Hello, everyone! Hope we're all having a great fall so far! Just wanted to let y'all know that next week, we (the Unitarian Universalist Circle at William & Mary) will be having a workshop with national UU leaders on building community and campus ministries. It will be on the 27th starting at 7p, virtual, and open to everyone. Please consider RSVPing!

https://forms.gle/o2TcGagWniHS7x7i9

Facebook page for the Circle: Unitarian Universalist Circle at W&M

I was watching this really nice sermon from a UU church in Albuquerque and the comments were just heartbreaking as all it was is from hateful Christians shoving their beliefs down our throat, claiming that we have nothing to stand on, and an empty religion and it got me thinking, have you guys faced hatred for being UU? I remember that is what happened in 2008 when a psychopath caused a shooting at a UU and he spewed almost the same hateful rhetoric these Christians are preaching.

https://youtu.be/gVAHTRW8MB0

I feel UU is a good fit for me and my family.

I went to my first service and liked a lot about it.

But all they ended up talking about was social justice and politics. There was no element of spirituality to the service. It honestly felt like I was back in college in a Socialogy class. I am a staunch Democrat and even I felt very uncomfortable. I was immensely disappointed because i want very badly to find a home with UU.

Is what I experienced a common occurrence in UU or is it a rare experience would you say?

Thanks

Tdlr: went to UU Service, liked a lot of things but the sermon was all politics and no religion. Is it always like this? Is this common or rare?

Hey folks. I would say that after watching some sermons and reading things about the faith, I'm safe to say that I do consider myself a Unitarian Universalist and whenever I have the chance, I'm interested in going to a UU church whenever they have a service but because I've never been to one, what is the experience usually like?

I was raised Catholic so in those churches, the experience was basically full of stain-glassed windows, smells of candles and incense, and priests talking and singing in low voices about the sermons, while also donating money and doing communion, and singing mellow music. How different is it?

Dear Governor Newsom:

I have a weird and fantastic idea for your consideration. Today I was listening to news radio and a report said the homeless epidemic is the No. 1 concern for most Californians. Later, I read an article about how luxury cruise ships are retired and sent to "grave yards" to be dismantled. I put one and one together and I came up with the following idea.

Like in FDR's New Deal, help for the country must come from the top down. So why doesn't California buy some of the ships destined to be retired and provide centralized housing to the "unhoused and destitute" while the ships are anchored in local ports. I've noticed that the epidemic seems most critical in very popular port towns.

I don't know if you've ever been on a cruise ship but most of the rooms are not luxurious. Yet, they can provide a safe haven to single men and women.

Currently, Italy is using a cruise ship as a prison. I do not mean lets jail the homeless. Not by any measure of this suggestion. Yet, a room, a bed, shower, and centralized ammenities, medical care, and resources may be the 1st step to helping willing and able bodied people come back to us whole. The ships are huge and like some of our military ships, they are similar to small cities.

We need to get aggressive to fight the current tent cities and the dehumanization felt by our fellow Americans...all the while giving people the tools, to "learn how to fish".

I reiterate, let’s do this only for willing partincipants... the destitute trying to regain their place in society. As such, the stay for participants should be finite and the participants should be treated with the upmost respect. Everyone needs a little help at some time.

It is more cost effective to renting rooms at local hotels and motels and as such, the residents should be able to board and go off board at their convenience... hopefully to look for jobs.

This type of unconventional tactic might be the key to fixing our current state of emergency all the while at a good cost and in the absolute benefit to our residents and the state.

Best regards,

[u/TonyinLB]

Am I the only one who's getting tired of people, especially from evangelical Christians, who claim we are nothing but a hippie, devil-in-disguise cult, just because our beliefs are not in line with theirs? Like, I saw a few UU sermons on YouTube and a good chunk of the comments were full of hateful Christians who claim we're falling for the Devil's temptation and Christ is the answer. I'm getting tired of it so, what are your guys' best rebuttals against these hateful and judgemental people?

I'm currently reading "Testimony: The Transformative Power of Unitarian Universalism" edited by Meg Riley. It is a great book! I've found it to be so encouraging to my faith. My family officially joined our local UU Church last Sunday after about a year of virtually attending. I'm so glad we have finally found a place to belong.

I'd love to hear your story! What brought you to Unitarian Universalism? How has it changed your life over the years?

