The Anti-Pagan Intolerance And Bigotry Of *Some* "Humanist" U*Us Is Currently Being Discussed On The Wild Hunt Blog. . .
I have spoken about the specifically anti-pagan intolerance and bigotry of the "fundamentalist atheist" subset of U*U "Humanists" in the past but the subject has raised its ugly head on a recent blog post on Jason Pitzl-Waters' 'The Wild Hunt' blog which is somewhat ironically titled 'The Future of Unitarian-Universalism and other Pagan News of Note'. . .
The comments about anti-pagan intolerance and bigotry began before I weighed in with my own two cents worth but I seem to have stirred the witches' cauldron as it were. . .
Here are some of the most *telling* comments -
Cindy Wilson - I have not had all pleasant experiences with the UUs I have visited. While it seems to me as a generality that UUs are accepting of all; I can name one UU church in particular where prior to 2007 the "humanists" decided that the CUUPs (Pagan group) were an embarrassment simply for being Pagan. The CUUPs was disenfranchised and the minister fired for trying to meditate (sic) and find a workable solution. The Pagans left by default since they were not welcomed nor wanted by the click (sic) in power. Seemed like an oxymoron to me when I considered that 'humanist' is non-religious by definition and I never quite understand the apparent 'witch hunt' and insults.
Harmonyfb - Back when my husband and I were attending the local UU church, I had a Humanist call me a "superstitious ninny" to my face.
Robin Edgar - Well that's not in the least bit surprising to me. . .
The "Humanist" UU minister of my UU "church" contemptuously dismissed my monotheistic aka *Unitarian* religious beliefs as being nothing but "silliness and fantasy", went on to intolerantly and abusively label a quite profound revelatory religious experience that I was trying to explain to him as "your psychotic experience" and angrily demanded that I seek "professional help". . . As if that was not enough he falsely and maliciously labeled an inter-religious celebration of Creation that I had quite successfully organized as "your cult". He later preached a sermon in which he dogmatically asserted that God is "a non-existent being" and that belief in God "seems primitive".
Harmonyfb - if all the Pagans left our small congregation, there'd be next to no one left. At one point, a good half the active Board members were Pagan or Pagan leaning.
::laugh:: At the time that happened, I was on the board, along with another Pagan member.
But that particular Humanist was responsible for my husband leaving the UU church in disgust because of his anti-Christian rants (from the pulpit, as he was the default sermon-maker whenever the minister was out.)
Robin Edgar - And Unitarian Universalists can't seem to figure out why they are "a tiny, declining, fringe religion". . .
Not that there are not some other reasons for U*U stagnation and decline, but it should be a "no-brainer" that the anti-Christian and broader anti-religious intolerance and bigotry that is found is so many U*U "churches" is a major contributing factor to the decline, and potential fall. . . of Unitarian Universalism.
Iboudica - The reason the UU of Lubbock threw out the "Pagans" it was the Humanists felt their power slipping. If all the Pagans had become official members they would have taken control of the local "UU". I know I was there and at the time a member of the "worship committe". I tried the UU church and wanted to help, even though they didn't match my polytheist religious beliefs,but left with the rest of the Pagans because of hostility.
Cindy Wilson - Given this article mentions declining UU numbers, I'm glad some places/churches are over their fears of Pagans, and working together. With that said, this has not happened in all cases (and I do refer to the Lubbock. TX where the leadership and guiding members are the same from a decade ago). And as mentioned by others, the Pagans were not the only group insulted mocked and persecuted. People left as a direct result.
Stephen Abbot - One UU group (hardly a "church") I attended for over a year nearly destroyed a woman minister's career because she mentioned "God" in a sermon. And her God was always in FEMALE form! Astoundingly self-destructive, and FAR more common than most people think.
Meganne - I can't speak of where I live now, but the UU society I belonged to (and taught religious education at for quite some time) was basically run by the "secular humanists." That society didn't have a CUUPs group or any earth-centered groups for that matter. I genuinely believe that one of the main problems with many UU congregations is that they are being controlled by those who feel that beliefs outside of hard facts, science, etc really alienates those of us deemed "superstitious."
I haven't been to the congregation where I live now. I've noticed they have an earth-spirituality group, but I've also heard that they tend to run off certain types of Pagans. After the experience I had with the congregation I was a member of, I'm not sure I have the heart to try another.
Sundragon0330 - I was a member of a UU congregation until quite recently. I still have my CLF membership. What I and my Asatru fiance want to know is, why is it not ok for a theist (as my fiance is) to risk offending a UU humanist, but it's ok for UU humanists to go out of their way to offend pagan UU theists? This is the experience we have had - the UUs going out of their way to protect the delicate sensibilities of the humanists while allowing them to run roughshod over the sensibilities of people who are theistic/believe in God or Gods.
Baruch Dreamstalker - I've been watching this thread with growing dismay. I was "present at the creation" of UU Paganism in the 1980s and heard plenty of stories of intolerant UU Humanists then and the congregations they dominated. I'm sad to see how little has changed in 25 years. We may have found the real secret of UU stagnation.
Robin Edgar - There is no question in my mind that the anti-religious intolerance and bigotry of the "fundamentalist atheist" subset of "Humanist" U*Us (be it anti-pagan, anti-Christian, or otherwise anti-theistic) is a major contributing factor to the stagnation, and indeed very real decline. . . of the Unitarian Universalist religious community. I have repeatedly demanded that the UUA firmly and forthrightly address this issue head-on and they have repeatedly failed/refused to do so.
End quotes
BTW There *is* more where that came from, and more comments may be posted there in the future, so I suggest reading the whole blog post and browsing through all of the follow-up comments if you want to enter into a free and responsible search for the Truth and meaning of the anti-pagan, anti-Christian, and more broadly anti-religious intolerance and bigotry of many "Humanist" U*Us.
