Would anyone happen to know which hymns in the gray or teal hymnal were written by people of color? I mean, aside from the obvious ones, like spirituals or hymns written in Spanish.

I have been requested to select hymns by people of color for this coming Sunday and am not sure how to go about this without falling into clichés (spirituals, songs written in Spanish) and without simply Googling to hopefully get a picture of each composer/lyricist.

I did a brief search on the UUA website and all the worship materials I have seen so far about Beloved Community are all text.

In the meantime, I’m going to keep looking on the UUA site & googling.

This is a throwaway account

So without giving too much away. I (27M) recently started attending a UU church in my area about 7-8 months ago. I quickly learned they were in a transitional period and felt like it would be a good time to join. It was apparent that the congregation was significantly older, 70+, but I had no qualms with that; however, my consistent presence I think has upset some of the members.

I am the kind of person who needs to be involved in order to feel a since of belonging. I desperately tried to find more info about events, get togethers, etc., but quickly learned the only way to really get that information was talking with people. So I did and I got involved helping plan activities just so I could know what was happening. This was fine for awhile, but then I kept constantly hear about how there were only a few leaders doing a lot and people, both from the church and the broader community, weren't showing up to things.

I think more than anything these comments really frustrated me because I really try to help and be there.

Recently there was a meeting which involved all those who were doing things within the church. Yet again there was this overarching tone of lack of leadership or outreach/ marketing for events. This also included statements about how we want the congregation to grow, especially with families, and I sat in that meeting thinking about all the ways I have offered to help, yet there was hardly ever any follow through.

I understand I am a gung-ho kind of person, but when all these people fail to utilize me, continue to complain, and then talk about how they want growth near my demographic I'm left utterly frustrated. I understand that it may sound like I'm being overbearing, but really try to understand and respect that I am fairly new to the church. I am not trying to implement really any change. I just want to be involved and help, and for some reason it feels like that is a bad thing or there is this imaginary line I have to cross before I am fully allowed to contribute.

There is another church in town, but it is significantly bigger and that really deters me as I have only really gone to smaller churches. I just feel like if I am going to continue going to this church I am going to have to pull back significantly and that really defeats the point of going for me.

I know younger people in general seem to have a hard time with this religion, but I really like it and I want other people to like it. However, if they are going to continue this pattern of behavior why on earth would I invite others?

I don't know if anyone else has gone through this before or how they handled it, but I would really appreciate different perspectives.

I am interested in listening to more humanist focused services and talks from the UU community. I wanted to see if people in this group could point to some communities and UU leaders that have recordings available.

Any good audio / podcasts to subscribe too? Or video channels?

Thanks!

I'm a practicing Jew (Reform). I have attended a UU congregation for a number of years where I have taught an adult education course on antisemitism. I’d written the following two essays explaining how the UUA’s new racial essentialism, illiberalism, dogmatism and attempts to politicize the religion make UU increasingly unwelcoming to most Jews. The first essay was used in the course and is included in my congregation's racial justice resources.

Two Jewish friends with similar feelings and complaints about the national UU left their UU congregations in the last year. I've stayed because my congregation still champions liberal religion and congregations as independent entities, and allows and respects the expression of the diversity of views of its members.

Is the UUA’s Anti-Racism Model Anti-Semitic?

How Intolerance, Censorship and Dogmatism Make Unitarian Universalism Increasingly Unwelcoming to Jews

I've been attending a local UU's services via zoom for the last few months and yesterday they held a newcomers class. It was my first time going there in-person and as a socially anxious person I was...well socially anxious. But everyone there was super sweet and inclusive (I mean...of course, that's a staple of UU). It was nice hearing stories from other who had left Christianity for various reasons and found UU. There was a lot of overlap with my own story, and for once in my life I didn't feel like an outsider.

This is a very rural, Christian conservative area and in a lot of ways it's very lonely being a liberal agnostic. But there I was in a tiny chapel with a bunch of other like-minded folks. I could refer to myself freely as an agnostic without feeling like I was being judged or misunderstood. It meant a lot to me.

Within an hour I was invited to join the tech committee, to help with Zoom stuff, so I guess I'm part of that now :D Not even a full-blown member yet, and they want me to get involved. I'm happy to. Growing up, my dad was very involved in our Christian church and helped run the soundboard during service. Glad to be able to carry on that familial tradition :)

I have been a member of a UU congregation since January. Today, after a full week with the candidate and a whole one year process of identifying candidates, my congregation held a vote on a motion to call a new Sr Minister, the vote did not meet the threshold.

Has your congregation gone through something similar? What ended up happening? My concern is the reputation of the congregation will be impacted and our pool of candidates will shrink drastically.

No words, really. Just wanting to put this down somewhere.

Peace be upon you,

Islamic Thought is one of the largest and active Muslim servers with 6000+ members on Discord, a free text and voice chatting platform. Welcoming all kind of people with different backgrounds! The server is promoted to foster serious discussions around religion and religious matters in general.

The server has multiple 'channels' dedicated to various disciplines, including Islamic theology, philosophy, science, history, politics and economics.

If this interests you, click here to join! It takes minutes to register.

We hope to see you!

Jesus loves you, come chat with us! we are friendly, We have Bible Studies, and if you suffer from anything and need to talk or just wanna talk about Jesus or the word come say hi!

https://discord.gg/brsRKnBayy

Have patience, please, it's still a little rough--

I'd heard that UUs value diversity of opinions, so when I found three of them together I asked: If you have three UUs, how many opinions are there?

