Did you know that there’s more than one kind of General Assembly? Regular General Assemblies are scheduled far in advance these days, but UUs can also call a Special General Assembly and use it to make binding rules or do other business pertaining to the UUA, just like a regular GA. Putting together a Special General Assembly takes organization, but is in some ways surprisingly easy, considering what fraction of UUs is required to call it.
How is a Special General Assembly called?
Filed under Liberal Religious History, Unitarian-Universalism
“Christian truth is infinite. A creed can only be suggestive. Christianity leads on from discovery to discovery in the spiritual universe,–and O how unutterably more precious and glorious is that universe than materiality!–and thus Christianity opens the path of everlasting progress. More and more stars come burning through the azure veil as the eye gains aids to penetrate the far depths above. Christianity can never be exhausted; but while her truths invigorate the mind by healthy and strengthening action, the vastness of her resources for thought will be perceived to be as great after a grand progress has been achieved, as before. Eternal as reason’s power to interpret, will be the ability of Christianity to furnish themes for interpretation; and boundless as the empire of the mind, are the relations of these themes. But Christianity must be made an intellectual study, before the justness of these positions can be perceived, or the eloquence of the testimony of the Apostle fully confessed–”I count all things as loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.”
–Henry Bacon, Practical and Experimental Religion; or the Teachings and Tendencies of Universalism. Providence, RI: Z. Baker, 1942: 27.
Filed under Universalism
The Committee on Socially Responsible Investing of the UUA has had some notable successes in advancing UU values within major corporations. Today’s trivia question was related to some of these recent successes. First of all, Family Dollar agreed to add gender identity to its non-discrimination policies after lobbying by the CSRI. And secondly Home Depot agreed to add sexual orientation to its non-discrimination policies, again after being lobbied to do so by the UUA’s committee. These are actually only a small portion of the actions and successes of the CSRI.
In comments at the UU minister’s blog Peacebang, Patrick Murfin described a threat he sees to Unitarian-Universalism. Patrick has been a longtime observer of and participant in denominational events, and his views deserve to be given serious consideration. And since the issues clearly reflect the types of UU history concerns that this blog was founded to deal with, it seems relevant to tackle them. The conversation is likely to continue at Peacebang as well were the original comments were left, so you may want to follow the link to see how it is developing.
Here are some of Patrick’s comments, excerpted with permission. They are not necessarily reflective of this blog’s opinions, but are offered as part of a significant conversation about UUA history and direction that more UUs should probably be aware of.
“The intellectual mother of the Congregational Polity fundamentalism movement is a respected and beloved—as well as tireless—minister and scholar, Alice Blair Wesley. The manifesto of the movement was her 2000-2001 Mimms Lectures, which summarized decades of thinking, writing, and genteel agitating. That is available in book form as OUR COVENANT—THE LAY AND LIBERAL DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH: THE SPIRIT AND PROMICE OF THE COVENANT, published by Meadville/Lombard.
Many of Alice’s criticisms, rooted in a deep theological and historical understanding of covenantal relationships among the Puritans and their Unitarian descendents resonated with long time critics of UUA governance and—surprisingly—to some insiders within that governance structure. She drew almost exclusively on the polity arising from the New England Standing Order and chose to ignore the separate—and quite different polity and governance traditions—of the Universalists.”
Alice Blair Wesley is indeed a venerable figure in UU circles, both as a minister and with her various contributions to the Unitarian Universalist Historical Society. She remains a regular contributor to the UUHS listserve.
“The problem is that in order to succeed in their governance goals, these folks felt the need to sweep away all non-congregational organs which might function in opposition to their plans. They can argue that the disaffiliated groups are still free to associate and pursue their goals, but by cutting off access to the General Assembly, discounted advertising in UUWORLD, and even simple linkage through the web site they know that many of these groups will whither and die.”
The previous post here at Transient and Permanent detailed how advertising discounts have been restored, but the larger issues here still remain. Even the seemingly most innocuous one–lack of listing on the UUA website–could be a serious problem for ingathering more members for some of these groups. While a Google search might turn them up, you have to know to search for such a group in the first place. Whereas surfing around the UUA previously would’ve introduced you, say, to the fact that there is a group of UU Buddhists, and you could follow the links to learn more.
“The excesses of this movement have now driven me to become the dirtiest word in the Congregational Polity fundamentalist lexicon—a “denominationalist.” Because what they are creating is an absurd world where there are no Unitarian Universalists, only book signed members autonomous congregations. When ever any one ceases for any reason, even temporarily, to be a member of a congregation they are to have no access to the UUA and its services and the UUA is to have no interest in them.”
Lest readers think Patrick is exaggerating here, there are indeed people who consider authentic UUs to be only those people on the membership rolls at UUA-affiliated churches. Commentators here and on other blogs have affirmed this position, and one encounters it in churches and meetings as well. Under the new shift in UUA culture, this could indeed mean that UUs between congregations are not considered appropriate objects of attention by the UUA. However, there is no other similar large-scale UU organization to advocate for or minister to such persons.
