How Has I Am UU Touched You?

This isn’t a matter of ego, I promise. I am absolutely humbled by the trust and responsibility of over 4,000 people reading my words and sharing my designs. I am working hard to be worthy of it, and to keep improving to be the kind of resource that helps people find liberal religious community. I am blessed to have reached as many people as I have, and it feels very strange to be asking you all for this kind of feedback. That being said, Faithify has a requirement that I explain how my work and my ability to keep doing this, rather than getting a job in a call center or a car dealership, is good for Unitarian Universalism.

The actual phrasing is “How does this project claim Unitarian Universalism” and “How is it claimed by Unitarian Universalism”, and I would love it if you all would help me answer that.

Please leave a comment here with your answer, or if your answer is posted somewhere else (which is wonderful!), please share a link. The idea to make a public ask came after seeing the first blog post about this fundraiser was shared on Facebook by a fan and Patreon supporter. Her words about why she supports I Am UU mean more than anything I could write about myself. It would be so amazing to see other people posting their support for their friends to read, but that is certainly at your discretion. If you do, please post it publicly and share the link with me so that I can read it. I will make sure that you don’t mind being quoted before I share your words.

I am also collecting questions for an FAQ post. Right now, questions include “Where is the money going?” “What happens if goals aren’t met?” and “Will there be rewards as on Kickstarter?” I welcome any other questions that might help people connect and feel good about donating. I want you all to know that I already feel responsible to the community that has built up around my work, and this will only increase that. You all matter to me, personally, and I care about helping you find new ways to express and even experience Unitarian Universalism.
Thank you, in advance,

Thomas

Human Relations, Spiritual Growth, and Beloved Community

Unitarian Universalism is about relationships. At their core, all religions are. They tell us how to react to the universe, to the divine, and (possibly most importantly) to each other. Many outline proper relationships to animals or to plants, both how to raise them and how, when or if we should eat them. Unitarian Universalism isn’t so much different in scope, though we don’t the same level of detail about any of it that some other religions provide. We have ideals, and it is up to each person to live up to them the best they can in their own way. We focus almost exclusively on positive outcomes.

We don’t feel that almost every person is born with some sense of community. We have an inherent sense of self worth and dignity, and we are driven by a need to have that recognized by others. We feel that when we honor that worth and dignity, we give a person the freedom to be who they really are, and we encourage them through positive relationships and encouragement.We try to lead them to understanding, though no one can hand spiritual growth over to another; it must be sought and earned individually.

In much the same way, no one can tell you what your relationships ought to mean to you, or how to create or maintain them. You have to choose the people who support you. You have to build the life that makes you happy. You are responsible for your love, your fear, your anger, and your sense of responsibility. There is no better judge of who and what is important to you, and you have to form personal relationships with each person in your life, and no one else can dictate who they are with, what they are, or how they make you feel.

Your relationship with each person is different than the relationship that person has with anyone else. You parents don’t have the same relationship with you that they have with anyone else. Neither does your significant other or your boss. You are such an essential part of each of your relationships that you make them each personal for the other person, or you choose not to.

The same principle holds true for your relationship with the congregation as a whole, or the grater community. You have the right to share your time and talents in a way that is fulfilling to you. You also have the right to withhold your contributions if you don’t feel that they are appreciated or if you just would rather not do the same thing for the church that you do for a paycheck. It is up to the congregation and the community to value you. They have a responsibility to communicate their needs and to give you positive feedback and respect. You have the responsibility to stand up for yourself when they ask too much. No one else can know your limits as well as you, and you can reasonably expect to have them honored if they are clearly communicated. That give and take is what makes a good community work in the long run.

Your relationship with the divine is also personal, and no one can feel the pull on your heart and mind. You know what name feels right on your tongue and what rituals calm or excite you. We can help you explore the possibilities, but you have to know God on your own terms. Just as your relationship with each member of your family and community reflects your contribution to that relationship, the divine relationship is tailored to your gifts and your perspective. No one can tell you how to feel about the rest of creation or our mutual source.