The first said, "Three, of course."

The second said, "At least three."

The third said, "It depends on what you mean by 'opinion.'"

Hi all. I will be in Seattle this coming Sunday and am interested in finding a church to visit. I know nothing about the area and I see there are three congregations in town.

Which is a good one to visit as a first-timer in the area? Bonus points if one of you is a member of one of them and wants to make a connection.

I have recently been getting re-interested (I'm always interested!) in esoteric Buddhism and Christianity, but when I try to talk about these concepts with members of their respective religions, I sometimes am confronted with more conservative concepts (on in the worst case, outright dogma)

Like "no, that's not the way, do THIS" which is not very open...I'm more than willing to be wrong, but I want to explore faith! Which I guess why I love UU so much.

I'll admit that some of my viewpoints are far from conventional - such as how I experience God while playing video games, how I also believe that video games can be "Upaya" (skilful means, in Buddhism) but I'm also interested in how different religious and spiritual concepts work together, like "be in the world, yet not of it" and the Buddhist/Hindu views of emptiness and non-attachment. The core of all religions has always seemed to me to be the same, not different, and there is so much to learn from all the faiths.

However members of these faiths tend to only speak from their faith, which is understandable but a bit constricting. How do you all reconcile this?

I got great replies the last time I made a post like this, so I am asking again.

So I was raised in a UU church, but this is the first time our minister has willingly stopped being our minister. (Our first minister was caught in a compromising situation with a married member of the church).

So our church has been making announcements for months that our minister was moving on, lots of plans for the goodbye event, when suddenly we get an email.

Basically the email says that normally the departing minister leaves the town he was living in to go minister elsewhere, but our minister isn't moving, he's decided to continue living here.

That means, according to the email, that we have to stop interacting with him, stop being his friend, because if we continue to talk to him and bring our religious problems to him, then the new minister, who ever that might be, will never feel fully welcome and feel like they're the minister of the congregation.

Our departing minister has been with us for about 20 years, so how do we as a congregation just stop being friends with him?

Is this normal for UU churches?

I regularly attend an online-only congregation of the Christian Universalist Association, and it got me thinking. Does the UUA have anything similar?

I watch live streams of services, like from All Souls in Tulsa, but that's not quite the same!

The UUA has a very interesting story and potential but I see that does not attract many ethnic minorities. It is a church for liberal white people with $$ (that is the perception outthere)

Maybe part of it is that the denomination tends to minimize/hide its Protestant and Christian roots, which I think was/is a mistake.

I'm using the G word in this post, substitute as you will!

I was introduced to this concept by a minister and have since read up on it. The way God speaks to me is that when I come to Him with a decision that I need guidance with (and these are typically big ones like deciding which major) when I feel a sense of peace from it, I know it is His will.

If not, I will feel agitated and antsy. I also incorporate things like TRE into this process, as well as talking to other humans. I use head and heart, and take all major decisions to God.

I recently tried to use muscle testing to speak to Him and it doesn't work, but prayer and meditation seem to have.

I thought I would post here to gain more knowledge and insight about this. It's mysterious and profound.

​

Before I begin I'd just like to wish everyone a great everything and hope you're all well. I am actually going through a not so great period in my life now

but I've never let that stop me from praying or believing. Also warning it may be rambly.

​

So this post is about the synthesis of varying belief systems and religious beliefs and how they all integrate. I'm a practicing UU, and have believed in

God/Higher Power/Whatever for about 36 years (probably my lifetime) But I also draw insight and strength from all religions. Until I discovered UU in my

twenties I thought I was the only person who did this!

​

This sometimes puts me in conflict with views centred in only one religion or doctrine. For instance my two closest therapists are Christian and Buddhist - I'm

open to discussing religion in session as it's a powerful healing force, but I sometimes have to challenge them or interpret their statements in view of

my own beliefs.

​

In dark times I admit that I wonder and question my faith (which is not necessarily a bad thing, since faith SHOULD be questioned!) Maybe I have it all wrong.

Maybe I should just be one religion, a good Buddhist/Christian or whatever, and that would solve everything. But I believe that to just be the blandishment of

the ego.

​

But then I remember WHY I believe this - and it is not just because of UU. Because I have had direct spiritual experiences that resemble each of the major religions

(and then some) I have experienced the cessation of samsara in meditation. I have met and spoken with God (as we know Him) I have experienced the sensation of

flames lightning and burning away depression, similar to certain Shinto texts.

​

As a scientist, therefore, I must believe that they are all true (and William James' books seem to corroborate this) We all experience God differently, but it's

there. (or not there, if you are atheist) I don't think I would believe so ardently if I hadn't actually seen prayers being answered.

​

At the same time, we live in a modern and digital age, and so a lot of the sacred texts must be interpreted (one of my favorite questions is "If Buddha/Jesus

could use Instagram what would they post?") I experience God most directly through video games/anime, which raises a lot of eyebrows but it true to my experience.

I still have bills to pay. I'm very sex positive, so I don't agree with a lot of the more traditional views of society (for instance, I don't believe in marriage

as an institution) and believe spirtuality and sexuality are interlinked, which some conservatives aren't on board with.

​

It's sometimes (often!) a lonely path to walk as I seek the intersection of all paths, constantly refining and interpreting information (the Net has too much!)

striving to be true to my authentic self and what God wants of me. It's not easy, which is why I am posting here I guess - wondering if others have similar

struggles or ways of believing and viewing the world.