So I was watching on A&E the show where Leah Remini discusses how she escaped Scientology and then made a special episode where she later covers Jehovah's Witnesses and how they are a cult of repression, fear mongering, isolation, not allowing free will because it is "Satanic", emotional abuse, emotional blackmail, etc. Basically, a cult as repressive as Scientology and it got me thinking that with UUism being open-minded and allowing different religious ideas and backgrounds, is it okay to be critical of other religions because I have always been critical some religions as I personally don't like what they believe in, such as Christian Science for being anti-medicine and the Jehovah's Witnesses for what was shown in the Leah Remini series. Of course, Scientology is one I'm critical of, that's a given so almost no one likes them but even then, is it okay if you don't feel those religions practice stuff you don't like?

It's a very rare occurrence, but I have seen it both in my life and others. I initially made posts regarding this in the Christian subs, but the replies were overly monotheistic in nature (if you worship more than one God you're going to have a bad time, etc)

I discuss God a lot with people in general and my therapist in particular (who is Christian, but knows I am UU) God/Higher Power/Divinity etc has made His/Her/Their presence made known in my life in many ways, but NGL this has been a really bad year for me so far, so I am praying for myself and loved ones a lot. (I pray everyday and have for about 2 decades now)

I have had questions directly answered before, and also...not. I feel I have a generally good relationship with The Great Big Thing, and obviously He/She/They are not some kind of cosmic slot machine you put prayer coins into and expect a big payoff...that would be very disrespectful. But yet I continue to pray and have faith because...we're all on this Big Blue Boat together, and bound by something greater than all of us.

So for context, I'm a 20-something. In the last few days, I've become interested in exploring spirituality. But there have always been little things that bothered me about them, with making any sort of specific commitment, and I've never been one for how much they try to force an opinion.

That being said however, after spending about a quarter of my life going from edgy atheism to just depressed and isolated, I'd like to think there is something beyond what I can perceive or study, and I'd like to show whatever may be out there that I am at least trying and hope they understand and accept that. Then I happened upon UU in a Reddit thread by chance (or perhaps by divine design if you are convinced of such), and I had been mildly intruiged when hearing about it previously. So I came here reading through the thread, and I liked a lot of what I read in theory.

Then came the anecdotes about the practice. I've encountered a lot of talk about this 8th Principle, and a lot of chaos. Further, while I recognize I'm not in the greatest position to have an informed opinion, my gut instinct doesn't seem to coincide with consensus. On another instance where I considered buying a book that I reached through a link here, I encountered the spelling of 'folx'. And there, I do feel comfortable as both bisexual and transsexual in openly (though respectfully, mind you) disagreeing with the mindset that sort of thing tends to stem from. Lastly, I've seen comments attesting to congregations consisting of generally older people, and of an active desire for demographic diversity. While I've no problem with diversity, I can't relate to actively seeking it out; and being a young'in I'm not exactly looking to be surrounded by people thrice my age.

It overall, to me, feels very reminiscent of the political screeding one may expect to see from apocalyptic Protestant congregations, just from a different cultural 'side'. And, I've enough experience to know I don't care for that sort of thing, having come from an extended family of devout Pentecostals. It registers for me as alienating in a very familiar way.

That all being said, I do want to supplement all that I've said above by confirming that I have gathered congregations can be very different from each other. Which on the one hand, could mean what I'm looking for is out there, but on the other makes everything I've looked at somewhat uncertain, and I already couldn't be sure I'd actually find what I'm seeking.

I'm overall left feeling rather conflicted. Because on the one hand, I'm still quite interested in exploring spirituality in a way that isn't going to try to force a particular doctrine; which everything I read tells me is exactly what UU offers. But at the same time, what I'm hearing is telling me a very different story. So I've left it to simply ask you folks outright for an outside take on my situation. I recognize some of my issues may not make me seem the best person in terms of my non-religious beliefs, so I will endeavor to be as respectful as I can in those domains so long as I can expect the same. I'm looking to explore myself, not proselytize politics; I find that doing so is rarely productive for anyone anyway.

Lastly, I hope the long essay I have written doesn't prove insurmountable, and thank you to anyone who's gotten far enough to read this particular sentence.

How was your service today? Did you have an Ingathering service? If so, what did that look like?

https://www.uua.org/pandemics/gathering-guidance/singing

Hi all, I’m moving to England! I’ll be in Newcastle, and was looking for a UU church in the city. I didn’t find one, but did find a Unitarian church that, from the website, appears to share some of my own beliefs. Does anyone know if there are UU churches in England? How close is a straight up Unitarian church? Any other similar communities I might find in the country? Thanks!

How was your service today? What was it about? Did anything about it challenge or inspire you?