The Unitarian Universalist congregation has pledged to encourage your spiritual growth, and to aid you in a free and responsible search for truth and meaning in your life and in the world. We want to be good for you. You deserve to have your worth and dignity acknowledged and nurtured. We are a better community when you are a healthy part of our community, and that can only happen if there is honest communication about your needs as well as what is needed of you.

There are oh, so many, who say that the 7 Principles of Unitarian Universalism are only a covenant between congregations, and need not mean anything to individuals. I strongly disagree; we need to understand that some of them are clearly promises congregations make to members, and thus that members make to each other. A congregation is, after all, only a group of people who share a covenant with one another. If we do not believe that those Principles have value in our lives, to help us create healthy and enriching relationships, then what purpose do they serve? If they are simply a promise from one non-profit corporation to other corporations, then doesn’t that reduce our churches to mere office buildings?

Unitarian Universalism is a religion, or it is nothing at all. If it is a religion, then it must advise us in our relationships. It must direct us to create relationships that improve our communities. It must inspire us to reach out to one another, in times of trouble and triumph, and support one another in our quest for truth and meaning through encouragement to spiritual growth. Our heaven is a community, here on Earth, where there is justice, equity, compassion, and peace; a beloved community that includes every person and values every living thing.

The Principles of UU Evangelism

When was the last time you said to someone, “I had lunch at the best Italian place today”? Have you ever said to someone, “There is a farmers market every Thursday over off the highway, if you want better, local produce”? I can’t be the only person who has tried to convince people to visit at a small, locally owned business instead of a box store or chain restaurant. Have you ever let someone know that there is a local charity that needs the kind of items they might have otherwise set out on the curb? Have you ever talked to someone about an issue that they seemed misinformed about?

Evangelism isn’t foreign to many UUs. We just don’t apply it to our religion, which is a shame, because we are often driven to tell people about things that are exciting to us because they promote our Principles.

Part of the difference is that we have let Evangelism be owned by fundamentalists. People tell me that the definition of the word is to talk to people about Jesus and the Gospels of the Bible, and that it has no relation to Unitarian Universalism. Do we really believe that we have no place for Jesus in our religion? That would be a painful thing to hear for our great theological fore bearers, of whom we are so proud. When did we stop teaching “love your neighbor”? What would Unitarian Universalism be without non violent protests, where we “Turn the other cheek”?  Our Biblical message is part of our larger religious message; is it not as worthy of being shared as any other?

Some people have said that it goes against something fundamental in our Principles or beliefs to be excited and talk to people about why being a Unitarian Universalist matters in our lives. I would like to counter that, by saying that, just as we pray differently, worship differently, and fellowship differently from most Christian churches, we can evangelize in a way that still honors our Principles. Just as we haven’t, as a movement, given up those other words (nor should we), we shouldn’t give up the idea that we have a great message to share through personal evangelism.

We affirm and promote the idea that we honor the inherent worth and dignity of every person. Doesn’t that mean that we should be telling people that our church accepts who they are? Shouldn’t we make sure that they know where to find a community that will make room for them, as they are, and let them grow into the person they were born to be? Valuing their worth and dignity means wanting them to know that we offer something different in a church. It means telling them that, if they need it, it is there for them. Inviting people, warmly and sincerely, to join us honors their worth. Letting them choose for themselves honors their dignity. Shouldn’t we make sure they are aware of Unitarian Universalism as an option?

Unitarian Universalist congregations also covenant to “Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations”. How can we grow if we are never challenged? How can we grow if we allow our churches to stagnate and age without seeking out new members? Our mission requires fresh ideas and new talents every year, to tackle fresh obstacles and meet changing needs. Our growth requires that we hear other perspectives and that we consider new information. Our mission requires that we engage people in conversation, and that we seek out people who hold different ideas than those already represented in our congregations.

