sexual interests because we are happy with our marriage. Many will recognize this as "you can't be pan/bi, you're married to (opposite cis-gender category)," or "you can't be poly if you haven't had another partner in (insert time period)." Frankly, we're fine with that. We gave up the poly lifestyle quite a few years ago, and we have no problem being perceived as a fully heterosexual couple (known by intolerant society as "normal").

But these particular facts of our lives, among others such as the variances in our beliefs from the norm, the popularity contests of church work quotas, the cliques, the bigotry, and the hatred both given and received by our previous Christian churches led us to shutter ourselves away from religion. We, as people, were not respected or accepted by our previous churches for living lives of "sin." We have always worshipped in our own way, and we have always remained spiritual, but we never felt like we fit into a normal church.

So here are our questions:

1.) Do we have to pay to be members? We've read on our local congregations site that they depend on "member pledges" to function. We have no problem donating when we can to specific functions or needs, but we don't think it's right to have to pay a fee to attend church. We're barely scraping by as it is, and we don't want to feel like our church is a subscription service that will be cut off without payment.

2.) What does "whoever you are, whoever you love" ultimately allow? Of course, we have no issue with LGBTQ+. But we absolutely do not support abusive behavior of ANY kind. So we want no part of a community that allows spousal or child abuse, or allows sexual abuse (especially of minors). Being blunt here, if UU accepts or even tolerates p*dophiles, or calls them "MAP"s or anything like that, it's an automatic no for us. Please forgive me if this seems offensive, I swear my only intent is to be informed, as my partner and I have survived both of those horrible abuses and thus have suspicions and anxieties.

3.) What kind of interactions can we expect in regards to our personal beliefs? For example, we don't believe in the Bible because it was written by men, not God. And we believe that it's entirely possible that even if God dictated it to these men, that they could have misunderstood or purposefully manipulated his words. We really don't see any other explanation for things like "God" saying to force a woman to marry her rapist or to sell a child into slavery for disappointing their father. Because honestly, what loving and benevolent diety would demand that? HOWEVER, we do believe in the good lessons, such as loving thy neighbor, do not steal, kill, etc. How would we be perceived?

I will probably come up with more questions over time, but these three are the most imperative to our decision. I apologize for the post being so long, but I am sincerely seeking a reconnect with a community that I can feel safe and respected in. Thank you to anyone who has gotten this far and responds! I appreciate you!

Hey folks. As the title says, what are some fictional characters you imagine as Unitarian-Universalist? I ask as I was inspired by reading articles of superheroes of different religious backgrounds as well as how I believe there is not a lot of UU representation out there so, what fictional characters you guys imagine would make great UUs?

To me, I can picture three: Hiccup Haddock from How to Train your Dragon for his compassion and love towards dragons, as how he's willing to do anything for them to be safe, along with him challenging his beliefs and, in a more recent example, Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy for how liberal-minded the kids are while literally fighting to make sure their people are safe (as they are superheroes).

Anyone else have any picks?

I’m am getting more and more involved in my local UU fellowships. We’ve come up with a good number of internal fundraisers, but the community can only give so much. What successful fundraising ideas have you come up with that your congregation runs to help with a little bit of cash flow from outside of your attendees?

Spiritual But Not Religious (SBNR) participants needed for research study examining the benefits of spirituality for mental health in non-religious millennials.

Hi! My name is Lauren, and I am a doctoral candidate at the University of St. Thomas Graduate School of Professional Psychology. I am conducting this study for my dissertation with the aim of helping mental health professionals better support clients who identify as SBNR.

Eligible participants:

- Self-identify as spiritual but not religious, and/or feel this is an accurate description of their beliefs.

- Believe their spirituality has had a positive impact on their mental health.

- Are between 27-42 years of age.

You will be asked to:

- Participate in a 60-minute interview via Zoom

- Provide feedback via email after reviewing themes identified from your interview (optional)

If you are interested in participating or have further questions, please contact me via email at hick5278@stthomas.edu. Participation is voluntary and can be revoked at any time without penalty. Thank you!

