Eastshore Unitarian Church - Bellevue, WA - January 2nd 2010

  
    Eastshore Unitarian Church. I have so many memories in this place. It was here that my the Interfaith (Youth Exploring Spirituality - Unitarian) Organization was made and where I had my first community in Washington. I had my Coming of Age here and traveled to Romania where I made so many friends and have many mentors in the Church. This Church taught me so much. But I didn't sign the book, and don't think I could ever call myself a member. There is so much I agree with in regards to the philosophy and ideals of the Church.

The Church affirms:
Love is the doctrine of this church.
The quest for truth is its sacrament,
And service is its prayer.
To dwell together in peace,
To seek knowledge in freedom,
To serve humanity in fellowship,
Thus do we covenant 

       These are ideals I support.

   It took an invitation though, to return and visit the Church. My friend who also used be Mormon like me came with her Mom and it was great catching up with her about college. The sermon was about accountability and how Unitarian Universalism values played into accountability. The reading was a letter that Garrison Kealer had written as character in his radio show in which a man holds himself accountable to his wife for how he wasn't aware of his daughter and his jealousy towards her friend who she had dated at one point. It fit with my theme of virtue being outside a belief in God.

   Now, the reason I never joined the Church and don't feel I could. Politics. Even if your Church functions as a  Democracy, corruption and jealousy still happen. Hell, we see this in the debate between Republicans and Democrats. There will always be fear and resistance to new ideas and change. Interfaith in Eastshore Unitarian Church was that change. My Mom who founded the Interfaith movement in the Church was isolated by leaders in the Church who saw the movement and the youth visiting different faiths as threatening, as well as Mom's charisma. Even a liberal church can be as close minded in regards to change as a conservative church. It's in those moments that values get forsaken. When a people feel threatened they commit evil...we see this in the Middle East and in conflicts all over the world. It's in times like this that we are given the chance to stand by the values that make us who we are and define us. To stand up for virtue. No leaders in the Church did that, and I never signed the books because of it. This was when I became fully disenfranchised with organized religion. The same essential problems I saw with all the big faiths in their most conservative, traditionalist expressions was expressed in the Eastshore Unitarian Church. The after affects of the Interfaith Movement among the youth died when my Mom left and none of the youth who I went to youth group and YES-U with attend the Church anymore.


    I think the Unitarian Universalism Church is a great church for anyone believes in virtue and it's in the Unitarian Universalist faith where Agnostics, Theists, Deists, Atheists and more work side by side for improving the world. The thing to remember though is it's just as open to corruption as any other organization and that like any religion...your experience is what you make of it. I wouldn't trade any of my memories or friendships from the Church, and I will visit it again the future...but I cannot join. Whether you're religious or not, please remember to live with virtue.