​

This is just me being UU in the way I know best, I'm not prescribing anything or saying my way is best. Be well and I am happy to discuss!

If so what did you think of it? Thoughts about it online?

My dad recently told me about his experience with this specific church (he grew up in LA and his parents were members of it) and there was one part in particular that interests me: he told me that the pastor (or what ever they call it for non-religious groups) used to come by his house around dinner time and the "pastor" sat around the table with his whole family and try and talk about his feelings and stuff. He was very young and couldn't recall much. My dad told me he talked about this with his brother (who was also there) and asked him what was going on, but before his brother could tell him the conversation broke off.
I would now like to know if any of you guys and girls have the answer. This was in the seventees and they probably dont do this know anymore, so unless you've lived it, you probably won't know.

Lengthy and detailed essay, including how the UUA has transformed into an illiberal democracy

"Intolerance and Illiberalism in Unitarian Universalism"

Are politics inherently part of this churches culture? Is there an expectation of political homogeny? I support LGBBT rights, women's rights, racial justice, but I don't particularly want that to be a keystone of a place I'm going for a spiritual community. Also, I've looked through local church websites and there seems to be an anti police sentiment.

Paradigm shift in biology

https://www.simplypsychology.org/Kuhn-Paradigm.html

Scientists accept the dominant paradigm until anomalies are thrown up. Scientists then begin to question the basis of the paradigm itself, new theories emerge which challenge the dominant paradigm and eventually one of these new theories becomes accepted as the new paradigm.

Magister colin leslie dean has destroyed your biology with one sentence

you accept species

you accept species hybridization

thus

species hybridization-anomalies- contradicts the notion of species-thus making evolution ie evolving species nonsense

thus

a paradigm shift is required to take account of the fact that species and evolution are in fact nonsense

So why have no biologists in says the last 150 years seen the obvious which the Magister proves

evolution is nonsense ie evolving species because species is nonsense because of species hybridization so what is a species

Scientific reality is textual

http://gamahucherpress.yellowgum.com/wp-content/uploads/Scientific-reality-is-textual.pdf

or

https://www.scribd.com/document/572639157/Scientific-Reality-is-Textual

just a definition

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/species/

"A species is often defined as a group of organisms that can reproduce naturally with one another and create fertile offspring"

but

but species hybridization contradicts

that

https://kids.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frym.2019.00113

"When organisms from two different species mix, or breed together, it is known as hybridization"

"Fertile hybrids create a very complex problem in science, because this breaks a rule from the Biological Species Concept"

so the definition of species is nonsense

note

when Biologist cant tell us what a species is -without contradiction thus evolution theory ie evolving species is nonsense

evolution is a myth

I'm making a Christmas gift for my minister. I would like a short (5 words or less) quote or slogan that would be appropriate. I was thinking "Deeds not Creeds" but I would love more suggestions.

Thanks in advance!!

The minister who runs the nonprofit gang rehab org “Hugs Not Thugs” is introduced as Unitarian Universalist: “those fools are like hippies, but angry.” Great description of us, and a fun show.

I am very happy to be officiating the wedding of my god-sister in a month. God-sister as in: her parents are my godparents and mine are hers, we grew up together in UU congregations. She's my dearest person and close sibling by the circumstance of our parents being each other's chosen family. An extended UU family. Anyway--I'd love to give her a ceremony that has a distinctly UU bent.

We have drafted a handfasting ceremony with the exchange of vows. It's beautiful and a good length. Now, what should come before it? Readings? Poems? Stories? Any other thoughts on the UU flavor? We thought about having a chalice, but decided it was too much.

Bonus points for anything particularly down to earth, irreverent even. They are science, cats, and DnD loving nerdy folks, definite romantics.

Edit:by "a good length" I meant not too long, as opposed to just long. The right length. Need more to fill out the program!

I don’t want to be a pillar of the community

Propping up the establishment

Maintaining the existing structures

I want to be a pillow of the community

Bringing comfort to those who need rest

A soft spot for animals to curl up

A gentle resting place for those who labour

A place of ease

A place of comfort

A place of love

Not a pillar, a pillow

(Feedback welcome - I wrote this after reading Terry Pratchett “Making Money”) edit because formatting on cellphones sucks.

A UU Minister answers the question (From 2009):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1NPVPLuM70

Unitarian Universalism seems pretty unique in its theological agnosticism. Is it? Does anyone know if there are any other religions that are as non-dogmatic as UUism? Just curious.

Where does UU find its greatest spiritual depth?

I'm a preacher's kid from the Midwest living in Hawaii. I'm a member of a Friends Meeting and a Jodo Shinshu Buddhist temple, having been a member for about 50 years and 7 years respectively. I'm aware that spiritual depth can be elusive (or for that matter illusive).

Prolegomenon to undermining the foundations/fundamentals of science

http://gamahucherpress.yellowgum.com/wp-content/uploads/undermining-the-foundations-of-science.pdf

or

https://www.scribd.com/document/591616840/Prolegomenon-to-Undermining-the-Foundations-of-Science

The greatest scholar of our time Magister colin leslie dean

Magister colin leslie dean the only modern Renaissance man with 9 degrees including 4 masters: B,Sc, BA, B.Litt(Hons), MA, B.Litt(Hons), MA, MA (Psychoanalytic studies), Master of Psychoanalytic studies, Grad Cert (Literary studies)

"[Deans] philosophy is the sickest, most paralyzing and most destructive thing that has ever originated from the brain of man."

