Going to the Unitarian Universalist
Well, Robert Price goes to the Episcopal Church for the symbolism, fellowship, diversity, and entertainment of mythology. I am thinking about attend the UU church after listening to their sermons on iTunes podcast and mp3 downloads from their Web site. This is the UU church in Olympia, WA.
The congregation consists of an interesting mix of liberal theists, deists, atheists, humanists, Buddhists, gays, et cetera. I view this as an opportunity for diversity and to meet people.
The homeless advocacy agency, Bread & Roses, gets support from the UU. The Olympia UU has a program called "Out of the Woods" to help the homeless without coercion to religion like the fundamentalist Christians do at the Union Gospel Mission, who are intolerant to those who doubt and think freely. My pagan friend was kicked out from the Union Gospel Mission lunch meal for waring a shirt displaying the words: "think for yourself".
So, anybody here go to, or have in the past attended the UU church?
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Brian37 attends the UU. Personally, I don't see the attraction.
My friend just got out of rehab and goes there. She's not religious but it's part of her 12 steps or something. She likes it and even attempted to tell me how I would probably like it. So I dunno, maybe I will go with her someday. Personally, I don't really like church settings like that no matter what the beliefs involved are. Like where people pour their emotions out to each other.
She is staying at a half-way house, and its completely xtianified. There's actually a small poster of an aborted (miscarried?) baby on the wall. All the women that live there are xtian. But they all attend the service at the UU. A pretty tolerant household, I guess. (Except the time my friend was singled out and asked if she prayed and she said that she meditated and the lady there told her that was a sin).
Fuck, they sound more like fundies than UU. I really don't see the point of the UU church. I'd rather go to a bar or something.
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So far everyone has only said heresay. I say be a freethinker and go find out for youself. Just because it is a "church" people automatically have a negative reaction without really knowing what it is.
Be scientific about this instead of opinionated. Gather the evidence, check it out in person.
The Enlightenment wounded the beast, but the killing blow has yet to land...
If I went to a bar that's a violation of DOC probation. I hang out at campuses and coffee shops.
I see the point, some non-believers like the church thingy. I now an atheist politician / lawyer in Anchorage, Alaska who plays an organ at some kind of Christian church - I think Russian Orthodox. She is really cool person.
I would like to demonstrate that I can be a kind, diverse member of society and show society that a homeless atheist is not an oxymoron.
This UU church has interesting sermons with reading from Robert Frost poetry, review of the book "Beyond Belief" and even pointed out that the gospels came long after the supposed life of Christ in a sermon about the early Christian church which sounded like it came from a review of "The God Who Wasn't There".
Anyways like TomCat said, be scientific and research it in person.
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Neither do I. After listening to their podcast sermons, it reminded too much of a bend toward Christainity. I wouldn't have minded pagan stuff, but the God stuff is just too much for me.
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I think it depends on the particular church. UU is a rather loose knit group of congregations. Some of them bend more toward theism, while some toward secular humanism.
I get their quarterly publication, UUWorld. There's usually some good stuff in it... it leans more toward humanistic causes than religion.
Judging from my experience, a lot of them are really great, open-minded people who care more about doing good than engaging in worship.
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Actually I've moved and havent attended the one where I live now. I've been either watching football on Sundays or been at work.
The Attraction? Same reason that I come here. I dont nessaraly agree with every single atheist on every issue, but I do like being around others who have some of the same views.
UU Churches support diversity, so do I, so it is no so much about believing in superatural, but more about showing others that diverse people CAN get allong.
Even there, just like here, I DO NOT agree with everything every member says. Some lean a little too far to the left on speech laws and censorship. I once herd a church member suggest that all porn be banned. HOLLY CRAP I pooped my pants. Stuff like that scares the crap out of me.
But, for the most part UUs are very indepentant minded on tollerating others including atheists, I do wish however, that people on both the left and right wouldnt screw with issues of free speech.
UUs have great qualities and are very progressive on equality and human rights. The do however, have a tendancy to be censorship happy which is the downside I dont like.
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When I first moved to WA, I and my best friend decided to try out a UU church in bremerton. I was initially attracted to the liberal atmosphere and collective acceptance. However, that became exactly what was so problematic. It became clear that they are so interested in getting along with everybody and not standing AGAINST anything except simple cliches, that they never realize that in the process of standing FOR something, you are standing against it's opposite. This often led to a complete misunderstanding of the depth to which christianity despises them (I remember many a sermon declaring groups like the UU only a step away from satanism).
So all in all, it's an interesting experience, but not very critically minded. Though as an oasis and community, they're not bad.
Every one of your relationships to man and to nature must be a definite expression of your real, individual life corresponding to the object of your will. -Erich Fromm
I do not get along with people like that. Guess I am for adveristy and antireligion and getting revenge on theists. Oh well, that's just me. Now, would the UU accept somebody like me?
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Just to let people know once again.
Some UUs do more Christian stuff, others are well ballanced and have pagan and secular sermons.
But just to let you know, Evolve Fish has advertises many times in their publication.
"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers."Obama
Check out my poetry here on Rational Responders Like my poetry thread on Facebook under Brian James Rational Poet, @Brianrrs37 on Twitter and my blog at www.brianjamesrationalpoet.blog