Of course, there will be inherent contradictions in UU, since it's goal is to create meaning from plurality.
We rely on binary oppositions to create value and meaning, if you try to do so without oppositions you'd be hard-pressed. I believe UU is an exercise in flexing our pluralistic muscles. The point is to create more play within form and structure of tradition. Yes, it can breakdown and become meaningless, or it can replicate meaning to infinity.
I feel what I refer to as the divine presence of Jesus within me. Some may call that presence Source, Spirit, God, Allah, etc., but they may think that the mere WORD is what is important - hence the UU Church. I was a UU for a while, but found that the mere mention of God or Jesus was highly discouraged and often scoffed at outright by some of the congregation. (Can you imagine any enlightened/spiritual person ridiculing Jesus? At the very least, I can perhaps understand ridicule of certain Church fathers or Popes or whatnot, but Jesus Himself? Wow.) This was the biggest clue to me that the UU Church was not really a church, but a group of people who wanted to have a church-like experience in a place where they didn't have to worry about being burdened by any particular teachings or insulted by mere mentions of certain types of faiths - especially Christian. Most UU services I attended were rife with political overtones and sermons were largely based on whatever the minister happened to be interested in that week: sea lions, dancing, yoga, trips to Europe, etc. I'm not kidding. I left the UU's when I could not stand the intolerance toward my spiritual path, and started attending a local Christian church where I have felt much more at home. In love we worship the God of Love and we work together to spread that Love to a hurting world through the many ministries of the church. I am an extremely liberal person (voted for Obama) who was saddened to witness the UU's intolerant attidude towards Christianity. How a church with such LIBERAL ideals can reject the most LIBERAL teachings from the man who was LOVE embodied is just beyond me. It smacks of the same religious intolerance that they accuse other religions of. Just my opinion.
I am a liberal Christian as the previous poster stated....I have attended a UU church with my husband a few times and have come to much the same conclusion. In fact, the "teachings" that my husband has picked up at the UU church have inclined him to call me a bigot because I am not willing to reject my Christian experience of religion....you see, the only way that you can not be bigoted (in their minds) is to believe that all or no belief is the only right belief...so to subscribe to any one way to describe or live out your spiritual life is bigoted or "xenophobic" (afraid of the different). I tried to make an appointment with their head minister, sending an email describing myself as a liberal christian who had great respect for people of other faiths but felt that it was perfectly natural for everyone to worship God ("the spirit") in the tradition they have learned over their life....he not only never responded to my email, but acts uncomfortable around me in person as if he thinks I am a bad person and not someone he cares to talk to.....so apparently, to the UU, the idea of a liberal, tolerant, loving and accepting person who works for social justice and loves peace WHO DESCRIBES THEMSELVES AS CHRISTIAN is to be avoided at all costs......thanks, UU's, for introducing a whole new style of duplicity in my life....
Thanks again; I am simply fascinated by pseudo-syncretism. For example, when they claim that the only way that you can not be bigoted (in their minds) is to believe that all or no belief is the only right belief yet, they are holding this belief as the only right belief and not accepting “all” since they reject you, to whatever extent.
We're not for everyone. Any church you go to is just as valid as ours. Some people need a Christian church, some need Jewish, some need a Buddhist Temple...some need the UU church. That's the point of our church. No one path is more valid than anyone else's. You have the right to your beliefs; I have the right to mine. I'm sorry that some people have ruined your view of the UU church. This is a small minority and you cannot judge all UU's by the rudness of a few. That would be like me saying all Christians are fanatics that want to kill everyone that is not a Christian. There are a few people like that, but they are rare. Please do not judge all Unitarian Universalists by the acts of a few.
Get my ebook, "The Apocryphal Jesus," here
Of course, there will be inherent contradictions in UU, since it's goal is to create meaning from plurality.
ReplyDeleteWe rely on binary oppositions to create value and meaning, if you try to do so without oppositions you'd be hard-pressed. I believe UU is an exercise in flexing our pluralistic muscles. The point is to create more play within form and structure of tradition. Yes, it can breakdown and become meaningless, or it can replicate meaning to infinity.
I feel what I refer to as the divine presence of Jesus within me. Some may call that presence Source, Spirit, God, Allah, etc., but they may think that the mere WORD is what is important - hence the UU Church.
ReplyDeleteI was a UU for a while, but found that the mere mention of God or Jesus was highly discouraged and often scoffed at outright by some of the congregation. (Can you imagine any enlightened/spiritual person ridiculing Jesus? At the very least, I can perhaps understand ridicule of certain Church fathers or Popes or whatnot, but Jesus Himself? Wow.) This was the biggest clue to me that the UU Church was not really a church, but a group of people who wanted to have a church-like experience in a place where they didn't have to worry about being burdened by any particular teachings or insulted by mere mentions of certain types of faiths - especially Christian.
Most UU services I attended were rife with political overtones and sermons were largely based on whatever the minister happened to be interested in that week: sea lions, dancing, yoga, trips to Europe, etc. I'm not kidding.
I left the UU's when I could not stand the intolerance toward my spiritual path, and started attending a local Christian church where I have felt much more at home. In love we worship the God of Love and we work together to spread that Love to a hurting world through the many ministries of the church.
I am an extremely liberal person (voted for Obama) who was saddened to witness the UU's intolerant attidude towards Christianity. How a church with such LIBERAL ideals can reject the most LIBERAL teachings from the man who was LOVE embodied is just beyond me. It smacks of the same religious intolerance that they accuse other religions of.
Just my opinion.
What a fascinating tale, though in keeping with the pseudo-tolerance of the pseudo-syncretistic.
ReplyDeleteaDios,
Mariano
I am a liberal Christian as the previous poster stated....I have attended a UU church with my husband a few times and have come to much the same conclusion. In fact, the "teachings" that my husband has picked up at the UU church have inclined him to call me a bigot because I am not willing to reject my Christian experience of religion....you see, the only way that you can not be bigoted (in their minds) is to believe that all or no belief is the only right belief...so to subscribe to any one way to describe or live out your spiritual life is bigoted or "xenophobic" (afraid of the different). I tried to make an appointment with their head minister, sending an email describing myself as a liberal christian who had great respect for people of other faiths but felt that it was perfectly natural for everyone to worship God ("the spirit") in the tradition they have learned over their life....he not only never responded to my email, but acts uncomfortable around me in person as if he thinks I am a bad person and not someone he cares to talk to.....so apparently, to the UU, the idea of a liberal, tolerant, loving and accepting person who works for social justice and loves peace WHO DESCRIBES THEMSELVES AS CHRISTIAN is to be avoided at all costs......thanks, UU's, for introducing a whole new style of duplicity in my life....
ReplyDeleteThanks again;
ReplyDeleteI am simply fascinated by pseudo-syncretism.
For example, when they claim that the only way that you can not be bigoted (in their minds) is to believe that all or no belief is the only right belief yet, they are holding this belief as the only right belief and not accepting “all” since they reject you, to whatever extent.
aDios,
Mariano
We're not for everyone. Any church you go to is just as valid as ours. Some people need a Christian church, some need Jewish, some need a Buddhist Temple...some need the UU church. That's the point of our church. No one path is more valid than anyone else's. You have the right to your beliefs; I have the right to mine. I'm sorry that some people have ruined your view of the UU church. This is a small minority and you cannot judge all UU's by the rudness of a few. That would be like me saying all Christians are fanatics that want to kill everyone that is not a Christian. There are a few people like that, but they are rare. Please do not judge all Unitarian Universalists by the acts of a few.
ReplyDelete