Is There a Religion for Liberals?

Same with Congregationalist, at least the one my mom attends.

Updated

Same with Congregationalist, at least the one my mom attends. I went to it when I was a kid and I don't remember any judgement passed on people, regardless of their lifestyle or choices. Very welcoming.

Hi CAWriter,

Have you looked into the Unitarian Universalists? It is a belief system that accepts and learns about various religions (jewish, christian, etc.) and accepts those that have no religion (gnostic, humanists, atheists etc.) yet are seeking their own spiritual path but want to be part of a religious/spiritual/humanist community. The worship service is very similar to any religion (along with singing, choirs, celebration of major religious holidays etc.) they also have religion class for children that cover all religions so that they are aware of them and understand them. There is a respect for everyone's individual path. I think you should take a look into a website of a UU congregation near you and check it out and perhaps drop in and see what its like. From my limited experience with UU's they are a very giving and service to man oriented people. Good luck!

You're very brave to start this discussion.....

We're in a similar situation. I grew-up Catholic, my husband grew-up Baptist. We were not overtly religious, my husband's family lives their religion each day. His parents' church (not all Baptist churches - just the one they attend) teaches that Catholicism isn't really a Christian religion, so we're stuck in a predicament, too.

We've experimented a lot. Even from one "Christian" church to another, there are huge variances in interpretation, etc. My sister became born again a few years ago, and she's struggled to find a church that feels like home. She probably changes churches every 4-6 months. By experimenting, you may just stumble upon something that feels "right".

So, my best advice is to just start experimenting.....with everything that fits into your personal moral compass. My parents were very wise to bring us up with a pseudo-religious foundation, but they both believed that, as adults, we should take it upon ourselves to find which denomination is best suited for us.

My cancer diagnosis 2 years ago did a really interesting thing - it brought me closer to my spirituality, and it pulled my husband further from his.

Good luck finding one that feels like home and embraces your family values.

You might want to look into a very young religion called the Baha'i Faith. Their teachings match perfectly what you are hoping for. A local group in my area also has impressive family values and a strong, happy community.

Another group to check out is your local Quaker (Friends) meeting. Be aware that "unprogrammed" Friends tend to be more liberal, focusing on personal search in a silent, meditative meeting, while "programmed" Friends are more like a conservative church.

I've been attending an unprogrammed Quaker (Friends) meeting for years, and find that it meets my needs for spiritual connection and guidance without trying to define what anyone's experience should look like. Well, that's the ideal, anyway. Some of the people in my community are tolerant of almost anyone EXCEPT those who are conservative or "intolerant," and I personally find this regrettable. Overall, I like being part of this community.

Quakers are a very open religion, but I'm afraid I don't know much about them. I have a good friend who is Quaker, and I know that they view God as a shining Light of love, and do not have churches, per say, but rather Meetings.

Unitarian-Universalist Churches are extremely open. They are a joining of the Unitarians (who believed in a unified god instead of a trinity) and the Universalists (who believed that everyone is saved, regardless of religion). Although originally a Protestant religion, the Universalism aspect means that the church attracts everyone from disgruntled Christians and devout Theists to Buddhists to Atheists and Humanists. The humanism is by far the most dominant belief system in the church, and they have no creed (there are, however, 7 Principles that all practitioners must affirm). They often have very interesting Religious Education classes that teach from many different Holy Scriptures, including the Bible, the Qur'an, Buddhist Wisdom Literature, etc. You can learn more here: http://www.uua.org/

Ditto a couple others... what you're describing sounds like a Unitarian Church.

One thing that's rather cool about them is that they also have separate worship/or study/ or learn about times for many major religions. Aka Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Paganism, etc. As well as many workshops and community building things (from pilates to study groups to community service). So in addition to the regular service, it's also possible to sing to god or celebrate the high holidays, or take mass, or meditate, or preform salaat, etc.

Each location has different things that they offer, I suppose like any church/synagog/temple/mosque ... but it's slightly irking to *me* because in my area the one I would want to attend is over 1.5 hours away with traffic.

I dont get why you want to join a religion at all. You can be spirtitual, but not adhere to one religion. May i suggest to visit many places of worship, and keep the open mind you have now.

I like a lot of facets of christianity, AND hinduism. But i know no proof to tell me one thing is better than the other and so on. I fear closing my mind will not let me experience the best of everything the world has to offer, and i try to give my children the same sense of open-ness.

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If there's a Unitarian Universalist church in the area i'd check them out - usually they are in bigger cities and as the name suggests are very open to variety - good luck :-)

Universalist or Unity Churches tend to be more liberal and welcoming-- they allow female ministers etc and all are welcome from any background.

Good luck with your search.

M

My husband was raised Quaker and I've found all the Meetings we have attended over the years to be open and accepting (at one Meeting a young man in Buddhist robes worshiped from a prayer mat on the floor - no one blinked an eye.) My husband has many found memories of his time in the "Young Friends" groups he attended the whole time he was growing up.

Another suggestion for Unitarian Universalist church.

From what I understand (and I don't do religion so don't quote me at all) is that it's kind of like a church for people who want the community of a church but don't really want the organized religion part of it.

Good luck.

My parents refer to the Episcopal Church as "Catholic Lite" -all of the pomp, and none of the guilt. I think you might feel comfortable there, it is similar to Mass.

M.

I would look into a Unitarian Church.