I heard there were some issues in the last few years about an anti-trans UU pastor that has since been removed. I didn't find much about it with my weak-sauce google-fu. Anyone around here hear about that individual? thanks

Since relocating a few years ago, I have considered seeking out a U/U congregation (there are a couple in my area) to consider joining because I’d like to have more social contacts in my (older) age group who have generally progressive views. I don’t have spiritual yearnings and am not particularly earnest in outlook although I can and will always act respectfully and cooperatively in my surroundings if I choose to be someplace.

I've been going to a UU church for about a year and a half. It's a small congregation. In this whole time, I've said about 5 sentences to the minister. The minister is a lovely person. Kind, intelligent, sensitive, etc. Very open to new people. But, as the song says, it's me, hi, I'm the problem. Religious leaders intimidate me badly. I was raised Catholic. We were pretty sporadic in attendance but I have no memory of talking to the priest in any casual manner. I'm a very friendly, confident, and outgoing person but, when I last tried talking with the reverend, I had actual tears in my eyes from embarrassment. Any advice? Any similar experiences? I would love to get past this. Thanks!

Hi!

I'm thinking of joining my local UU church. I visited once, and saw only one other BIPOC person besides me. I didn't have a chance to talk to them, unfortunately, before they left.

My question is for the BIPOC members of this forum: Do you feel accepted and welcome at your UU church? Any racist encounters or overtones? Anything you can share would be helpful. This is the only thing keeping me from joining so far.

Thanks so much!

Who were/are the self-professed Christians or Christian groups that led you to atheism/UU ideals? Mine: five iron frenzy, Derek Webb, Rob Bell.

I am a trans woman, and I volunteered to represent trans persons at today's pride service. I had been mulling over what to say, but I knew I wanted to relate to this song. I could have been angry, but chose not to be. I finished writing this five minutes before the service began.

One of my touchstone songs was written by the great theologian and reluctant rock n roll hall of famer, Todd Rundgren. Change Myself, off his Second Wind album. Sorry I'm not going to sing it, but I have a few quotes.

I want to change the world I want to make it well How can I change the world When I can't change myself Try again tomorrow

Trans persons, as well as the rest of our community are the current low hanging fruit, to the media. Since my surgery, I've become a media consumer. I don't watch direct sources, as I don't want to give these commenters the clicks. But I've seen enough to know that they will misdirect, beg the question, be willfully ignorant and quote from faulty studies. When Todd sings about conquering your Citadel, it's about our intellectual honesty, and what we show the world. We have to be better than the forces raised against us. They may call our Pride a sin, but our Pride is the antithesis of shame. Feel good and confident, not boastful.

We can break barriers, with our friends and allies and being the better people.

If I want more peace in the world Then I must make peace with myself If I want more trust in the world Then I've got to trust in myself If I want more love in the world I must show more love to myself

I view the song as a wish to be a better person, and also realizing that we will fall short.

I’m 29, and it has been a long time since I went to church. I left on a spiritual journey in 2016 and I somehow found myself here. But I am worried that if I do go, it will be an older congregation and I will be out of place. What’s your experience with your congregations?

Was asked to share this with a group at service today and this group seemed appropriate:)

Seems like they have a similar set of values as UU

https://aeu.org/

The young peoples Divestment protest was FIRE.

The music was lovely but a bit too hymn focused for me.

The Amendments to Article Ii were a mess, I was really disappointed that the study commission got to pick which got floor votes vs making it more based on delegate support. It ensured minimal changes. I do like the article 2 revison overall but the amendment process was rushed and seemed to be an afterthought. They were selling tote bags with the unamended graphic which tells you they never expected the vote to go anywhere.

I liked Pittsburgh and being down town and all the opportunities that the convention center had for outside space.