I just heard from my therapist yesterday about the existence of spiritual companions, and how some of them are also UU and LGBT related, two things that resonate deeply with me. I was wondering if anyone here knew more. Googling does not get me a lot of info, so I thought of asking real UUs.

I am not part of a UU church currently because there are no more physical members in my vicinity, so there is a spiritual gap in my life I seek to fill. I've been a practicing UU for a decade or so.

Does anyone know the best way to keep Muslim Youth from being tricked into Joining ISIL?

I have been attending zoom services for my local UU church and really enjoy it. I was previously protestant Christian but was pushed away for the fact that I'm pansexual and trans gender. I feel so at home with the principles of the UU and feel uplifted by the sermons. Are there any podcasts or books anyone would recommend?

Obviously, how Amazon and its seller categorize books is fairly arbitrary and this doesn't mean anything- but still - I was thinking we'd get some books on UUism, books from the Goodreads UU group, books from the UUA common read. But the Top 25 Bestselling Unitarian Universalist books include:

#1 Powerful morning prayers for Christians. OK sure that's 10% of us but I can see why it' the best selling.

#2 & #5 Laws of Attraction based books. Really?

#4 and #11 and #14 The Kingdom of Cults, helping Christians identify false ideologies masquerading as religion. Hmmmmmm.

#18 is an academic text on " religious history from 330 B.C. to 330 A.D." OK

#25 When Religion Becomes Evil........... actually is useful from a UU perspective. Carry on!

#26 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, a straight up psychology self help book. Are they trying to tell us something? Or does this get put into every religious category? Honestly that book probably would help anyone......

​

This is a lighthearted post, hopefully did not offend anyway.

The values of UU seem to line up with me a lot but I have deep fears of exploring multi-faith spiritualities like this after having an upbringing that taught you need to believe in Jesus and avoid paganism to have eternal life in heaven. My goal would be to be a Christian UU practitioner, attend UU sermons but pray to the same God I have always prayed to. How did you deal with your fears of exploring other religions?

Edit: Thank you all for your comments! I appreciate the openness and the Christian or previously-Christian perspectives. I'm feeling interested and excited about UU and will be looking into it more.

Hello r/UUreddit. How's the coffee? :P

So I feel an internal conflict within myself. On one hand, it is valid for me to say that "I believe" this and this and this and this, and yet I am also bothered by that sentiment because it inherently separates me from people who do not believe such.

So, my mother belongs to an apocalyptic Bible-worshiping sect which she simply refuses to question or challenge. That's entirely her prerogative, but whereas she committed to that organization in her late teens and when nearly a legal adult, I was raised in it and had a very different experience from her to which she cannot entirely relate. That experience has compelled me to generally eschew with proselytism, and instead I would prefer to simply practice being a good person. I generally consider proselytism to be a self-interested game of sales, whether one gets financially rewarded or not, and I'm just not a Bible salesman.

My mother has mentioned that she and other relatives cannot fathom why I don't accept her religion. But in practice, it does no good to talk to them about it because they'd rather not hear it. The reasoning goes, if you eat the fruit from that tree then you'll die. So they don't want to hear it, but they'll happily evangelize to other cold-calls as long as they feel safe to do so. So they're stuck in this echo chamber, and that is where they'd prefer to stay.

From what I can tell, the facts and logic of their stated beliefs absolutely do not matter and are subject to "refinement" over time. I can say that the human species is much much older than their doctrine declares. I can say that as bad as "these times" may seem to be, we've been through a whole lot worse in recorded history, to say nothing of prehistory. And yet, at the end of the day, nothing I say matters to them. I am pigeonholed as their essentially evil apostate reject who seems nice but isn't in the eyes of their god (read: their organization). And I have naught to do but accept this as their prerogative, or else try to reach out and effect their beliefs which are far beyond my control, an essentially proselytic effort which would be promptly rejected.

So all I can do is just wish 'em well. Thankfully, my mom still talks to me, which is great because she needs someone to check on her as she gets older. (I can't help but sometimes mention that she was told she wouldn't grow old in this evil world; she just laughs it off.)

Eventually, my mom will pass on. So will the other old and respected family members who are active in this sect. I sometimes wonder what if anything would change after that. But for now, it appears that due to religious differences, my family has disintegrated, and that's just the way it unfortunately went.

And that's my story, or a lot of it. Thank you.

So, I've come across many people who say belief in Jesus/God/Allah etc "saved" them by which I guess it brought them on track.

