UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM:
CELEBRATION OF PLURALISM, OR JUST "LOOSEY-GOOSEY?
February 21, 2002The Reverend Anne Felton Hines
I have a niece and nephew-in-law who have recently begun to attend a Presbyterian Church near their home in Northern California. One of the activities at the church that has engaged my nephew-in-law is the men's group, which the minister leads. Apparently in one of their meetings, they were discussing different religious traditions with the minister, and Jeff said to him, "My wife's aunt is a Unitarian minister; what do they believe?" The minister thought for a moment, and then, very diplomatically, answered, "Well...they're good folks; they share some of our beliefs and values. They're a little loosey-goosey, but...."
Now, I'm not sure just what he meant by that. It could be he was referring to our organizational structure which, in the eyes of ministers do most other traditions; instead, we have seven "Principles," –in more hierarchical traditions, might seem a bit "loosey-goosey!" Apparently some man once was asked if he belonged to any organized religion, and he responded, "Oh no; I'm a Unitarian Universalist."
Some of this is manifested through our anti-authoritarianism, which UUs have tended to raise to a high art form, especially on the West Coast; I have even caught glimpses of it here at Emerson! The first congregation I served used to love recalling how, when I came there as their first minister in their 25-year history, they'd only allow me to preach once a month -- so afraid were they that this new preacher would come in and take over! The decision to move me to twice a month came only after a survey was taken to see whether people wanted that or not. By the time I left there, I was responsible for the normal three services a month; but it was a slow process!
And while they tell this story with affectionate chuckles, it does point to both a fear of unbridled authority, and a celebration of what our Unitarian ancestors called "the Priesthood of all believers" -- the idea that wisdom is spread among us all, and does not rest with just the ordained clergy. It also points to our commitment to the democratic process -- our 5th UU Principle. Not only are the most important decisions -- including the choice of a minister -- usually made by the members of a congregation; they are voted upon only after there's been ample opportunities for you to educate yourselves on the issues, and voice your opinions -- at least, that is the ideal. We have no bishops who choose our leaders, or decide what stands to take on important social issues; it's all up to you, the laity.
But I suspect that the real reason my niece's minister called us "loosey-goosey" had to do with our theology -- with our beliefs, or lack thereof. For that is where non-UUs seem to have the most difficulty with us; they just can't figure out what the heck we believe!
Several years ago, after performing a wedding ceremony for a non-UU couple, one of the guests approached me and asked what religion I was representing. When I told him Unitarian Universalism, he said, "Uni-what?" with a quizzical look on his face. "Unitarian Universalism," I sighed, bracing myself for the next question: "What's that?" So I began my standard explanation: "A religion which evolved out of the Christian tradition, which believes there are many paths to religious understanding, blahdy, blahdy, blah...." Finally, in some exasperation, the man said, "Oh well, we're all Christians!" ... to which I replied: "Well...not necessarily." I explained that UUs see Jesus as a great prophet, but not as God or the Messiah. I said that we turn not only to the life and teachings of Jesus, but to those of the Buddha, Mohammed, and others as well. Now thoroughly confused, the man said, "Oh well...we all believe in the same God!" "Well..." I said, and changed the subject.
It is hard to pin us down theologically. We don't have a Creed as found in the front of our hymnbook, which evolved from a long process carried on in UU congregations across the continent, culminating in a vote by delegates to our General Assembly. And these Principles don't tell us what to believe, but rather what it is we value – what we "affirm and promote." They serve as a guide for how we treat one another, how we treat the earth, and how we envision the world. But they do not tell us anything about the existence or nature of God, about what constitutes sin, or about what happens to us after we die. Those hard questions are left for us to struggle with, individually and as a religious community.
Someone once said that Unitarian Universalism is a questing religion; that we are not a "chosen" people, but a "choosing" people – hence the term "heretics" for us – people who choose what we believe. Ours is a fluid religion, which honors ambiguity and movement, and affirms both science and mystery. And while this may make most people uncomfortable, I find it the most endearing and profound aspect of our faith.
I heard of a woman who was about to go through some classes to join one of the Protestant churches, but finally decided against it because she didn't believe in the creeds. When she informed the minister of her decision, he said, "My dear lady, we don't ask that you believe them; only that you memorize them!" But as with most of us, this woman couldn't recite something she didn't believe, as if she did; she needed to be authentic in her religious practice. She understood what Thomas Paine asserted: "Infidelity doesn't consist in believing or disbelieving; it consists in professing to believe what one doesn't believe."
As Unitarian Universalists, we are called to reject such "infidelity," in every corner of our life – most particularly in the religious corner. This is why there are jokes about UUs praying "to Whom it may concern!"; or being poor hymn-singers, because we're always reading ahead to see if we agree with the words! But these are important distinctions. Rather than signifying a lack of conviction, they point to the fact that we cherish our ability to think, and experience, and sort out, and interpret for ourselves. As both Jesus and the Buddha encouraged their followers, we are lamps unto ourselves, and we let those lamps illuminate the world around us so that we can see more clearly, and help others to see themselves more clearly.