"[Dean] lay waste to everything in its path... [It is ] a systematic work of destruction and demoralization... In the end it became nothing but an act of sacrilege.

Hello all and I hope everyone is having a great week. I felt guided to post on several subs today so here I am.

Some background info, my story is long but I'll try to summarize. I'm Unitarian Universalist, but I do identify as a Christian under that umbrella.

I've always been a very spiritual person and it has been a decades long journey to better understand God, the cosmos and my role in it all.

There have been a lot of changes in my life recently (I moved halfway across the world for one thing) and because I've had to make so many decisions, I've been

turning more and more to prayer. I find the practice of Ignatian discernment to be useful - what I do is that I surrender completely in prayer and if I experience

peace, essentially God approves and if I experience desolation (unease, worry, my body will shake in distress) I know that that is the wrong way to go.

A wise aunt of mine once told me that we also need our human wisdom, so I don't expect God to tell me what to wear, nor do I ask every little question. I tend to

trust my instincts and what guidance I have received in the past. I won't deny that it's been a long journey and it's been difficult to sort through all the

information I've read (hundreds of books, blogs, websites etc) to discern what is truth and what works. The short version is that yes I do believe and have

experienced matters of the spirit, but I'm also a scientist, so I seek to verify everything that I encounter and find.

Which explains why I am writing this post :) I've been using the method described above for a while now, and it seems to work, but some answers seem incongruent.

God works in mysterious ways, but yet He also works within the framework of creation - in that we still operate in a casual and physical world, and that free will

must be respected.

I would be the first to admit I don't know everything, so I am throwing this out here for discussion. How does one know you are guided? How do I ask questions that

will lead me in the right direction, to make the world a better place and live in harmony with spirit?

(My prayers are generally in this vein "Is it in the highest good to do such and such.")

When exactly did Unitarian Universalism become a post-Christian religion? Was it immediately after the UU merger in 1961? What religions were included when Unitarian Universalism became post-Christian? Was it mostly just Christians and Humanists, or were there others as well?

(Hoping to find ways our congregation can improve and learn from others.)

-sign people in for Sunday service - reach out to people when they haven’t been in ___ weeks? - do anything special for new visitors? - have a Church Management system, for example Planning Center - post recorded Sunday services online? (Private, secured?) - have 40 to 70 on Sundays, and 70-150? Etc. - have “Sunday school” aka faith formation for youth? - have a full time minister?

I notice that the moderators of this liberal religion forum censor the voices of minority and marginalized UUs if their beliefs are different from the moderators. I also ironically notice that the minister moderator of this forum is a white man.

Perhaps the moderators can explain what "centering the voices of minorities and marginalized peoples" actually means. In practice here, it appears to mean centering the voices of minorities who follow your personal views. The idea that minority UUs should only have and express one view is an ignorant, condescending, narrow-minded, and, frankly, bigoted philosophy.

I have noticed other racial and ethnic minorities in this forum have expressed that they left their UU congregations because of the expectations of narrow ideological and political conformity. Such expectations of conformity, censorship, and "we only welcome and listen to minorities who believe what we expect them to believe" makes UU only more unwelcoming to most minorities. This is in particular as the prevailing expressed UUA positions run counter to the views of most minorities in this country.

Many white privileged American progressives have had a long history of arrogantly and condescendingly informing minorities "what they should believe" "for their own good." The new UUA, new UU ministers, "white allies" and this forum appear to be continuing this self-righteous tradition.

This is how you create a really tiny church, and, ironically, a really tiny church that most minorities in this country will not want to join.

It appears that the UUA and many UU ministers have forgotten what liberal religion means.

​

I'm curious, as someone searching for a liberal religion but believes in a hereafter, if I'd fit in as a UU

View Poll

As UUs are deeply committed to diversity and inclusion, I wanted to share a link to a conference — Counterweight — which is exploring liberal (instead of radical left) approaches to these issues.

https://cw.heysummit.com/

The conference can be attended for free. If you choose the free option, you can view all the talks (for free) up to 24 hours after they have been given. The conference started yesterday, Sep 22nd and goes on for 4 days.

Hey all.

So I have been struggling much with my faith, especially where issues of the nature of Jesus and the afterlife are concerned. After much study, I think I align with unitarianism and universalism more than most.

I believe there is only one god, and the trinity doctrine is not accurate. I believe the plan is to reconcile all things through Christ "And I, if I am raised up, shall draw all men unto me."

However, after reading around UU resources, it looks like the movement leans left liberal. I myself am somewhat of a moderate. I embrace the welfare state, believe in gender and racial equity, oppose the death penalty, advocate for a more compassionate immigration system, etc. On the other hand, while I belive members of the LGBTQ community should have all the rights every citizen is entitled to and should be free from persecution, I am not particularly affirming. I am also pro life when it comes to elective abortions.

​

Generally, I know positions are not suppose to matter. But in a world where you are with us or against us, it kind of does.

The long and short: Are there corners of the UU movement where moderates are welcome?

I have gone back and forth about pursuing a M.Div. for nearly 20 years. I had once gotten to the point where I was applying to several programs but rescinded my applications and pursued doctoral work in Psychology instead (I'm a Psychologist, by training and practice).

