by Eyebrow 21 Replies latest jw friends
I have read on their website that then are a noncreed religion, and welcome all sorts of views and that they encourage their members to be active in community and charities, etc,
What do you guys know about this church? I was thinking about checking one of the churches out around here. Any of you have any advice or experience with it?
Hey there. I actually am in the same boat as you. I do not know much about them, but I took that quiz on beliefnet.com and each time I take it, they come up as the most compatible (by the way JW always come up least compatilble at 16%). So I have been doing some research. They accept just about any views overall. Some of their churches are more christian based, but they accept any belief in god, even nontheist. They are very open with all types of people. I am sincerly thinking of looking into attending some of their services. Let me know if you find anything interesting out....
GentlyFeral is a UU. Maybe she'll pop in with knowledgable answers.
COMF
This does sound like a totally non-threatening environment.
Your post raises a point of curiosity for me, having been out of the Borg for over a year and not joining up with any new church group.
As ex-JW's, we're painfully aware of the weaknesses of religious organizations per se, and are aware that all have their faults and foibles. With that being said, what is the appeal about joining any religious body? Is it for the fellowship? Is it about a search for deeper spiritual meaning? I am sincerely curious, and not being critical here.
GopherWhy shouldn't truth be stranger than fiction? Fiction, after all, has to make sense.
Mark Twain (1835-1910)
Gopher,
Since I left the JWs many years ago, I have had no desire to join a church, but if I did, it would be the Unitarians. They give more freedom, and their members, on average, are more intelligent and better educated, so you are more likely to meet individuals that you enjoy talking to. Now, as far as human foibles go, you are going to find that in any group you join. If you join a book club or a major corporation, you will find interpersonal conflict. I guess it just goes with organizational life where ever you find it. Because of this, I have been pretty much of a lone wolf most of my life, but I don't discredit anyone who joins a group because it meets their needs. Just don't expect perfect harmony anywhere.
Well, that is how I see it.
Well, hell, I feel duty bound to answer this, tendonitis and all. (Slowly ;))
I usually point people to the website, Gopher, but you've already found that. And given our experience it's only natural to be suspicious of "official" religious presentations.
I will tell you that I've found UU to be a very safe and congenial place to recover from a religious breakdown. You're expected to figure out for yourself what you believe. The conclusions you come to are nobody's business so long as you're not being a total bastich about it.
UU, by rejecting the necessity of a creed, avoids many of the pitfalls of most religions, but falls into others which I think are less dangerous.
Fellowship is a vital reason for a non-theist to attend a UU church; in fact there are a lot of references these days to "the beloved community," a phrase coined by Martin Luther King, Jr.
I don't think it's entirely possible to separate "fellowship" from "a search for deeper spiritual meaning"; it's damn good to have COMPANY on that search.
Lots of UU's are recovering fundamentalists; you'll have plenty of company.
A word of advice from my former pastor, reminiscing about his discovery of UU: "Give a new church three tries; they might be having a bad day the first time you visit."
GentlyFeral
"There were cockroaches of course,
but very clean cockroaches."
-- Julia Vinograd
Gopher,
For me it is for fellowship and for spiritual reasons. I spent most of 25 years going either studying for meetings, going to meetings, preparing for field service, and going to field service. I miss going somewhere I feel part of the community. The KH here was actually a place of refuge for me for a few years, untils the cracks starting to show and it became more hazardous than beneficial for me. Also, my son has been asking me many spiritual questions lately. While I have given him answers that I feel are on the mark, I would like there to be a place where I can go with him and get some good information and upbuilding as well,
gently,
Thank you for your input! I think after xmas I will check out one of the churches. I have been to one of them before for a concert. They seem to rent out their church quite a bit to all sorts of great groups for concerts and speakers, etc., they seem very civic minded.
Thanks Larc, GF, and Eyebrow for your thoughtful replies. Happy holidays to all.
GopherWhy shouldn't truth be stranger than fiction? Fiction, after all, has to make sense.
Mark Twain (1835-1910)
I thought I had read somewhere that more and more of the UU churches were becoming more earth based, which I took to mean pagan. Is that correct?
Also, I have a good friend who goes to the Unity Church and says that it is very open to different views also. I was thinking of checking it out after the holidays.
If anyone knows anything about Unity please let me know :)
duped
The U-U in the past few years have splintered some. The new group says the older group is now led too much by total atheists rather than, as in years past, led by those of the few that God is God and Christ was human.
An alternative for exJWs is the Free Christians movement which includes this website: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jahchristian
The Free Christians are wholesome nonprofit Bible Groups (Jah Christians, Round Mt Free Christians etc) whose beliefs are unity is by championing Christian freedoms (Ro14:1-5), love (Col 3:14) & simple basics (Heb6:1-2). Some Bible Groups gather via internet, in homes etc; pick servants though Christ's the only Leader over all (Mt23:13,1Ti2:5) as with earliest Christianity and most Protestant groups 400 years, select names (Round Mountain Free Christians, Ekklesia etc), help the poor, expose cults & dictatorships, respect Earth. Many also believe the meek will receive earthly resurrection and others go serve from heaven (Mt5:5,6:9,Re19:1), the energy/spirit being Satan (Job1,2,Mt4) not God caused human suffering, Christ & Paul say call God our "Father" for closeness(Mt6:9,Ro8:15) although Yah(weh), Jehovah or the tender Jah as in "hallelu-jah" (Praise Jah/the Lord) are acceptable, God's Spirit & symbolic water baptise, God forgives emergency blood usage (1Sa14:32-5,Mt7), tithing’s not required (Mt5:17, 23:23, Re7:6, 10:34, 2Co3:7-11).
ORGANIZERS: Ron Owens [email protected] (Princeton, W VA) 304-384-7843, Mike Terry [email protected] (Conway, ARK) Mike Warren [email protected] (USA NW) leave phone message 503-232-3747 [email protected] (at large)
