{"id":5075,"date":"2016-06-02T17:00:08","date_gmt":"2016-06-02T23:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/johnbeckett\/?p=5075"},"modified":"2016-05-30T16:42:14","modified_gmt":"2016-05-30T22:42:14","slug":"uus-and-multifaith-even-better-than-you-think","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/johnbeckett\/2016\/06\/uus-and-multifaith-even-better-than-you-think.html","title":{"rendered":"UUs and Multifaith \u2013 Even Better Than You Think"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

UUA President Rev. Peter Morales\u2019 column in the most recent issue of UU World<\/em> is titled \u201cThe future of liberal religion is multifaith<\/a>.\u201d As a Pagan and polytheist who is committed to UU principles and whose primary group practice is in a UU context, I\u2019m in strong agreement with this idea. But I\u2019m not sure if Rev. Morales and other denominational leaders who promote a multifaith approach understand just how deep this idea can be.<\/p>\n

Rev. Morales begins by pointing out something that should be obvious but often isn\u2019t:<\/p>\n

the major religious divisions today are no longer between faiths, but rather along the spectrum from reactionary to progressive. For example, it has long been obvious that progressive Jews, Christians, and Muslims have more in common with one another and with Unitarian Universalists than they do with the most reactionary members of their own faith.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

He also points out that we see the world in much the same way:<\/p>\n

Religious liberals from all traditions share not only common values, but also a common cosmology. We believe what science tells us about the age of our universe and evolution. We see the religious tradition into which we were born in the context of history and culture. We don\u2019t believe our tradition is true and that others are false, rather we see our tradition more like our native language.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This is how I, a polytheist who worships many Gods, can happily and productively sit in Sunday services and serve on committees with people who believe in one God, those who believe in no Gods, and those for whom the question of Gods isn\u2019t particularly important. For those moments, we\u2019re not there to argue about the nature of the Gods, we\u2019re there to celebrate the inherent dignity and worth of every person and the interconnectedness of all beings.<\/p>\n

Perhaps this isn\u2019t very important to those of you who live in blue states. Perhaps you can afford to obsess over theological purity in your community. Here in Texas, we need all the allies we can get!<\/p>\n

Rev. Morales promoted this year\u2019s General Assembly, which has the theme \u201cwhere faiths connect.\u201d He announced three special guests from other religious traditions: the presidents of the Union for Reform Judaism, the United Church of Christ, and the North Carolina NAACP. These are certainly organizations that share our UU values and who have shown themselves to be good allies in the past. But if Rev. Morales wants a more multifaith approach, he could have gone a little further afield than liberal Christians and Jews.<\/p>\n

\"06<\/a>I\u2019m one UU in one congregation, but I pay attention, and I\u2019m seeing a growing interest in Buddhism<\/a> from people coming into UU congregations. The benefits of meditation are well-known, and the Dalai Lama is perhaps the most well-respected of all world religious leaders. Finding a liberal Christian church is easy pretty much anywhere in the USA, but finding a Buddhist meditation<\/a> group \u2013 much less a fully functioning temple \u2013 is much harder. So people who are looking for Buddhism often show up at UU churches. Let\u2019s be ready for them.<\/p>\n

\u201cSpiritual but not religious\u201d can be an excuse for religious laziness, but it can also be the beginning of a search by someone who feels called to something more<\/em> but who\u2019s completely turned off by religions that preach exclusion and insist you have to believe something they can\u2019t honestly believe. I run into people who aren\u2019t interested in Paganism, but could I do a Tarot reading for them? And maybe help with a rite of passage or a healing ritual? Denton UU is fortunate to have a minister who\u2019s open to such things, and variety of practitioners in the congregation who can handle the things that are out of her area of expertise. If we want a multifaith denomination, let\u2019s encourage a wide variety of spiritual practices.<\/p>\n

The UUA has been dominated by Humanism since the merger of the Unitarians and Universalists in 1961. But the anti-theism of the late 20th<\/sup> century (that I experienced when I first became a UU) has faded in many congregations. There is value in teaching reason in the face of fundamentalism, and of reminding ourselves that the truth of our religions is not found in believing the right things, but in doing the right things. If we want a multifaith denomination, let\u2019s draw on our own tradition of celebrating the best of humanity.<\/p>\n

