# Atheists and Unitarian church? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 6, 2011, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-and-unitarian-church/584484 "2011-06-06T07:02:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-and-unitarian-church/584484/21 "2011-06-06T19:15:55Z")
My mother attends a UU church whose last minister was himself an avowed atheist, so…yeah, they’re welcome. 🙂 The church was more of a community of people focused on social justice issues than a faith community. (Edit: I don’t think this is the same minister **evol** was talking about…this man left of his own accord and was a great guy.) And like **C3** says, her church closed in the summertime, too, so keep that in mind when you’re looking for services to attend. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-and-unitarian-church/584484/22 "2011-06-06T22:28:07Z")
Indeed, in my experience summers tend to be time off for the ministers and the members run the services (which are more informal). > [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > I gave a UU sermon at our local congregation (of which I’m a member) once, about healthcare in prisons. The hymn I picked out was [Die Gedanken sind frei](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Die_Gedanken_sind_frei), an old german tune about free thinking. Also to follow this: I did a sermon a while back about politics and religion. It was a lot of fun to do. AND, over the years, I managed to introduce these songs into the church’s songbook (all by Rush): Free Will Roll the Bones Bravado Closer to the Heart Totem It can’t be all bad. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-and-unitarian-church/584484/23 "2011-06-06T22:41:40Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > AND, over the years, I managed to introduce these songs into the church’s songbook (all by Rush): > > Free Will > Roll the Bones > Bravado > Closer to the Heart > Totem > > It can’t be all bad. Cool. I just wanted to add that for my service on prison healthcare, my intro and closing music was Pink Floyd’s “Welcome to the machine”. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-and-unitarian-church/584484/24 "2011-06-06T23:37:35Z")
Is there a reason for the change during the summertime? Just UU tradition? Or more people (like the homeless) needing help during the winter months? (I could buy that, for sure) The website of the church I am looking at is very good. They have summer services, but only one instead of two like they do during the rest of the year. I’m not sure if it’s member-run or not, but either way I imagine I would still enjoy it. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-and-unitarian-church/584484/25 "2011-06-06T23:44:04Z")
I’m an atheist going to my local UU church. I also teach in the Sunday School program most Sundays. It’s not a problem for anyone that I’m an atheist. Our church also has two services on Sundays except during the summer. The reason for that is because there is typically lower attendance during the summer, what with people having children in school going on vacation during the summer. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-and-unitarian-church/584484/26 "2011-06-06T23:45:14Z")
The Sunday after 9-11, my UU church choir did “Fragile” by Sting. Not a dry eye in the house. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-and-unitarian-church/584484/27 "2011-06-06T23:54:58Z")
> [@C3](#): > > Our choir sings songs written by other UUs (sometimes fellow congregants), popular songs, other non-religious but uplifting and inspirational songs, and occasionally a song from the UU hymnals, [Singing the Living Tradition](http://www.amazon.com/Singing-Tradition-Unitarian-Universalist-Association/dp/1558962603) and [Singing the Journey](http://www.amazon.com/Singing-Journey-Supplement-Living-Tradition/dp/1558964991/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b). My church uses the same hymnals. The one hymn that says “Unitarian Universalim” more than any other to me, becuase they sing it so often at my church, is _Spirit of Life_ by Carolyn McDate (you can [find the words here](http://jesspages.net/bestofuu/tag/hymns)). Our services are not too unfamiliar for someone like me raised in the Catholic faith: Opening words Have visitors introduce themselves if they want to Greeting your neighbor (two minutes to say hi to the people sitting around you) Light the [chalice](http://www.uua.org/beliefs/6901.shtml) Sing a song (not necessarily from the hymn book) Sermon from Minister or visiting minister or congregation member Music from guest artists if any “Joys and Sorrows” (people sharing their important news, like family members getting sick, kids graduating from college) Closing hymn, closing music, Extinguish chalice Lasts about 1 hour and 15 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-and-unitarian-church/584484/28 "2011-06-07T00:00:56Z")
The OP asked two questions I forgot to address: Is it awkward dealing with the theists? Nope. But the one thing you shouldn’t do is when someone tells you they believe in God, or that they are a Wiccan, or whatever, is tell them “how can you believe such tripe?” Sometimes we’ll have a Wiccan type service. You have to be able to put up with a variety of belief systems. On the other hand God is rarely mentioned, if at all, during the service. What does an atheist get out of it? If you are a spiritual person or one who likes to ponder the meaning of life or what your own personal system of ethics would be, then the sermons will help you with that. Our church has “building your own theology” sessions. If you’re not interested in that aspect, then what you get out of it is a new set of friends and people to hang out with. There’s also the whole support system inherent in a church. i.e. After you’ve been there a while and/or become a member, people from the church might visit you when you’re sick or help out in other ways. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-and-unitarian-church/584484/29 "2011-06-07T00:42:58Z")
My first UU minister addressed the issue of why UUs “worshipped”. He stated the word “worship” was derived from the anglo-saxon language, and meant “coming together to pay heed to things of worth”. That worked for me. And it seems to work with UUs in general, no matter their beliefs. And I’ve looked up the actual derivation of “worship” and our minister wasn’t too far off the mark, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-and-unitarian-church/584484/30 "2011-06-07T01:19:32Z")
Hey Qadgop! Who was your minister? We had one heckuva one-year fill in minister from up Wisconsin and Lake Michigan named Neil Shadle. Holy cow was he a smart guy. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-and-unitarian-church/584484/31 "2011-06-07T01:29:39Z")
