http://www.patheos.com/blogs/wildhunt/2006/09/unitarian-universalism-and-paganism.html A modern Pagan perspective Fri, 10 Feb 2012 04:46:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 http://www.patheos.com/blogs/wildhunt/2006/09/unitarian-universalism-and-paganism.html#comment-605 Yet Another Anti-Pagan, Anti-Christian, Anti-Religious Unitarian*Universalist “Church”. . . « Beauty Tips For A U*U Minister|Beauty Tips Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:00:55 +0000 http://patheos.com/blogs/wildhunt/2006/09/unitarian-universalism-and-paganism.html#comment-605 [...] had a quick peek at an old post titled Unitarian-Universalism and Paganism on pagan U*U Jason Pitzl-Waters‘ excellent ‘The Wild Hunt’ blog earlier today. [...] [...] had a quick peek at an old post titled Unitarian-Universalism and Paganism on pagan U*U Jason Pitzl-Waters‘ excellent ‘The Wild Hunt’ blog earlier today. [...]

]]> http://www.patheos.com/blogs/wildhunt/2006/09/unitarian-universalism-and-paganism.html#comment-604 Jason Thu, 05 Oct 2006 12:38:00 +0000 http://patheos.com/blogs/wildhunt/2006/09/unitarian-universalism-and-paganism.html#comment-604 This conversation stops here on this blog. I'm not involved enough to make a judgement call, so any further posts on this matter by The Emerson Avenger or "Anonymous" will be deleted. This conversation stops here on this blog. I’m not involved enough to make a judgement call, so any further posts on this matter by The Emerson Avenger or “Anonymous” will be deleted.

]]> http://www.patheos.com/blogs/wildhunt/2006/09/unitarian-universalism-and-paganism.html#comment-603 The Emerson Avenger Thu, 05 Oct 2006 05:17:00 +0000 http://patheos.com/blogs/wildhunt/2006/09/unitarian-universalism-and-paganism.html#comment-603 The above SPAM is the misinformation and disinformation that a certain anonymous member of the Unitarian Church of Montreal sees fit to post in his or her misguided efforts to discredit my legitimate criticim of "Humanist" U*U minister Rev. Ray Drennan's anti-religious intolerance and bigotry and the Unitarian Church of Montreal's unjust, inequitable and uncompassionate punitive responses to my perfectly legitimate grievances. It is highly misleading, seriously distorts the truth, and even contains several outright falsehoods. Anonymous U*U knows this very well now yet he or she continues to post this deceitful disinformation even though <a HREF="http://emersonavenger.blogspot.com/2006/01/my-point-by-point-rebuttal-of.html" rel="nofollow">I thoroughly rebutted it</a> months ago. . . Interestingly enough Rev. Ray Drennan's bigotted attack on <a HREF="http://creationday.homestead.com" rel="nofollow">Creation Day</a>, which he falsely and maliciously labeled as a "cult". . . is a prime example of the kind of anti-religious intolerance and bigotry that fundamentalist atheist "Humanist" U*Us tend to engage in. I find it quite disturbing that the Unitarian Church of Montreal and the greater U*U religious community not only prefer to Deny, Ignore and Minimize this kind of anti-religious intolerance and bigotry but go out of their way to condone it and even <a HREF="http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&rls=GGLR%2CGGLR%3A2006-03%2CGGLR%3Aen&q=Unitarian+%22Diane+Miller%22+and+%22Ray+Drennan%22&btnG=Search" rel="nofollow">effectively endorse it</a>, blame the victim, and go to <a HREF="http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&rls=GGLR%2CGGLR%3A2006-03%2CGGLR%3Aen&q=Unitarians+had+%22Robin+Edgar%22+arrested&btnG=Search" rel="nofollow">highly questionable extreme lengths</a> to punish me in an effort to silence my criticism and dissent. The above SPAM is the misinformation and disinformation that a certain anonymous member of the Unitarian Church of Montreal sees fit to post in his or her misguided efforts to discredit my legitimate criticim of “Humanist” U*U minister Rev. Ray Drennan’s anti-religious intolerance and bigotry and the Unitarian Church of Montreal’s unjust, inequitable and uncompassionate punitive responses to my perfectly legitimate grievances. It is highly misleading, seriously distorts the truth, and even contains several outright falsehoods. Anonymous U*U knows this very well now yet he or she continues to post this deceitful disinformation even though I thoroughly rebutted it months ago. . . Interestingly enough Rev. Ray Drennan’s bigotted attack on Creation Day, which he falsely and maliciously labeled as a “cult”. . . is a prime example of the kind of anti-religious intolerance and bigotry that fundamentalist atheist “Humanist” U*Us tend to engage in. I find it quite disturbing that the Unitarian Church of Montreal and the greater U*U religious community not only prefer to Deny, Ignore and Minimize this kind of anti-religious intolerance and bigotry but go out of their way to condone it and even effectively endorse it, blame the victim, and go to highly questionable extreme lengths to punish me in an effort to silence my criticism and dissent.