The most likely sticking point, I think may be in our commitment to “A free and responsible search for truth and meaning”. As I said last week, “I believe that we can’t convert people to Unitarian Universalism; you have to come to it already knowing that it is right for you.” I also believe, though, that we can plant the seeds by talking about our Principles, and I am proof that those ideas will stick with some people, and they can come to accept them, even if it wasn’t their first reaction. I have never advocated for beating people with copies of “On the Origin of Species” or “Guiding Principles for a Free Faith“. It wouldn’t do any good. Instead, let us lead good lives, do good in our communities, and make sure people know that we are expressing our faith and living out our Principles. We can tell people about how our congregations are families that accept and embrace our uniqueness. It isn’t about conversion or convincing people of anything other than that our church helps us be better people, and that we have a place in it for them, too.

It isn’t against our Principles to talk to people, to educate them and try to influence their decisions. Our Principles actually call on us to try to change our communities for the better. It cannot run contrary to those saving, loving, accepting ideas to share them with others, to widen and strengthen our beloved community. We cannot proselytize in the manner of fundamentalist. Ours is not a faith that comes with answers, and that makes a lot of people uncomfortable. We can talk people through that, if they are willing to listen, but only if we are wiling to share. There are people you encounter every week who need to know that they can be loved for who they are. We need to extend an invitation to join in our work, because our beloved community is incomplete without them.

Evangelism isn’t in opposition to Unitarian Universalist Principles. It is required by them. As with so many other religious terms, we just need to come to our own understanding of what it means to evangelize. We can do it in a way that respects the personal quest for truth, while still proclaiming the worth and value of each person we encounter. If we have something great to share, how can we claim to better the world while keeping it to ourselves?

Unitarian Universalist Evangelism: Speculative Conversations

It wasn’t until about 1998 that I discovered Unitarian Universalism. This despite being 20 years old and living in a part of the country where UU churches are pretty dense for the US south. There was a UU congregation in my home town when I left, but I knew nothing about them. The building was clearly decades old, but the idea of it was completely new to me.

I was invited by a friend who had started attending shortly before, though he had been to a UU church before (he was a bit older and a lot better traveled, as a veteran of the US Navy.) I was unsure I could be excited about church, and fairly unwilling to accept the idea of regular attendance, much less membership. I left the church of my youth and was on a very personal and very eclectic Pagan path. I didn’t want to turn on to some well-trod road just to be part of a community, though he assured me that I wouldn’t need to.

So I discovered the local fellowship in my college town at about age 20, and I was unimpressed.

Honestly, I loved the young adult group, some of whom are still long-distance much much respected friends. I liked the pluralism and I really respected the part-time minister. Some of the lay-led services where really interesting, too. Part of me couldn’t really get excited, though, about getting up early on a Sunday to sing hymns to nothing in particular.

It wasn’t that I didn’t agree with the Principles. It was only very slightly that I was struggling with the sources. One big problem was that the congregation was very humanist, and I was very spiritual (a problem I have previously discussed). The bigger issue, as I see it now, was that I wasn’t ready to really embrace the 4th Principle. I was still mad at Christianity, and I was ticked that the Humanists didn’t make more room for my form of patchwork paganism.

In my last post, I pointed out that there are a lot of people who come to Unitarian Universalist churches thinking, “This is what I have been looking for for so long!” I was another case, which I touched on in the second half of that post: I hadn’t embraced diversity and reason far enough to be comfortable in Unitarian Universalism. I found this amazing faith before I was ready for it, and I almost didn’t come back.

Ours can be a mature kind of faith. To accept it, you might need to understand that the world is complex, and people are different in many ways, and yet there are rules and people, ultimately, have the same needs physically and emotionally. You absolutely need to see that we can’t all follow the same path, or we would all be doing the same work. It requires some understanding that I, for one, didn’t have at the age of 20. A lot changed over the next 8 years, but Unitarian Universalism didn’t, and it was still there, waiting, when I was ready.

