Can an Atheist Be a Unitarian Universalist? (Part 1)

[rug]

Adam Lee on November 9, 2011, 7:17 AM

As I've mentioned in the past, my wife and I have for several years been attending a Unitarian Universalist church in the New York area. Unitarian Universalism is officially a religion without faith or creed: its foundational seven principles are only about acting morally, and none of them specify belief in God as a requirement. By some estimates, as many as 46% of UUs are atheists, and the church as a whole supports marriage equality, secularism and other progressive causes, which makes it the perfect fit for someone like me - or so I thought.

My doubts were precipitated by a book called A Chosen Faith, which seeks to set out what it is that Unitarian Universalists believe. Beacon Press, the official publishing arm of the Unitarian Universalist Association, calls it "the classic introductory text on Unitarian Universalism". One of its two authors, Forrest Church, is now deceased, but was the minister of All Souls, a New York City-based church that's one of the largest and most influential UU congregations in America. The other author, John A. Buehrens, was president of the Unitarian Universalist Association from 1993 to 2001 and is still an active minister in a UU congregation in Massachusetts.

I didn't read A Chosen Faith when I first started attending a UU church, which was an oversight on my part. But a few months ago, I got into a conversation in a thread on Butterflies & Wheels with a commenter who goes by Rieux (I bet some of you recognize that name!), who had some eye-opening comments about what was in it. Spurred by Rieux's comments, I set out to read the book for myself. It wasn't long before I saw exactly what he had been talking about.

Each chapter of A Chosen Faith is about one of the sources from which UUs have drawn ethical and spiritual inspiration. And when it comes to traditional, mainstream religions like Judaism and Christianity, or even New Age "earth-centered" belief systems, Church and Buehrens have nothing but praise and good things to say. But then there's the chapter on secular humanism. In it, the authors grudgingly recognize that atheism has a place in Unitarian Universalism, but they pound home a message about how dangerous it is, how we have to be sure not to rely on it too much, how we have to take extreme care to recognize its limitations. They call skepticism a "mercury pill": a useful medicine in small doses, a deadly poison if you take too much. (See Rieux's article for a much more detailed review of the anti-atheist language throughout the book.)

http://bigthink.com/ideas/41021

[elleng]

1. Yes, most are,

according to a UU friend of mine; 'god' died in UU world in 1922, that is, the WORD is not used in the liturgy, but UUs are welcome to believe ANYTHING.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

2. Absolutely. I attended a couple of services at a Unitarian Church in Miami, FL...

And there were oodles of atheists there. It is open to beliefs, even atheist beliefs.

[beam me up scottie]

3. Is this text widely available?

If not maybe it should be.

[Jim__]

4. Will you post John Buehrens reply?

I'd really like to read that.

[rug]

5. Apparently he'll post it in Part 2.

"In an upcoming post, I'll reveal what it said."

I'll keep an eye out for it.

[Jim__]

28. John Buehrens reply.

I didn't know if you'd want a separate thread for this, rug, but Buehrens reply could definitely spark some interest in this forum. He opens by cataloging some historical catastrophes that followed attempts to eliminate religion. Then he takes on the new atheists:

...

I have a great deal of respect for MOST atheists. I usually ask them, "Tell me about this god that you don't believe in." It's often a caricature that I do not believe in either. But when the so-called "new atheists," who are mostly over-grown spiritual adolescents fighting their parents' gods while pretending to be intellectuals, spout hatred toward all religion, I feel called to push back. There are, and always have been, open and more progressive forms of religion. Unitarian Universalism is not only progressive and open, but rather relentlessly so; and non-violent, except when pushed to abolish slavery or protect basic democracy and human rights. Which does not mean tyrants have not tried to silence, kill or marginalize voices like ours.

Religion, like anything else, can be misused. But when conflicts arise it is rarely if ever the spiritual core of religion that is to blame. It is conflict over economic and political power into which real religion is then dragged, abused and distorted.

We stand for the real, ethical, spiritual core or religion across confessional and tribal.. We have plenty of room even for authentic, non-violent "atheists" or skeptics. But I will not allow those filled with murderous hatred of religion to get away with pretending that zealous atheism has not at times been a demonic pseudo-religion.

more ...

Adam Lee sounds a bit over-sensitive to me.

[rug]

29. Thanks. I justed posted Part 2 and was coming back to post it here also.

[cleanhippie]

6. Just goes to show, we atheists are beset on all sides.

My UU fellowship is mostly atheists and humanists, thats why I go there.

[mike_c]

7. anything that calls itself a "religion" and which meets in "churches"...

...is incompatible with atheism, IMO. Yes, I understand that it's all semantics and we could just as easily call "brothels" "churches" or even "sunday schools." Language evolves. Just look at what it once meant when one professed to be "gay."

But that's a lame argument, I think. The terms "religion," "church," "clergy," and so on have clear connotations and a strong semantic tradition. That's one reason atheists mostly reject the notion that atheism is another sort of "religion"-- can it belong to that semantic tradition when it rejects its underpinnings completely? Can we call prisons "freedom houses" because prisoners there are free to reflect on the mistakes of their pasts? Why would we, frankly, unless we're trying to cover something up or create some new meme-- both circumstances that argue against the semantic equivalence of "atheism" and "religion?"

