Anybody go to a Unitarian Universalist church?
April 15, 2015 at 5:23 pm
(This post was last modified: April 15, 2015 at 5:40 pm by Razzle.)
By some definitions not a religion, but not all - they have their own unique ceremonies and a set of beliefs, but not specific rules or a specific cosmology and mythology. I've left a message with the local one asking exactly when their services are. I want to check it out because although I have some very close and supportive friends and family, I think I'd benefit from regularly meeting with a large group united in broad social ideals and social action, exploration of philosophy/spirituality/personal growth, and community work. I'd like to feel a sense of belonging to a wider community. I also love hymns and church environments on an aesthetic level, and they have their own non-partisan, non-theistic hymns and sermon styles.
There is also a local humanist group which shares resources and collaborates with the UU church, and even has some membership overlap with them, but I actually don't subscribe to all of the official beliefs of humanism, e.g. I don't believe in free will. There is no part of the UUs' defining creed that I disagree with. Also, I personally prefer the idea of more inclusive community. It's not important to me that the group I join for these purposes consists solely of people who don't believe in gods, an afterlife, etc. As long as we share the three goals above, I would like as great a diversity of backgrounds and personality types as possible, which I imagine will be smaller in a humanist organisation or other exclusively and definitively atheistic group.
Finally, I have been to Buddhist services in the past and enjoyed it, but the times and location of that sangha's meetings are inconvenient for me now. So the UU seems like the best option.
Anyone else ever been to a UU church? Was it right for you, and why/why not? General thoughts about the value of UU churches to society or individuals relative to other organisations?
Thanks,
Raz
There is also a local humanist group which shares resources and collaborates with the UU church, and even has some membership overlap with them, but I actually don't subscribe to all of the official beliefs of humanism, e.g. I don't believe in free will. There is no part of the UUs' defining creed that I disagree with. Also, I personally prefer the idea of more inclusive community. It's not important to me that the group I join for these purposes consists solely of people who don't believe in gods, an afterlife, etc. As long as we share the three goals above, I would like as great a diversity of backgrounds and personality types as possible, which I imagine will be smaller in a humanist organisation or other exclusively and definitively atheistic group.
Finally, I have been to Buddhist services in the past and enjoyed it, but the times and location of that sangha's meetings are inconvenient for me now. So the UU seems like the best option.
Anyone else ever been to a UU church? Was it right for you, and why/why not? General thoughts about the value of UU churches to society or individuals relative to other organisations?
Thanks,
Raz