I had to learn that “pagan” was a lousy denominator for any thought other than “I’d like to shock the Christians a little”. Learning to accept the variety that comes with the “Pagan” community, be they Wiccan, Asatru, or Hellenistic,  helped me understand how humanity needs people who feel called to different kinds of service to the divine and to humanity. I came to understand pluralism better, and it helped heal the scratches (I can’t call them wounds) that my Christian upbringing had left on my heart.

I came back to Unitarian Universalism, to that same building, to find that there had been changes on both sides. Both the congregation and I had grown more inclusive and welcoming. It was honestly joyous; I had found a community where I could hope to be my whole self. I ended up not joining that church, but finding myself in another due to obligations and situations. The church I joined was the one in my home town, that I had not, would not have, known existed until I went looking for it. It was more like the building and the services I grew up in, and that was both comforting and inspiring, as they had room for bigger programs and projects.

I found a place that I could call a spiritual home, with a loving and supportive family that wanted to help me grow and encourage me to participate and give of my talents. They demanded nothing, and they have been, for the most part, very gracious with what I have wanted to share.

The fact is, though, that I found Unitarian Universalism, and unlike so many others who eventually become members, I wasn’t already a UU. I had to grow into it. I had to overcome things about myself and my world view. I needed to mature and be ready to accept the Principles. I’ll talk more about this in a future post, but this is why I believe that we can’t convert people to Unitarian Universalism; you have to come to it already knowing that it is right for you. I still think it matters that we get the ideas and the Principles out into the world, so that people can contemplate them and they can make a choice. Whether they ever join us in covenant, we need to be letting them know that the invitation is open. We need to have these conversations, because so many of the people who will benefit at some point won’t even know at the time that they want to know.

There are a lot of people who are, like I was, looking for something meaningful, but have no idea what it looks like. If they don’t know how we are different, then why would they ask us about our church? If they don’t know that our Principles are very different from the creeds of other churches, then they won’t know to ask. We can make excuses for not reaching out to people, and we can certainly point out that our outreach might make some uncomfortable. It also might plant the seed that brings them home one day. I was saved by an invitation that was not well received. I had no intention of joining, even after several months of participation. If I hadn’t been invited, if someone hadn’t risked my rejection and ridicule, I would still be lost, and I would be so much worse off for it.

When I say that we need to speak up, invite people in, and strike up conversations with anyone who gives us an opening, I say it from experience. We cannot convert anyone; our Principles don’t lend themselves to it even if it were a goal. We can make sure that people see us, and know that we can be there for them, their community, and their family. We can give them the information and let them turn it over in their heads. I speak to strangers at bus stops, people in online discussions, and just last week the cheerful young woman who works in the bakery at my supermarket. Few people have ever been offended because I brought up religion, and most actually ask questions, because what we have is interesting and different.

They may not come the next Sunday, or in a the next year, but I feel better telling them that we are out in the world, spreading love and preaching acceptance. Many of them seem grateful to hear about a religion that doesn’t condemn them before we’ve even been introduced. A number of people have even thanked me for telling them that we love them for who they are, and that they are welcome with their whole selves and their whole family, even if they had no intention of taking me up on the invite. I honestly believe that just telling people who we are and what kind of work we do makes the world a better, more tolerable place for some. I also believe that no matter how few find their way to our doors, it is worth letting them know where to find us.

Why Unitarian Universalist Must Embrace Evangelism

My normal blog entry works up to a point. I spend time on the facts and details and build my case before making the statement that I am trying to convince readers of. Not today. Today, I think my point is pretty clear, and while I will back it up below, I want to make it now and tell you exactly why Unitarian Universalists need to create a form of evangelism that works for us:

People need us to tell them about our loving, inclusive faith communities. We need people to join us in our work to create and expand our beloved community.

I recently took the time to again listen to a presentation that Peter Morales and Don Southworth gave in 2000 about Unitarian Universalist Evangelism. It is a great presentation, and I highly recommend listening to it. There is an MP3 for it, which can be found on UUA.org, near the top of an article entitled “Evangelism: Letting Our Love Reach Out“. In this presentation, Rev. Morales say that he feels shame when he hears people say things like, “I was a UU for 20 years, but didn’t know it.” He says, rightly in my opinion, “…it means that we haven’t done the very simple thing of communicating who we are.”

