I’m planning on having: -Coffee (obvs) -tea -bagels -fresh fruit -allergen free mini muffins

What else should I make sure I do/have?

Hopefully this post will be welcome here. Please be kind, as I'm genuinely searching for what feels right/authentic to me, spiritually.

I grew up in an extremely conservative, devout Catholic home, and have followed Church teaching to the T throughout my life, but only recently have discovered how much trauma I have as a result of this upbringing. Essentially, I had very controlling parents, and was raised within very controlling religious parameters. I was raised -- at least on a subconscious level -- to believe that love is something that is earned by being "good" and following the rules, rather than as something that is freely given. I learned that if I clung to my devout Catholic identity and conservative beliefs, I would be accepted and loved by not only my parents, but by God. Any deviation from this meant rejection by the family unit at best, and eternal damnation at worst.

I'm currently at a point where, after 30 years of sacrificing my own personal beliefs and desires to comply with not only my family's expectations, but Church teaching, I can simply no longer do it. I still go to Mass every week, but I have a million questions about many of the doctrines we're told we MUST believe and follow, otherwise we risk hell.

That doesn't feel like a loving God. That doesn't feel like a merciful God. How are we supposed to believe that God is perfect love if he rejects us for things like using contraception, struggling with sexuality, or any other number of areas that don't perfectly align with Church teaching?

All of that said, I've found myself increasingly drawn to UU in a way I never thought I would be to any other spiritual group. Actually (don't laugh), my interest stems from a close alignment with American Transcendentalism, which no longer exists but seems to continue on in UU. Your 7 principles are beautiful to me -- they feel like the polar opposite of the trauma and spiritual abuse I've endured growing up, and I'm encouraged by your church's openness to everyone, not just those who fit a particular worldview or abide by a specific set of doctrines.

At my core, I think I will always love God (Jesus, in particular) in a way that renders me incapable of fully detaching from the beliefs with which I was raised, but I want to start living in a way that feels more true to who I am and what I want, rather than who I'm told to be and what I'm told to believe.

Be straight with me: do you believe some version of Catholicism and UU can coexist? Or are the two just so incompatible that one must choose one or the other in selecting a spirituality?

I recently started attending my childhood UU fellowship again and I'm looking for education opportunities! I'm getting involved with out youth as a volunteer and I really see myself in it for the long haul.

I'm interested in whatever you all suggest! Paid, free, books, conferences, etc!

In my youth I attended several GAs when they were in person and I loved them.

I might be having a first world UU problem but there’s a few congregations within reasonable driving distance of me. I visited a couple and one is a much larger congregation with more traditional services and the other is a much smaller one with only like 20 or so people.

How does size impact a congregation? How big is yours? Any pros/cons? That’s the biggest notable difference but are there other factors to consider when deciding to be a member?

Hi, My congregation is looking to form a group targeting the demographic of 20-50 or 25-45 ish. Does anybody have groups like this at their congregation? If so what is it called?

Many UU professional are using JETPIG as shorthand for the new (not voted but obviously coming) article II values. Justice, Equity, Transformation, pluralism, Interdependence, generosity = JETPIG.

There are mascots, graphics, memes. One example here.

I can't stand that short-distance air travel and an animal mostly factor farmed are "cute" ways to talk about our values. It feels gross to me, personally, as a UU. I know there are people who will see this and think mmmmm Bacon!!!

I personally don't think it's funny or cute or represents us and I hope I'm not alone.

The religious values test shows that im closer to universalist Christinity and im wondering

In the interest of fairness and tolerance, I have decided to unban all the users that were previously banned from this subreddit. Though in most cases I think the bans were deserved, I also think we need to give most of them one more chance to try to be productive members of this community. Forgiveness is a virtue that we UUs should appreciate.

Folks:

This is a bit unusual. I am looking for anyone here who is attending or have attended the First Unitarian Universalist Societ Of San Francisco.

I want to ask those who have been at UUSF as to whether there mostly gay men or lesbians. I am facing frustration here in Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship due to the severe lack of available gay men versus abundant availability of lesbians.

My background included meeting my one and only love at the Metropolitan Community Church of San Francisco, where there were a lot of gay men available. He had died of cancer back 1981 and I have been alone since, hoping to find another man in a church setting.

I am curious as to weather my situation here in Bellingham is common, or are we unique with this problem. I am just curios with UUSF, being in the queen city, if they are having a similar situation.