I wouldn’t mind the UUs so much if they weren’t so explicitly political and basically the Progressive wing of the Democratic Party not to mention their appropriation of religious forms-a real life version of the Archcommunity Songster and the soma rituals in _Brave New World_. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-and-unitarian-church/584484/32 "2011-06-07T01:32:59Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > Hey Qadgop! > > Who was your minister? We had one heckuva one-year fill in minister from up Wisconsin and Lake Michigan named Neil Shadle. Holy cow was he a smart guy. Nope, David Hicks MacPherson. Great guy… ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-and-unitarian-church/584484/33 "2011-06-07T13:30:43Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > I’ve heard that atheists are welcome at UU church services/functions, I’m pretty sure that atheists are welcome at Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Episcopal, non-denominational services/functions as well. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-and-unitarian-church/584484/34 "2011-06-07T13:54:53Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > I’m pretty sure that atheists are welcome at Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Episcopal, non-denominational services/functions as well. :rolleyes: Only if they’re open to being converted. At least as far as Baptists are concerned, I can’t speak to the other denominations you listed. I’ll never forget the first (and last) time I went to a Baptist church with my father. I was about 12 (he was trying to find god after he and my mother divorced). The minister asked everyone to take out their wallet and show pictures of their kids/grandkids to their neighbor. So people were doing that, and chatting, “aww how cute little Timmy is.” After about 5 minutes the minister spoke up to say, “If you don’t get those beautiful children baptized, they will burn in hellfire forever.” I’ve never seen my dad run indoors as fast as he did that day. He grabbed me and my sister and we were out that door before you could say “cuisinart.” ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-and-unitarian-church/584484/35 "2011-06-07T14:12:01Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > Is there a reason for the change during the summertime? Just UU tradition? Or more people (like the homeless) needing help during the winter months? (I could buy that, for sure) 'cause half of the UUs out there are intellectual college professors who all go away on vacation when school is out of session, so no one would be in attendance. 😉 (only mostly kidding). I’m sure there’s a better reason, but that’s the one I like to make up. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-and-unitarian-church/584484/36 "2011-06-07T14:53:44Z")
Just for the record, I’m Catholic, and I can’t imagine not welcoming atheists or people of different faiths to Mass. When I attended United Methodist services prior to my conversion, the same could be said. It really isn’t a question of whether you are welcome, but your own reaction and feelings when you are there. That’s on you. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-and-unitarian-church/584484/37 "2011-06-07T15:39:55Z")
> [@Mr.Moto](#): > > It really isn’t a question of whether you are welcome, but your own reaction and feelings when you are there. That’s on you. It’s not just a matter of being welcome, it’s a matter of your beliefs being welcome, and shared by others there. IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Find\_Friends](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@Find\_Friends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Find_Friends)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-and-unitarian-church/584484/38 "2011-06-07T16:05:46Z")
I feel qualified to add to this thread, since I have had certain limited contacts with two local UU churches going back to October 1969 in one case, with certain circumstances leading to more concentrated interactions in recent months. Most recently, I was on hand when the convener of out local Bertrand Russell Society chapter participated in a “testimony” panel. Yes, he gave an abbreviated description of his journey of – uhhh-- non-faith. (I had heard the full-length version last year when he was the monthly topic speaker at our meetings.) > [@rachelellogram](#): > > … Is it awkward interacting with theists in a churchy context/environment? My impression of both local congregations was that the members would be \*\*\*positively accepting \*\*\*of any theists who happened to come by. Novelty, and all that. 😉 Okay, I’m exaggerating a little bit to make a point. I’m sure that there are a significant proportion of theists, even traditional Christians, as regular members. If your local situation is anything like that in Rochester, NY, you would have nothing to worry about! ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-and-unitarian-church/584484/39 "2011-06-07T16:12:47Z")
> [@Mr.Moto](#): > > Just for the record, I’m Catholic, and I can’t imagine not welcoming atheists or people of different faiths to Mass. When I attended United Methodist services prior to my conversion, the same could be said. > > It really isn’t a question of whether you are welcome, but your own reaction and feelings when you are there. That’s on you. The difference for me is that when I go to a Catholic mass or participate in Catholic rituals, I am supposed to proclaim a belief in God, e.g. in the responses during the service. The UU church does not say that I should believe in God. If you are just going to a church to meet people, make friends, or get some financial advantage out of it, like cheap day care, and you are willing to pretend to believe in something that you don’t, I’m sure many churches will welcome you. ---
**Author:** ![SeldomSeen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ba0ec/32.png) [@SeldomSeen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeldomSeen)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-and-unitarian-church/584484/40 "2011-06-07T17:25:32Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > I wouldn’t mind the UUs so much if they weren’t so explicitly political and basically the Progressive wing of the Democratic Party not to mention their appropriation of religious forms-a real life version of the Archcommunity Songster and the soma rituals in _Brave New World_. Y’know, I wouldn’t mind christian evangelicals, fundamentalists, reconstructionists, dominionists, charismatics, etc. so much if they weren’t so everlastingly political and basically the regressive wing of the Republican party. Not to mention their mis-appropriation of religious forms, their devolution into a cheap folk religion, their simplistic world view, their revisionist history, their bastardized “science”, their idolization of contemporary “prophets” over the author and finisher of their faith, their promotion of hatred and dissent, their advancement of ignorance… SeldomSeen darkening a church door:cool: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-and-unitarian-church/584484.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-and-unitarian-church/584484.md?page=3)