Question 1

What does 'Omnist' mean?

Accepted Answer

Omnism is the recognition and respect of religions and spiritual paths. At the Centre, this welcome equally includes humanist, atheist, agnostic, and other nonreligious perspectives. The word dates to 1839 and describes those who honor the wisdom in every tradition without claiming any single one holds the whole truth.

Question 2

Do I have to give up my religion to belong here?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely not. You may be a devout Catholic, a practicing Muslim, an observant Jew, a Hindu, a Buddhist, a Sikh, a Bahá'í, an Indigenous practitioner, a Pagan, a humanist, an atheist, or still searching. You belong here as you are.

Question 3

How does Omnism differ from syncretism?

Accepted Answer

Omnism is a stance of respect; syncretism is a practice of blending. An omnist recognizes and honors the wisdom present in many traditions while letting each remain what it is — a Catholic Mass, a Buddhist meditation retreat, a humanist celebration, an Indigenous ceremony — each with its own history, language, and authority. Syncretism takes elements from several traditions and fuses them into a new, combined system, as happened historically with Vodou, Candomblé, Umbanda, and Sikkyō. The Centre is deliberately omnist rather than syncretist: we do not merge the traditions into one religion or mix their rites indiscriminately. When we borrow — a reading, a song, a meditation — we do so with the source tradition's permission, named plainly and in its own words, and we never claim a practice as our own invention. Our shared life rests on a common ethical core, not on a blended doctrine.

Question 4

Do you believe in God?

Accepted Answer

Some of us do — under many names. Some of us don't. The Centre does not require a particular answer. We hold reverence for the mystery and dignity for those who name it differently, or not at all.

Question 5

Are LGBTQIA2S+ people welcome?

Accepted Answer

Fully, without qualification. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, Two-Spirit, and other gender- and sexuality-diverse people belong here. Our clergy officiate marriages for all couples, and every leadership role is open to LGBTQIA2S+ members and ministers. We respect each person’s name, pronouns, and self-description; Two-Spirit is a culturally specific identity used by some Indigenous people.

Question 6

How do you handle differences between religions?

Accepted Answer

With honesty. We do not pretend the traditions all say the same thing. We study the real differences with curiosity, and we ground our shared life in the common ethical core: dignity, compassion, justice, and truthfulness.

Question 7

Do you proselytize?

Accepted Answer

Never. We do not seek converts. We seek companions.

Question 8

How is a service structured?

Accepted Answer

A typical gathering includes a call to reverence, readings from two or three traditions, a shared silence, music from different traditions, a short teaching, prayers or secular reflections, and a blessing. Participation is by choice; listening or reflecting quietly is equally welcome.

Question 9

Can humanists and atheists really feel at home?

Accepted Answer

Yes — and many do. Humanist and nonreligious perspectives are valued in their own right, not treated as incomplete faith. Our ethics circles, service work, and reflective practices welcome secular members, with no expectation to pray or adopt spiritual language.

Question 10

Are you on any sort of social media?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We are on Instagram and our profile page is @ocna.usa (instagram.com/ocna.usa). We'd love for you to follow along.

Ask us anything.