Thank you

Love

Mark Allyn

Bellingham, Washington

Please discuss the proposed Article II changes in this thread. You can read more about them here: https://www.uua.org/uuagovernance/committees/article-ii-study-commission/final-proposed-revision-article-ii

Jitasama is a designed International Auxiliary Language meant to be a means of intercommunication between speakers of different languages.

Jitasama has:

18 letters ABDEFGIJKLMNOPRSTU

No verb tenses

No double consonants

No gramatical gender

No tones

No articles

No spelling irregularities

Makes clear distinction of nouns, adjectives, verbs, and adverbs

Limited Affixes

SVO Word Order

Adjectives come after the noun while determiners come before the noun

Pronunciation is Syllable-timed

1200 Root Words

4,700 total words

By maximizing shared vocabulary between Jitasama's 15 primary source languages, Jitasama's 1200 Root Words are lexically similar to; Mandarin Chinese 15%, English 44%, Hindi 27%, Spanish 45%, Arabic 20%, Indonesian 22%, Russian 26%, Bengali 23%, Portuguese 44%, French 43%, German 32%, Japanese 15%, Persian 28%, Swahili 18%, and Filipino 20%. Creating a nearly even mix of European and Non-European derived vocabulary.

To prove the language can convey complex concepts I have translated the Tao Te Ching into Jitasama.

If you want access to more materials please go to the discord https://discord.gg/DyBJbYwn

Several separate people in our congregation have revealed to me that they don't go to church because they feel guilty for not donating money. They can't afford to pledge and they can't afford to drop money in the collection basket. They're very active, honest, and passionate people who make a huge difference with their presence, but they explain that they feel inadequate for pledging $0 or passing on the collection basket.

The reality is that the church depends on every dollar to keep the lights on: how do we encourage those who do have disposable income to donate while making it perfectly OK and respectable to not give money?

Maybe to request pledges of time and/or money, equating community service with monetary donations? Or requesting any kind of gifts in the collection basket: money, flowers, blessings, candies. So everyone can put something in the basket.

I feel like I'm overthinking it.

On anything U.U. related

So I’m going to residency soon, and chances are I won’t be able to attend church. I’ve been very involved in the ministry, and I’m sad to leave. I intend on returning in 5 years, but spending half a decade away from my congregation hurts. What do I do?

Jesus is the truth. He is the alpha and the omega the first and the last, tell me why your church is right, comment, sorry for the negative tone but i would like to debate some of you

It seems like these days most of the posts here are by folks posting lop-sided articles with leading titles about the voting on the Seven Principles

While the discussion is important, it seems to be the same thing, over and over again

How about a weekly mega-thread for discussion around the vote. Pin it to the top of the sub. All articles go there

Edit: The phrase I was looking for was Article II discussion, not Seven Principles

The delegates at UUA GA 2024 will conduct the final vote on replacing the Seven Principles and Sixth Sources (which are in Article II). At last year's GA (General Assembly, 2023), the delegates were encouraged to vote for the proposed changes, with the argument that a "yes" vote would enable UUs to "continue the conversation" in the coming year.

I wish that the UUA and UUMA had truly encouraged congregations to hold deliberative conversations, to discuss both sides of the issue, in preparation for selecting GA delegates. Instead, the UUA/UUMA have been mostly either promoting the changes, or have been assuming that the changes are a done deal (for example, in the preparation of new religious education (RE) materials). Personally, I feel the whole process has been manipulative, and at odds with encouraging the democratic process; the UUA/UUMA have not encouraged congregations and individual UUs to form wise and responsible opinions on the matter.

The situation is so bad that many UUs are still blissfully unaware that their beloved Seven Principles may well be voted out, in just three weeks. If it happens, it will be a surprise to too many.

One congregation that held a deliberative conversation was UUCJ (Jacksonvile), which held a workshop in which presentations were given on many aspects of the issue. The church has made their presentations available here. The result of their their vote was summarized in a letter to other congregations; PDF version here.

Other resources are: the Save the Seven Principles website and Facebook group; UU the Conversation; and the UUA's promotional/RE material.

The GA vote will be held in about three weeks--this is worth becoming a delegate to vote on, or discussing with your congregational delegates to GA.

EDIT: changed "One of the few congregations to hold a meaningful conversation ..." to "One congregation that held a deliberative conversation..." In my view, if the "conversation" is merely a one-sided presentation of promotional material, and doesn't involve deliberation and debate, so that people can discern the issues at hand (and then vote or otherwise reach consensus), then it isn't very meaningful.

Biden suggested that a reporter's question made it sound like he thought that the reporter could have a cognitive problem. Besides seemingly demeaning the reporter's search for an truthful answer as originating from some kind of diminished mental capacity, are not people with cognitive concerns being diminished? Ought their voices being disrespected?

