Is That Something To Be Proud Of Unitarian Universalists? i.e. Is Denying, Ignoring & Minimizing My "Prophetic Work" Something To Be Proud Of U*Us?
Montreal Unitarian David Horan asked me a rather foolish Unitarian question as I was engaging in my "alternative spiritual practice" of protesting against UU injustices, abuses and hypocrisy yesterday. I *had* been planning to do a TEA blog post about it anyway but, as it happens, Rev. Roger Jones the Family Minister of the Unitarian Universalist Society of Sacramento, California aka Pastor Cranky gave me a wonderful foil* to play off, and thus my blog post originates as a comment that I just posted in response to his OCCUPY THE COMMON GOOD: HOW CAN WE KEEP FROM SINGING? – UU SERMON blog post on Pastor Cranky's IRONICSCHMOOZER’S WEBLOG -
Yesterday, as I was protesting outside the Unitarian Church of Montreal against the anti-religious intolerance and bigotry that I and too many other people have encountered in the so-called UU World (along with a variety of other UU injustices and abuses including the UUA’s lamentable track record of negligence towards and complicity in all manner of UU clergy misconduct) I pointed out to some Montreal Unitarians entering the church that I have been “Occupying” the sidewalk right outside the Unitarian Church of Montreal since 1998. In pretty much the same breathe I pointed out that I have been preoccupying this “less than perfect” UU church (to say nothing of the UUA) for the same time period, if not somewhat longer. . . Admittedly I have not been protesting every single day since I began what one UU minister long ago called my “alternative spiritual practice”, and another one much more recently described as my “prophetic work”, in the spring of 1998 but I have been there most Sunday morning as well as for numerous special events held at the church on weekdays and Saturdays.
One Montreal UU, attempted to shame me, by asking me -
“Is that something to be proud of?”
I responded by saying yes, it was something to be proud of, and retorted by pointing out to him that every single slogan on my picket signs was solidly supported by evidence and asking him if Montreal Unitarians were proud of all but totally ignoring my legitimate peaceful public protest against UU anti-religious intolerance and bigotry and other UU injustices, abuses and hypocrisy. In hind sight I *should* have pointed out to him that at least one UU minister who is well acquainted with the UUA’s shameful legacy of complicity in all manner of UU clergy misconduct, recently expressed *appreciation* for my “prophetic work”.
You are correct in pointing out that protesters are dangerous in that they are “a danger to the way things are, to the status quo and to our complacency about the decline of the common good in this country.” I am a danger to the shameful “status quo” of the UU World, and disturbing UU complacency about the decline of “the common good” in what UUA president Peter Morales has described as “a tiny, declining, fringe religion.” For over fifteen years Unitarian Universalists have not only obstinately ignored my “prophetic work” but have gone to highly questionable lengths to try to censor and suppress it rather than responding in responsibility to the Spirit that bloweth where it listeth. . .
I hereby ask the congregation of the Unitarian Church of Montreal, ALL UUA leaders including the UUA Board of Trustees, and Unitarian Universalists more generally -
Is that something to be proud of?
Sincerely,
Robin Edgar
P.S. Protesters do in fact have “weapons” in the form of the words that they write on their picket signs and chant in their slogans etc. Indeed sometimes these words can be weapons that are “sharper than knives”. . .
* Aren't you glad I didn't say "a Big Fat U*U Foil" U*Us? :-)
Yesterday, as I was protesting outside the Unitarian Church of Montreal against the anti-religious intolerance and bigotry that I and too many other people have encountered in the so-called UU World (along with a variety of other UU injustices and abuses including the UUA’s lamentable track record of negligence towards and complicity in all manner of UU clergy misconduct) I pointed out to some Montreal Unitarians entering the church that I have been “Occupying” the sidewalk right outside the Unitarian Church of Montreal since 1998. In pretty much the same breathe I pointed out that I have been preoccupying this “less than perfect” UU church (to say nothing of the UUA) for the same time period, if not somewhat longer. . . Admittedly I have not been protesting every single day since I began what one UU minister long ago called my “alternative spiritual practice”, and another one much more recently described as my “prophetic work”, in the spring of 1998 but I have been there most Sunday morning as well as for numerous special events held at the church on weekdays and Saturdays.
One Montreal UU, attempted to shame me, by asking me -
“Is that something to be proud of?”
I responded by saying yes, it was something to be proud of, and retorted by pointing out to him that every single slogan on my picket signs was solidly supported by evidence and asking him if Montreal Unitarians were proud of all but totally ignoring my legitimate peaceful public protest against UU anti-religious intolerance and bigotry and other UU injustices, abuses and hypocrisy. In hind sight I *should* have pointed out to him that at least one UU minister who is well acquainted with the UUA’s shameful legacy of complicity in all manner of UU clergy misconduct, recently expressed *appreciation* for my “prophetic work”.
You are correct in pointing out that protesters are dangerous in that they are “a danger to the way things are, to the status quo and to our complacency about the decline of the common good in this country.” I am a danger to the shameful “status quo” of the UU World, and disturbing UU complacency about the decline of “the common good” in what UUA president Peter Morales has described as “a tiny, declining, fringe religion.” For over fifteen years Unitarian Universalists have not only obstinately ignored my “prophetic work” but have gone to highly questionable lengths to try to censor and suppress it rather than responding in responsibility to the Spirit that bloweth where it listeth. . .
I hereby ask the congregation of the Unitarian Church of Montreal, ALL UUA leaders including the UUA Board of Trustees, and Unitarian Universalists more generally -
Is that something to be proud of?
Sincerely,
Robin Edgar
P.S. Protesters do in fact have “weapons” in the form of the words that they write on their picket signs and chant in their slogans etc. Indeed sometimes these words can be weapons that are “sharper than knives”. . .
* Aren't you glad I didn't say "a Big Fat U*U Foil" U*Us? :-)
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