]]> http://www.patheos.com/blogs/wildhunt/2006/09/unitarian-universalism-and-paganism.html#comment-602 Anonymous Mon, 02 Oct 2006 19:30:00 +0000 http://patheos.com/blogs/wildhunt/2006/09/unitarian-universalism-and-paganism.html#comment-602 The Emerson Avenger has spent the last ten years denigrating the Unitarian Church of Montreal. Here is the information that the church provides to those who enquire. Please feel free to pass it on.The withdrawal of Mr. Edgar?s membership from the Unitarian Church of Montreal was not motivated by his religious beliefs, but by his disruptive and aggressive behaviour towards the members of this congregation. His inappropriate behaviour has continued for more than ten years. Seven years ago he was brought before a Disruptive Behaviour Committee on several occasions, where over the next three years attempts were made to have him moderate his unacceptable behaviours. He would agree to proposed solutions and then go on as before. He was repeatedly warned that failure to comply with what he had agreed to do would result in serious consequences. Over this period, he was suspended from participation in Church life for six months. Unfortunately, upon his return his behaviour worsene , and he was suspended for an additional year. Again when he returned, his inappropriate behaviour continued. Finally in November 1999, at a meeting of the full congregation, during which he spoke on his own behalf, a congregational vote was taken and his membership was revoked. This decade long process, during which sincere attempts were made by the congregation to negotiate a solution, ended when it became clear that he had no intention of ceasing his disruptive and aggressive behaviours. It should be noted that Reverend Ray Drennan did apologise, in person, on more than one occasion. However, this did not meet with Mr Edgar?s satisfaction. Mr. Edgar has redressed his grievances to whomever he has saw fit, be it the UUA, CUC, etc., and his complaint to the Quebec Human Rights Commission in 2002 was summarily dismissed as being without merit. Mr Edgar continues to picket the church in the futile belief that the Church will act. Reverend Drennan is no longer the minister as he left at the end of August 2005, to follow his own life?s journey; and the church has simply moved on. The Emerson Avenger has spent the last ten years denigrating the Unitarian Church of Montreal. Here is the information that the church provides to those who enquire. Please feel free to pass it on.The withdrawal of Mr. Edgar?s membership from the Unitarian Church of Montreal was not motivated by his religious beliefs, but by his disruptive and aggressive behaviour towards the members of this congregation. His inappropriate behaviour has continued for more than ten years. Seven years ago he was brought before a Disruptive Behaviour Committee on several occasions, where over the next three years attempts were made to have him moderate his unacceptable behaviours. He would agree to proposed solutions and then go on as before. He was repeatedly warned that failure to comply with what he had agreed to do would result in serious consequences. Over this period, he was suspended from participation in Church life for six months. Unfortunately, upon his return his behaviour worsene , and he was suspended for an additional year. Again when he returned, his inappropriate behaviour continued. Finally in November 1999, at a meeting of the full congregation, during which he spoke on his own behalf, a congregational vote was taken and his membership was revoked. This decade long process, during which sincere attempts were made by the congregation to negotiate a solution, ended when it became clear that he had no intention of ceasing his disruptive and aggressive behaviours. It should be noted that Reverend Ray Drennan did apologise, in person, on more than one occasion. However, this did not meet with Mr Edgar?s satisfaction. Mr. Edgar has redressed his grievances to whomever he has saw fit, be it the UUA, CUC, etc., and his complaint to the Quebec Human Rights Commission in 2002 was summarily dismissed as being without merit. Mr Edgar continues to picket the church in the futile belief that the Church will act. Reverend Drennan is no longer the minister as he left at the end of August 2005, to follow his own life?s journey; and the church has simply moved on.

