'Famous' UUs, reactions to Knoxville, 'post-Christian' UUA, and more

Can you be a famous UU without mentioning your religion?

At "Rev. Cyn," the Rev. Cynthia Landrum wonders why the late Randy Pausch, who became famous for his inspirational "Last Lecture," didn't explicitly identify his religion as Unitarian Universalism in his lecture or book. "It's a sad commentary on our faith when you suspect someone is a UU because they specifically don't say so" (August 5, 2008). The UUA featured an interview with Pausch on its website shortly after his death on July 25.

Going to church after the Knoxville shooting

Chalicechick writes at "The Chaliceblog": "Today in church, we did something really great. We prayed for the guy who shot up the congregation in Tennessee" (August 3, 2008).

Massmarrier, of "Marry in Massachusetts," also went to church the week after the deadly shooting at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church in Knoxville. But he thinks his UU minister overreacted to the shooting. The sermon he heard trafficked in "pseudo-empathy," he writes, with the minister making two dubious points:

• Each of us is at daily risk, as surely as if we lived in a war zone.
• If it happened in a Knoxville UU church, it would happen anytime in any UU church.

Well, no, damn it, no! . . . Equating the minor inconveniences and elevating the fears of the most privileged with the very real dangers to the most imperiled is not fair or reasonable or respectful. Projecting that a lone loony could appear at any moment out among the wealthy white suburbs intent on violence is more likely self-absorption. (August 4, 2008)

Myths of the UU past

UU history buff PolityWonk responded to Sara Robinson's post about Unitarian Universalism's progressive past (mentioned in last week's blog roundup), taking issue with Robinson's claim that "UUs, along with the Congregationalists and Quakers, have been at the beating heart of American liberalism since before the country was founded." PolityWonk responds:

What she is referring to are not Unitarian and Universalist values, but Enlightenment values. They have appeared most commonly in what was once known as "mainline religion," and are heavily tied up not with being utopianist, but with being middle class. (August 9, 2008)

She then discusses several unsavory moments in Unitarian history.

'Post-Christian' label provokes outcry

In the aftermath of the July 27 shooting in Knoxville, many news stories have looked at how UUs are responding to what police have characterized as a politically-motivated attack on "liberals." A Washington Post story on this topic got some UU bloggers' dander up—over UUA spokesperson Janet Hayes's characterization of the religion. The Post reported August 2:

The denomination considers itself "post-Christian," [Hayes] said. "We include the teaching of Jesus and we appreciate the wisdom of the Bible, but we don't limit our sources of inspiration to the Christian faith."

The Rev. Scott Wells, a UU minister and Universalist Christian, took issue at "Boy in the Bands": "'[P]ost-Christian' is a theological delimiter that singles out and minimizes Christians within Unitarian Universalism. It's not a term of pluralism but triumphalism, and has no place in the Unitarian Universalist Association's official communications" (August 3, 2008). More than 30 comments explore the nuances of the term and debate whether it accurately (or positively) describes the pluralism of modern Unitarian Universalism.

The Rev. Joseph Santos-Lyons launched a second round of conversation at "Radical Hapa" when he endorsed "post-Christian." In the comments, he observed: "I don't seem to hear much in UU circles (ministers chat, seminary, in writings or elsewhere to the best of my knowledge) about us trying to reclaim or redefine christianity in progressive terms. Seems that is the role of the UCC and DOC, and that the UUA has moved out of that realm since the merger, or before" (August 4, 2008).

Patrick McLaughlin responded to the debate with humor: "Succinct, useful term desired, must communicate accurately, not exclude, offend or tend to deceive. No experience necessary. Apply to UUA.org. Competitive salary and benefits."

Matt, at the UK-based "Unknown Root," argued that Unitarian Universalism "is no longer an explicitly Christian community but a conglomeration of various religious (and political) liberals, often competing for space." In a subsequent post, he suggested jettisoning the historical names "Unitarian" and "Universalist" for something more overtly pluralistic: "A new association for the 'free religious' would have continuity with Unitarian-Universalist history but possibly break the negative cycle of debate that seems to take up a great deal of energy within UU communities" (August 5, 2008).

Redefining contraception; reconsidering the chastity movement

At "Beacon Broadside," sociologist Carole Joffe, author of Doctors of Conscience: The Struggle to Provide Abortion Before and After Roe V. Wade, condemned a draft regulation from the Bush administration that would redefine most forms of contraception as abortion. Laura at "Biddies In My Brain" responded, saying the proposed action by the Bush administration would affect her personally. (August 5, 2008)

Meanwhile, doctoral student Elizabeth, writing at "Elizabeth's Little Blog," suggests that feminist critics of the sexual purity movement oversimplify the motivations of supporters of abstinence-only sex ed, chastity pledges, and other attempts to keep teens from having sex.

I think there is something to be said for the path this gives girls/young women to reject sexualization/commercialization of bodies by saying, “I am keeping my body to myself until I am with the person who will love me my whole life.” This is not the way I would go and I would quibble with the way this is framed/how accurate this, but I think some girls/young women see it like this, and I think some young men also see it as a way not to sexualize/exploit women, and a way to honor their whole selves. . . . How can we honor these, at the least, good intentions, while at the same time making space for a different way of understanding/framing sexuality and bodies? (August 5, 2008)