I just found out something that makes me proud to be a Unitarian Universalist. The first church the pilgrims founded in 1620 in Plymouth, MA is now a Unitarian Universalist congregation, the oldest continuous church in New England.
Now that's food for thought. The UU's are now the most liberal of the Judeo-Christian religions, welcoming Christians, Pagans, Buddhists, Jews and everyone in between into their congregations. And yet the church in Plymouth was founded by people we have always considered to be one of the most straight-laced, narrow-minded and rigid sects in Christianity. How did this happen?
It's actually not so far-fetched. The Seperatists came over here because they wanted the freedom to worship in their own way. In that is the seed of liberal religion. Yes, they believed their way was the only way, but over the years, they grew and their ideas on religion expanded. It may have started with letting a Methodist join, and then perhaps a Baptist, then learning that the Unitarians had some good ideas, so they officially became Unitarians (believing in unity of a singular God, as opposed to Trinitarians, who believe God appears in three forms). Universalists believe that everyone will receive God's grace, that there are no "chosen ones." Unitarian Universalism in its present state was not born until 1961, when the Unitarians officially merged with the Universalists.
I guess we are still considered a Christian denomination. That's fine with me, although I know a lot of UU's who would be appalled at being called "Christian." Last week at our quarterly congregational meeting, we were each asked to write down on an index card what we wanted from a minister (we are currently minister-less). Most people wrote that they didn't want an authoritarian, but did want someone to pull us together. One singular and anonymous card said that the minister should read the Lord's Prayer every Sunday and preach the words of the Lord Jesus Christ. There was a stunned silence.
As a congregation, we agree that that person has the right to his opinion. He won't get what he wants, but he can ask with no repercussions. Seriously, if he wants that much religion, he is in the wrong place. Perhaps he thought he was in the original First Parish Church.
Posted by Alexandra at November 19, 2006 08:54 AM