For the sake of discussion, let us proceed to take a critical look at this UU critic who seems to hate everything the UUA stands for these days. Where does he go wrong? What points of his may actually be valid or consistent with UU Principles?

https://www.reddit.com/r/UnitarianUniversalist/comments/1ajbsmh/column_how_unitarian_universalism_became_a_church/

https://www.reddit.com/r/UnitarianUniversalist/comments/1atzxbw/tema_okun_decries_the_misuse_of_her_white/

https://www.reddit.com/r/UnitarianUniversalist/comments/1b1spkt/unitarian_universalisms_jewish_problems_continue/

https://www.reddit.com/r/UnitarianUniversalist/comments/1bgeg7q/article_what_unitarian_universalism_loses_as_it/

https://www.reddit.com/r/UnitarianUniversalist/comments/1d2tky2/interesting_article_by_a_uu_minister/

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

Can anyone tell me in short what are the basics of your believes?

How are we feeling about article II?

Unitarian Universalism is a path with practices/disciplines. The first is Covenant. A values based sacred promise we make to ourselves and one another. Covenant helps us understand how we will be together. What we can expect from one another and what we hold ourselves accountable to.

The second discipline is pluralism. The reality that many things are true at the same time. That each of us brings a unique experience and perspective to our community. And we are made richer by being bound to one another in Covenant and sharing deeply our experiences and understanding of reality.

If we practice Covenant and pluralism we will, as individuals, be transformed. Unitarian Universalism is a living tradition. Revelation is not sealed. The holy is alive and evolving. It is inside of us and larger than us.

Individuals who have been transformed, transform the world.

Unitarianism - God is one Universalism - God is Love

Unitarian Universalism - One holy Love for all.

Covenantal not creedal. Pluralistic not fundamentalist. Transformational - living, evolving, becoming - change is the way of this path.

We have an ongoing DnD youth group campaign, as do a number of other congregations. As the DM, I run it as a straight 5e homebrew campaign, no mention of UU, no mention of principles (although I've created a few moral dilemmas for the party to address). The teens have a blast, I have a blast, it's great fun. Except...it's been suggested that we see if we can work in something UU. I'm at a loss. If we try to incorporate anything that looks like an obvious attempt at "teaching a lesson", the teens' eyes will roll so hard they'll see through the backs of their skulls, the fun will be gone, and no more youth group. What are your thoughts/experiences?

Is making n syncretizing one legitimate r only if I was in altered state of consciousness for every scribing session so its not man creating god(s) in his image?

And I want to see serious answers, please.

Which religious groups would be allies with Unitarian Universalist churches?

I am a UU atheist, and my mother was asking me what it is about religion that attracts me as an atheist, and I have been struggling to put it into words. I am curious what other atheists would say.

So i was raised Catholic and in my college years found myself veering off from religion and had a more scientific outlook on life.

Recently I've been thinking about religion a lot and have been trying to find some sort of merger between my spiritual side and logical side.

So for the past couple months I've been doing a ton of research on all types of religion and science.

And I came to a sort of logical conclusion about how I felt about what God is and the stories we tell. It felt very unifying, and logical.

Today I'm thinking about it due to a conversation I was having with my barber, and I start wondering what I should call myself, spiritually.

I plug in all my thoughts into chatGPT and it's tells me you guys. Unitarian Universalist.

I think, hey maybe I should check out a church or something and learn more about it. That's when I realize:

I lived directly next to a Unitarian Universalist Fellowship for 3 years

Had never looked into their beliefs or anything. Was right under my nose.

The only interaction I had with them was them bringing our house food when they had leftovers from their food drive.

Just my little piece of reasoning I noticed in my life that felt nice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXptmBE3QFo