On that same page, the UUA itself claims that we have a responsibility to reach out to others, and tell them who we are while we are working to improve our communities. As they put it, “Evangelism is the natural result of a deep belief that we Unitarian Universalists have something important and precious to offer. Evangelism is founded on the beliefs that people have a need for religious community, for deep relationships, for spiritual exploration, for social involvement.”

That is the first half of my claim: People need us. They need to know that they can be loved for who they are, even as we encourage them toward spiritual and personal growth. There are people looking for what we provide. They want us to find them, and we should want them to find us.

I feel like the second part of my thesis shouldn’t need to be defended, but I’m not known for being brief.

We need to share our Principles. They are 7 imperfect statements that form a very functional framework for how humans can share our planet and its limited resources with the rest of creation. If we agree that we should “affirm and promote” them, then we should be eager to tell people about them and how they shape our lives, individually and as communities who gather around them. Certainly, not everyone is ready to embrace them all, but if we can find even one that a person agrees with, then we can find problems that we can agree to work together on.

More over, I firmly believe that people who are exposed to diversity learn to see it as a positive thing that makes a community more adaptable and capable of addressing a wider range of problems. I believe that an educated person will see that a rational approach to the world, as opposed to one guided primarily by superstition, will see that reason and scientific study have solved many more problems than has faith alone, and I hope they will see that science and religion do not have to be at odds when each is given its proper authority. Crucially, I believe that a person who has embraced both diversity and education will find themselves more drawn to liberal religion. It is a position held by a great many fundamentalist, too, who denounce reason and learning, lest their flock find their teachings too constrictive.

If we share, we will grow. Even those who do not join a UUA-member congregation will still be better allies for our social justice and outreach. Our willingness to speak up and define ourselves will help us find partners, and it will help those who already embrace our values become members of our communities and our movement.

We have to be willing to speak of the salvation we offer; salvation from oppression and self-doubt. We need to believe that we have a message worth sharing. We need to stop being embarrassed by the language of religion, and start challenging ownership of ideas like God, Sin, and Spirit.

We need a Unitarian Universalist form of Evangelism that involves more than protests and Pride floats. We need to wear our affiliation proudly when we go out in the world and do good, whether it is volunteering at a food bank or just giving a tourist directions. We need to let the world know that our faith shapes our lives, and that there is a faith for those who want to bring a type of heaven to everyone here on Earth.

Unitarian Universalism is a Strange Religion, Pt. 3

I have a Twitter account that is largely about Unitarian Universalist news and thought. I have a Tumbr account which is dedicated to Unitarian Universalist ideals and Principles, as I see them. I moderate a Facebook page devoted to Unitarian Universalism. As you probably realize, reading this now, I post a lot of my thoughts about Unitarian Universalism here on A Material Sojourn. I am also more than willing to discuss my faith and the Unitarian Universalist movement in real life.

It might not surprise you to know that this leads to a lot of challenges. Atheists questioning my theology. Christians asking me to defend my humanism and my factual-but-unflattering statements about mainline Christian denominations and groups. Pagans asking me to defend my concept of divinity and my panentheist view of the universe. I am literally challenged almost every week by someone who doesn’t like some aspect of my world view or some idea I hold about God and/or religion. Rarely, I have even made a single post somewhere that has both Atheists and Christians upset with me. I don’t know what I would do if these challenges weren’t almost always coming from other UUs!

The fact is, in being a vocal Unitarian Universalist, well over half of the people who attempt to call me out on my presumed heresies, fallacies, and prejudices are fellow Unitarian Universalists. I face much more criticism for my embrace of the 7 Principles from those within the movement than from outsiders. Almost every atheist who has ever denounced my personal brand of theistic humanism has been a UU (though the UUs have not actually been the loudest or most belligerent by a wide margin). Our liberal Christians seem every bit as likely to be offended by a comment as any evangelical Christian. Pagans, I have learned, are just more likely to be contrarian and love to explore the faiths of others. UU Pagans, obviously, have a double dose of that spirit.

