UU is a research mechnism and institution. Something everyone on here is already interested in (hence their presense here). The talks, and I say talks cause it is much more causual than a traditional Christian sermon, are on various beliefs including secular humanism. As a matter of fact from an atheist point of view it is really the only church that we will fit in as an atheist because the general idea in the UU is that man is there to help man and nature. There is no prayer no dogma no doctrine. Lots of candle lighting instead. The two things consistant about the UU is their push for humanitarian efforts and their belief in humanity co-existing despite differences in belief. I have since, my finding UU, which was about 3 years ago found more than a few atheist UU's and a ton of agnostic UU's .
I have come to see UU as a vessel to find's own spirtuality and the members of the UU helping each other. If you look at the relationship the UU's have formed on here it is very typical of UU's everywhere. Mutual cooperation for a common search. Netdoc's comment actually about it being "like a physcial RF forum," is so very true. It is just people researching the religions ideas and notions out there and bringing them to a collective light.
The UU's themselves have a very small hierarchy with religious minister's who have to be educated just like other religions and than everyone else. The atmosphere is very causual overall in most UU churches and most of the UU jokes posted in the UU section are actually pretty accurate. There is no discrimmination between men and woman which gives it a unique flavor in the world of modern religions. Since it is more about searching for one's own truth there is no push to make it "a big part of your life" as I have seen over and over in Christian chruches in the Bible belt. You give it its due course with your fellow UU's and move on till next week. But if you have a bigger hunger it is there because of the number of people in it.
There is no official text to read from, but instead various writings by various spirtual leaders past and present. One day could be a sermon on Jesus and the next a talk about Gandhi. The overall push politically can be stereotyped as humantiarian and equality in nature making it very akin to secular humantarinsm which is what many atheists gravitate too.
I would have to confess in all honesty there are two things I don't like about UU in general. I am not a big fan of the singing and sometimes some of the sermons can be very metaphysical bordering on hockey from my observation. But that is part of UU too....freedom in how one expresses their beliefs and a broad range of beliefs even if others find them hockey.
As a footnote many people do shift their beliefs in UU. And that is one of the best things about it. Because it is a medium to explore ones spirtuality as one gains knowledge and information ideas shift but a shift of faith in UU is just that...a shift in faith not a loss in faith.
