Coffee Hour

Political Hospitality

By Chris Walton

So many interesting trains of thought have popped up in our conversation about political ideology in Unitarian Universalism that it may be hard to know where our conversation is pointing. But one theme I've been pondering is fairly practical: How would we model hospitality to the range of political views that have a legitimate place in Unitarian Universalism? How would you model that hospitality in your congregation? And, perhaps especially, if you have sometimes felt that your own political ideas are uncomfortably out of the mainstream in your congregation or in the UUA, what would have to change for you to feel more at home?

The Politics of Liberal Religion

By Tom Schade

Posting this here...

Chris Walton has raised the age-old question of political equivalents to Unitarian Universalism: is there a political ideology which flows naturally from liberal religion?

On the one hand, there is a visible consensus about Unitarian Universalism, and it is on the Left wing of the Democratic Party, inclined toward multi-culturalism, environmentalism, anti-imperialism, and radicalism. On the other hand, there is much worry about a political orthodoxy developing, and I have spent lots of my time decrying and denouncing it. But I don't think that Unitarian Universalism is politically neutral, anymore than it is religiously neutral. What is disturbing about visible political conformity is that it is conformity: that we are not actively and publicly engaging in political reasoning. What do our religious beliefs require of us in the political sphere?

I do believe that there is a political programme that flows naturally from liberal religion, and it is traditional liberalism. After all, we shared a crib in the intellectual nursery. In short: an affirmation of cultural pluralism, secular states, free institutions of religion, separation of church and state, consensual, constitutional government, democratic republicanism, human rights, including the right to private property, and equality of the sexes. And a whole list of others that flow from those bullet points.

The whole set rests on the core religious positions of Liberal Protestant Christianity, of which we were the clearest expression and from which we have descended, in both senses of the word. Namely, the primacy of the individual soul's encounter with God, the equality of all souls before God, the suspicion of all human institutions and groupings which try to interpose themselves between human beings and God.

The funny little quote about liberalism in the poll is that calls for "checks and balances" everywhere. Given what we know about human beings, and their behavior in institutions, doesn't this make sense?

Because these principles are based on individualism, they are suspect these days among Unitarian Universalist thinkers. Since the prevailing ideology in the US seems to justify everything in terms of individualism, the meaning and limits of individualism are contested and constantly being struggled over. The same individual right to pursue happiness unimpeded by community custom is invoked by the lesbian couple seeking a marriage license, the guy at the gun show seeking an automatic weapon, the woman seeking an abortion, the family seeking to buy a gas-guzzling SUV and the guy who wants to attend services at the UU church without pants. It's complicated and contested and worthy of considerable discussion.

But there are political and religious ideologies which oppose individualism, without qualification. Fascism, Communism and Islamic Totalitarianism do not simply define the balance between the individual and the society differently than we do. Individualism is decadent, illusory, false consciousness,or a sign of rebellion against God in their eyes. They oppose liberalism by name and with good reason; it stands opposed to them at its very core.

Must we vote alike to love alike?

By Chris Walton

Unitarian Universalism: The Democratic Party at prayer — or meditation.™

Wait! That can't be right. We're a religion, not a political movement. Right? And yet, consider the ways we sometimes refer to Unitarian Universalism: We say we're "religious liberals." (On my own blog, I admit up front that my two areas of interest are "liberal religion and politics.") For a while now I've been hearing UU ministers — including President Bill Sinkford — refer to Unitarian Universalists as "progressive religious people." We're recognizably part of the "religious left." Every bit of polling data I know of shows that Unitarian Universalists gravitate to the Democratic Party. (American UUs may be as solidly Democratic as U.S. Mormons are Republican.)

No wonder people often conclude that "liberal religion" is the same thing as "political liberalism" — or that good Unitarian Universalists are left-liberal Democrats at least.

So here's a question that has puzzled and intrigued me as long as I've been a Unitarian Universalist: What is the relationship between a person's Unitarian Universalism and his or her political ideas? How is it that our religiously pluralistic, non-dogmatic movement is so widely perceived as having its own political orthodoxy? What relationship is there between your faith and your politics?

I ask because there's also lots of evidence that many people who are drawn to our religious movement are not automatically drawn to its dominant political ideology. For a bit of entertaining evidence on this score, see Showtime's "reality TV show" called "American Candidate," in which everyday Americans try running for president. There are nine self-identified Unitarian Universalists among the candidates — and they run the gamut from Jocelyn Benson, a "Paul Wellstone Democrat," to Adam Doverspike, a "Woodrow Wilson Republican," to Felix Lloyd, a black conservative, to Noel Sutter, a "Dennis Kucinich Independent." Is one of them merely a "pretend UU"?

The quiz this month asks about political ideology, not about your party affiliation. You'll notice that "Democrat" and "Republican" aren't options. I'm not really curious about your party membership. I am curious to know what basic theme, what central idea, what key issue animates your political thinking. And I'd love to know how it relates to your religious beliefs and values.

The poll is based on U.S. political labels because, frankly, I'm not clever enough to come up with terms that would cross borders easily. I urge you to find the one that seems to best describe your political orientation, even if it doesn't quite match up with the term you may generally use to describe yourself. (You might be used to calling yourself a "radical," for example, but I haven't given you that option. What sort of radical are you? Is there a label that fits?)

Some might ask why the only opt-out option is "Unsure." There's no "independent" or "unaffiliated" option. The reason is simple: You may not be a member of a political party. You may hate politics. You may consider it a badge of honor and a matter of principle to avoid political parties. But I want to know what you think the role of government should be in people's lives.

So there we go: Let's spend July discussing the question, "Must we vote alike to love alike?" What political ideologies are compatible with Unitarian Universalism, and why?

Fresh coffee coming up!

By Chris Walton

Whew, with General Assembly, the wrap-up of another church year, and a big holiday weekend, you might not have noticed that another month began here at Coffee Hour. Have no fear: We on the Coffee Hour Committee are brewing up a fresh pot of conversation, which we'll pour shortly.

In the meantime, two things: Remember that you can always propose new topics in the coffee grinder. And, while the committee meets, why not treat this post as an open conversation thread?

Does your congregation shift gears for the summer like so many do, turning from "worship services" to a "summer forum"? Or does your congregation keep right on going? What were the high points of the last church year? Low points? Things you can't wait to try next year?