Is this because belief helps since people then act like they have an accountability partner, or even Police figure.

I recently got an accountability partner and it really helps be disciplined.

Hello friends,

I'm a college student UU and all the churches around me are populated by people much, much older than I am. I decided to establish a Reddit community for young UUs such as myself: r/youngUUs Its not booming yet, but I'm truly hoping that one day, it will be! Thank from the bottom of my heart for all the love I've been getting from r/UUreddit

Hi r/UUreddit,

I emailed a similar question to my UU minister, but I also thought I'd ask here if more briefly. Where can I learn more about Christian UU theology, going back to the Unitarians and Universalists? I'm especially looking for books and Bible commentaries, that sort of thing.

Thank you!

I'm a middle aged cultural Protestant and serious Zen Buddhist. UU should fit me. But I just cannot get into my local UU church. It was great under a prior minister (who was interesting and challenging). Then, there were a few years of literal chaos - multiple visiting or transitional ministers with strong congregational likes/dislikes about each one and a lot of discord and anger. Between the strife and the economy, a ton of people (mostly younger) left and weren't replaced.

Then a depressed minister who talked about depression a lot (no thank you). Now a minister with a strident, angry, lecturing edge. Probably well meaning - we are going to respect everyone and be affirming and anti-racist and and and OR ELSE (like, or else we're going to be slapped with a ruler a la old Roman Catholicism). And a vastly aging congregation.

This should be my home and it is not. I don't know what to do about that.

Maybe I should just wait until in-person services resume in the Fall and see what happens? If things have changed or how? If the minister comes back (who has not been seen in some time, lay people have been leading services).

Hi,

My name is Képler Siguineau and I am the founder of Church Network. I built it with the goal of making it easy for pastors to keep providing spiritual food to their congregation.

It is currently available on the Google Play Store: here.

With Church Network: you can continue receiving spiritual food from your church, stay up-to-date with events happening in person and online, easily send tithe, receive important messages from the church, and its available in English, Kreyol, French, and Spanish.

Let me know what you think!

If you like it, and would like to use the app at you church, you can fill out the form in the app to make a request. If you don't like it, I would like to know why. Any general feedback is appreciated!

For any minsters, Church Network Admin is also available: here

This is our site: Church Network App

Thank you again!

I am agnostic, meaning I don’t know for sure if there is a god or not. I identify as spiritual, meaning I meditate daily, chase new perspectives, strive to achieve self actualization, want a loving and steadfast community, and use self care, crystals, journaling, and essential oils regularly.

i grew up uu & it was a major, major part of my life & hugely grounding through tough times in high school &the 1st few years of young adulthood but at least in my state there's literally nothing for young adults. so, i tried for years to create some kind of community for uu young adults at my fellowship (from about age 17-21/22) only to be met with very little support from congregational leadership; it got to the point that i stopped attending the fellowship at all. we were going through a transition between ministers and there was frequent talk about how our fellowship had grown with our departing minister to be a place that had a home for everybody in the community, which was so hard to hear when it was blatantly untue for me & my peers who'd grown up & bridged with me.

i'm posting this to ask if there's anywhere out there that does actually have a spiritual home for uu young adults? especially those who grew up uu. the experiences i had with broader uu youth culture (cons, goldmine, district assemblies) were so powerful and transformitive and are something i hoped to find a different but similar form of in adulthood! there has been absolurely nothing though.

i would love to know if somewhere out there there's some form of uu young adult community built off of the strengths of the youth community, because i'm really missing having a spiritual home. thanks yall

EDIT: TFW you spell "Unitarian" wrong in the title >.<

EDIT 2: It seems like, per the downvotes and the responses, many Unitarian Universalists aren't interested in hearing or discussing an account of why someone would become disinterested in UU before attending their first service. I'll 'go in peace,' feeling unwelcomed by my first interaction with this community. Thank you to those who actually read my post and engaged with me in earnest.

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Like many, I was drawn to UU by its Principles and omnist roots. I'm at a spiritual cross-roads in life and am re-exploring my own spirituality, so UU's take on fellowship/belief was intriguing. I wanted to learn more.

I've known of the church for several years, but had never done thorough "due diligence" until recently. Few things are more consequential than decisions of faith, and so this meant a lot of reading about the church's history, theology, current state, and vision of the future. I've also spent a lot of time reading this subreddit and ministers' blogs' comments to see how practitioners think.

