Is Unitarian Universalism a Religion?
[Warning; Long!]
[Cross-posted to chalice_circle]
Most people who have spent any significant amount of time in Unitarian Universalist circles know that semantic discussions are high-stakes affairs in our ranks. What exactly it is that words like "faith," "prayer," "church" and (perhaps most commonly, and most heatedly) "God" mean is a matter of severe struggles in many UU congregations and other communities, such as this LiveJournal.
There's at least one semantic issue,* though, that impacts the the basic definition of what we are: Is Unitarian Universalism, on the most fundamental level, a religion?
Answering this question, I think, requires discussing the meaning(s) of "religion" and how those meanings play into UU discourse. If that sounds interesting, read on....
( Read more...Collapse )
[Cross-posted to chalice_circle]
Most people who have spent any significant amount of time in Unitarian Universalist circles know that semantic discussions are high-stakes affairs in our ranks. What exactly it is that words like "faith," "prayer," "church" and (perhaps most commonly, and most heatedly) "God" mean is a matter of severe struggles in many UU congregations and other communities, such as this LiveJournal.
There's at least one semantic issue,* though, that impacts the the basic definition of what we are: Is Unitarian Universalism, on the most fundamental level, a religion?
Answering this question, I think, requires discussing the meaning(s) of "religion" and how those meanings play into UU discourse. If that sounds interesting, read on....
( Read more...Collapse )