It seems to me that UU atheists are either closet deists OR they're seeking something other than religious thinking from their UU attendance. A sense of belonging, membership in a group? There are lots of other places to seek that, and again, it seems odd that atheists would seek such company in something that calls itself a church.

At any rate, I'm an atheist and I have zero interest in UU or any other "religion."

[Nay]

9. To be clear, many UU 'churches' are actually called 'fellowships' for just

that reason. The 'church' is a holdover from when UU was a Christian denomination, and it truly is a historical artifact for most present-day UU buildings.

[mike_c]

10. which still begs the question...

...why would atheists dress up like religionists and mimic their rituals, traditions, meetings, whatever? Their "fellowship?"

I mean, clearly they do-- that's established in the OP and in some of the responses, where there is ample evidence that atheists make up a large proportion of many UU fellowships. It just doesn't make any sense to me. It's like hanging out with neo-nazi skinheads because you reject fascism. That's not meant to compare UU fellowships to nazis, of course-- it's a metaphor (preemptive disclaimer for the metaphor impaired!).

[cleanhippie]

13. I go to a UU fellowship because that is where I find other people like me.

Mostly atheists and humanists, we all have the same naturalistic worldview.


Its nice to be around like-minded folks, no? Isn't that why we are on DU?

[mike_c]

14. I completely understand....

I do that among my colleagues, generally. Being all academic scientists, we tend to have similar humanist perspectives.

It's something of a sad commentary about human society though that atheists in other settings feel the need to-- in essence-- join their own "church" in order to find like minded people. Being so closely tied to academia I suppose I tend to forget that atheism and secularism are not the default condition. Of the hundred or so faculty that I interact with fairly regularly in my college, I'd guess that fewer than twenty percent identify as religious-- at least, that's the impression they give, which is pretty much just as good as living in a fully secular society. I'd be hard pressed to identify either a devoutly religious person among my immediate colleagues, or a republican, for that matter. I live a charmed life....

[kwassa]

18. I agree. Do the atheists still sing the hymns? Why? Can't they create their own fellowships?

Why not an ethical society, or something else.

I find it very strange that UUs retain many of the structures of the Protestant church service, yet none of the content.

[Nay]

8. Heck, yes. Mr Nay and I were members in another state for many

years, and we're atheists. The only reason we don't go any more is that the UU church available to us just doesn't suit us.

[YankeyMCC]

11. One of the Roshi's of my Zen Center is a UU Minister and Atheist nt

[rosesaylavee]

12. There is NO one text that defines Unitarian Universalism

Have attended our local Society or 'church' for 16 years. We have atheists, buddhists, hindus, muslims, christians, jews, etc. all attend services together. It's not a big deal that people of like mind and like focus would want to seek each other out and work together to create a better community. Technically, that's what religion is about and all groups have their rituals. As a congregational based group, the rituals are agreed upon and or changed as needed but are usually meaningful to the majority.

Not sure why this author has chosen THAT book as the definitive text. I have read most of it as many other UU books and some parts of it I like and some parts - not so much.

[NMMNG]

15. If they choose to be

It's up to the individual. :shrug:

[eridani]

16. Why not? Being UU is not about what you believe

Local UU churches that I know have atheist, Christian and pagan caucuses.

[kwassa]

22. You met Christians in a Unitarian church? Where was that?

Never heard of that before.

[eridani]

23. Des Moines, WA

Many Christians like the emphasis on social justice, and the UU church is closer to them than UCC or other liberal churches.

[kwassa]

24. It is just interesting ....

I grew up Unitarian, and visited maybe 20 Unitarian churches around the country.

It is common to find an anti-Christian tendency among many Unitarians. I have personally never met Unitarians who professed to be Christians, or seen any Christian signs or symbols in the churches I attended. Also, no use of the G-word.

[skepticscott]

17. A ham sandwich

Could be a Unitarian Universalist. What's your point?

[kickysnana]

19. Definition Circa 1966: Unitarian is an Athiest who cannot kick the habit of church...

per my late Dad :hi:

[MemeSmith]

20. Try being a Zen Pagan...

www.zenpagan.org

It's an openly atheist religion from the outset. No ambiguities.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

21. I've been a UU for thirty years. Met lots of atheists, agnostics and pagans.

Unitarian Universalism is unique because it is a non-creedal denomination.

[toddaa]

25. Seriously? Atheist bashing by UU proxy...

Unless you are a UU, butt out.

I have committed myself to participating in UU Wellspring, despite my reservations over its strong theological bent. Yet, I have benefitted greatly from it, even as a godless heathen. No one in my local UU congregation has ever told me I don't belong, even when I push the limits of their tolerance. I deeply treasure a space where I can be completely open with people I vehemently disagree with philosophically, and yet still be not only accepted, but valued. Your hate cannot take that away from me.

Why do I get the feeling this is going to transition from a hate on atheists to a UU is not a real church topic...

[rug]

26. Butt out?

Find an echo chamber. This was written by a UU. And you say believers feel persecuted. :eyes:

[dmallind]

27. Books far more central to other faiths say far worse things about their own members

Women go to churches where the foundational holy text, not a modern primer, tells them they should shut up and be submissive for example. Being told secularism must be taken in moderation (how do you actually DO that, if you wanted to? Sort of not take supernatural clains on faith for a bit, but then give in?) is a far milder criticism than is found of almost all churchgoers in their own scripture.