Anyone Hear About Unitarian Univeralism?

[_Philo Sofee]

I have a friend who talked about the "UU" (Unitarian Univeralist) Church the other day and talked about it a bit/ Have any of you had any experience with them, and if so, what were your thoughts? Or are any of you associated with them now? It seemed really interesting to me what was said. Just curious.

[_huckelberry]

Philo, when I was a senior in high school and seeking ways to avoid sunday at the LDS church I talked my parents into allowing me to occasionally go to a Unitarian church instead. I found it a happy and interesting experience. The minister was going through Tillichs theology for sermon material. Years later I found that a source of inspirational reading. I remember having a discussion with the minister and another member about David Hume and why it did not make sense to believe in God. The member was a decided atheist and the minister thought that was a respectable point of view.

Their youth group was a bit wilder than I expected.

[_MrStakhanovite]

I have a friend who talked about the "UU" (Unitarian Univeralist) Church the other day and talked about it a bit/ Have any of you had any experience with them, and if so, what were your thoughts? Or are any of you associated with them now? It seemed really interesting to me what was said. Just curious.

I've "preached" at my local UU a handful of times by invitation. I've visited a few different UU groups on the east coast like Williamsburg Virginia and Cambridge Massachusetts. I've found it to be a pretty cerebral crowd combined with American progressive politic; their Sunday School operates more like a small college class, using a college textbook and an emphasis on discussion rather than passive learning. I really don't find their services to be aesthetically appealing and the content of their services is almost always boring unless the guest speaker is compelling or has an interesting topic.

If you can imagine the contributors to the blog 'By Common Consent' running an LDS meeting, then you'll get a good feel for what attending a UU is like.

[_moksha]

I've been to a number of UU services. Heard some of the most inspiring sermons I've encountered at UU congregations. Haven't been for a long time, but the summer series with guest presenters were absolutely outstanding.

While the sermons were lightyears apart from the talks in my local ward, I do get to hear my neighbor's take on things, although their take is almost always based on what has been said before. The UU sermons frequently involved original thought. I wish more of my fellow Mormons would be willing to visit other faith traditions, just to see what an inspirational sermon sounds like.

Kerry, when you have the opportunity you should visit one of their Sunday Services and see for yourself.

Interesting trivia: The average Jehovah Witness is at the bottom of the average income for religious church members and the Unitarian Universalists are at the very top. Mormons are in the middle.

[_Philo Sofee]

Thank you for the inputs yous guys. Sounds interesting, I think I will try to attend one of their meetings this week. They want to talk about the book "A God That Could Be Real." The woman who wrote it, her husband is one of the astronomers who discovered and learned about dark matter and dark energy. I have read the book and it was quite interesting actually! So I may attend their meeting and see how it goes.

[_Kevin Graham]

I have a friend who talked about the "UU" (Unitarian Univeralist) Church the other day and talked about it a bit/ Have any of you had any experience with them, and if so, what were your thoughts? Or are any of you associated with them now? It seemed really interesting to me what was said. Just curious.

I remember Dan Peterson used to say that his version of Mormonism is nearly Universalism. Basically, because almost everyone goes to heaven or can work their way up to heaven throughout eternity.

[_Maksutov]

In SLC, the UU near the U is a different bunch than the South Valley UU in the Sandy area. The first group are more passive and traditional UUs than the SVUU. SVUU used to also have an exMormon class/meeting where the famous Deconstructor presided.

I'm not interested in building a personal theology so found some of their activities irrelevant. They also tend to be more politically liberal than I am, but I coped.

I went to the First Unitarian for a few months but it felt contrived and unnecessary to me. I felt more simpatico with the Humanists of Utah who shared the facility at times.

[_EAllusion]

Mr. Stak has the atmosphere nailed. I know a few UU's and have occasionally attended with them. Imagine your typical NPR listerners getting together and starting a Church. There's a soft politically liberal undertone, but the beliefs range from liberal Protestant to syncretic new ageish thinking to atheists who like religious ritual and community. They're very tolerant of diverse views.

Madison has several UU Churches, but the main one is a stunning architectual mastepiece originally designed by famous UU Wisconsinite Frank Lloyd Wright. Everyone who can should go at least once to take in its beauty.