h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~53~2396172,00.html

"nones"
Spiritual ,not religious persons increasing in the US. This article is about Colorado stats

Is this happening elsewhere?

I did not know the term was so prevelent.
I suppose it is from checking *none by religion when asked about it on various forms.

Undecided or Seeking answers could be options available for checking

Agnostic should be a choice on forms then too.

I have never heard anyone use the term before, but it fits, I suppose. I can relate to the sentiment. I personally find the church in which I was raised unsatisfactory.

The article was very interesting. Thanks for posting the link.

So, how have you been?

Sounds like those "nones" would love Unitarian Universalism, because it celebrates a lot of religious backgrounds, welcoming all.

We don't have a Unitarian Universalist congregation in my area, JEllen. I've heard good things about them - that they are genuinely ecumenical. Which is the spirit the world could desperately use at this time.

I think that the inability of mainstream denominations to consider other points of view is what drives people away. They are so self-righteous and judgmental.

Agreed.

Nice to see you drop by Hypatia
I posted on your messages yesterday , I'd lost this!
Glad I found it today.

I am good. Better than the begining of this month

I think that a lot of the people who are regular church goers do so for social reasons as much as because they are true believers. It's good for business or gives them occassions to interact socially with others where they would be more isolated otherwise. Or they go because they have been conditioned to go. Granted, there are a lot of true believers, but I wonder what the actual statistics are.

H

They usually say that 80 percent of Americans believe in some form of God. I bet many could not answer exactly what they believe. I tend to think many are semi-interested bystanders keeping an open mind.

There are men who do the church rounds looking for women
There are those making business contacts.
Some are there because they promised their spouses they would go once they had kids.

I cannot begin to guess how many are there because they think the church has all the right answers for them. People that believe in God and believe strongly in the tithe(sp?) may attend because it's a safe place for them to give their 10 percent or more to be distributed where needed. I have heard that outlook given a few times.

When I came out of the forces I attended the Unitarian church here with my girl friend (now my wife of 53 years). She was Methodist and didn't understand very much about religion at all so we stopped going.
Were I asked to declare a religion now it would be Unitarian free thinker.

Hi jazzme
I am going to start checking the Unitarian Churches out here.
I have met many Unitarians that I can relate too in a spiritual way. Might be an interesting new search

Best of luck friend - I did my heart-searching about 60 years ago and haven't really changed my mind about religion since - other than to learn more about the origins of the myth that is chrisianity.

Thanks

I have done my searching too and doubt I change my mind about much or make up my mind much more. I'm not totally accepting of any one school of thought.

It would be nice just to hear a good speaker and some non-offending spiritual talk. I'm not going to join any church but some regular food for thought is always good.

Guess you've come to the right place abbi - you'll find some similar thinking people right here

Jazz

One of the things I miss about living in a large city is the opportunity to attend conferences and workshops, etc. And there aren't too many options around here religion wise, either. This area is pretty homogenized.

There is one nondenominational group that meets on Sunday mornings in the next town over. But I'm told that it is very much Christian and doesn't welcome discussion about other world religions. And we have some local Pagans. I don't really want to get involved with dancing naked around bonfires. I'm glad that they are able to do that if that's what they want,I have a friend who is a Pagan teacher and he is a truly 'good' person, but I just wouldn't be comfortable in an organization like that.

I have the opposite problem here.
It can be overwhelming weeding through all the places, the conferences and such are outrageously expensive.

I have found speakers in churches that I really liked but they were only visiting. One was Lutheran and one was a Methodist Church - which I would have never committed myself to. Though it helped me to know the type of church is not so important to me. For a while there was a Catholic priest I liked but he was too liberal and prgressive for the church so he went elsewhere. He was also well known in town(too well for comfort from the church) for his welcoming of gays. The weekly attendance there fell off quickly when he left.

It's refreshing to have a great speaker compared to the gloom and doom of standard procedural dogma with little creativity and fresh imput. There is a place for ritual but also room for more. I like being left with questions, new things or ways to consider or just a bit of inspirational lift!

jazzme
There are many here and that is why I am more comfy saying such things

*comfy with the grey areas*

The christian church repeats the Nicean Creed written in mediaeval times - I get as far as 'I believe in God...' then stop. I did know it all once!! I could never repeat all of it even in church though!

My mother used to say to me

'Life is real, life is earnest and the grave is not the goal.
Dust thou art, to dust returnest, was not spoken of the soul'.

I reckon that's all we need to be going on with?

Jazz

A rose for your Mother.

Thanks abbi,

I'll keep it till it dies and hope it then joins her up there.

Is there a life after death for flowers do you think? Heaven would be overflowing with them ! Perhaps they re-incarnate?

Jazz