I wanted to share my findings and the impressions for two reasons:

1. I understand that it is generally accepted that UU is "dying" (membership has been flat for decades while global/US populations grow)

2. I figured many UUs may be interested in the impression of an outsider who has no familial ties or familiarity with the church

Important: I have never attended a service, which I understand takes empirical weight out of my post. I don't live in a place that has a UU congregation, so it's not really an option. Like most during the pandemic, all I can do is explore online.

It's likely many will disagree with my observations, and I welcome that (should make for good discussion). I'm only sharing the candid impressions of a outsider looking in.

Impression 1: 'Unitarian Universalism is a religion' feels like a marketing hook

UU presents itself as a religion (and obviously one derived from a Christian tradition). Its members gather in "congregations," sing "hymns" to "worship," and are taught by "ministers" who fill a pastoral role (and who call themselves Reverends). It seems a lot of UU members on Reddit see the apparent Christian-ness as a bad thing (since it ostracizes non-Christian followers), but to an outsider it legitimizes the church's representation as, well, a church.

The namesake of UU is intriguing. Universalism is a theological underpinning across many different religions, but I always kinda understood it as the kind from which Unitarian Universalism began: universal reconciliation, or the idea that all humans will be saved and have a relationship with God. Unitarianism similarly stems from the idea of "one God, many names."

Now, I'll pause and say I have no idea how common it is for people to first stumble across Unitarian Universalism by way of theology. But, as a childhood Christian who thought Greek exegeses were cool, universal reconciliation (and its occurrence, either for or against, within so many different religions) is exciting. In fact, I rediscovered UU while researching Baha'i. The promise of a faith that looks for deeper truths among all the world's religions, debates them through a multicultural theological lens, finds parallels, and interprets them for the modern age is beautiful.

Except Unitarian Universalism does not seem to be, strictly by definition, either Unitarian or Universalist. Both are an attempt at explaining the nature of God, and UU teaches that it's up to the individual to decide whether God is real, fake, or somewhere in-between. I particularly like the UU Kids Say: God is... article which smiles at the idea that God is everything, nonexistent, a cloud, a feeling, my uncle, and a camera. So far as I can tell, UU teachings do not really teach a definite existence (or lack of existence) of anything, or of any kind divine presence.

It is hard to find what beliefs (religious, not societal) Unitarian Universalists do rally around, other than a shared belief in ambiguity. And it seems like, because of the diverse makeup of members, theological deep dives into truths that differ between the world's religions are uncommon. I had to dig to find stuff like this, and even then writings are rarely presented critically (but rather as 'here's what they say, and here's what they say').

In short, Unitarian Universalism's universalism feels more like Sheilaism. Though a core tenet is a search for "truth" and "meaning," the faith itself does not itself put forward theories on what that truth might tangibly be, or what meaning could look like. Instead, it seems to say 'make your best guess,' and disagrees with nothing.

Impression 2: UU's guiding beliefs do not touch on the negatives aspects of the human nature of its own members

I have no idea if it has been discussed in the last decade, but I found the 11-page essay "Why Unitarian Universalism is Dying," written by a former UU Reverend, brilliant. Instead of trying to replicate its main points in my own words, I'd love to hear if there were ever any formal responses to this writing.

Impression 3: UU's envelope-pushing politics and activism feels like a parody of the left

I'm left-leaning on many issues, and am a minority myself in ways I won't disclose... but damn. I don't understand how anyone with conservative leanings could feel comfortable discussing their Unitarian Universalism around their peers. A random smattering of things I was surprised were unironic:

• "At GA 2017 there was a segregated room ("healing space") for black people only, and a series of segregated sessions open "Exclusively for People of Color". The UUA has been promoting a "White Identity Formation" workshop for our (white) youth. It seems the UUA's pursuit of identity politics has turned a corner, and is now acting to strengthen and reinforce ethnic division, rather than bringing us together."

• "A PRAYER: Queer Spirit, dancing blue glitter flame, I give thanks for your euphoric mystery, your endless pronouns, your delight in queering every boundary and box. Yours is the truth that makes us free. May your glitter come, your dance be done in me as it is in heaven."

• "We live in a myth that white people are innocent and rational and logical. It's hard not to be paranoid as a Black person, because you have white people who say, “I would never do that; I'm one of the good ones”—and you want to believe them. But history shows us that when it comes down to it, a lot of white people will coalesce around whiteness. For example, there are little offshoots of people who are protesting our Unitarian Universalist emphasis on racial justice. Well, that's fine—just don't call yourself UU. Go be something else."

