That was what I was told by a rabid homeschool parent.

Well... that made me curious enough to find out for myself.

I learned they are still human like everyone else. Bright shiny stars and warts too.

My daughters still have fond memories of the UU church. And if they go, they talk about taking the little ones to the UU church.

Universalists have been around for a long time as an alternative to dogma. I appreciate the Quaker lack of dogma, too, btw.

In our local UU church, beliefs of the membership seem to be across the entire spectrum. I'm going to spend a day or two at the annual meeting this summer to learn some more.

Building bridges and coalitions for mutually held goals, emphasizing the good things that more traditional religious organizations had done so well while rejecting the dogmatism and exclusivity - good stuff.

I wish them luck.

It was very nice and no talk of anything religious. A celebration of his life that he shared with us.It's nice to be able to get closure without having to insert the false comfort of dreams/wishes of immortality.

Julie

Makes one wonder why you felt the need to bring up the "false comfort..." thing.
And you were doing so well there, then

Funeral of a believer at a Lutheran church. I knew there'd be lots of god talk, of course, but had never heard such flights of fancy in describing the "victory feast in heaven" that was going on that very moment. Had been to many church funerals but that one was so filled with childish, imaginative descriptions of what awaits us after death. It was a study in contrasts, these two funerals, I could not help but notice how realistic and, yes, mature, the UU ceremony was in comparison.

I don't expect you to understand it though, it' apparently an atheist thing.

Julie

Maybe I'm just lucky. I've never attended a religious funeral. So I really wouldn't know how much "god talk" there might be. I can't imagine why it would bother me though. Funerals, for me, have always been about celebrating a life. The life of someone close. They have never been about mocking the beliefs of the deceased, or their family, nor being offended by a declaration of those beliefs in their own house of worship.
Not sure what you mean by "it's an atheist thing". Most of my friends are atheist, but I doubt any subscribe to any "atheist thing". If you mean being preached to, then I would feel the same way maybe, but being exposed to people of faith and their rituals and beliefs is in no way offensive, especially if I voluntarily expose myself to them.

... someone who enjoys the company of a more than generally warm and welcoming community, complete without judgment or creed, then I would say "Yep" they exist.

I'm one of them.