The comments about anti-pagan intolerance and bigotry began before I weighed in with my own two cents worth but I seem to have stirred the witches' cauldron as it were. . .
Here are some of the most *telling* comments -
Cindy Wilson - I have not had all pleasant experiences with the UUs I have visited. While it seems to me as a generality that UUs are accepting of all; I can name one UU church in particular where prior to 2007 the "humanists" decided that the CUUPs (Pagan group) were an embarrassment simply for being Pagan. The CUUPs was disenfranchised and the minister fired for trying to meditate (sic) and find a workable solution. The Pagans left by default since they were not welcomed nor wanted by the click (sic) in power. Seemed like an oxymoron to me when I considered that 'humanist' is non-religious by definition and I never quite understand the apparent 'witch hunt' and insults.
Harmonyfb - Back when my husband and I were attending the local UU church, I had a Humanist call me a "superstitious ninny" to my face.
Robin Edgar - Well that's not in the least bit surprising to me. . .
The "Humanist" UU minister of my UU "church" contemptuously dismissed my monotheistic aka *Unitarian* religious beliefs as being nothing but "silliness and fantasy", went on to intolerantly and abusively label a quite profound revelatory religious experience that I was trying to explain to him as "your psychotic experience" and angrily demanded that I seek "professional help". . . As if that was not enough he falsely and maliciously labeled an inter-religious celebration of Creation that I had quite successfully organized as "your cult". He later preached a sermon in which he dogmatically asserted that God is "a non-existent being" and that belief in God "seems primitive".
Harmonyfb - if all the Pagans left our small congregation, there'd be next to no one left. At one point, a good half the active Board members were Pagan or Pagan leaning.
::laugh:: At the time that happened, I was on the board, along with another Pagan member.
But that particular Humanist was responsible for my husband leaving the UU church in disgust because of his anti-Christian rants (from the pulpit, as he was the default sermon-maker whenever the minister was out.)
Robin Edgar - And Unitarian Universalists can't seem to figure out why they are "a tiny, declining, fringe religion". . .
Not that there are not some other reasons for U*U stagnation and decline, but it should be a "no-brainer" that the anti-Christian and broader anti-religious intolerance and bigotry that is found is so many U*U "churches" is a major contributing factor to the decline, and potential fall. . . of Unitarian Universalism.
Iboudica - The reason the UU of Lubbock threw out the "Pagans" it was the Humanists felt their power slipping. If all the Pagans had become official members they would have taken control of the local "UU". I know I was there and at the time a member of the "worship committe". I tried the UU church and wanted to help, even though they didn't match my polytheist religious beliefs,but left with the rest of the Pagans because of hostility.
Cindy Wilson - Given this article mentions declining UU numbers, I'm glad some places/churches are over their fears of Pagans, and working together. With that said, this has not happened in all cases (and I do refer to the Lubbock. TX where the leadership and guiding members are the same from a decade ago). And as mentioned by others, the Pagans were not the only group insulted mocked and persecuted. People left as a direct result.
Stephen Abbot - One UU group (hardly a "church") I attended for over a year nearly destroyed a woman minister's career because she mentioned "God" in a sermon. And her God was always in FEMALE form! Astoundingly self-destructive, and FAR more common than most people think.
Meganne - I can't speak of where I live now, but the UU society I belonged to (and taught religious education at for quite some time) was basically run by the "secular humanists." That society didn't have a CUUPs group or any earth-centered groups for that matter. I genuinely believe that one of the main problems with many UU congregations is that they are being controlled by those who feel that beliefs outside of hard facts, science, etc really alienates those of us deemed "superstitious."
I haven't been to the congregation where I live now. I've noticed they have an earth-spirituality group, but I've also heard that they tend to run off certain types of Pagans. After the experience I had with the congregation I was a member of, I'm not sure I have the heart to try another.
Sundragon0330 - I was a member of a UU congregation until quite recently. I still have my CLF membership. What I and my Asatru fiance want to know is, why is it not ok for a theist (as my fiance is) to risk offending a UU humanist, but it's ok for UU humanists to go out of their way to offend pagan UU theists? This is the experience we have had - the UUs going out of their way to protect the delicate sensibilities of the humanists while allowing them to run roughshod over the sensibilities of people who are theistic/believe in God or Gods.
Baruch Dreamstalker - I've been watching this thread with growing dismay. I was "present at the creation" of UU Paganism in the 1980s and heard plenty of stories of intolerant UU Humanists then and the congregations they dominated. I'm sad to see how little has changed in 25 years. We may have found the real secret of UU stagnation.
Robin Edgar - There is no question in my mind that the anti-religious intolerance and bigotry of the "fundamentalist atheist" subset of "Humanist" U*Us (be it anti-pagan, anti-Christian, or otherwise anti-theistic) is a major contributing factor to the stagnation, and indeed very real decline. . . of the Unitarian Universalist religious community. I have repeatedly demanded that the UUA firmly and forthrightly address this issue head-on and they have repeatedly failed/refused to do so.
End quotes
BTW There *is* more where that came from, and more comments may be posted there in the future, so I suggest reading the whole blog post and browsing through all of the follow-up comments if you want to enter into a free and responsible search for the Truth and meaning of the anti-pagan, anti-Christian, and more broadly anti-religious intolerance and bigotry of many "Humanist" U*Us.
Comments
And yes, many of the U*U "Humanists" I know have very thin skins and don't take perfectly valid criticism very well at all. OTOH I can say the same thing about too many "Christian" U*Us too. . .
Thanks for bringing this to light.
May those who have ears, hear.