When it comes to how I believe, I believe that more than one God exists but I stick to just one God, as in the one I've known since I was Catholic, I often pray to Jesus and I don't believe in the idea that God is this hateful being if you are gay or worship others. I feel God is more loving than that and that God gave us potential to do good in this world and if you do unforgiving and despicable acts, like abuse or rape, than you are wasting your potential to do good and will live a life of eternal torment and/or become an overall bad person as your potential withers away and it'll stop until the day you die. I also believe that the soul can live again in another body, as in reincarnation, to start over and bring a new life but I also believe if you do unforgivable acts, the afterlife won't be kind to you.

Are these worldviews and beliefs any good?

Because of how open-minded, liberal and free you guys are to how one believes instead of sticking to rigid rules and fearing God and Hell, like many churches, as well as how I feel that the 7 Principles do match up with stuff I agree with, like a person's self-worth and how we should all be for the common good, I say that I wanna convert. How should I do it? I'm just asking so I don't mess up and I hope when the pandemic ends, I can attend a church as well.

Hey folks. I'm here to ask you guys a question you may have gotten a bajillion times, what is the Unitarian Universalist Church, what do they belive and what makes it stand out?

For background, I'm a Deist but I was raised Catholic and in the Catholic Church, they believe in the Trinity, worship in Mary and saints, and also studying a little book called the Catechism, which talks about the beliefs of the church so you can be ready to be Confirmed and get ready to do Holy Communion, the latter of which are all part of something that reminds of one of your beliefs. Unitarian-Universalists believe in something called The Seven Principles and like in Catholicism, they also have a set of beliefs and practices in a group of seven called The Seven Sacraments and Confirmation and The Holy Communion (known as the Eucharist) is part of it.

So, what makes the church different to others?

Hello UU Reddit,

I bought a keyboard recently and would like to learn how to play some UU hymns.

I see and have copies of at least one of the hymnals, which are easy to locate online (Singing the Living Tradition https://www.amazon.com/dp/1558962603, Singing the Journey https://www.amazon.com/dp/1558964991).

But I'm having trouble finding the piano book for either of them. Is there a piano book?

I have been thinking about joining one of the Zoom sessions for the local Unitarian church near me. As someone who has not stepped their foot in church in years the organization sounds like a great fit for me as they talk about making better changes to the world we reside, making intellectual adjustments that are not base in ancient texts. With that being said I ask a local congregation about these concerning questions and I would like to hear members speak upon my fitting in with such a religion.

• My thoughts would be best described as humanist, most likely a pantheist/belief in a natural God. I have read many secular humanists/non believers feeling welcome by their local congregation, with a survey done a decade back showing a good portion identified as humanist. Can I still fit in even if the congregation skews more of a traditional-religious bent?

• Where would I be fitting in given my socio-economic status? On some Internet forums I have read some working class people attending sermons and have been critical about the service feeling like it was target towards a highly educated upper-middle class crowd. My family is on the lower-middle class end, both having done manual jobs. In my family of four I'm the only person who has graduated from college, holding an Associate degree. it would be unfortunate to not feel welcomed in a religion that preaches tolerance and diversity of thought. Also, I see that the crowds generally skewed towards the older end, which makes sense given church attendance have been getting older on average according to studies. Could a late 20's person with no children fit in with the crowd of attendance?

before the pandemic I used to go to church every weekend. not only that, but I would also help with childcare and go to re and owl on sunday afternoons. now, church is all through zoom and it just doesn't feel the same to me. so I rarely go to the church zoom meetings. it doesn't help that I usually work on Sundays. I still consider myself religious and spend time every day being spiritual, but I feel bad for not going to online church.

Hello friends,

My spouse and I are currently dealing with the news that our sweet cat has at most 1 month left in her due to developing cancer, despite being only 4 years old. My spouse has never dealt with the loss of a loved one before and has some pretty rough fear/phobia of death. I am trying to find resources and books that will be helpful for processing this loss. I am UU/atheist, and my spouse practices secular Judaism with a strong UU tilt.

I deeply appreciate anything y'all have to offer,

Mindfully, posspal

Hello Everyone,

I need some advice for dealing with the local UU congregation. Some background, my mother is in the final stages of dementia, she's nonverbal and in a full time care facility. My father is also starting to decline. He has been diagnosed with executive function disorder and has a hard time remembering things. My brother has power of attorney, and we are starting to take over financial management but that has just started (roughly at the end of April).

