Little Darwin
Member
I have thought about the lack of growth of UU congregations, and recently even heard that there is concern because the children that grow up in the church often don't continue into adulthood.
Without any evidence to back it, and from an American perspective, my thought is that the church doesn't grow because most people think of religion as a way to stay out of hell... and since we don't doctrinally accept the presence of hell, can offer no assurance of keeping someone out.
My thoughts actually do go a little deeper than that, but really, it is a perception of what attendance at a UU gathering offers... I recall hearing (or possibly reading) someone ask, "If all I am going to do is gather with a group of people who don't necessarily believe the same thing spiritually, then why don't I just go to..."
I think a better way to express my thought is that I think the "marketing" is tough.
1) No tickets to heaven passed out.
2) No get out of hell free cards.
3) No snappy doctrine to cling to.
Also compared to traditional Christianity, there is no real incentive to "evangelize" since we aren't saving souls, so as "sales people" we aren't as driven. When we go out and do good, we do it in various paradigms, often joining in with other groups with the underlying motivation of respecting all of creation... when Christians do it, they often do it as a church event, with an underlying motivation to proselytize the community.
FYI - I don't see the Christian view of evangelism negatively, since their actions are aligned with their beliefs. But, it does explain part of why the Christian churches are larger than UU churches even though I think the UU philosophy is more in line with the American viewpoint than is mainstream Christianity.
Without any evidence to back it, and from an American perspective, my thought is that the church doesn't grow because most people think of religion as a way to stay out of hell... and since we don't doctrinally accept the presence of hell, can offer no assurance of keeping someone out.
My thoughts actually do go a little deeper than that, but really, it is a perception of what attendance at a UU gathering offers... I recall hearing (or possibly reading) someone ask, "If all I am going to do is gather with a group of people who don't necessarily believe the same thing spiritually, then why don't I just go to..."
I think a better way to express my thought is that I think the "marketing" is tough.
1) No tickets to heaven passed out.
2) No get out of hell free cards.
3) No snappy doctrine to cling to.
Also compared to traditional Christianity, there is no real incentive to "evangelize" since we aren't saving souls, so as "sales people" we aren't as driven. When we go out and do good, we do it in various paradigms, often joining in with other groups with the underlying motivation of respecting all of creation... when Christians do it, they often do it as a church event, with an underlying motivation to proselytize the community.
FYI - I don't see the Christian view of evangelism negatively, since their actions are aligned with their beliefs. But, it does explain part of why the Christian churches are larger than UU churches even though I think the UU philosophy is more in line with the American viewpoint than is mainstream Christianity.