Ken Burns and Kristina Tippett, shared by a member of our congregation. At about 18:40, they start talking about the role of religion needing to be reclaimed, and I think that what UU has tried and failed to do in the last few decades, and still needs to, is in there somewhere.
I think we have a long road to figuring out, to summoning a kind of common moral vocabulary, not just for being religious, but for being alive, being human beings in this century. I will say that I have never in my lifetime felt that overtly theological language, or let's say spiritual technologies, that our great traditions have carried forward like contemplation, that those things have never been more relevant than they are before. Just language, like language which has practices attached, which is true of our, you know, lamentation, confession, repentance, redemption. Those are words and actions that come to us from this part of the human enterprise, nowhere else, and I see people reaching for those. I see young people reaching for what those things represent for, you know, being drawn to that language, being drawn to communities of service for example. Even without this upbringing, I think a lot, I have thought a lot in these recent years about Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German theologian. Bonhoeffer's situation was that, in Nazi Germany, the church had been absolutely co-opted by fascism. It had fallen away completely. And he began to speak of something called religionist Christianity. And what he was saying is that Christianity had brought truths into the world which would survive even if the institutions failed. And he said the institutions will always fail. I don't think you can make a one to one comparison of Bonhoeffer's Germany and 21st century America, but this notion of religionless Christianity or religionless religion feels resonant to me. And not just in the fact that we are religionless, you know, compared to previous generations, but what that means is that we are inside this project of looking again at what those truths are that we need, and those, really, those moral muscles, and again, those spiritual technologies.
There is also a transcript if like me you would rather read than listen.

To start, UU membership and the number of congregations is at a historic low, and has historic annual losses in the last several years. Even with the national population increases, the UUA now has the lowest number of members, congregations, and RE membership in church history. There no doubt are a variety of reasons for this, including general trends of membership losses in many churches.

I am curious as to what others here believe are contributing causes?

If you wish, you can include ideas on how to help increase membership. There's little question that most congregations are comprised of aging white leftists. How to attract a younger generation, especially young adults with kids, is a pressing concern at my congregation.

Another question might be: Does it matter that UU membership and congregation numbers matter?

Thanks in advance!

How is your congregation participating? Are you sending delegates?

I’ve keyworded this sub like I’ve got nothing else to do. I’m currently in a membership class and I like it— but for some reason, online and in person people are so vague about the following questions I have that it starts to deter me from deciding to become a member.

Can anyone answer these questions in the most black and white way?

1. How much does it cost to be a member? Is it a sliding scale, percentage of income, depends on what you can give, a flat amount, depends on the congregations, most congregations do what?

2. What does becoming a member do other than give me the ability to vote and upkeep the grounds?

3. Is there something else I am missing other than identifying that this is my place and I promise to abide by our morals and values?

I don’t want to be rude in the class, but not addressing the elephant (money, something a lot of people struggle with) seems a little off putting.

Hi, I'm a woman in my late 20s and I've been giving my local UU church a try. I wanted to join for a spiritual community, and a community in general. I was hoping I could chat with you guys about a couple things:

1. I'm a little worried about how they push politics. I lean liberal myself, but I've always believed in the separation of church and state. This church seems to openly support the Liberal party (Canada) online and in person. I thought when you have tax free status you weren't supposed to get involved in politics?

2. I've attended a mix of in person and online services for maybe 6 weeks now and I've found that the actual spirituality component of the services was really, really missing. I was hoping to actually learn about different faith traditions and ways to grow my spirituality, but faith/spirituality/religion doesn't seem to come up much. It appears to be 99% social justice, which is ok but I was hoping for more spiritual content. The only time I've actually heard a reference to the divine/religion in the 6 weeks was a quote from the bible the first week.

3. I was kind of taken aback by how militant congregants can be about veganism. I eat meat myself, I have high protein needs due to medical issues and vegan options are very expensive. I went to a service one day and there was a big display explaining how no good UU member could eat meat, you can't eat meat and be moral, etc. I understand it's good for the environment but the messaging was so aggressive.

Anyways, I'm just wondering if anyone has any thoughts? Is this the normal UU experience? The people are very friendly but it's just not what I expected, you know?

Just curious about how All Souls in DC deals with the fact that one of their founding members was rabid white supremacist and slavery supporter (also US Vice President, Senator, and Secretary of State and Secretary of War) John C. Calhoun?

I’m an early 30s adult and I’ve been seeking an open minded group of people to explore my spirituality with. I was hoping that the UU church would be full of people wanting to discuss spiritual topics (our purpose, free will, concept of the divine, etc) without any doctrine. There is one UU church in my city and I planned on attending their virtual service on zoom just to get a feel for it. When I went to log in I saw that there was no service today, and instead it was being held by a national organization. I decided to check it out and I didn’t feel there was anything spiritual about it at all. The music was very cheesy and seemed like forced positivity that had no substance to it. They went on to discuss some “feel-good” multicultural stories, none of which had any real message of value. One was “community good, help others!” and another was “don’t impose what we think is best on other cultures”. Despite these messages the whole thing reeked of white saviour complex. There was no spirituality discussed, it honestly just felt like a circlejerk of virtue signalling. To top it all off, at the end a woman chimed in and told a story about some people from the Philippines (healthcare professionals) they had taken in and she felt the need to say “these people are actually very smart. We shouldn’t infantilize them, they’re not stupid” like it was a radical revelation. I was dumbfounded. Am I missing something here? Is this really what the services are?

