7 ms·

Have you been to a Unitarian Universalist church? Definitely not right-wing. I've also read about left-wing Catholics and Baptists (two cases where the main or

by jleader 14y ago

Have you been to a Unitarian Universalist church? Definitely not right-wing. I've also read about left-wing Catholics and Baptists (two cases where the main organization is generally seen as right-wing, but there are significant left-wing groups within them). I'm not a church-goer myself, so I don't have any suggestions on how to find a church you're comfortable with.

philwelch 14y ago
> Have you been to a Unitarian Universalist church? No, and statistically, neither have practically any church-going Americans. Yes, I was talking about a generalization, I know there are liberal churches. > I don't have any suggestions on how to find a church you're comfortable with. For me personally, I don't think it's possible. I'm an atheist, and any church that's liberal enough to allow atheism frankly doesn't have enough verve to really hold my interest as a church, you know?
- wpietri 14y ago
  Depends on what you mean by verve, but I know some atheists who are perfectly happy with the Unitarian Universalist church they go to. Plenty of interesting people, a variety of social activities, a good place for their kids. They love it. I know some other atheists who go to a weekly Buddhist meditation group and they are pretty involved with that community as well. I went by for a couple of sits and it seemed like a great place to meet people. They were all quite sincere and passionate about what brought them together. More so than in many Christian churches I've visited, where a lot of the people are more Christian-by-default than in any particularly thoughtful way.
  - philwelch 14y ago
    I was raised Catholic. Without a heavy dose of serious ritual and theology, I can't take something calling itself a "church" very seriously. There has to be something more than a social club. Paradoxically, I can't find my way through to agree with any kind of traditional Christian theology either, so I will remain unchurched.
    - Apocryphon 14y ago
      Too bad there's not an American/Western equivalent to Confucianism. Some sort of deistic civic faith that is less about faith than it is about ritual, philosophy, and social relationships. That seems like something you might be interested in.
      - bdunbar 14y ago
        Some sort of deistic civic faith that is less about faith than it is about ritual, philosophy, and social relationships. You're described the Unitarian church.
        Apocryphon 14y ago
        What kind of rituals does the UU have?
        bdunbar 14y ago
        From the perspective of a former Epsicopal turning Roman Catholic .. they don't have _any_.
        fecklessyouth 14y ago
        Not really. Confucianism is ingrained into Chinese society in ways the West can't comprehend. UU is a 19th century offshoot of NE Congregationalism.
        Apocryphon 14y ago
        Oh, I agree. I guess I'm riffing off of superficial similarities. I think some of the Founding Fathers would have tried to create an American civic religion akin to UU, however. (Not necessarily as a conscious decision, but they would have been more comfortable with such a creed in comparison to Puritanism or the sort of revivalism that led to the various Great Awakenings.)
    - wpietri 14y ago

by jleader 14y ago

philwelch 14y ago

> Have you been to a Unitarian Universalist church? No, and statistically, neither have practically any church-going Americans. Yes, I was talking about a generalization, I know there are liberal churches. > I don't have any suggestions on how to find a church you're comfortable with. For me personally, I don't think it's possible. I'm an atheist, and any church that's liberal enough to allow atheism frankly doesn't have enough verve to really hold my interest as a church, you know?

wpietri 14y ago
Depends on what you mean by verve, but I know some atheists who are perfectly happy with the Unitarian Universalist church they go to. Plenty of interesting people, a variety of social activities, a good place for their kids. They love it. I know some other atheists who go to a weekly Buddhist meditation group and they are pretty involved with that community as well. I went by for a couple of sits and it seemed like a great place to meet people. They were all quite sincere and passionate about what brought them together. More so than in many Christian churches I've visited, where a lot of the people are more Christian-by-default than in any particularly thoughtful way.
- philwelch 14y ago
  I was raised Catholic. Without a heavy dose of serious ritual and theology, I can't take something calling itself a "church" very seriously. There has to be something more than a social club. Paradoxically, I can't find my way through to agree with any kind of traditional Christian theology either, so I will remain unchurched.
  - Apocryphon 14y ago
    Too bad there's not an American/Western equivalent to Confucianism. Some sort of deistic civic faith that is less about faith than it is about ritual, philosophy, and social relationships. That seems like something you might be interested in.
    - bdunbar 14y ago
      Some sort of deistic civic faith that is less about faith than it is about ritual, philosophy, and social relationships. You're described the Unitarian church.
      - Apocryphon 14y ago
        What kind of rituals does the UU have?
        bdunbar 14y ago
        From the perspective of a former Epsicopal turning Roman Catholic .. they don't have _any_.
      - fecklessyouth 14y ago
        Not really. Confucianism is ingrained into Chinese society in ways the West can't comprehend. UU is a 19th century offshoot of NE Congregationalism.
        Apocryphon 14y ago
        Oh, I agree. I guess I'm riffing off of superficial similarities. I think some of the Founding Fathers would have tried to create an American civic religion akin to UU, however. (Not necessarily as a conscious decision, but they would have been more comfortable with such a creed in comparison to Puritanism or the sort of revivalism that led to the various Great Awakenings.)
  - wpietri 14y ago