Wondering of other young adults feel the way I do...

[lookofevil]

There was a time when I was very active in my church, and my youth group meetings. I was proud of my religion, proud of the principles, morals, and philosophies I was raised to respect and understand. I was glad to be among others who loved and cherished their neighbors, and respected the opinions and lifestyles of others who differ from them.

But

Comments

[tibbywolf]

Man, crap like that is why I'm really hesitent to mention that I'm an atheist. I have a Christian boyfriend so when people generalize like that it really bothers me. I just don't get how people can be like that. I know how much it hurt me when people would say I was going to Hell because I didn't believe in God, so I don't say hurtful things like that to Christians. I haven't really noticed this to be a UU youth thing so much as it is a youth thing in general though.

[cairech]

I have a number of Atheist friends. It's a very tough way to think! Hang in there!

[lookofevil]

It's true, it's not just UU youths. But I feel like UU's take it a step further and point to their religion and say, "look, see me, I am tolerant. My religion accepts atheists." And they they continue to be intolerant.

Back when I attended youth group meetings, I remember a new girl joining us one year. She stopped coming after two sessions, because of the "anti-Christian sentiments" of most of the group. She felt completely alienated. And my whole group wasn't atheist; there were just many anti-Christians in the group.

[nvcarnie]

I wasn't raised UU, but as UU young adult, I have felt the same 'look - we have atheists' and then condemnation of Christianity. That being said, I heard a fascinating sermon on the topic by my former minister in which she talked about why we go back to picking bones with Christianity. She basically talked about Christianity being the parent of Unitarian Universalism and how easy it is for 'wayward' children to find fault with their parent and siblings. The analogy makes a whole lot of sense to me, and since that sermon, I've found myself more cognizant of acceptance for Christianity (loving my parent, even if I choose to disagree strongly with its theology).

[lesmisgirl]

Not just ayouth thing. I almost went off on one of my 30 something professors in college for that shit.. though she was calling " religion" evil.... yet clearly only talking about christianity in a hierarchical context.

I don't know. I think there's something in our culture that's breeding it right now.. I mean look at how popular that asshole christopher hitchens is. It's like they think People going against "the man" when they don't stop at just rejecting christianity as a personal choice but rather opt to shat all over it. Do they feel like it's some kind of activism? Slack-tivism?

and um, yeah. *I*'m a christian Unitarian Universalist... and to be honest.. I Love UUIsm...but a lot of the time I feel like when I tell people I went church hoping for holy week I totally use my UUism to make my enthusiasm for the christian holidays more palatable to my former and somewhat anti-christian friend.

[lookofevil]

That does bother me. It bothers me that people often roll many religions into Christianity, and perpetuate their hating with generalizations and jabs at particular people, not the religion itself.

I don't mind people taking quarrel with other people; I do mind people taking quarrel with that person's religion and belief system as a whole.

And I feel that UU's are becoming far more lax in following the 7 Principles; they no longer walk the walk, they only talk the talk. A lot of people are forgetting what true acceptance means...

[lesmisgirl]

excuse me.. the last word should say friends.... I have more than one I promise.

[tcpip]

I think the difficulty comes when the nature of generaliations in most languages.

When somebody says "[Insert religious group] are are cruel and closed-minded and cannot accept people who don't believe what they believe!" they are probably referring to some, or even many Christians.

And of course some or even many are not like that.

So you can have what seems to be a contradictory statement because both can be true!

So I think the easiest thing to do is to correct people who make generalisations without a quantifier. Because with the quantifier the accusation may actually be true.

[lookofevil]

I think that is still unfair. And it's not my job to correct other people's opinions; it just saddens me to see the UU faith abused like that. How can I tell people my religion is accepting and tolerant of other religions and beliefs when the people I share that religion with are intolerant of others

[tcpip]

I think that is still unfair. And it's not my job to correct other people's opinions...