Preface: I am currently 23. Was going over old google documents and found it

I sometimes feel as though my search for something more is just that. I’m searching. I know deep down inside, that I will never be satisfied with one answer, but that’s why I like Unitarian Universalism so much. Seekers after truth; remember? It gives me the freedom to keep seeking for my truth. I have the feeling that, I will keep trying to find my truth, over and over again. I also have the feeling that I will do it as a Unitarian Universalist. I understand that my beliefs could change at and I don’t want to put myself in a box. At this moment, though, I feel as though I truly am a Unitarian Universalist. My values align with the Seven UU principles already. The two principles that really stand out to me, and that I probably appreciate the most are:

the need to respect the interdependent web of all existence

and

the acceptance of one another

.

I will probably re-write my Statement of Faith over and over in my mind, and I might regret a few things, but I know that I will never regret being apart of this fellowship. It has taught me so many life lessons already that I will continue to carry with me as I become an older, and hopefully a more compassionate person. I will try to never doubt myself too much and let other people’s prejudice define me, and no matter what, I will continue to be who I am, forever a seeker of my own truth.

Thank you for listening.

This summer they plan to vote on replacing the 7 principles with the "Shared Values Flower" (https://www.uua.org/uuagovernance/committees/article-ii-study-commission/article-ii-flower-graphic). Does it look like there will be enough votes for it to succeed?

The Unitarian Universalist Church of Jacksonville Florida letter (signed by the minister, board president, and Article II Task Force Co-Chairs, and approved by the Board of Trustees) explaining the reasons for the congregation's overwhelming vote of No (84 No votes to 4 Yes).

Link to letter: letter to congregations.5.13.2024.pdf - Google Drive

The text:

May 11, 2024

UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH OF JACKSONVILLE

[Address redacted]

Dear Congregation Leadership and Members,

After more than 12 months of engaging our congregation in research, in-depth discussion and discernment, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Jacksonville has voted with an overwhelming majority for our delegates to vote to reject the amendments to Article Il at the upcoming Unitarian Universalist Association General Assembly.

From its beginnings, Unitarianism has attracted individuals who seek to examine their relationship to the transcendent and have engaged in exploring their connection to spiritual practices in matters of faith. What many of these individuals have in common is the invitation Unitarian Universalism extends to them to bring their questioning minds, and their reasoning to a beloved community that values diversity in its fullest meaning (theology, religious background, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, ability, financial status, political preferences, etc.); and to share with others their expansive hearts ready to practice unconditional love.

The Beloved Community sustains individual belief systems and practices and provides the seven principles and six sources as the glue that bonds individuals to the whole. The seven principles illuminate the path of moral and ethical living, foster personal responsibility and accountability, and call for promoting universal justice, impartiality, interdependence, and the democratic process. The six sources provide wisdom of the ages, from voices from the millennia to our current voices, that open the heart and demand action for eliminating unjust practices wherever they may be. That is why we will continue to be guided by the seven principles and six sources of wisdom.

As a matter of practice, Unitarian Universalism does not create, require, or enforce creeds or dogmas. There is no centralized seat of theological order. The absence of a hierarchical governance structure allows congregations to draft locally meaningful mission and vision statements; to choose its governance structure and practices; to hold its members accountable to its covenant; and to design justice-focused action plans focused on community needs.

We believe the proposed Article Il changes could pose grave consequences for Unitarian Universalism. We do not judge people's intentions; we look only at the facts. The change in the first line says it all. The current Article lI states, "We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association..." The proposed change begins with, "The Unitarian Universalist Association..." It is evident that there is an ideological movement to pivot the Unitarian Universalist Association from being an umbrella service body of the member congregations, to becoming a governing body that imposes its positions on congregations with consequences for those congregations and members that don't adhere to its edicts.

What we do know is our congregation and the Unitarian Universalist Association have been at the forefront of opposition to racism in the fight for racial justice. We are constantly reflecting and learning to ensure continuous improvement. However, there are accusations of being inherently racist to such a degree that we must reject our past, discount our history, and abandon the underpinning spiritual and ethical principles that guide us; replacing them with a set of nebulous values that anyone would be hard-pressed to recite, let alone define.

We are seeing concerning glimpses of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Board plans to define the new values and to impose severe sanctions for congregations and individuals that don't adhere to them. Here are just three examples:

* Even before the upcoming vote, the UUA Board is setting up procedural policies of congregational accountability requiring congregations deemed to not be "doing the work" as defined by the UUA, to be in-need of some type of consequence.

