When I was going through a rough patch in a relationship I felt I needed some kind of guidance or uplift. I went to the local Unitarian Universalist church a couple of Sundays. It didn’t help. Still felt shitty, didn’t get any insight and it’s still involves a magical entity in the Universe somewhere. Went to see a shrink, it was much more productive! ?

Religion is simply nothing more than a tool for which you can either build or destroy with it.
That’s why I don’t judge religious people until they give me a reason to. Yet sadly the concept of unity and fellowship has been lost on most of society let alone the church but it’s also said that religion is merely a reflection of society so it’s next phase should be very interesting.

I have been to Unitarian churches before and found them as you describe. If they would take "church" out of their title and hold get-togethers on other days of the week, I might still attend occasionally.

Sounds like they know what to emphasize; in a word, community.

Unitarian churches are the ones I even remotely consider attending due to their "open" nature.

LiterateHiker, I fully agree this is how a church should be, but my local UU church is now anything but what you describe. Ironically, there is a small, very liberal UCC church right down the street from me, but they use the Bible and are Christian. I would probably fit in great there socially and share all their politics. And I've heard they have all the qualities of the UU church you visited. But I'm not going to lie or pretend to believe or be a Christian just to attend and enjoy their community.

Interesting (to me) information about Unitarianism: Four presidents of the United States were Unitarians. One of our greatest founding fathers, John Adams, was one of them. He was a strong advocate of the separation of church and state. In 1797, he signed the "Treaty of Tripoli", in which he wrote, "“As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion,—as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Mussulmen [Muslims]..." Some of our modern politicians would be well served by re-reading that passage.

That’s what we need more of. If we had churches giving out messages without mention of religions I think we can convert some to our way of thinking.

Cool. We've talked about trying to start a little UU church here. We have a chance to talk about it with someone from the UU organization sometime in the near future. It would be amazing if we could make it work. Reading this made me more excited to see those conversations get started.

My family was invited to a wedding at a Unitarian Church a month ago. I didn't mind the service at all and it was quite affirming. At the reception the minister, or whatever he is called, poured drinks for all. Really upbeat.

I love that. I wish that it was in my neighbourhood

Carrying the flaming saber of justice sounds a tad overwrought and probably reflects that he's a social justice warrior, which is fine ... but the intensity can be a little off-putting to me. The local UUs here have been known to chain themselves to the entrance gate of the local fracking facility, and social status is tied partly to how many time's you've been arrested. Not my cup o'tea but I admire their devotion to their ideals.

I haven't felt the acceptance and connection you describe with the UUs here but it's probably more me than them I suppose.

Would it be the same if you knew no one there?

I hear good things about them .. I'd be interested just to meet liberal minded people

Glad you got something out of it and got to see old friends. As for me, the farther away from a church I am the better off I am.

Farther along we'll know all about it
Farther along we'll understand why
Cheer up my brother live in the sunshine
We'll understand it all by and by

The old song is true. I no longer go to church because I am farther along than before. I no longer have a candle or a little light that is mine.

Sounds good !

I visit graveyards. Have seen enough churches in the old country.

yes I enjoy going to UU meetings every now and then . I love it when its an all women group too, I don't mind it when its not but somehow just a wee bit more evocative and clearer when its nearly all in one range

I was surprised to learn that a Unitarian church in my area (northern Virginia) actually mentions Jeebus and sings hymns. But apparently the local UU churches have a wide latitude. Some congregations actually call their buildings meeting houses, not churches.

Brilliantly! Sounds like the ecumenical services that joined the Catholic and (Protestant ) Church of Ireland communities in my home in Ireland. It's fantastic when people put aside their differences and acknowledge that we are all human, fragile and vulnerable. This to me is community, regardless of religion.
My parent recently went to a Quakrr wedding and reported a similar experience to yours, very all encompassing.
Now, if only we could put the invisible friends aside.....

That sounds great! I'm currently trying to start a Unitarian church in my area because there isn't one. I did briefly attend one in college, and my impression was "this is where the smart people go" because there was a lot of interest in different cultures and religions, and tolerance for other views, including atheism.

Some of my clients attend Unitarian churches all around the country. Seems that some are a bit theistic minded and some are totally secular, humanistic even. Some love it, some left due to a bit too much spiritual talk. I like the idea of gathering for life-affirming messages and discussion.

I think each congregation defined how much religion goes into their services. Supply and demand, I guess. Glad you found a great fit for you in your area.

I agree that the golden rule should be to treat others how THEY would like to be treated, not necessarily how you would like to be treated. Sometimes they are one and the same - sometimes not.

I might have to try one☺

When I was in High School in Denver, I did a program with the Unitarian Church where every weekend for a couple of months we went to a different church service. We did just about every denomination out there. It was interesting and fun.

When I was in High School in Denver, I did a program with the Unitarian Church where every weekend for a couple of months we went to a different church service. We did just about every denomination out there. It was interesting and fun.