That said, I read, most often, about Unitarian and Universalist history and often find myself writing and drafting sermons but never delivering them anywhere, even as a layperson--mostly because we don't have a Congregation or CC in my Rural area.

I'm happy in my role as a Psychologist, but often wonder if it'd be possible to "do both" [i.e., become a part-time UU minister or associate AND practice as a psychologist].

If I pursued the M.Div., I'd want to complete via a part time option online at either ML, SK, or HDS (I know HDS is a FT program, and unlikely to work out).

Any thoughts? Any seminarians with advice? Comments about their own experiences with PT M.Div at ML or SK?

Last week several members from our local UU had our first unofficial atheist meeting. We all had a great time, and have decided to meet every few weeks and try to build a secular community in our congregation. The problem is we have no idea how this will look in practice. We all enjoy the social aspect of hanging out with like minded people, but as far as possibilities for affinity groups or ways to contribute to a service we don't have any refrence of how that looks. If anyone has a humanist group at their UU I would love to hear about your experiences.

More generally, does your UU community have a liturgical calendar of the year? What's in it?

September 15, 2022

The Article II Study Commission is excited to share a full draft of Article II (PDF, 3 Pages) for feedback. The Study Commission's outreach team will be hosting Zoom feedback sessions in the first half of November, along with gathering feedback through a forthcoming online form for individual comments.

The Study Commission will present its final draft to the Board in January for inclusion on the agenda for General Assembly 2023. It will then be the subject of mini-Assemblies before the initial vote at GA 2023. If it passes that delegate vote by a majority, it will require a 2/3 majority vote at GA 2024 to become the new Article II of the Bylaws.

This draft makes significant changes to Article II. We invite you to read it using one of the practices we have started following in our work:

1. Read it the first time to observe how it makes you feel.
2. Read a second time, observe what it makes you think.
3. Finally read it a third time before thinking about any suggestions.

It will be ideal if you can hold suggestions until the online form is available so that they can be more easily gathered and read. But do feel free to direct questions to [changemanager@uua.org](mailto:changemanager@uua.org)

Zoom Feedback Session Registration

• Saturday, 11/05 at 3 p.m. Eastern
• Sunday, 11/06 at 2 p.m. Eastern
• Tuesday, 11/08 at 10 p.m. Eastern
• Wednesday, 11/09 at 8 p.m. Eastern
• Thursday, 11/10 at 7 p.m. Eastern
• Saturday, 11/12 at 3 p.m. Eastern
• Sunday, 11/13 at 2 p.m. Eastern
• Monday, 11/14 at 9 p.m Eastern

Im asking this in good faith but as a Jew I do not trust UU and dont really understand it. From my perspective, like Jews for Jesus, its essentially a Christian org that pretends its not despite having ministers, churches, celebrating Jesus, ect. I like all the left-wing aspects of UU but I have a hard time not seeing it as another way for Christians to destroy minority religions by assimilating them. I also find the using of our and others religious ceremonies and symbols and stripping them of their religious significance, presenting them as set dressing for a mostly Christian audience is offensive. Please correct me.

Does your congregation use a church management system, such as Breeze or Planning Center (there are a ton). Is that your donation platform or do you use something else? Or just a donation platform, such PayPal, or?

Anyone else thinking about spinning up a uua.social Fedi server (like Mastodon)? We could crowd fund it on Faithify. I'd want the UUA folks to be aware of it and hopefully support it, at least in spirit.

This year I took a job at a grocery store that allows mustaches, but not beards. I've had a beard for about 15 years. I needed the job, so I bit the bullet and shaved. I hate it. I'm tired of looking at a stranger in the mirror, and I get razor burn every time. It occurred to me that I might be able to get a religious exemption for this arbitrary rule--were I Muslim, Sikh, or Orthodox Jew, it wouldn't even be a question. Obviously it's a little less clear in our case, but I think I might be onto something. Does anyone have any relevant experience or advice? Any UUA documentation I could show to the GM that would support my position?

I just recently started going to a UU congregation and it’s really made me want to think and learn about different philosophies, religions, frames of thought, and the UU itself. Podcasts tend to be one of my favorite ways to get a better understanding of things so I wanted to see if you all had podcast suggestions. Even if it’s not UU specifically, if it feels like it connects with your UU faith, I would love to look into it.

Hi there, I've been having a discussion with someone regarding a cultural practice called a karakia. It's basically a Maori prayer shared at the beginning of a meeting or event.

The discussion centers around cultural practices in a secular environment. I support the Maori culture but not the religious aspect and have said that Karakia shouldn't be performed in public secular environments (govt, schools, councils etc).

The person I'm in discussion with says prayer isn't inherently religious and calls the karakia 'secular prayer' even though it most often references God or deified ancestors.

The guy I'm talking with isn't very good at presenting a straight forward argument and I'm trying to conduct a good faith discussion, not win an argument so I'm looking to explore the notion of secular prayer.

TYIA for any engagement.

I am agnostic but religions fansinate me. I want to learn more about some of them so I decided to reach out and speak with people who are members.

There are not unitarian universlists in my country (as far as I searched) so I decided to ask here. I would like to speak with somene in order to tell me about his/her religion.

Thanks in advance.

We could speak here on viber , telegram or on instagram if you want.