* At the 2023 General Assembly, the delegates voted to remove the sentence "We will work to repair harm and damaged relationships" from the proposed amendment, but it was re-inserted by the UUA board, negating the vote of the General Assembly.

* The new value of "discipline of LOVE," as addressed by the Article Il Study Commission, is shorthand for "Doing the Work." According to the Commission on Institutional Change, that means focusing on fighting racism and oppression, and upholding multi-culturalism at the possible expense of other justice issues needing advocacy.

Our congregation has voted to reject the proposed amendments because the proposed changes:

* Use language that is divisive, and espouses practices based on blaming and shaming.

* Introduce a creedal approach to which all members would be required to adhere for a congregation to remain certified by the UUA.

* Expect that only individuals who share the UUA values may be welcome to join a congregation.

* Focus the reason for being a Unitarian Universalist solely on fighting racism and oppression, and upholding multi-culturalism, at the expense of other justice issues needing advocacy as determined by congregations.

* Dissolve the seven principles and six sources which have been the core of Unitarian Universalism and replace them with language that equates Unitarian Universalism to a socio-political organization rather than one that serves as a source of spiritual guidance.

* Reject an individual's right of conscience, the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large, and the free and responsible search for truth and meaning.

* Imply an authoritarian, hierarchical governance structure with UUA leadership at the top with the authority to judge congregations and declare congregations to be out of covenant setting up procedural policies of congregational accountability with consequences for congregations deemed to not be "doing the work."

* Conflict with congregational polity and the rights of congregations to democratically choose their mission, covenant, their minister, and governance structure.

The importance of your congregation's discernment regarding the proposed changes to Article Il cannot be overstated.

Sincerely, Meg Rohal President Peter Racine Lay Minister Marge Powell Article II Task Force Co-Chair Fresie Tessie Bond Article Il Task Force Co-Chair

He has yet to respond as I know it's a lot for him to unpackage and, knowing him, come up with a rebuttal. But I love my father and I know he loves me and I'm hoping that the love I know and experience he too can! I'm hoping he can strip fear from his life and personal theology, so that he can walk in a fuller and deeper understanding of love. Love Wins y'all, love wins!

He has yet to respond as I know it's a lot for him to unpackage and, knowing him, come up with a rebuttal. But I love my father and I know he loves me and I'm hoping that the love I know and experience he too can! I'm hoping he can strip fear from his life and personal theology, so that he can walk in a fuller and deeper understanding of love. Love Wins y'all, love wins!

Hi fellow UUers

I’m relatively new to the UU realm but found my home at my local UU church and we are having our kids dedicated on Sunday.

I’m curious to learn standard practices as a gift to the minister. Does the parent typically give a card and gift to the minister for the dedication? Our current minister was here for an interim period and will be moving on at the end of June. Should I wait and give her a gift then as a thank you for dedicating our babies AND for helping make my UU church our “religious home”?

I’m just curious what is standard in this practice. I’m not historically religious so I have no foundation to compare it with. I want to make sure I’m doing the right thing.

Thanks!

Long-term UU from the Midwest, who will be visiting Pittsburgh on Sunday, June 9. I see there are six UU churches in the area, hoping to narrow down my choice for a church to visit that morning. Any Pittsburgh UUs who can help with my decision?

Long-term UU from the Midwest, who will be visiting Pittsburgh on Sunday, June 9. I see there are six UU churches in the area, hoping to narrow down my choice for a church to visit that morning. Any Pittsburgh UUs who can help with my decision?

I am sending a poll to all the Christian denominations on reddit to see what they believe, I will post a video on the results of the poll on my channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3SlpDesDlslIcts_EW6L_g

Anyway, the poll is https://forms.gle/nMs3aNgqnEExn1wy6

I mean the historical Unitarian churches in Romania, in Hungary and even in the closest church body I can think of, that is, the UK congregations of Unitarians and non-subscribing Presbyterian seem to be more conservative still, despite the faster spread of secular humanism, Wicca and the New Age spiritual movement there. On the whole it would seem a lot less probable that they would be less open to change.

Why do you think that is?