There are a lot of complaints about misgendering and poor access for disabled delegates which is a shame. The moderators apologized and said they would try harder next time, which felt like ... a very easy thing to say.

Overall it wasn't what I hoped it would be. I hope others had a better time .

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.

I’ve just started looking at new churches (leaving the lds/Mormon church after being in it for 11 years - and grew up Catholic). And I love the beliefs and principles this church has. Especially how there isn’t one set way to believe and how inclusive it is.

I’m thinking I might find a local church near me this Sunday to attend. But what are your services like?

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.

Hi! I’m new to UU but really love it Are there any discords I can join? Thanks!

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?

Randomly enough, I heard of this for the first time on a random reddit post lol. So I decided to go Google it and honestly I really fell in love with it! I found a church near me that I might try out. But I'm definitely excited!

For background info, I was raised nondinominational Christian but I definitely feel disconnected from it/Christianity in general tbh, along with a disconnect with my old church (think people who are very conservative while I'm definitely liberal. It put a bad taste in my mouth). I definitely like some Christian beliefs, like 'love everyone' is definitely a motto of mine, but some things I've totally just rejected. I've definitely been 'lost' and questioning and like... religion searching. So it was crazy just happening upon this randomly, as I never heard of 'Unitarian Universalist' before, but it seems like it might be a good fit for me.

What else should I do besides just reading the website? Are there any other resources I should look at? Any books or other media I should look into?

Also sorry this was long. If anyone has any advice or tips or experiences they want to share, I'd definitely appreciate it!!!

hi! i’ve been interested in unitarian universalism for a little over a year now and am looking into going to a service at my local congregation. i’m personally agnostic but i love hearing about other religions and grew up in a non denominational church and miss the community environment. i’ve also gone through a lot of trauma and loss and am looking for comfort from that, which i think being in that environment could help me with. i just want to know what to expect and how people in the congregation tend to react to new members?

I am very interested in Unitarian and Universalist history and was wondering if there are any good, well-researched podcasts or audiobooks that others would recommend?

Hello there!

I suppose the tl;dr is that I'm feeling split between remaining an active UU while also finding my way (back) into a progressive Christian church (MCC) and I'd love any insights if y'all have any :) Especially if you split your time between communities or are a "hyphenated UU"

Background, I grew up Baptist - nothing much wrong with it, just a few theological points as nonnegotiable for me compelled me to look elsewhere, and that's when I found UU and became a very active member (I ran my college ministry for a couple years). Maybe ironically, being UU helped me find my confidence in my theism and I'm eternally grateful.

Recently, I decided to try out a progressive Christian church in town and absolutely love it so far, but I feel I'm also losing my connection to UU - I still identify at least partly as UU, and the UU churches in the area are nice enough, but they just don't have that home feel I had back on the east coast.

Is this something y'all have experienced before? Do I maybe need to rethink how I navigate this, or is my time in UU starting to close? I'm feeling a bit in limbo and would love some feedback or advice.

EDIT: Also of note is I do follow the Unitarian Universalist Christian Fellowship, but they haven't been active at all lately, which I suppose is also fueling these feelings :/

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?

so. i discovered unitarian universalism and i found that i wholeheartedly agree with everything that it stands for and i really wanted to join. unfortunately i live in a small polish town so there aren't any congregations near me or even in my country. so i started to look for ways to get engaged online. i was hoping to find a community of interesting people open to new ideas who would help me grow as a person. this is not what happened.

i requested a link to join an online meetup of unitarian universalists in europe, but i was never replied to. today i attended a zoom meeting of yuup. it was fun, don't get me wrong, but there was only like 15 people there and 1/4 of them were mods. i was sent a link to a discord server that is mostly dead and has a rule against dm-ing people.

so here i am asking: am i doing sth wrong, or is this it?

Hello,

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

Thank you

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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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?

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.

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.

*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.

Are there any in particular?

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

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!

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...

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?

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.

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.

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.