Well, I suppose that depends on whether you consider facts to be objective or whether morals are universal. Personally I do.

(I think we'd agree however that taste is subjective.)

since my whole point is that UU's are hiding behind the open-mindedness of their religion and attacking from behind it. UU's are saying, "I am kind and tolerant of all faiths... unlike THAT religion."

My understanding is more a tolerance of metaphysical propositions (existence of God, heaven and hell etc). I am not particularly tolerant of racism, homophobia etc. and especially when someone tries to tie it with religious justifications.

[lookofevil]

I am not particularly tolerant of racism, homophobia etc. and especially when someone tries to tie it with religious justifications.

And if the people I am objecting to were using those as their arguments, I would not be so offended. However, simply attacking another religion because you think you are categorically better or more sophisticated is, to me, NOT acceptable and NOT in keeping with the moral guidelines of UUism.

I don't appreciate the elitist attitudes of some of my fellow UUs and it makes me ashamed to be associated with them when their actions are such a reverse of what they claim to believe.

I am old and hesitate to intrude

[u_must_b_joking]

... but let me tell you what I think to help me in these situations. People say many things they don't mean, many things they don't expect/want to have repeated back to them, and many things that they have not clearly thought through in terms of the implications.

So with respect to religious belief and intolerance, I don't listen to what people say, I experience what they do. If somebody says grisly things about gays and hell, but is first across the street to help me when my house burns down, they are living their true values with life and not words. If somebody says all the right things about faith and belief, toes my particular party line in all respects, and then excludes somebody from church events for a trivial reason....

It's how people behave. I think my job is to live my values and share my opinion either when I can't help it (I am "called to") or I get asked.

Re: I am old and hesitate to intrude

[lookofevil]

I no longer even associate myself with UUism... when people ask me what my religious beliefs are, I just tell them I try to be kind and accepting of others.

I can remember sitting in a group of UU's, all of them saying rude things about Christians and conservatives and what-have-you, and enforcing those ideas in each other's minds. We had a new girl in our group, and she stopped attending after 2 sessions of this. She was raised Christian and she was offended and alienated by this group of people, whom she'd been told her kind, loving, and accepting of the beliefs of others.

I feel like some people need a wake up call, to remind them what the 7 Principles are and that you are supposed to live and feel them every day in your life, not just when it's convenient to point out to other people are tolerant and accepting your religion says you are.

Re: I am old and hesitate to intrude

[silvercronette]

I agree with you. I don't like it when people wear their religion on their sleeve and I don't do it either. I think it is a private matter. Who am I to judge? Actions speak louder than words. I really like your cool radiometer Icon! (by the way I'm old too)

[lostvirtue]

This may sound cruel, but having been raised as a born again christian who was very active in my former church my "prejudices" is based off being raised to believe in what I now consider untruths.

I think what people are often criticizing about Christianity is a lack of generosity, and things like homophobia, and other forms of oppression that Christian represents to many of us.

[lookofevil]

I still feel that it is very un-UU to needlessly attack and/or put down other religions. There is nothing wrong with having personal opinions, but I take issue with those that would show their UU badge and say, "see, my religion says I am accepting; that forgives me of the intolerance I show towards other religions in the way I speak and act."

[lostvirtue]

I agree, but it's hard to define intolerance. I can think someone is wrong without being intolerant in my actions, I hope.

[lookofevil]

The word "wrong" is a very loose-word. That can mean anything.

In my opinion, it is wrong to use hurtful and hateful words against an ENTIRE religion, as if every person who adheres to those beliefs is a carbon copy of the collection of stereotypes you imagine them to be. It is wrong to accuse an entire group of people of being closed-minded, and at the same time refuse to see any merit in their beliefs, their actions, or the individual people who adhere to that faith.

I see people who claim to be loving and accepting, yet do not show respect for other people's beliefs and will attack them without provocation. THAT is what I take issue with. People who are not even respecting the 7 principles they claim to follow.