I want to express that I think the gardening metaphor that UU ministers, UUA staff, and other leaders have been using lately is beautiful. There are many ways I have seen it riffed on and I have also been inspired in my own layperson ministry and philosophizing. However, I want to express a concern. People are not weeds. Let's not use the gardening metaphor to treat anyone like an unwanted thing to be tossed aside. There are many philosophies around gardening. There are beautiful, wild, and even healing plants that might not pair well with an aggressively farmed monocrop system. With a deep ecological view, every plant and every person has a place where they might best thrive. All have an inherent dignity worth preserving and protecting, even the disruptive ones. It's important to keep healthy and respectful boundaries with other people in our own lives and within our congregations, but I’m not sure how to communicate that well within the gardening metaphor. How would all of you communicate this within the gardening metaphor?

Excerpt from the below-linked essay:

The current UUA, the two UU seminaries and some national UU groups are trying to transform UU from a liberal church into a fundamentalist utopian political collectivist movement.

Collectivists prioritize the movement's goals over individual rights, freedoms and liberties. Thus, throughout history, utopian collectivist religious and political movements have employed various methods that dehumanize their members. These methods include considering members primarily as generic categories and cogs in the system rather than unique individuals, removing basic civil rights and individual liberties, authoritarian governance, dogmatism and propaganda, undermining basic democratic rights, suppressing viewpoint diversity, and shaming and guilt-tripping members into compliance.

The classic book on this topic is social philosopher Eric Hoffer’s The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements.

The Unitarian Universalist Association’s systematic dehumanization of laity

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

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

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

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

Edit - Thank you so much for the replies! Through more research, I’ve decided this is where I belong. I even told my parents and they accept it to!

Hi there! I’ve been researching UU for a while now, and I truly believe I’d fit in and be accepted into the religion. I want to know people’s experiences in the religion, their stories, beliefs etc…I’m an agnostic trans kid, and I’ve been wanting to follow a religion for a while (no particular reason, but I’ve been very interested in philosophy and religion as a whole) and this genuinely seems lovely.

I’m debating joining my local church and am spiritual in a sense, but I really want to join somewhere that does a lot of work helping others. Is UU that?

Yeah okay it's kind of embarrassing lol. I've been really interested in attending the local UU church, and think I might go if I can overcome my nerves. My local congregation has a website of what to expect, which is very helpful. The only problem is... they mention the congregation singing songs. Admittedly, I've never been to church, so my understanding of this could be completely off, but my impression is that we are gonna be singing along to some music. Like... me, the person to my left, the person to my right, and so on.

What would I do if they did start singing? I really don't have any idea what I'm expected to do. I know, it's so silly. Should I just kinda... sit and be quiet? Do I need to leave the room?

Or a variant of Christianity?

I'm pretty new to UU, but I've been reading alot about your history. Something clicked for me, and I honestly found the idea rather amusing. My thoughts on this are all positive and lighthearted, I just think it's interesting.

Unitarian Universalism started as the merger of two liberal Christian groups, the Unitarians and the Universalists. Well, the Unitarians believed in a more strict Monotheism, whereas the Universalists believed in Universal salvation.

Here's what's interesting to me. UU has evolved and changed. A lot. Beliefs from no Gods to many Gods are welcome in UU as any other, so long as your shared values are respected.

On the one hand, I think UU values still preclude the possibility if Eternal Damnation. Surely, such a belief goes against beliefs about the worth and dignity of every person, love, and justice. Yet, at the same time, there is nothing I can see stopping someone from believing in the Holy Trinity!

Maybe y'all already had this thought, and I'm just now figuring out something obvious. But it makes me smile. Do you know any UU Trinitarians? I just find the idea kind of sweet, in a weird way.

Thank you for indulging this silly post. The thought just made me smile for some reason.

This should be a little alarming to anyone in the US who is not a Christian. I'm American and a Christian, and it alarms me too...in this worldview expressed in this video, there is no room for anyone of any other faiths.

Some quotes from this video, transcribed as best I could:

"Religion and Christianity are the biggest things missing from this country. And I truly believe we need to bring them back and we have to bring them back fast. I think it's one of the biggest problems we have, that's why our country's going haywire. We've lost religion in our country. All Americans need a Bible in their home, and I have many. It's my favorite book."

(What's that say? If you aren't willing to have this altered King James bible in your home, you aren't American.)

[Edit: The reason for alarm is that in the US we do not have any national religion. The constitution protects your right to choose a religion or choose none at all or be atheist or anything you want. This video makes clear that the far-right wing conservative fascist vision for the US (the one promoted by one of the two front-runners for the next national election) leaves no room for anyone to be considered American if the person is Atheist, Jewish, Muslim, Catholic, Buddhist, or of any other faith.]

https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-selling-bibles-christians-fury-1883972

Obligatory reminder of where to get registered to vote: https://www.usa.gov/register-to-vote

Hi there! I'm currently exploring Unitarian Universalism, with an eye to eventually join a congregation. I'm looking for books written within the (I know very wide) Unitarian Universalist perspective. Far I've read Unitarian Universalism: A Narrative History by David Bumbaugh. Gonna slowly work my way through A Chosen Faith by John Buehrens. I'm curious about good books to read written within the UU tradition in more specific areas. Any answers will be appreciated!

