January 2008 News from Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Visalia

This past Sunday, my husband shared his views on evangelism with the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Rock Tavern (in Orange County, NY). As the presentation spilled over into discussion, several members shared their experiences of discovering the UU faith, along with their hesitations (or enthusiasm) about spreading the word.

One woman expressed a particular view that she often invited people to hear specific presentations on topics of interest. However, she had difficulty spreading "UUism" since she did not view it as a religion. Another man ( a long dedicated member to the congregation) echoed her opinion, calling himself 'areligious' and referring to UUism as his 'life philosophy'.

I wonder how many others share their hesitation to call Unitarian Universalism a religion? And I wonder if this hesitation may in fact be contributing to the sense of anonymity that UU's often feel in the religious world. (i.e.--the fact that 60% of Americans haven't even heard of us, that we are often just stuffed into the "Christian--other" category on surveys...) It makes me wonder: If we want to grow and are seeking to spread the word, mustn't we first define who we are?

I believe that the hesitation of some to define UUism as a religion comes from a mistaken perception of religion itself. I believe it is a certain fallacy derived from a Christian Westerner's lens. Modern Christianity defines itself based on creed or belief. A Christian Westerner's lens then proceeds to define other religions from that same viewpoint. While some aspects of the main world religions may be defined by shared beliefs, there are several other attributes that religions share that do not involve a creed. And in fact, there is much more diversity in the belief systems of many adherents of a given religion (i.e. Buddhism or Hinduism) than is first assumed from the Christian Westerner's lens.

Another hesitancy to define UUism as a religion may stem from a negative perception of religions as hierarchical or conformist. Many UU's define themselves as "spiritual, not religious" in order to separate themselves from the political aspects of religion, as it is often represented in the media and in our modern consciousness. We do not want to be associated with televangelists or the religious right, so we disconnect our communities altogether from the religious world.

I believe that both approaches are missed opportunities for transformation. And I believe that transformation is, in actuality, the primary goal and reason that religion exists--to move and challenge us and our society to a more spiritual and ethical way of life! The first approach prevents a transformation of consciousness, as we are not aware of the lens with which we perceive our definitions. It maintains bias. The second prevents a transformation of culture, as we do not allow our communities to represent the religious world. It allows the viewpoints of the religious right to represent ALL religion in America, while the rest of us remain silent.

In all fairness, I am not accusing those who hold these particular perceptions of religion. I believe that UUism itself is emerging, and hesitancy to self-define may be the result of this recent emergence, along with our own innate dislike for labels and categories, and with our treasured diversity. After all, can we as UU's speak for all UU's? When there is such diversity in thinking, how do we create a united front?

Many of my questions stand unanswered. I believe that Unitarian Universalism is a religion. In general, a religion manifests to some degree the following eight elements: belief system (or worldview); community; central myths; ritual; ethics; characteristic emotional experiences; material expression; and sacredness. Personally, I see our strengths: community, ethics, and sacredness. I also see the diversity of our belief system as something central to a shared worldview--an existential viewpoint perhaps that many truths may coexist, that contradictions exist in the world. That is tough to comprehend, and we're not all there yet...but have you ever tried to comprehend the Trinity??? Religions are notorious for tough belief systems.

Looking at this list it is also easy to see where we fall short-- our rituals and myths, for instance, seem largely underdeveloped. As I mentioned before, we are an "emerging" religion. I believe there is great movement to develop these more fully, as emerging from our own human experiences--rather than simply "cherry-picking" from other world religions.

I believe we are young, discovering our voice, coming into our own. We have so much room to grow. I also feel that our identity is tied very strongly to the democratic experience, and that we are planted in rich soil. As for the question, what is Unitarian Universalism? My personal response depends on who asks. I tell my Jewish friend: We are covenantal, not creedal. I tell my Buddhist friend: We are nontheistic, and emphasize right relation. I tell my Christian friend: We seek peace and justice and love.

They get it. There is a common chord in all our faiths, a spirituality that calls us to change, to become people of empathy and compassion. Karen Armstrong writes in The Great Transformation" about these religions, which emerged during the Axial Age: "what mattered was not what you believed but how you behaved. Religion was about doing things that changed you at a profound level." (xviii)

In my book, this is still what religion is all about

Sunday Program Descriptions