\"Adopt-a-Spot<\/a>Unitarian Universalism has a special place in Paganism. Part of this is due to the presence of CUUPS<\/a>, which since 1987 has existed for the benefit of Pagan-identified UUs. In some regions, CUUPS may be the only public Pagan group available. Even where there are no CUUPS chapters, UU churches are known as safe and welcoming places. Some unaffiliated Pagan groups rent space from UU churches, and many solitary Pagans find a religious community within Unitarian Universalism.<\/p>\n

Our 2014 Mission and Vision surveys turned up some expected results. CUUPS members bring a UU approach to Paganism \u2013 we draw from many sources and we oppose any attempt to establish orthodoxy or anything resembling it. And we value Nature, our experiences of Nature, and our relationships with Nature. Many seekers who come into UU churches have an interest in Nature spirituality. If we want a multifaith denomination, this is one area where we can reach many people from many backgrounds.<\/p>\n

But the surveys also turned up some unexpected results. Most of the respondents have an interest in Gods and spirits. The responses were split between those who interpreted their experiences theistically and those who interpreted them metaphorically. If we want a multifaith denomination, we need to be a place where people can discuss their religious experiences openly, and where they can learn from those who understand how to facilitate such experiences.<\/p>\n

A true multifaith denomination does not consist of some bland Judeo-Christian framework used to support liberal politics. A multifaith denomination consists of deep practitioners of many different religious traditions who come together to support each other and our common values. Imagine a young family walking into a UU congregation and finding a weekly Buddhist meditation group where they study the dharma<\/a>. They find a Pagan group that holds seasonal celebrations and does roadside cleanup. They find a variety of spiritual practitioners and those committed to reason and compassion. They might even find a Bible study group, for those who want to learn about all the Biblical history they don\u2019t teach at the Baptist church.<\/p>\n

What do Sunday services look like at a congregation like this? That\u2019s always a challenge \u2013 how to present wisdom from the world\u2019s religions without diluting it into meaningless mush. But it can be done, particularly in a congregation where people expect to be challenged by religions of their friends instead of being told \u201cdeep down it\u2019s all the same.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some of these people will decide they really really want to be Buddhists and they\u2019ll leave UUism for a Buddhist temple. Great \u2013 we will have helped them along their way. Others, though, will find the Buddhism they learn in the UU congregation to be just what they needed, and the fact that they can hold on to the best parts of the religion of their childhood will be an added comfort. Still others will decide they like going to church and sitting in between a Pagan and a Christian and they especially like supporting UU values.<\/p>\n

And some will dive deeply into Paganism, or Humanism, or some other religion. They\u2019ll learn and grow and they\u2019ll teach others who come after them. They will think of themselves primarily as Pagans or Humanists or something else, but they will also be UUs, because they will have found a home where they\u2019re welcomed and accepted, and where they can serve their faith and the wider world.<\/p>\n

So yes, Rev. Morales, let\u2019s be a multifaith denomination. We\u2019ve been one for many years \u2013 it\u2019s time we embrace who and what we are. But as we do, let\u2019s make sure our multifaith approach is as broad \u2013 and as deep \u2013 as the callings and commitments of our many members.<\/p>\n

\"Beltane<\/a><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

UUA President Rev. Peter Morales says \u201cthe future of liberal religion is multifaith.\u201d I\u2019m in strong agreement with this idea, but I\u2019m not sure he understands just how deep it can be if it\u2019s done right.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1129,"featured_media":5082,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[272],"tags":[946,1041,4,5,1040,8,19],"class_list":["post-5075","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community-2","tag-cuups","tag-multifaith","tag-pagan","tag-paganism","tag-peter-morales","tag-polytheism","tag-unitarian-universalism"],"yoast_head":"\nUUs and Multifaith \u2013 Even Better Than You Think<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"UUA President Rev. 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