Sounds like you'd make a perfect Unitarian Universalist :)

I did a google search and found no fewer than 7 of them near your city. Check them all out, each one is a little different, and see which one fits your needs. Good luck!

It seem like you already have your own religion and trying to fit God in the one YOU choose...It goes the other way around. It might be hard to find one that have such criteria as yours. It's best to find one where your son can know that when he dies, his life and soul will be "safe". All the best finding one with human values...

Here is a quiz that tells you what religion your beliefs fit into...

http://www.beliefnet.com/Entertainment/Quizzes/BeliefOMat...

You might want to try United Church of Christ as well. We are the church with the "controversial" commercials about not turning anyone away. We are traditionally Christian in theology, if you'd like your son to see how that can exist in a (VERY) liberal light.

Methodist is a little more open, Unitarian is way open, like wow, way open, even for me. My mother was Episcopalian - to my understanding, it is a church that values research, wisdom, and opposing views. They even have women priests. It is an off shoot of Catholicism, so they have some of the same rituals. I like the rational nature of it. My mother liked that valuing sprituality and nature were key tenets of it. I go to a mulitcultural nondenominational, which suits my family. You can go to www.Beliefnet.com and learn about religions and take quizes to see where you fall on the belief spectrum. It's suprising - I took a quiz that said based on my beliefs I'm a Quaker! Didn't know the Quakers wee so liberal.

I have found that United Methodist Churches are very ecumenical and open minded. The best thing to do is check out the websites then visit. Good luck finding what you need.

the answer is yes. You may have to visit several churches in your area to find the right "fit" Many protestant churches will be right for you. (it actually sounds like my church which is Presbyterian, but Presbyterian churches are driven by the members of that church -they pick their own minister in accordance with their own values, etc Prob other religions also. I believe a church family should make your children feel there are adults other than his/her parents who care about them and will talk to them and nurture them and in return expect them to be part of the community, and they will be around peers whose families have similar values to yours. Try to find one not too far away from your home, try lots of different churches ...

Hi -- Lutheran pastor here! My name is Wendolyn, and I'm a pastor in NJ, though I've served at congregations in Ohio, Georgia, Texas, and Maryland. You might look up www.elca.org -- that's the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. We're the denomination that got headlines recently for voting to affirm the ministry of pastors who are in same-sex relationships. Each congregation will have their own approach to issues, but the ELCA as a denomination works hard to be inclusive. Also, you'll find that there's a lot of good dialogue on how we form our beliefs (like why evolution does make sense!) Don't get confused with the Missouri Synod Lutheran Church - they're very, very different from the ELCA.

Whatever Church you end up taking your son to, I'd still recommend looking at www.elca.org, because it'll give you a good overview of Christianity and some of the vocabulary to use when talking about faith.

I was raised Methodist, and if our area at least they are very accepting of all people and backgrounds. I find it much more laid back than other churches. I'm not sure how it would be in your area, because I know in the south their are some very strict Methodist churches.

I was raised Catholic, but recently met a Lutheran pastor. She is from one of the more liberal lutheran sects and it seemed more inline with these types of beliefs. I don't currently go to church for the same contradiction of beliefs that you face. I will keep looking to see if there is something that meshes.

Since your dad was Jewish, I would suggest at least reading into Jewish history. There might be a reformed temple near you where you could visit and talk to a rabbi and explain your concerns/fears/opinions about your values and an 'organized' religion.
Just my two cents since all of the other posts recommended churches - just another side of the same coin!

It is not a 'religion'... but each individual 'church' and their attitudes and what they teach or not.
BIG difference.
Some 'good' religions make others look bad or look bad themselves, because of their INDIVIDUAL attitude as a 'church' and what they teach or per the Pastor's 'teachings' and what he/she promotes or not.
It cannot be all lumped together... as a whole.
Not by 'religion.'

all the best,
Susan

Try a church based on universalism. I think there's one in Sac. Great question and can't wait to read the responses.

We are Methodist (not extremely religious family but we do attend church regularly) and have found them to be very welcoming and tolerant of others. Another option for you may be a non-denominational church.

You'll probably have to go to several different churches before you find one that is right for your family. We grew up in Church of Christ in Christian Union churches. It's basically a non-denominational church. I can tell you my church I grew up in was exactly as you described.

Good luck in your search. Don't get discouraged if you don't find the right church right away. It took my family several months to find the church we started going to when I was 9 yrs old.

I just wanted to say thaks for asking this question because I have been wondering the same thing for my family and feel closly the same as you do. Please let me know what your experiences are with your research and hope you ifnd what you are looking for ((HUGS))

I was also raised without religion, but I am spiritual. I wanted my sons to grow up with a gentle relationship with God. (So that there's not a void under "religion" where someone can pour their brand of snake handling later.) I also noticed that if you aren't raised Christian, then you miss some of the "stories" that others take for granted (I know there was Jonah and a whale, but other than that I'm pretty lost).

For the last year we've been going to the Church of Religious Science (currently changing it's name to the Center for Spiritual Living). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_Science#Beliefs I recommend it highly.

Please Note: this is NOT Scientology or Christian Science. :-)

Good luck!

My sister is universal unitarian. They are very liberal.

I know my Aunt and Grandma were going to one that sounds like what you described above here in the Sacramento area. Not sure exactly where but it does exist. Good luck.