What Ridgecrest needs

This is an endlessly productive conversation topic for Rocket Boy and me. What does Ridgecrest need? The list is so long. Ridgecrest needs a Target. Ridgecrest needs a Trader Joe's. Ridgecrest needs a good department store, such as Macy's, or maybe we could even resurrect Mervyn's. Ridgecrest needs a Jamba Juice or other juice place. Ridgecrest needs a Peet's and/or some more independent coffeehouses. Ridgecrest needs a bigger library. Ridgecrest needs curbside recycling (it's coming!). Ridgecrest needs a Twins Club. Ridgecrest needs more stoplights instead of stop signs. Ridgecrest needs more places to walk and more places to walk to.

Recently I've decided that Ridgecrest needs a Unitarian church. I have never actually attended services at a Unitarian church, nor have I ever had the desire to join one. I know a number of people who go, or have gone, to the Unitarian church in Boulder and I did go to a memorial service there once. But in general, if I am going to go to church, I like to go to a liberal -- but traditional -- church. I like to sit in a pew and have a minister wearing robes go through all the traditional paces, I like to sing traditional hymns, I like to hear a reading from the Bible, preferably the King James Version. And I like for there to be some nice gay families in the pews, and I like to hear all about the upcoming bake sale to raise money for people in Darfur and the Thursday evening lecture series on climate change.

I have never understood the connection between Christianity and conservative politics. There should be no connection. Where is the chapter in the Bible on capitalism?

But in Ridgecrest the connection is real and it is strong. This is a very conservative, very religious town. The LDS church is huge. The Church of the Nazarene is huge. There are several Baptist churches, several Catholic churches. There's every other denomination. I'm not sure there is any other religion, such as Judaism, represented, though I could be wrong. They don't advertise, anyway. The newspaper is unabashedly pro-Christian. One of the main reporters is always quoting from the Bible in her stories. Recently there was an editorial about how all kids should go to Vacation Bible School.

I would like us to join a church, or at least attend one regularly. I'd like the boys to grow up in a church family, belong to the youth group, that sort of thing. I didn't experience that because my father was an atheist, so I know it's possible to grow up just fine without the help of a church. Still, I think it would be a good thing for us, especially since we are so alone out here. But I refuse to join a conservative, anti-gay church. And I don't think there are any "Open and Affirming" churches in Ridgecrest. Recently the newspaper asked a bunch of people what they thought about the decision on Prop 8 and every single person said: "It's against my religion but I do have gay friends..." What religion is this???

Thus the solution: a Unitarian church. I wonder what it would take to start one? Probably more energy than I have right now, but I'll bet we're not the only people here who would attend.