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

Your top 10 posts:

• "I organized the first UU student group in my University’s history! We’re expecting a really big turnout :)" by u/comradetori
• "A serenity prayer of sorts (h/t UU Hysterical Society)" by u/doxymoronic
• "Redditor makes r/all post about OWL program" by u/kendie2
• "I think I'm going to join my local UU church" by u/JimmyEatWhirl
• "I don’t want to be a pillar of the community" by u/northernlaurie
• "I attended my first in person UU service today!" by u/randomUser042718
• "The General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches (UK and Ireland) held its General Assembly Meetings last week. I was pleased to be one of the new Ministers to sign the GA Roll!" by u/RobinHanford
• "Found this poster of Principle 7, but it bothers me that there's no space in "a part." Completely changes the meaning!" by u/Killer_Sloth
• "The minister on “This Fool” (Hulu) is UU!" by u/catlady047
• "UU Joke that came to me this morning" by u/vonhoother

Just wondering what's left of Henry Ware's influence :)

Hello fellow redditors! First of all, I would like to apologize for the inevitable mistakes you'll find here and there through my post, as English is not my first language.

I've been in a spiritual crisis for the past fifteen years basically, but it has intensifies lately and I've been looking around for a direction to find a place and belief that might make me feel home. I was raised Catholic as it's the main religion in my country, but I've felt disconnected from it since I was11 or 12 I think. I have always been very attracted to pagan and pantheistic beliefs, but I cannot go past the absence of "structure" and guidance; in other words I feel lost without that sense of community and belonging that Churches can give, but I can't relate to the most mainstream Catholic and Christian teachings, way of behaving and seeing life. I've called myself agnostic for the longest time but I know it doesn't represent me.

I came across UU denomination and I really like the message and openness to others. I am living in the US at the moment and there's three UU congregations nearby that I would like to join sometime to have a "taste", although at the moment I work weekends and cannot attend the Sunday service. What's blocking me, apart from working Sundays, is that my husband and I plan to go back to my country in five years, and even though there's a lively UU community in Europe, there's nothing in my country. There's a Facebook group that only shares philosophical posts once in a while, a WordPress blog that's been inactive since 2017 and that's all. I am scared to get into it as I won't find any of the things I like about structured religion once we move back.

I a very sorry for the long post, but it's been bugging me for the longest time and I felt no one could have a better answer than people who are actually involved with it!

Thank you and have a wonderful Tuesday.

On this lovely new year Sunday morning, “Let us purge the statements of outgrown crudities, cruelties, falsities, blasphemies, Infamies! Let us dare to believe that the light of Lord today is holier than the mistakes about Him made by those who walked in darkness.”

I've finally made up my mind. My first tattoo is going to be the number 637, and a chalice, all tattooed on my wrist^1. For those not in the know, #637 is the Litany of Atonement in the Gray Hymnal, aka Singing the Living Tradition. (Does anybody ever actually call it that??) The refrain is "We forgive ourselves and each other. We begin again in love." The Litany of Atonement is slowly finding its way into the foundation of my relationship as recurring words of comfort.

What I am getting hung up on is Part 2, the chalice. There are a dozen different designs, and I'm finding it hard to choose! So, TatUUed² folks, my question is this. How did you decide on the particular design of your chalice tattoo? What was the significance of that shape?

I could go with the two circles, but that's not what my home church's chalice looks like. Do I lean into our "ringless" chalice, do I not? Need to hear what other people have done!

¹ Astute UUs of good humor may note that I have planned for myself the equivalent of a bible verse wrist tat, and have my welcome permission to chuckle at the irony of a Pagan of all people doing such a thing.

² This joke is not mine, it is shamelessly stolen!

I’m currently looking into Quakerism which I’ve always been interested in since high school. I have been a part of a UU congregation for the past 8 years. Anyone have similar experiences?

Final report of the Article II Study Commission

Hello all,

Recently stepped back into the UU circles to find my local church embroiled in a debate over reworking the principals and rational individualism. As one who came of age as part of the UUA and is now returning from raumspringa, this is a mini-manifesto of why I think irrational communalism has a place in the UUA right alongside the enlightenment principals of rational individualism.

A manifesto of Irrational Communalism

(A postmodern response to a dilemma within the UUA.)

There was once a time in the history of our species, long after we began to group together as tribes but long before the invention of currency. It was a time where our communities never got bigger than a hundred or two. It was a time when we as people were able to remember every single face in our local existence. We could remember who it would be intelligent to trust. We could remember in whom our faith could be most wisely invested. We could remember the promises we made to each other, if only because the ‘other’ was always right there, next to us.

The channels and nets responsible for facilitating the exchange of matter and energy between individuals of the tribal ecosystems were systems made of faith. Not faith in some supernatural force, but rather faith in each other. It is an active decision we make when we choose to let our defenses down around each other. It is an active decision to have faith in someone else's rationality. What the tribes had was faith in an equilibrium, that if I have your back you'll have mine, and that for every leap of faith we invest towards the community, the community will invest one right back.

This was the old magic. This was irrational communalism. And it is something which has been lost by western society.

Slowly, the tribes discovered new technologies which allowed their numbers to grow. No longer could the individuals rely on just their memories to know who in their community is worth investing faith into. So, instead of placing faith in each other, we invented a talisman -the technology of currency. By placing our faith into currency instead of each other, we remove the risk of accidentally placing our faith into a bad person - because a dollar is a dollar, regardless of who you get it from.

