From what I've heard/read, a lot of UU bloggers are UU Christians. A question for those of you who are: why do you affiliate with the UUA rather than the UCC?
I'm asking because I'm curious about your decision-making processes, and don't mean to imply any judgement.
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Simply put, because I do not genearlly believe in a Triune God.
Because I wish to be a Christian that uses reason and self exploration to further my faith.
Because I wasnt to hear from, and be inspired by, those from other faiths
and because there may come a point inmy life where I no longer consider myself a Christian, and I see no reason why I should loose my Religious identitiy if that comes to pass
Thanks for both comments. Yes, I was afraid people would hear, "Why don't you get out & stop bothering us?" And the spirit of Jaime's comment is what I was hoping for--a window into other people's experiences.
there is only one UCC church in my state, a 3 hour drive from here, there are three UU Christian Churches within that distance.
why dont UUpagans go to covens, and UUHumanists go to Humanist society meetings, and why dont UUBudhists go to a zen center?
It's because there is a linkage connecting all of us....
When I was born a majority of Unitarians and an overwealming majority of Universalists idenified as Unitarian Christian and Universalist Christian. They were not orthodox, and the Unitarian Christians had a Transcendentalist understanding of salvation, but they would argue that Jesus did as well.
They were non creedal and many who did not identify as Christian had joined the Unitarians and to a degree the Universalists and the open to others oriention after the merger led to Christian identified Unitarians, Universalist and Unitarian Universalists becoming a minority.
The UCC had and has a different theology of salvation, a different christology, and a different attitude to the virtue of heterorthodoxy. They seem to want to be ecumenical, while the UU Christians don't get uptight about a little heresy.
I grew up Unitarian with kissing cousin relations with Universalists and the youth group was merged, we were not culturally like the Congregationalists, we loved Jesus and that meant we joined the civil rights movement, they didn't because they were more conservative politically and socially.
It never occured to me to be UCC even after I became a minority in my faith community of birth --- my theology has evolved and my knowledge of history has as well..... I would make a terrible UUCer....but I can combine my liberation Christianity with Native American stuff and still love Channing and care for the Universalists.
What fruitful comments! SC, I think what I'm pushing for here is an articulation of the "linkage connecting all of us." What is it, exactly, that connects us?
And thank you, Clyde, for your thorough response. But what is "a Transcendentalist understanding of salvation"? My Presbyterian MDiv didn't cover that... :)
Salvation is that which makes us whole, healed, no longer broken....
For the Lutheran...salvation is a gift of God through Grace.
For the Catholic ...salavation is what the church gives through spritual disciplines and sacraments.
for Emerson reflecting on Channing (salvation by the progressive development of character) that was to be an authentic human growing in wisdom and awareness.
hmm, i was hoping somebody would connect the links without me having to do it...
first let me say that i have met UU Christians who are UU birthright Christians, raised in historic Christian UU churches, why should they be forced out?.
But, seriously isnt the connection really obvious? Or is this a case that after solving the koan, we figure everybody can?
Could we answer it by asking: if one doesnt want humanists, Chirstians, Budhhists, Pagans next to them in the pews, can they be UUs?
have a nice day , greetz from holland…
SPION
www.spion.punt.nl
Looks like you should have perhaps avoided asking that question since at least two or three U*U bloggers who are also U*U clergy or seminarians have decided that they would rather switch than fight. . . Yes it looks like a few Christian U*U bloggers are abandoning U*Uism altogether to join the UCC or other Christian denominations. I guess they are taking the advice that rather to many oh so welcoming U*Us so readily hand out - "If you don't like it why don't you leave?"
Quite informative! I guess I had never really thought about how UU Christians differ from other liberal Christians theologically. It would behoove me to study up on Christian theology.
Hi!
I actually came to Unitarian Universalism from UCC. For two reasons probably. First, my husband has a strong interest in Suffism and does not identify as a Christian. I was looking for a spiritual home in which to raise my kids that would not judge either of our paths. But I also found that not all UCC congregations are the same. Some are very liberal and progressive. They teach based on what the Jesus Seminar believes is the true sayings of Jesus. They teach historical and cultural context for the bible. They not only don't teach hatred of GLBTs but love and affirmation of all human beings. Some of them do not require belief in the trinity (its not biblical), so in effect they have become the Unitarians and Universalists of yore. However, as I said not all UCC congregations are the same! I found some to be very narrow and fearful and I gave up.
I've always been a "doubting Thomas", and love that as a UU I am not required to take any particular teaching to be "the TRUTH". I can explore and learn and doubt and question, and it's all good. I love that my husband's spirituality is not condemned. I love that my children are learning the best of many faiths and are encouraged to come to their own conclusions about faith in their own way and in their own time. This follows straight from the 7 principles. I also love that the teachings of Jesus come through in the principles, but you don't have to believe in non-scientific miracles and magic in order to follow them.
I was raised to believe that "God is Love" and that we should love one another. I find that is put into practice in UUism more than any other faith.
I identify well with this comment. I was raised in a moderate Christian home (i.e. conservative theology mixed with not so conservative social outlooks) I left this background and travelled through different mainline churches until I came to the UCC. The theology wasn't that important to me because "congregationalism" the UCC and UUA common ancestor allows great latitude in belief, it was the social progressiveness I saw in the wdier UCC that attracted me. Unfortunately that progressiveness isn't lived out at the local church I attended. In fact out of the 7 or UCC churches in my area I would say that most are not progressive at all. This has led me to take a more serious look at UUism. I have visited a church and plan on going back..
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