We have so many UUs who feel that they have been slighted in the past, either by people of faith or for being a person of faith. We have so many differing views on what the future holds for our movement and for religion in general. The core of what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist is being debated and it is in flux. We need to find that center, wherever it lies. We need a theology that speaks to us, and a vocabulary with which to discuss and share it. We cannot do that until we try harder to embrace each other, each in our own search, so that each personal revelation can inspire us all. Ultimately, we cannot be all things to all people. We should not make that our goal, either. We each are on a personal search for truth, that moves some to pray, some to mediate, some to read, and all to create a spiritual practice that fulfills us. We cannot, then, deny that some people will be more at peace in a monastery, a pristine glade, or a library than in our churches and fellowship halls. That doesn’t mean that we don’t have something to offer the world.

Ultimately, it is good that we have these discussions; when they are civil, they can be very enlightening. At some point, though, we need to establish a core, or we will loose the hearts of our members. People are tired of standing against things. People are tired of being defined by what we reject. That was the core message of one of my recent critics (more on that in the next post). We understand this, and people on the far ends, the more traditional who still relish Christian themes and vocabulary and those humanist who feel that our future lies in a rejection of all things supernatural, fear losing their place within the movement. The fact that both groups identify as strongly with Unitarian Universalism as any UU deist, UU pagan, or UU Buddhist, means that there must be a way to keep everyone in the family. What I can promise is that it is not going to be done by being spiritually timid. A religion that isn’t transformative is a religion that has nothing left to offer except a label, and our label isn’t impressive enough to stand in place of foundational teachings and transformative growth.

(For other thoughts on why this is a Strange Religion that I have embraced, please see the Strange Religion tag below)

What “Non-Creedal” means to me.

My ideal of Unitarian Universalism is that we find it easier to communicate the relatively small number of things that are wrong, rather than trying to pin down in a recitable form only those things that are right. That is the difference, to me, between our Principles and a creed. We have a covenant to be good people, defined by the Principles of universal worth and dignity, a respect for all life, and the right of all people to find their own place and passion in the world. Everything else is fair game.

It is often said that Unitarian Universalism is a “Non-creedal” religion. It is also often said that this negates our claim as a religion, often from those with a Holy Book, but occasionally from proud UUs who think that religion is a bad thing and that the UUA should get out of the business all together. I disagree, of course, though I think that the Unitarian Universalist Association has had a lot of trouble declaring its religious intent for fear of frightening anyone away from the pews.

The fact is that what we have is a broad and reasonable religious pasture that expands farther out to the horizons than some people can see see from their religious perch. It allows for a wide exploration of the universe, with trees to climb and deep caves to explore, wooded areas with narrow and leaf-covered paths as well as broad trails where seeming parades of seekers roam arm-in-arm. We have built a fence of some of our Principles that tell us not to venture into the thorns of dispassion or callousness, and to stay out of the mire of privilege or convenience at the expense of others or the environment. But the things we deny ourselves are relatively few, because we believe in a Universe of possibilities and wonder, and we claim no right to restrict anyone’s desire to learn the how or why of a situation as long as they do so responsibly and with regard to the rights of others.

This is in defiance of so many other religious traditions in the US, that prefer to set a narrower track for their adherents to venture on, to see only that portion of the Universe visible from the hills that well-trod lanes take them across. They think the Universe is inherently against humanity. Some actively teach that it is a trap, meant to ensnare our very souls in the evils of reason and doubt, marking out not just a path, but metaphorical stepping stones upon which adherents are expected to stay. Though many others have widened their paths such that people can look out and see different sides of certain theological hills without leaving the acceptable walkway, they still feel that the idea of simply letting people walk on the grass is akin to theological anarchy. In almost all traditions, there are people who risk institutional rebuke in order to feel the grass between their toes. Americans long for religious liberation, even as they hope to remain part of their communities and traditions.

