The UU church is said to welcome all on a journey of truth. However what if a new comer is African American...... mabey even the only one or two in attendance?
My church (in Houston, TX) is probably about 5% African American. It's a little hard for me to count, because I don't mentally categorize people by race.
But your question reminded me of a couple who joined our church back in the 1960s. They were new to Houston, and our church was the
only church in Houston which made them feel welcome. (I don't think any of the other UU churches in Houston existed back then.) As an interracial couple in the deep south in the 1960s, there weren't many places where they felt welcome.
The UU church has a long-standing tradition of welcoming people of all races. I think it would be hard to find an exception.
I like to avoid the uncomfortable part which is being in a social setting where I know absolutely knowone, So I came in 3 minutes late so I could go straight to my seat. Then I left 4 minutes early so im not standing around a bunch of people I dont know.... AWKWARD! !!! LOL
I realy enjoyed the service and I am going to call the church to see if they have like a beginner class
I understand the awkward feeling. When I started attending my church, I didn't know anybody there. However, by hanging out with them, I got to meet them. Because I stuck through the awkwardness, it's now a group of people where I know the majority of them.
Beginner classes are great places to meet people. Our church offers a beginner class about twice per year.
Why are there not more UU? It seems that a faith that accepts everyone would attract a ton of people??
Most people want to
be accepted by everyone. Only a small minority are willing to
accept everyone in return.
Big question here....... is it possible for people with opposite beliefs to worship together?
Christian and satanist or islam and hindu. Isnt against some of these religions to unify with other religions?
I don't see anything in the bible that says I can't work together with a satanist on a Habitat for Humanity project or at a food bank.
If a satanist started chatting with me in church, the first thing I would ask him/her is "What do you believe?" I'm aware of a few versions of satanism. I have a vague understanding of what the LaVeyans believe, and no information about what the others believe.
Until I find out out what he/she believes, how can I be sure our beliefs are
"opposite"? (I disagree with LaVeyans on a few significant points, but most of their beliefs I agree with. They're not as different from christians as one might assume.)
But the UU believe that all can worship under one roof?
I suppose it depends on how you define
"worship". For example, I enjoy watching wiccan rituals, but I don't feel they're as meaningful (to me) as the less interesting christian rituals I grew up with. (I have a normal, personal bias towards things that are familiar.)
I probably wouldn't attend a primarily wiccan UU church. I respect the people who choose to follow that path, but it's not one that I can personally follow.
And finally, how dose the UU Church keep people from being openly intolerant in there churches?
Even tolerant people find it difficult to be tolerant of everyone. Specifically, tolerant people find it
extremely difficult to tolerate intolerant people.
We expect people to be respectful and civil to others. The people who can't manage that are frequently treated as persona non grata.
What happens when someone says they dont accept gays and arguments break out.
Arguments in the UU church:
Let me start by discussing arguments. A lot of UUs enjoy debate. If you can respectfully debate a topic with others, that's perfectly acceptable (even if you passionately hold opposing views). A couple months ago I was involved in a spirited debate with a retired UU minister about US fiscal policy. She felt the republican policy is better, I lean a bit more towards the democratic policy.
She is a very bright, well-spoken woman who has thought through her views carefully. I can recognize that she has all those traits, while actively disagreeing with a policy she vigorously supports. We can respect each other even though we don't have uniform beliefs.
Not accepting others:
It really depends on what you mean by this. In my opinion, if you can be respectful and polite towards others, you're probably
sufficiently accepting.
There's a certain group of people who creep me out. There are people who don't feel comfortable with who they are (some more so than others). The people who feel this way most strongly remind me of a couple of my least favorite relatives. Due to the negative associations, I end up feeling creeped out when I'm around people like that.
I've only met a few people who are transsexuals, but all the ones I've met (including the two who attend my church) creep me out in that way.
I believe that transsexuals deserve all the same rights as I do. I believe they should be treated with respect. I'm glad my church welcomes transsexuals. I would oppose any suggestion to make our church less welcoming.
One of the transsexuals (male to female) is on the Board of Trustees. I'm thankful that she's willing to invest the time and effort into serving the church. I fully believe that she is just as capable and invested in the well-being of the church as any other board member. I enjoy chatting with her gregarious wife, and I'm friends with her son's husband.
The way I feel is not her fault. It's based on my past experiences. But since
I feel this way, I minimize the time I spend socializing with her. We're in a largish church and she's rather reserved ... it's not difficult to spend very little time around her.
I also don't broadcast how I feel around the church. I've mentioned it to a couple close friends.
Am I accepting of transsexuals? It depends on how you define the word
"accept".
Is that person expelled from the UU church?
Even if word got around about how I feel, I wouldn't expect to catch much flack. I'm not expected to
like everyone. I'm just expected to treat them respectfully.
I'm not aware of anything that allows us to expel someone from the church. If someone behaved criminally, we could have them arrested, but that's about it.
If I behaved disrespectfully towards others, I expect people would start avoiding me. If enough people do that, the obnoxious people tend to leave.
Dose the UU Church have the power to enforce its own 7 principles?
No.
UUs aren't even required to agree with the principles. Every few years we
vote on what the principles should be.