So, what do you think? Is Congregational Fundamentalism a real movement? Does it indeed pose the level of threat that Patrick sees? If so, what might/must be done to meet this challenge? Or do you see things differently? If so, what is your take on this issue?
Filed under Liberal Religious History, Unitarian-Universalism
When the UUA removed most Independent Affiliates from the list, there was a lot of consternation. The opposition mainly boiled down to three results of the action: 1) former IAs would not be able to advertise in UU World at discounted rates, 2) former IAs would find their role at GA reduced, and 3) former IAs would lose (intangible) status and legitimacy conferred by being associated with the UUA.
Many people may be unaware that less than two months ago UU World re-instituted discounted rates for former IAs. In fact, their policy is more liberal than it was before: one need not be a (former) IA to take advantage of the big discount. Any UU group that isn’t organized on a for-profit basis will now receive the discount (all former IAs included). The new discount rate is 10% higher than that for official IAs, but still very substantially lower than the ordinary advertising rate.
Work is also being done to ensure (former) IAs continue to have a presence at GA. As for legitimacy, that’s a harder thing to quantify. For some groups it is important, for other (former) IAs it is inconsequential. The range of reactions to the move by the UUA Board is probably most reflective of how different (former) IAs consider this issue. This is the emotional side of the issue, after all, and likely the one that efforts at mollification by the UUA will be least effective on.
Filed under Liberal Religious History, Unitarian-Universalism
Unitarian-Universalists have been leaders in welcoming people with alternate sexual orientations and gender identities, and have been active in pushing for greater acceptance and protection of such persons in the wider society. One way in which this is pursued is by lobbying major corporations to adopt queer-friendly company policies.
The UUA has scored some major victories on this front recently, as either the sole or co-petitioner to some of the largest companies in North America. We’ll quiz you on a couple of them for today’s trivia challenge:
What discount store chain, after petitioning by the UUA, agreed to add gender identity to its non-discrimination policies? What hardware company agreed to add sexual orientation to its non-discrimination policies?
“Man is a strange being. Were there no other evidence of this fact, the opposition which is every where manifested against the doctrine of Universalism would be sufficient to prove it. The untiring efforts to destroy the holiest faith and sublimest truth that ever inspired the minds of men or angels–the immortality and blessedness of a world–are, in almost every instance, but so many evidences that man is but a groveling, selfish being–alike blind to his best interests, and ungrateful to the God who made him!
–J. Henry Jordan, Review of Alexander Hall Against Universalism. Indianapolis: E. Manford, 1848: 1.
Filed under Universalism
With a bit of team effort, all three questions were answered (in perhaps excessive detail. . .). Patrick correctly stated that the problem started over some explicit sexual photographs, especially, as Ms. Theologian pointed out, the one with the man tasting his own semen. Other pictures that were seen as objectionable by some including the same man masturbating, and various couples (opposite sex and otherwise) engaged in sexual activities.
As Philocrites described, the About Your Sexuality program became nationally infamous after Bryant Gumbel featured it on his short-lived tabloid news show “Public Eye” on CBS in 1997. The program was brought to his attention by several parents who–despite signing release forms for their children that included stated that they’d attended the orientation sessions and were comfortable with the explicit nature of AYS–were shocked when their kids told them they were being shown explicit photographs at church as part of the program. They tried to interest various legal and media entities in their outrage, but in the end only Gumbel bit the hook. The resulting story wasn’t very contextual. AYS’s replacement, Our Whole Lives, was already being field-tested at this point, but Gumbel’s story surely helped to put AYS to rest much quicker.
Let’s talk about sex. Specifically About Your Sexuality. This was a sex-education program published in 1970 by the UUA. These days it has been phased out in favor of Our Whole Lives, a much more comprehensive and up-to-date program. But AYS had a long run, and was still in use nearly 30 years after it was originally published.
Naturally, About Your Sexuality eventually ran into some controversy. In the late 1990s there was a very public attempt to sensationalize the church’s teaching of SEX to children by a television tabloid program.
What was it that was objected to most strenuously by some church parents, according to the program?
Extra bonus question: Who was the host of the failed tabloid show?
Extra, extra bonus question: What was the name of that long-forgotten show?
Filed under Liberal Religious History, Unitarian-Universalism
“The highest degree of moral excellence of which human beings are capable, consists in imitating that perfect and glorious Being who is impartially good to his offspring; blessing them all, the evil and the good, the thankless and the thankful. Those whose conduct bears the most striking resemblance to the examples of the Great Father, are best entitled to the name of his children. If we love only those who love us, we are no better than publicans. Hence we are commanded to be as perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect; or in the words of an Apostle, ‘Be ye followers of God as dear children.’”
–George Truesdale Flanders, Review of Alexander Hall’s “Universalism Against Itself.” E.C. Church: Zanesville, OH, 1847: 118.
Filed under Universalism