]]> http://www.patheos.com/blogs/wildhunt/2006/09/unitarian-universalism-and-paganism.html#comment-601 Robyn Wed, 27 Sep 2006 21:02:00 +0000 http://patheos.com/blogs/wildhunt/2006/09/unitarian-universalism-and-paganism.html#comment-601 As a devout Pagan and a devout UU, I think there is something else going on in this Humanist/Theist schism that typically goes unrecognized. I think this issue is far more about a strong generational gap and the related power struggle than it is about any actual religious practices. If you look at the demographics of UUism, you will typically see 3 groups: older, usually humanist-leaning members (60+), 30-somethings with kids (25-45), and then the kids of the 30-somethings. The 30ish people are typically far more Theistically leaning than the older generation, and the Pagans amongst us are, shall we say, often the most obvious of the Theists. The older generation has been losing both power and place to the younger generations at UU churches for some time now, and they feel threatened. They watch as their traditional Sunday morning lecture turns into a genuine spiritual service, sometimes about things that they've never even heard of. In a sense, they're rebelling. They're scared. And, because it is certainly not politic to complain about "those young'uns" at a UU church (which is typically gasping for growth), they instead strike out at what they think is a fair target--the new strong streak of Theism, often wrapped in Pagan clothing. If this is the root of the problem, then trying to address the religious intolerance in UUism isn't going to get us very far, because that's just not the issue. Don't get me wrong, I think that many of the Humanists genuinely dislike the emergent Paganism in UUism today, but I don't think they'd be complaining if they weren't feeling threatened by it, and that, I think, is a purely generational thing.Robyn M. As a devout Pagan and a devout UU, I think there is something else going on in this Humanist/Theist schism that typically goes unrecognized. I think this issue is far more about a strong generational gap and the related power struggle than it is about any actual religious practices. If you look at the demographics of UUism, you will typically see 3 groups: older, usually humanist-leaning members (60+), 30-somethings with kids (25-45), and then the kids of the 30-somethings. The 30ish people are typically far more Theistically leaning than the older generation, and the Pagans amongst us are, shall we say, often the most obvious of the Theists. The older generation has been losing both power and place to the younger generations at UU churches for some time now, and they feel threatened. They watch as their traditional Sunday morning lecture turns into a genuine spiritual service, sometimes about things that they’ve never even heard of. In a sense, they’re rebelling. They’re scared. And, because it is certainly not politic to complain about “those young’uns” at a UU church (which is typically gasping for growth), they instead strike out at what they think is a fair target–the new strong streak of Theism, often wrapped in Pagan clothing. If this is the root of the problem, then trying to address the religious intolerance in UUism isn’t going to get us very far, because that’s just not the issue. Don’t get me wrong, I think that many of the Humanists genuinely dislike the emergent Paganism in UUism today, but I don’t think they’d be complaining if they weren’t feeling threatened by it, and that, I think, is a purely generational thing.Robyn M.

]]> http://www.patheos.com/blogs/wildhunt/2006/09/unitarian-universalism-and-paganism.html#comment-600 Jason Tue, 26 Sep 2006 19:32:00 +0000 http://patheos.com/blogs/wildhunt/2006/09/unitarian-universalism-and-paganism.html#comment-600 <i>"That's probably the same logic..."</i>I don't think so, but I can see how you would feel that way. Sorry. “That’s probably the same logic…”I don’t think so, but I can see how you would feel that way. Sorry.

]]> http://www.patheos.com/blogs/wildhunt/2006/09/unitarian-universalism-and-paganism.html#comment-599 Chalicechick Tue, 26 Sep 2006 19:15:00 +0000 http://patheos.com/blogs/wildhunt/2006/09/unitarian-universalism-and-paganism.html#comment-599 That's probably the same logic the Rhode Island newspaper editor used when he turned one crank letter into a story that got national play on the blogosphere.Can't say I like it. CC That’s probably the same logic the Rhode Island newspaper editor used when he turned one crank letter into a story that got national play on the blogosphere.Can’t say I like it. CC

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