Over time people have accumulated these talismans of social faith. With all of this faith amassed and stored for the long-term, they begin to lose track of why we constructed this ecosystem of faith in the first place - to take care of the community. Instead, we have come to rationalize ourselves to be individuals who don't need to have faith in the community anymore. They had all the faith they needed - faith that they would be provided the resources they required through expenditure of their investment.

It's why people are leaving the faith communities in droves. The people can recognize that we have to place our faith somewhere other than the talismans if we are going to survive. We can recognize that an ancient covenant has been broken - the covenant which brought our society together in the first place. And when we lose sight of our covenant, we lose sight of our community. Today, I look around to find that we no longer have faith in each other, or our covenants, and that our ecosystems of faith are beginning to dissolve.

All across America, from the liberals to the conservatives to the hippies and the fash, so many faith communities preach doctrines of love while standing on a power structure based on cash. Our churches couple with their larger social ecosystem through the tax code, most often organizing their internal power structures around the protocols of the 501 series of corporate charters.

It was a message of faith in a single, balanced community body for which the man named Jesus Christ was murdered at Golgotha. It was a message that reminded us of a time when we used to have each other's backs - regardless of whether it was rational to us in the moments of our solidarity. Feed the hungry. Tend the sick. House the strange. As a philosophy, his was to remind us that when we place our faith into each other, we stand taller than any Corporate Person in whose veins flow the impersonal, amoral faith. We stand as a single body against the flow of the river. It is through the magic of an irrational, communal solidarity we stand as leviathans against the tides of entropy, gazing forever towards a state of infinite complexity, endless beauty, and light.

Because the nature of the new faiths are impersonal and amoral, and because we are no longer required to have faith in one another… we are no longer required to keep our promises to one another. Who needs faith in your neighboring communities when you get all the matter and energy you need to satisfy your budgets by outright consuming the matters and energies of yourselves? No longer are faith communities required to remember the protocols which once let them maintain healthy, working relationships with their neighbors.

The dilemma of individualism comes to infect the whole communal identity. Churches have a great deal of faith invested into the idea they can stand alone as a community, all they need is enough cash.

Currently the best model I have for making some sense of how the structures of power of the individual relates to those of the community is the theory of holonics, advanced by journalist Arthur Koestler in the late 1960s in his book The Ghost in the Machine. It posits that at each level of hierarchy among rational, living systems is in and of itself a whole, living system. We are made of a body, consisting of organs, which are made of cells. At each level, each living system is responsible for tending to its own internal balance.

Within the scope of personal, individual ecosystems there is a structure which requires rationality to function. It is intrinsic to our biology and a part of the way we came to be part of a community in the first place. However, the virtual space of the communal ecosystem is one which, to us at least, appears to be irrational. It is because this is a different level of Koestler’s hierarchy. The social ecosystem is the community's possession, and as such not one of us can ever fully comprehend or appreciate the amalgamation of public opinions. But it is within this irrational space that we find a virtualized, abstract intelligence, not powered by any computer. This is our analog intelligence.

And yet, there is a way for the rational and irrational spaces to interact. Through the contraction of our circle by the application of a covenant, we can organize the protocols to organize the processes of virtualization and abstraction necessary for an individual to interact with the whole. And now that we have come full circle, we might once again remember the names of our tribes. We can now apply all of the new technologies which have been discovered in the meantime since forgetting them.

Technologies like the general assemblage, a process used by the Occupy Wall Street movement to make sound, rational, communal decisions by exploiting the personal and irrational biases of consenting moderators. Technologies like IPv6 networking protocols which offer the potential to untether us from the telecommunications monopolies. Technologies like the Ethereum blockchain, which distributes computational loads across entire communities.

We made a major mistake which caused us to forget the names of our tribes before we knew how vital they were to remember in the first place. That name, that song, that rhythm, that resonance that causes us to dance through space in time in the ways two people sometimes do together.

If we are to return to an ecosystem of faith, we are required to reclaim both our structures of power and systems of communication from the corporations. If - and only if - we are able to do so, there will forever be a space for the rational, individual self within the seemingly irrational community.

Sabbath is a wonderful gift that many of us don’t enjoy… let’s enjoy it

A short thought on this subject-https://twitter.com/the_sigmamale/status/1616820138518654976?s=20&t=BVyBEARhBNtM9i9_xMiO2A

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Hello, does anyone know if there is an UU group in Spain? Thank you in advance .

What would you recommend for someone like me that is interested in UU, and is seeking to practice it outside of the US or other countries that have UU congregations?

Hello ya'll! I'm interested in becoming an UUA minister. I was formerly an ordained minister with a non-denomination congregation as well as worked 10+ years in ministry with the Salvation Army and United Methodist Church. (my theology has become way more liberal and progressive). I have a Master of Theology, but from my understanding, I would need to complete a MDiv. I would enjoy doing so, but am quite leery of the cost, as well as I can't really move and attend in person as I own business's where I live. Does anybody know of a low-cost, online MDiv?
Also, I feel that I have enough relevant experience and would have no problem starting at a congregation tomorrow (hopefully, I don't come across as arrogant!). I don't mind furthering my education, but would rather not wait years until I finish an MDiv, etc.
My observation (I humbly admit I could be wrong) is that there are congregations that are in need of ministers (I have noticed some having openings for over a year!). Yes, some are part-time positions, but I feel someone like me (who doesn't need full-time work) could fill the congregation's needs.
Any advice or thoughts? Thanks!