In his book, Challenge of a Liberal Faith, George Marshall affirms that "by joining a Unitarian Universalist church, we recognize that there are no Holy books, but that all ideas that are creative and inspiring and lead to a better life are religious. We recognize that all days are holy...all people sacred...and all life a unity."
But that does leave things pretty wide open – even "loosey-goosey," and one of the concerns about us has been whether we hold anything to be absolute; is there any "Absolute Truth" for a UU? The question is a perfectly valid one; other religions do claim some absolutes: the existence of a god or gods, the nature of evil, what constitutes sin, etc.
And in the early Unitarian and Universalist church, there were some absolutes: the Unitarians believed in one God versus the trinity; the Universalists believed in salvation for all, even the most sinful. And both traditions stood firmly by their belief in the absolute right of every person to read the Bible and interpret it for him or herself, which of course opened up the possibility of challenges to those other two absolutes. Every belief opened up new questions and doubts. This is no different for our faith today; as the sign in front of Throop UU Church in Pasadena used to read: "Have all your answers questioned here!"
The Rev. David Parke has said that "The freedom to define one's faith is sacred and, within the limits of humans, absolute." Is such freedom "loosey-goosey?" I don't think so. Indeed, is it really so different from the Jewish tradition of arguing one theological point, and then saying, "On the other hand...." We, like they, love the argument; we cherish the dialogue.
There is a story of a conversation overheard one day between two women, where one asked the other what Unitarian Universalists believe. Without a moment's hesitation, the second woman replied, "Recycling!" Well, that's pretty true; it's a belief grounded in our seventh Principle – "Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part." But if those two women were to read the current Mission Statement of Emerson Unitarian Universalist Church, they would learn that you believe in the importance of providing "a sanctuary for spiritual freedom and...diversity," and in struggling together "with the moral and ethical questions" of the day.
If they studied your history, they would learn that you're a congregation which believes in not giving up, as you persevere through arson, earthquakes, and a variety of other human dramas, always emerging whole, and stronger than before.
And if they spent time with you, they would witness a people who take worship seriously; who care deeply about one another; who are committed to children – your own, and those in the wider community; and who know that our Unitarian Universalist values cannot remain within these walls, but must be incarnated as we work for justice and healing in the world.
Underlying all this runs an unbroken thread, common among Unitarian Universalists: our absolute commitment to religious pluralism – not just the presence of it, but the nurturance and celebration of it. What we UUs have found in our religious journeys is what Georgia O'Keefe discovered about art: "I thought someone could tell me how to paint a landscape," she said. "But they could only tell me how they painted theirs; only I could paint mine." We passionately support each individual's right to paint their own religious landscape; it is the basis of our 4th Principle: to "affirm and promote a free and responsible search for truth and meaning."
Now...do we UUs always live this value? Oh, no; just like our sisters and brothers in other traditions, we fall short from time to time. A while back my current Board president, Dave Kinnear, sent a letter out over our District e-mail list, decrying the intolerance towards UU Christians that he'd witnessed at a District meeting. He received a number of responses to that letter, each one describing painful experiences of rejection by UUs because they were either UU Christians or political conservatives. In response to this, Dave and I are offering a workshop on Tolerance – or lack thereof -- at our District Assembly next weekend. It's actually titled, "Beyond Tolerance," in hopes of moving people to true "acceptance of one another."
Naming our core values doesn't mean we always live them; it only means they are what we strive to live; they are what "inform" our life together.
Do we believe in God? Some do, and some don't; and some will say, "Depends on your definition." Do we believe in an afterlife? Some do, and some don't; some will say, "Depends on your definition." Are we Christian, Humanist, Jewish, atheist, Buddhist, Pagan? Yes...we are made up of all those...and more. That's the beauty of us; that's the power of our movement. The power to choose, to believe what our own reason and our own heart tells us, and even the power to say, "I don't know."
Is that "loosey-goosey?" Perhaps. But if it is, then I will proudly and with good humor wear the label; perhaps it can be our new "L"-word! For what could be more wonderful than a religion which not only invites, but encourages us to wrestle with the big issues of life, rather than just accepting what someone else says about them? What could be more wonderful than a spiritual home where not only the adults are encouraged to seek their truth, but children are as well, in a loving and safe environment? And what could be more wonderful than a religious community that believes it is in serving others that our values are made manifest – indeed, even through recycling?!
I love this faith of ours. I love it because it encourages me to believe in an unlimited picture of the Eternal – undefinable, but wondrous and powerful and experienced in relationship.
I love this faith because it looks for truth not only in the Bible, but also in the Baghavad-Gita, the
© 2002 Anne Felton Hines. All rights reserved.