So the problem. Over the past twenty or so years, my father was donating $500/year to the UU congregation. However, from November to January, he donated $3000. When we asked he mentioned something about not realizing he had sent so many checks but that he only sent them when he was asked about the status of his tithe by the Minister or other members of the Church leadership team.

They have cashed all the checks.

My father doesn't have a lot of money. We are doing our best to help and support him but this seems like something of a blow. I'm going to pull out a loan to cover the memory facility bills for my father, but I'm really upset about this.

So far the Minister and the people in charge of the accounts at the Church have not been helpful - and to add salt to the wound they knew he was struggling. I kind of feel like they were taking advantage of his memory issues. They've even asked if it is so bad that he gave them so much since it will go to good causes. I'm pretty sure my mother's medical care is a good cause.

Are we screwed? Is there any chance to get that money back?

Tell us about it!

Our church here in California hasn't opened back up for in-person services yet, although many other denominations seem to be starting to again post-COVID. Wondering what other people's UU church's plans are for reopening for in-person Sunday services.

I would like the community of church and I like the moral values of many religions, and sometimes I enjoy Buddhist lectures (just not sure if I believe in enlightenment)... I have been thinking I need a sense of community and belonging and I’m really interested in UU. Does anyone attend as an atheist for the learning aspect and the moral parts of religion? I’d like to hear some experiences. Also what do you where there?? Haha

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Greetings, I am a student . I wanted to start off by saying how glad I am to see a religion (unitarian Christianity) so close to mine. I am very interested to learn the Eschatology - the rapture, 4 horse men, Jesus, anti Christ, end times stuff basically. I was researching online for my report but figured it is best I ask the people who know it best themselves.

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Pretty much the title... I've tried to find an official announcement on the CUC page, but they are in the middle of the AGM and I guess it hasn't be posted yet. But, a small congregation on the west coast has this info on their webpage https://www.cvuf.ca/2021/05/08/8th-principle-passed/

​

8th Principle We, the member congregations of the Canadian Unitarian Council, covenant to affirm and promote*: “Individual and communal action that accountably dismantles racism and other oppressions in ourselves and in our institutions.”

Passed May 8th 2021 at the CUC AGM and supported by CVUF Delegates Barbara Huhn and Heather Gatland.

It was not on the agenda for the AGM and the website does not yet have easy links. I'll post links when I find them.

It is similar to, but not identical to, the proposed American 8th principle.

I'm sure many of you have seen online tests like this to find out where you are as far as religion, politics, or almost anything else. And I agree with the test results that said I am Unitarian Universalist.

But there is a problem. UU is no longer a church, at least not where I live. It is a political movement. They might talk about love, diversity, understanding, and so on. But what I am hearing is that I, as a straight white male, must bow down and worship gays, feminists, trans people, and anyone who wants to defund the police.

So where is there ever any message for me? Or TO me? to help me and inspire me in my life? I don't hear that nowdays.

I have said over and over again that I respect all people and want to get along with everyone, but apparently that is not enough. Well excuse the hell out of me you all, I have struggles too. I respect people who are different from me in any way, BUT, where can I go when I need some inspiration? I really don't know where to go to.

And yes, I have posted here before making similar comments. I am not trying to troll or be disrespectful. I just really don't know where to go.

Maybe UU has way too big of a class, education, and income divide.

I don't know if this post might get taken down, but whoever gets to read this, remember something. There more people like me out there than you might realize.

I pray that oneday people from all walks of life really will be able to get along and actually talk to each other.

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Me: "I wonder why UU World is still in print. Why isn't it just virtual now?"

Husband: "I know why."

Me: "Elderly people? Those without internet?"

Him: "No. Imagine the committees they'd have to form to make a decision like that."

For a long time I used to dismiss spirtualities of all kinds (I was agnostic bordering on atheist) but I'm now ready to welcome it back in my life. I've read about UU, and I really agree with a lot of what is being said. My only problem right now is...how do you just 'become' a Unitarian Universalist? It feels a little illegitimate to simply read something online and decide that this is what I want to believe (which, I do). I've already contacted a local church and I plan on going to one of their zoom mass meetings, which is a start, but what more else can I do? Read more? I'm just a little confused.