We got to a UU "church" with a "minister" on Sundays - where we "worship" and sometimes sing "hymns". I really don't like all the psuedo-Protestant language. And "worship" is the hardest for me. I do not worship or venerate any deity or concept. That language makes my skin itch. (I've been told worship doesn't have to be directed towards any object. Sure, Jan). I'm not mad that people use and like the term. But for me.... I'd like to know some good alternative terms to use to make me feel comfortable when I get invite in the weekly email to "attend worship".

I am wondering what “love” means for you.

I am particularly interested in hearing whether or not you think that, in order to love someone or a group of people, you need to be in a personal relationship with them.

In other words, is some level of emotional intimacy necessary in order to love? Can someone “love” abstract groups of people? What does it mean to “love” humanity as opposed to “loving” people in one’s life one actually knows. Should there be two separate words to describe whatever this abstract “love” is and the love that involves an emotional, complex connection with actual known individual(s)?

Dear friends,

Happy New Year! I am sending you care as we begin another year. This, 2023, is an important year for Unitarian Universalism.

We are currently in a multi-year process to consider changes to our UUA Principles and Purpose. This process formally began in 2020 when the UUA Board appointed an Article II Study Commission. This is a dry name for such important work. The reason is our Principles, Purpose, covenant and Sources are contained in Article II of the UUA Bylaws.

Our seven Principles and six Sources – which we know and love – were adopted in 1985. They offered a substantial (even radical) change from what preceded them. The changes came through years of effort by UU women, particularly the UU Women’s Federation, to push for gender equality in UUism, support for women in the ministry and to eliminate sexist language from our bylaws, hymns, and yes, from the version of Article II passed in 1961 (at the time of merger).

But the changes didn’t just address gender, they made significant language changes that reflected the times. It removed language of God, man, and brotherhood, but also added the language of interdependence and added sources reflecting the growing theological diversity shaping our tradition.

As a lifelong UU, coming of age after these changes, I am grateful. They changed our movement in ways that were important for the success of women leaders, ministers, and for me, as our first elected woman president. These changes, at the time, brought fierce dissent. But more, they inspired excitement and possibility.

Why Review Our UU Principles and Purpose?

In the mid-2010’s, the ground began to shift again – much as it did in response to the women’s movement. The emergence of the Black Lives Matter movement, the election of Donald Trump with his racist and misogynist campaign, and the urgent calls to confront white supremacy culture in our own movement – all of these compelled UUs to ask questions about whether our Principles reflected fully who we are and who we need to be.

By the 2017 General Assembly, there were multiple grassroots efforts to change our Principles. The first was overwhelmingly adopted – to change “prophetic women and men” to “prophetic people” to move beyond gender binary. There was also a proposal to change the first principle from “the inherent worth and dignity of all people” to the “inherent worth and dignity of all beings.” This proposal was ultimately tabled as delegates grappled with the reality that we still had a lot of work on living the first Principle for people. Discussions of the Eighth Principle were also taking place and by 2020, hundreds of UU congregations had adopted it! The Eighth Principle recognized the need to go beyond aspirational Principles to articulate commitments to dismantle systems of oppression – calling us from aspiration to action.

It was within this context that your UUA Board appointed an Article II Study Commission to integrate these conversations and lead a discernment process for our whole Association about our core values, covenant, and purpose. The Board gave the Commission a broad charge to review, change, or reimagine Article II to “enable our UUA, our member congregations, and our covenanted communities to be a relevant and powerful force for spiritual and moral growth, healing, and justice.”

After two and a half years of study and conversations with thousands of Unitarian Universalists, the Article II Study Commission submitted their final report and proposal to the UUA Board for its January 20th meeting. Read the report and proposal (PDF 26 pages). https://www.uua.org/files/2023-01/a2sc_rpt_01172023.pdf

This spring, congregational delegates and the Board can propose amendments to the proposal. Amendments will be considered at the 2023 GA and require a majority vote to be accepted. If any of the delegate amendments are accepted, and if the proposal receives majority approval, then the Article II Study Commission will make any necessary changes to create a final draft for consideration at the 2024 General Assembly. The final proposal will require a two thirds majority vote at GA 2024 to be adopted.

Seven years ago, when I was beginning my campaign for UUA President, I approached the process with an intention to be open to the process while letting go of outcomes. My hope for us as Unitarian Universalists is that we approach this discernment about Article II with similar openness. May we enter our conversations with a spirit of curiosity, holding off attachment to outcomes, and listen with our whole hearts and to the fullness and diversity of voices in our community. May the process itself deepen our understanding of and commitment to our faith.

Yours,
Susan
https://www.uua.org/pressroom/press-releases/why-change-principles

The meta-principle of Unitarian-Universalism is simply:

#1: we cordially agree to disagree

Any official set of principles should have that as the first principle in the list.

I am curious to get some perspectives from folx of this "Beloved Community" on wether they are, or are not, attending GA this year (either in person or virtual).

I have attended virtually twice over the years, but I am weighing in going in person (there definitely is significant financial costs involved even with the scholarships).

I have spoken with some members of my congregation and they only seem vaguely aware of GA/many seem relatively uninterested.

It's interesting to me a Universalist offered convocation held 100 years ago still holds the record of most attendance (5,000+ per David Robinson's book) compared to around 2-3k in person today (though zoom probably increases this number?)

Though for a faith of over 200,000, 3k is 1.5%, which still seems a small percentage).

Please share your thoughts!