The UU Humanists meetings are now on hold.
Inquiries are welcomed, you may contact us at uuhumanists@uutampa.org
Our Mission as UU Humanists
is to celebrate and encourage Humanism within Unitarian Universalism and to invite Secular Humanists, rationalists, atheists, agnostics, and all types of free thinkers to join our welcoming and supportive community. We are committed to Humanist principles of reason, compassion, and human fulfillment enumerated in the Humanist Manifestos and in the seven principles of Unitarian Universalist Association.
When, Where, and Who:
We meet on the On Hold 2nd Thursday of each month at 7:00 p.m. in the church’s multi-purpose Education Building, Room 3. Anyone who would like to come is invited and welcome. You needn’t be a member of our congregation or affiliated with the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tampa (UUCT) in any way. If you identify as any type of secularist, this is the place for you. We offer opportunities for learning more about topics of interest to members.
Why would an atheist join a UU “church”? (short answer: Because Humanists are human!)
The American Humanist Association considers UU congregations “A Habitat for Humanism.” “Scientific studies show the many benefits of social connectedness and most people realize that the staying power of religion has a lot to do with the draw of community. (Many speculate that there are a large number of non-believers in religious congregations who are there purely for the community.) All of us want a place where we can find friendship, a village to help raise our kids, support during life’s challenges and all the other benefits that religious folks get (with often a dozen nearby choices) but without having to leave our brains at the door or pretend that we are something we are not.”
We thrive in communities, tribes, groups – but not dogmatic, creedal ones. UU congregations are more of an inclusive community than most single-denomination churches and embrace members holding diverse belief systems, and UU ministers and lay-leaders aren’t dogmatic. The core principle is that we all agree to those behaviors toward each other and the world that constitute our covenant’s principles, not that we swear to a creed.
And those principles of the UU covenant are broadly Humanistic, with the only “thou shalt not” being “thou shalt not ‘other’ anyone.” What does that mean? Consider this poem adapted from Edwin Markham’s poem “Outwitted”:
“They drew a circle and cast me out,
Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.
But love and I had the wit to win:
We drew a circle that took them in.”
The New Humanism organization finds Unitarian Universalism to be a community that welcomes Secular Humanists and Atheists. Consider the nature of “A Church That Would Have You As a Member.” UU World web site columnist Doug Muder, Ph.D., describes Unitarian Universalism’s long relationship with Humanism and, thus, UU’s unique position among Humanists as “a like-minded community—a place to raise a child in humanistic values, look for social-action allies, celebrate a wedding or solemnize a funeral, or perhaps just be reminded once a week that American consumer culture is not the only alternative to God.”
To appeal to your sense of purpose and need for action in secular issues, the American Humanist Association offers an Action Center linking you to resources for receiving issue/action alerts, contacting elected officials, and conducting your own polls, petitions, and letter campaigns. Humanism isn’t just something we feel and talk about. It’s what we do.
For deep study of Humanist history and values, you can find materials and online courses at The Humanist Institute’s or Kochhar Humanist Online Education center.