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

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

Hi all - I was recently trying to clarify my belief system, and I've kind of hit on UU after reading more! (I'm pagan or agnostic on paper, but my neighbor is Baptist and trying to get me to go to services.)

To expound on that, I was raised Lutheran and suffered through the whole nine yards of Communion, Catechism, and Confirmation. Of course, as I finished high school and entered college, I rejected those specific tenets and ended up calling myself Pagan/Pantheistic. Partially due to the bigoted stances in the Church (I grew up in Colorado during the Prop2 years), but also because nothing about the patriarchal, desert-based system sat right with me.

I wasn't a Classics/Religion major, but took many classes in those departments and I know wayyyyy too much about comparative theology. I've also dabbled in Wiccan and Chaos magick, but nothing within my readings really stuck - except for the idea that all "gods" are just semi-regional aspects of some kind of *Divine*. I've considered myself a Solitary Witch for most of my adult life and celebrated the solstices, equinoxes, and the holy days in-between on the Wheel.

Two years ago I moved from the big city to the deep woods/oceanside and I can't say enough about it - other than I feel the inter-connectivity, being so close to nature. I'm an amateur naturalist and am constantly in awe of the unspoiled wilderness here. (Good for witches, right? lol)

However, I'm kind of feeling "meh" about celebrating Beltane today (Like, WHY am I doing this?), and I wonder if it's a deeper need for community. I'm worried that joining an actual coven in my area is just opening myself up to cringe and interpersonal drama - plus I'm going to be 50 this year and skyclad stuff in a social setting is a simple NO GO, haha.

Again, we live in the sticks, so the only UU churches I've found are around 45-60min away. That said, I'm excited enough for the community aspect I'm willing to take a drive on Sunday and see what those are like.

My (increasingly religious, but also MAGA) mother would be THRILLED to hear I was going to church, even if it was one that allowed for my pagan/humanist beliefs. What do you all think?

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Hello, for anyone that did not grow up in this community, why did you choose to join a UU congregation? Or if you are a long time member, why are you still a part of it?

I'm trying to transition to a UU congregation after years of toxic christianity and not attending a church in a long time.I have done a lot of research on beliefs and local churches in the area. Do you feel like your life improved after regularly attending? I look forward to hearing from you.

Hi everyone, I'm gathering material to maybe lead a lay-led service in a few months related to our topic for that month, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Some of the DEI training paradigms have become rather controversial. For those who might know more than me, can you point me to some good resources you are familiar with?

For example, I've read White Fragility and understand the controversy around that work. I have also found a program I personally think looks good, called Theory of Enchantment, but I haven't found any reviews of their programs yet. Anyway, thanks everyone. I'm looking for good quality information and I expect people in this conversation to keep a respectful tone toward those who disagree with them and keep opinions in the practical realm. Thanks in advance.

Hi - my husband and I (both mid-20s) just learned about the UU Church. He grew up Catholic but left the church several years before we met, and I grew up atheist. We are both interested in starting our own spiritual journeys, but are also seeking community in general.

If anyone here is a member of the UU Church of Greater Lansing - what has your experience been like? Is there active discussion of the big topics listed on the UUA website - “The existence of a Higher Power, Life and Death, Sacred Texts, Prayer and Spiritual Practices”? Are there other young adults <35 there?

I also noticed some dialogue (and seemingly some controversy) regarding the upcoming vote on an amendment to Article II. Is that relevant to what goes on in the churches themselves, or is it more of an organizational issue that doesn’t affect day-to-day?

Thanks in advance! We appreciate any insight you can provide.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Our congregation was so excited to call our new minister yesterday. A lot of hard work over the last year by the search committee paid off. We had been in a very long transition time and now we can move forward.

Did anyone call a new minister?

How many here are UU and vegan, too? Today I learned we're actually the only sort of church that's growing, and I think the only one with 2 vegan pastors. The rest are loosing members. I'm hoping one day to go to one of the vegetarian/vegan retreats, and think UU is the only one with something like that, and this means it's an extra friendly church as though veganism is a very thoughtful thing to do, most people hate vegans. Here they don't mind me bringing my own food to meals, or chatting about it occasionally. How about you?