Hello,

I've recently discovered R. Buckminster Fuller while learning about utopian communes. I've not read anything by him nor listened to his interviews or lectures. Currently I'm engaged in work along the lines of libertarian municipalism as a way of pursuing UU values by creating democratic and sustainable economic institutions in my area and would like to talk with my local UU congregation about libertarian municipalist projects such as permaculture, cooperatives, neighborhood councils and time banking. I'm heavily inspired by Murray Bookchin but do want to try to use UU reference points in the service. With that in mind, I'm curious to know if Fuller has specific writings whose insights I could use. What essential writings by Buckminster Fuller are to start with and are any in particular that either implicitly or explicitly describe his worldview from a UU perspective?

https://disboard.org/server/603147882614226944

Click the link and select join server if you wish to check us out, we are a multi faith server with members from all walks of life.

Christians Muslims Jews Pagans Sikhs Hindus Buddhists Atheists and Agnostics

And many more.

We have members who have, converted to and from religions, followed their faith since birth and others who are interested in learning/converting.

Wide range of people, over 2000 members and growing :)

Look forward to meeting you.

https://disboard.org/server/603147882614226944

Click the link and select join server if you wish to check us out, we are a multi faith server with members from all walks of life.

Christians Muslims Jews Pagans Sikhs Hindus Buddhists Atheists and Agnostics

And many more.

We have members who have, converted to and from religions, followed their faith since birth and others who are interested in learning/converting.

Wide range of people, over 2000 members and growing :)

Look forward to meeting you.

Hi,

So i removed my original post because i was being called antisemite by some 40yo woman, and it offended me... But then i learned she's jewish so I'm reposting this again, because it doesn't count coming from her

The trinity was inspired by the greeks and it's: body, spirit and soul. And i believe it's why we have 3 abrahamic faiths:

1_ First God sent moses to teach us about the body/ material world, but money doesn't make you happy 2_ then he sent jesus to teach us how to take care of our spirit, but happiness doesn't bring you peace (of mind) 3_ so he sent mohammed to teach us about the soul

Patience requires happiness. Happiness requires peace (of mind). Peace (of mind) requires patience.

Body> spirit> soul it's a cycle.

God bless you

Hello guys,

I want to share with you how to try master your being to help you become close to God.

Humans have a body, a spirit and a soul.

How you take care of the body/ material world: with patience (like moses) How you take care of the spirit: with happiness (like jesus) How you take care of the soul: with peace (of mind) (like mohammed)

You just try to be like them...

1First, God sent moses and taught us how to take care of the body/ material world, but money doesn't make you happy 2 so he sent jesus to teach us how to take care of the spirit, but happiness doesn't bring you peace (of mind) 3_ so God finally sent mohammed pbuh to teach us how to take care of the soul

How did i realized this? By hanging out with people from the 3 abrahamic faiths. You keep hearing the same thing... Especially christians they crave peace of mind. Well, now you know... It's a cycle. Patience requires happiness. Happiness requires peace (of mind). Peace (of mind) requires patience.

People are always focusing on the differences between abrahamic faiths, but how many try to take wisdom and the good from all of them instead?

Just so you know the trinity was inspired by a greek thing, and it was: body, spirit and soul.

Please share or tell me why I'm full of sh*t

The first recommendation questions a prevalent assumption among UUs: “that you can believe whatever you want and be a Unitarian Universalists.” Our shared faith is a covenantal faith that presents us with a theological container in which we can hold multiple religious belongings and theological understandings. What shift would happen in our communities if we were to be intentional about understanding, interpreting, and sharing with others our views of our movement’s theological container?

To read the report:

Here is the pdf https://www.uua.org/sites/live-new.uua.org/files/widening_the_circle-text_with_covers.pdf

And html with audio (you have to click on the link for each chapter) https://www.uua.org/uuagovernance/committees/cic/widening

To purchase a hard copy: https://www.uuabookstore.org/Widening-the-Circle-of-Concern-P18686.aspx

To participate in the discussion:

I will be posting daily threads for the next two weeks and we will be having a discussion on the discord.

There is a UU Discord, there’s a link in the side bar. If you need an invite, please click this link: https://discord.gg/9d4EwJK

We’ve created a channel for the discussion which will be locked until the date and time of our meeting (May 6th at 9pm Eastern).

The UUA recommended planning on waiting until at least May 2021 to meet in person, but now that its almost May, what are folks looking at? I have a feeling my church won't be meeting IRL until the fall at the earliest. I want to wait until we can meet safely, but I do miss in person services. Tho our Zoom ones have been fantastic, if someone needs a good link.

and I was a bit disappointet.

I wanted to try UU because it allows the search for spiritual growth in any way that one wants.

But there was no speaking of any spirituality, faith, god, etc. It was more like a psychology 101 class, which disucssions which I could have in any students bar.

Did I just made the wrong meeting? Or is this UU in general?