Yes, Unitarian Universalist. I attend church every Sunday this past Sunday our Ph.D. minister did a sermon on 'The God Delusion', 'The End of Faith' and other popular denouncements of a 'critter' god, our minister is staunchly against any belief in a supernatural being and personally advocates social action, eduction and affecting politics.
Blech! Where's the fun in that? I went to a U.U. church service some years ago, anticipating a sermon somewhere along the lines of the ideas expounded in the American Transcendentalist movement (ala Emerson, Thoreau, Whittman), but instead had to sit through a one hour lecture on Mumia Abu-Jamal and the injustices of death penalty. I left with a renewed hope that justice will be served and a desire never to attend a U.U. service again.
Our church has a thousand members, we have a public forum that is broadcast on the public access T.V. each Sunday--politicians, social activists, professors, authors speak at the forums about all sorts of issues--even the death penalty
. Our regular services (two per Sunday), have our minister three Sundays a month, and a guest the fourth--our minister covers evolutionary psychology, western civilization, liberal religion, American and world history--he is an academic intellectual. Our church has over 30 subgroups from Buddhist to Pagan, Spirituality, Young Adults, Adult Religious Education, Social Action--if one doesn't fit a current group they can always start one
. All UU churches are different, and I'd likely not be happy in a small church--but I love the community. I've been teaching children about world religions and spirituality--for 4 years. I've been a UU for 8 years, and I joined after having been raised Presbyterian then becoming an atheist in my teens, when I had a child at 21 I felt no need for 'a church' till she was 3 and we had different family members proselytizing--at that time I read that UU teens had the highest SAT scores of all the religions, so I checked out our local Eugene Oregon church (way more new age and less political than my Austin Texas church), heard a scientist talking about how to treat cancer through diet--and I was hooked. Over time I learned that the beauty of the community is not so much the education (but I loved that, and could add to it) but the friendships that are made over time. I started going to learn as much as I could, and teach my children--I gained wonderful friends, support, contacts--that have greatly enriched my life--even being there for me during unexpected hard times. There are people that you don't agree with in a UU church, and for me a surprise was the education I most received was how to get along with those I flat out disagreed with. There are people for the death penalty in our church, they will speak out for it---there are people against it. We have war supporters, republicans--and people peaceniks. We have those who believe in God, those who believe in re-incarnation, those who practice pagan rituals, and those who are atheists. So if you don't like your local church, see what groups are there--or start one--I've started a Sci-fi and Transhumanism group
(Infernity, let us know how your project goes if you get a chance, I'd love to know
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LongeCity