This, to me, is the essential difference between “Creed” and “Covenant”. We ask our members to make promises to each other and to their communities such that they can all run free without fear, knowing that each will lookout for the other and lend a hand when someone gets in over their head. A Creed tells you what to think, and rather than giving you the promise of aid, it gives one the feeling that you will be judged for allowing yourself to wander out of bounds. The idea that people are required to believe in the supernatural, ultimately unquestioningly, or be excluded from the body of the congregation, is unfathomable to Unitarian Universalists. We question those beliefs that seem to contradict science, and we ask people to consider real facts and likely outcomes; prayer can’t hurt, but it can’t help more than real effort, either.

So, I am proud to be part of a tradition, even a young one, where people are respected and allowed to build their own lives without fear of reprisal for anything other than being asked to defend the logic and consistency of your theology. You may be counseled in a way intended to further your spiritual growth.  You will not be turned away, though, as long as you keep your covenant with the congregation.

Unitarian Universalism is a Strange Religion: Prt 2

Look at the members of your local Unitarian Universalist Congregation, and the chances are good that almost none of them were raised in a UU church. A great number of people in our ranks came to us after learning things about themselves and the religion  they grew up in that lead them to seek out a different way of relating to the divine. In a very real sense, we are a religion of refugees.

We are a religion of refugees, and yet it can be so hard to remember what it felt like to be new and to want to claim some part in the community.

I, myself, was raised Presbyterian, and was even confirmed in the church as a knowledgeable, well rounded 13 year old. Though it may seem odd, I learned a lot more about my given faith after confirmation than I had known before the ritual, and I found myself questioning a lot of the things I had been told about God, Jesus, The Bible, and the world. I found my way to the Unitarian Universalist fellowship near my University, and I was initially impressed with the idea of open mindedness and the ability to come to God on my own terms. The thing was, even though almost none of these people had been raised as UUs, they had established a culture of secular humanism. They didn’t have any real spirituality in their services. They resisted the young adults’ desire to change that, to the point where we had almost become a second congregation within the same building.

We are a movement built of people who have fled orthodoxy, yet so many of our congregations seem eager to create a new orthodoxy. We get so invested in the congregations we build and nourish that we forget how to let others take ownership along side of us. Our movement allows religion to be so personal that we can forget that the goal of religion is to bring us together, and that a big part of that has to be welcoming strangers into our communities; making them part of the family.

Change is hard, and we always fear losing something important to us. But when the thing that we are working for includes principles like the worth of every person and encouraging one another to growth, we have to remember that constant change and renewal are part of the process. We have a pervasive, if not universal (NPI) problem with diversity. We cannot make people join us in order to solve it. We have to learn to be inviting and we have to allow new voices to take their place in the chorus of our faith. I don’t have an easy solution, but I want to be part of the conversation. I want to admit the problem. I refuse to simply be part of the culture.

We offer the world something wonderful. It is human, and thus flawed, but it comes with a promise that we will not allow imperfection to prevent us from continuing to work towards goodness, justice, and equality. How have you seen diversity addressed well? What approach has lead to more inter-generational participation? What has made your congregation more welcoming to people of color or the economically disadvantaged? How has your congregation worked to include your young adults and empower them to speak confidently to their peers? How do we maintain our sense of ownership without stifling the input of new members?

Chalica Day 6: The goal of world community with peace, liberty and justice for all;

The Oxford English Dictionary defines eschatology as “The department of theological science concerned with ‘the four last things: death, judgement, heaven, and hell’. If you know much at all about Unitarian Universalism, you know that we don’t have a unified view of an after-life, and certainly no concept of eternal damnation. In short, we have more of a view on Hell, being that we are against it, than we do Heaven, though the later sounds nice. I look at eschatology, then, as being more about a view of the goal of the religious philosophy. Most religions are selfish and focus on what happens to the ego after death. Our eschatology is about what we leave behind. The goal of our religious movement is one that requires continuous tending throughout the generations: We have a goal of world community with peace, liberty and justice for all. Simply stated, but as impossible to achieve as the tests of Hercules or the trials of the Judges of Judea.

