Luke Skywanker
[religion-ish] Lately, I've been considering looking into local Unitarian Universalist churches. I was raised going to them, and I think it's a political action thing as much as anything else. But there are about 20 on this list. How to choose?
Luke Skywanker
Not all of them list their upcoming sermon topics, and it's impossible to know the tone until you go
Luke Skywanker
But for tomorrow, on the West Seattle website: Today we will celebrate the most important day in the Christian calendar and explore its meaning to us as skeptics and rationalists. Hint: it’s a metaphor.
Luke Skywanker
that... might have sold me, at least for tomorrow
🕷 kid.
I was going to say some archive their sermons or even have podcast versions of them to listen to. That's how I figured it out (although the one I really liked was way too far away)
Luke Skywanker
that's true!
spicy mycophile
also see if they have Facebook groups since you might be able to get a feel for the congregation that way, to see if it seems likely you'll fit in
Luke Skywanker
oh that's a good idea
Boo👻Berry
Unitarian Universalists yesss.
Jay
I've always looked at them and wished there was one close enough for me to give a shot... but then, I'm no doubt too far off the religious spectrum even for them at this point
Luke Skywanker
depends on a lot of things
Luke Skywanker
I mean, some are more churchy than others
Luke Skywanker
but there's not much you could believe they wouldn't support, as long as it respected people
Jay
well, that's the thing... I've slipped past agnostic into full on atheist the last decade or so. Am not spiritual at all. It just... would be nice to have a built in social group of humanists >.>
Luke Skywanker
there are TONS of atheist uus
Luke Skywanker
I was never raised to believe in God
Jay
seriously? The stuff I've read made it seem like they'll basically take anyone who believes in something spiritual... which I really don't
Luke Skywanker
some do, but there's nothing in the basic doctrine that mentions it
Jay
hmmm
Jay
maybe I should check the one up in the foothills... though it'd still be a good 20-30 minute drive
Luke Skywanker
well, it's definitely a lot of people who have spiritual leanings
Jay
there are 4 in this general area, and none are actually close
Luke Skywanker
and like I said, some go pretty Christian
Luke Skywanker
but the ones I've been to it's mostly social justice and humanism
Luke Skywanker
but with... churchy trappings? Like hymns
Jay
eh, I like singing
Jay
it's one of the things I always envied religious people--church choirs, the only really good way to be musical once you don't have a school choir to sing in any more if you're not a 'band' kind of person
Jay
social justice and humanism are my jam, though
Luke Skywanker
yeah
Luke Skywanker
it's for people who want that community and experience but don't follow a defined creed
Jay
heh, those were amusingly the 2 big selling points for middlespawn in going to a Jesuit college, even though she's an atheist--they're huge on social justice and they're explicitly a humanist institution
Luke Skywanker
and it's confusing because it did come out of a Christian tradition
Jay
yeah, and that's always what I've envied about church folk
Luke Skywanker
but somewhere along the way, the belief in a God who loves unconditionally, and universal salvation, meant they moved away from even requiring a belief in God
Jay
lol
Luke Skywanker
because if you believe we are all sacred then you must be allowed to follow your own conscience and explore your faith, including not having one
Luke Skywanker
So yes--they affirm that all humans are worthy but that's only as spiritual as you make it
Luke Skywanker
today the sermon was about how the pastor used to totally ignore Easter because the story made no sense
Luke Skywanker
but how he's since learned the value of the metaphor
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