Chalice Art by Selma Blackburn

Rev. Bob Klein

UUCLR

January 9, 2005

THE RELIGION WE CHOOSE

Finding Unitarian Universalism is a significant journey unto itself,

but we each have made a decision to be part of this movement.

How did we get here and why do we stay? 

This morning, I am going to share some of my perspectives and then give you a chance to share some of your wisdom. Today the general topic is the process of choosing Unitarian Universalism, and I would encourage you to share your own experiences. I also want to mention that even though I have invited your responses often recently, I will not always be doing that during the service. Several recent topics have called out for the opportunity for all who wish to do so to share something. My next two sermons will go in different directions, so if you really need to say something, please do it this week!

As I initially envisioned this sermon, I had thought to really talk only about coming to Unitarian Universalism from an insider’s perspective. Then, last Sunday, that great UU subversive, Roger Howe, slipped me an article from the February 2002 Atlantic Monthly that took me down a somewhat different track than I had foreseen. The article by Toby Lester was entitled “Oh Gods!” It was about New Religious Movements, or NRMs as they are known in the academic study of religions. The article discussed several New Religious Movements that already have attracted millions of members in just a few decades. As part of an older movement that claims only about 170,000 adult members, it does give one pause.  Several of the New Religious Movements are break-offs from major traditions, while a few seem to combine elements of two or more traditions or to be almost entirely new. 

There is little argument that Unitarian Universalism’s roots are in the Judeo-Christian traditions, but in our current formation it would seem that we ought to be able to attract somewhat larger numbers than we do. Most of the New Religious Movements are far more evangelistic than our movement, but we are actually much smaller than were our two halves 150 years ago. We have been growing, very slowly, but we are hardly noticeable in a nation of about 300 million people.

One of the sources quoted in the Atlantic article, sociologist Rodney Stark, said that “The main thing you’ve got to recognize is that success is really about relationships and not about faith. What happens is that people form relationships and only then come to embrace a religion. It doesn’t happen the other way around.” How well do we encourage the formation of friendships?

In our history, we have had a disproportionate influence in our nation, as measured by at least 5 U.S. Presidents who were Unitarian, and by writers, politicians, diplomats, civic and cultural leaders, even actors and musicians. And considering how small are our numbers, how few our congregations, and how little we evangelize, it is amazing that so many interesting people have been and are currently part of our movement. Another interesting reality of Unitarian Universalism is that we have relatively few members who were raised in this tradition, most of us have come from some other religious tradition or from a non-religious background. I would argue that even those of you raised in this tradition have had to make choices along the way to remain Unitarian Universalists.

We each have chosen to be part of this tradition, this congregation, and to be here this morning. There are neither threats of hell nor promises of heaven regularly offered to encourage membership or attendance. Now I believe that we have a lot to offer, and I sometimes wonder why anyone would be part of any other religion, but we certainly are not a traditional kind of group as measured against the Christian denominations of this nation or against the religions of the world. Where else could you find Christians, Buddhists, Jews, and Hindus linking hands and hearts with neo-pagans, atheists, agnostics, people who identify themselves as “other” religiously, along with who knows who else, and all welcomed as Unitarian Universalists? No, we are clearly not a traditional group, except perhaps in the annals of Unitarian Universalism!

So what other than the desire for eclectic diversity brings us together? Jane and I both found United Methodism to be too limiting. I know of many recovering Catholics, Baptists, Methodists, and Jews in this movement. I know of several Gay, Lesbian, Bi-sexual, and Transgender persons who have not been accepted in other religious traditions, but who have found acceptance and community in Unitarian Universalist congregations. I have known many atheists and agnostics who have sought and found philosophical support and acceptance in Unitarian Universalist congregations, though they sometimes complain about the spirituality being explored by other members!

For many of us it is the acceptance of diversity and the freedom to not conform to the doctrine and expectations of other traditions that draws us into Unitarian Universalism. Many who come to this movement feel a breath of fresh air, a sense of coming home, a freedom away from the oppressions of groups they have left. But we are not all that easy to find unless one knows what to look for and where to look.

It took me about twenty years from my first contact with a UU before I knew enough about this movement to decide it was where I needed to be. While I was in high school I met a strange but interesting young woman from another school who first described the movement to me, but it took several other contacts and some major life transitions before I was ready to become a UU. Even without twisting anybody’s arm we could put out some more information about Unitarian Universalism. The UUA website is a great resource, and our own website is one of the best congregational websites I have seen, but we just don’t get enough news coverage or name recognition with the people most likely to be interested.

And yet, all of us are here, somehow we discovered this movement or decided to remain in it as we grew up. There are also lots of nominal UUs who grew up in UU congregations or who identify themselves with this movement, who might even say they are UU if asked, but who are not actively involved in any congregation. That is what has happened to lots of young people who were raised in UU congregations. They feel as though they are UUs, but they feel no great obligation to be involved in Unitarian Universalism.  I understand why so many Christian groups worry about heaven and hell—at least it keeps up the attendance!

What we offer is a liberal community of like-minded people who are well-educated, rational, who typically like classical music, who tend to be progressive politically, and who do not feel comfortable in religious communities that have illogically literal perspectives on anything. We are an eclectic group of independent individuals and we can be stubborn, defending our positions until proven wrong beyond a shadow of doubt! We are an amazing group of people, and though we try to be welcoming to all comers, we can be intimidating. We also have far more introverts in our movement than we have extroverts, which means we tend to ask a lot from our few extroverts, especially in the area of welcoming people. We are not a particularly outgoing movement, but we have so much to offer, so many good things to share! We still can make an amazing difference in the world when we try!

People don’t get here accidentally (unless they are looking for Unity up the street). People hear about us somehow and come and find us. People choose to be Unitarian Universalists. For some people it takes years to get here. For some who get here, they decide this movement isn’t what they are looking for and they quickly leave. This isn’t a movement for people who like to be told what to believe or how to act. This movement provides tools and community, but we won’t tell you what to believe and your spiritual journey is your own responsibility.

Even so, Unitarian Universalism is what we have chosen, or at least it is what we are considering for a religious or spiritual community. Most of you have heard my story, but why are you here rather than some other place? What choices have you made to get here and what keeps you here?

I invite your responses at this time. Please raise your hand and a microphone will appear!

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and your stories!