This is, again, rooted in our only quasi-mystical belief, which many of us look at as more of a hypothesis to be tested eternally, in the inherent worth and dignity of every person. If we all have worth waiting to be fostered and manifested in the world, then there is a moral imperative to seek a peaceful world where each person is free to learn and experiment with the limits and possibilities of human potential, secure in the knowledge that they will be treated fairly and that they will understand the responsibilities they have to their communities and the world.

It is a very humanist goal, but we are operating from the truth, as we know it. Though I have my own experiences, as do others, there is no clear sign of the hand of any god in the modern world, and if any can be seen in the artifacts of human history, they are far from universally convincing. We have a world that humanity has altered when possible and adapted to when we could. Our species may have done more to alter the shape and future of the planet than anything since it coalesced from the rocky belt of our infant solar system. It is up to us to decide how to use that power, and whether we will act in a way that honors our collective humanity and our reliance on each other to advance culture and science, or if we look at the future as a competition where we cling to our limits and deny others the dignity that we would each demand for ourselves.

We rarely speak of heaven from the pulpit, and many fellowship halls hear the word spoken somewhat less than monthly. What UUs have in the place of a glorious group afterlife is The Beloved Community. It is a little different in each imagination, and ultimately that makes it better in theory than it may ever be in actuality, but it is still so far away that there is no real room, yet, to argue other the window dressings and carpets. We seek a world where, ideally, everyone has the chance to build their own vision and direct their own lives. Beloved Community includes everyone who chooses to participate, and allows room enough for those who wish a bit of isolation, too. You cannot say that you have liberty for all unless you allow your critics room to voice opposition, after all. We seek a world where all of this can happen peacefully and with respect. That is UU heaven.

Unitarian Universalism is a Strange Religion: Prt 1

Unitarian Universalists want everyone to think the way we do, of course. If we didn’t feel that way, we might not even be able to call ourselves a religion. The funny thing is that we don’t want you to think what we think, as we don’t all hold the same beliefs. It is how we think that matters.

We don’t want you to blindly follow dictates or dogma. We demand that UUs think for themselves; that they think about what they are doing and what effect it has on the rest of the world. We want them to consider the feelings of others and the health of communities and ecosystems. Ultimately, though,  they have to make their own choices about how to do that.

We don’t want to tell you what to think, but we demand that you do think.

One of our Principles is the “Free and responsible search for truth and meaning”. You are free to search high and low for meaning in your life and your place in the world. You have to do it in a way that is responsible, though, keeping in mind reality and scientific discovery. We talk about evolution, creation, and other big questions, because they all matter in the search. We never forget that science is always learning something new, always revealing things to us about the universe. We are fascinated by what each of those revelations might add to the conversation.

We long for the day when science and reason are given, if not preference then at least equal standing with superstition. We will not tell you that you must believe in the unbelievable. We will question your belief in the unprovable. No one is expected, much less required, to to believe something based on the personal perspective or revelation of another; not a layman or a minister or the President of the UUA.

We fight for the rights of all people to follow their conscience, without being oppressed by the opinions of any other person. Rights and freedoms must be restricted only by the dictates of facts, evidence, and decency. No one should limit your relationship with the God of your naming, but neither should your relationship be allowed to hinder the lives of others.

We care as much about who you are and what you accomplish as we do what you believe. We want every person to have the chance to be their best and to better their community. We believe that it is what we do for this world, and not a promise for worlds unseen, that provides the reasonable basis for a life well lived. The strangest thing about our religion may be that we care as much about how you make your choices as what those choices ultimately end up being.

As we Unitarian Universalists are fond of saying, “We need not think alike to love alike.”