Go talk to Clyde!
Clyde Grubbs on his blog offers a wonderfully thoughtful post about UU theological diversity and the common thread of humanism that runs through all of our otherwise varied UU approaches to religious understanding. He argues (I think) that it's this common thread of humanism that keeps us from devolving into a Balkanized collection of essentially separate faith communities. (I think he's right, but I also think he's only able to say this, and I'm only able to agree, by defining humanism somewhat differently than the Manifestos do.)
Click the link and enjoy the read. It's definitely worth reading and responding to.
posted by fausto @ 10/21/2005 07:49:00 AM
5 comments
5 Comments:
Humanism's always struck me as prone to bad anthropomorphism. We aren't the universe's Brads and Jennifers and get ourselves into trouble when we think so.
My experience with the common thread through UU's diversity --and its been with just two congregations in Chicago-- was the thread had little to do with beliefs.
Instead I found people wanted a shared time for reverence. Every member wanted a pause at some point during their week to share a sacred moment.
Those with kids wanted to impart that practice to their kids.
I should add even those without kids wanted practice imparted to kids. Kids were important in both UU congreations.
Regrettably it is almost impossible for me to talk to Clyde on his blog. Clyde has "memory holed" every single post that I have made to his blog. Apparently he, like far too many other UUs in positions of power and authority etc., is blissfully unaware of these fine, but evidently quite insincere. . . words from the minister emeritus of the Unitarian Church of Montreal Rev. Charles Eddis -
We jealously guard the right to know, to speak, and to argue freely, according to conscience, within our own church and in society at large. We are opposed to censorship, by church, state, or any other institution. We believe that truth stands the best chance of emerging under conditions of freedom.
I guess those empty words will eventually find their way into the UU religious community's proverbial "memory hole". . .
It looks as though Clyde and several others have recently stated more clearly how they expect visitors posting on their blogs to conduct themselves. By and large, I think their rules of "netiquette" are quite reasonable and fair.
Blogs are not really public forums, but are more in the nature of personal diaries. (Congratulations on launching yours, by the way.) Just because some bloggers allow visitors to offer comment and feedback in response to their personal thoughts and concerns, that doesn't give the rest of us an unfettered right to scribble whatever other impertinent or distracting graffiti we please there.
I don't think it would be impossible for you to talk to Clyde, at least not if you were to restrict your conversation on his blog to the topics that he wants to discuss. It's only when you try to direct his conversation in your own direction that you run afoul.
I have to respectfully disagree with you on this Fausto but I will do it on my The Emerson Avenger blog because you might be tempted to "memory hole" my heavily annoted response if I posted it here. . . ;-) Rev. Clyde Grubbs is clearly part and parcel of the UU religious community's ongoing cover-up and denial of my legitimate criticism and dissent that exposes and denounces obviouys injustices, abuses and hypocrisy within the Unitarian "church" as it were; and not just those that directlt affect me.
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