CUUMBAYA: Is the UUA a secular organization?
CUUMBAYA makes some provocative points about what makes Unitarian Universalism religious.Is there any rite or practice that we are privileged or required to do that only a religion may perform? No. Weddings may be performed by J.P.s; in many states you’re married when the license is signed, and a priest only witnesses the fact anyway. Many fraternal organizations perform funerals; the Masons (along with Rev. Clear) spoke at my father’s. We do not perform or require baptisms or any other rites.Here's the final question:Do we perform any social services that a secular organization may not do? No. Many secular organizations engage in disaster relief, or work with the poor, or lobby Washington. The DeMolay chapter I belonged to as a kid regularly donated to the Wheeler Mission (a homeless shelter); the Star Trek fan club I used to belong to chartered and filled an entire semi full of goods for Hurricane Hugo relief. Contrariwise, there are many fraternal organizations that perform social services that we do not do as a denomination- the Masons, for example, run retirement homes and cemeteries.
Let me put it this way: can you write a definition of “religion” that would include the UUA as presently constituted, and not also include a Star Trek club with a socially conscious membership?
posted by Paul Wilczynski @ 10:56 AM
2 Comments:
I responded on the Chaliceblog, FWIW.
Actually CUUMBAYA agrees with several governments around the world (some democratic governments included) that deny Unitarianism the status of religion because it lacks all the characteristics of a religion, i.e. a dogma, a set of doctrines, and a hierarchical organization.
Maybe the UUA being recognized as a religious organization is the anomaly and not the rule.
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