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[rivka]

Most people who read my journal probably know that I'm a Unitarian-Universalist. Probably, fewer people know that I'm also a Christian. Over the last few years, and especially since joining a UU church, I've felt more and more that I want to attach qualifiers to my use of the word "Christian." The Christian religious message has strong personal meaning for me, and I find personal inspiration in the life and teachings of Jesus, but I'm increasingly uncomfortable identifying myself with the Christian church. It seems too closely identified with exclusion, and exclusive claims to truth.

But I don't want to give up Christian religious practice, or my Christian religious heritage. I don't want to turn Christianity exclusively over to those who use it for oppressive purposes. I'm hopeful that I'll be able to work out a balance by practicing Christianity within the UU church - within a context that explicitly rejects the idea that any one religious tradition has the only truth. So I'm excited that my church has accumulated enough people to form a Christian covenant group.

Covenant groups are small circles of people who gather for spiritual exploration. I'm already in one that's made up of people in high-stress human service professions. We meet monthly to discuss the spiritual dimensions of the work we do, and to support and encourage each other through inevitable periods of doubt and burnout. I've been in this group for two years or so, and I find it enormously helpful. The Christian group is brand-new, and I'm not sure exactly what it will turn out to be.

To begin with, we're going to be reading our way through Understanding the Bible: An introduction for skeptics, seekers, and religious liberals, plus the sections of the Bible discussed in the text. This gives me a chance to trot out one of my favorite UU jokes: "Unitarian-Universalist Bible Study will meet after church today. Bring your own Bible and a pair of scissors." But it also, I think, is going to be just exactly what I'm looking for: support in rejecting the oppressive uses of Christianity while celebrating the good parts.

Today, many otherwise well-informed, intelligent people - religious liberals, seekers after wisdom and justice, even skeptics and the news media - often speak as though the Bible says and means only what those fundamentalists say that it says and means!

This shows not only a lack of understanding but also a failure of maturity and wisdom. Those who reject or neglect the Bible fail to recognize that to "throw the Bible out" because others have turned it into an idol, or because you don't accept what you take to be the conventional understanding of its teachings, doesn't mean that it ever goes away. Rather, it simply means that it ends up only in the hands and on the lips of others - often reactionary others - where it can and will be used against you. [...]

Oppressive interpretations of the Bible do kill, literally. You'll find no denial of that here. Massive injustice has been and continues to be done in the name of the Bible...The problem is that all of us allow the powers and principalities of both secular and spiritual oppression to usurp the spirit of the Bible and use it to legitimize such clear sins as economic and environmental exploitation, racism, sexism, homophobia, and more. Meanwhile the Bible is also about the beauty and goodness of creation itself; about the ancient human struggle for freedom and liberation; about frustration with violence and injustice throughout the generations; and about experiences of exultation, expectation, and inspiration that can sustain the human quest for wisdom, justice, and peace. Understood properly, it is also a remarkably honest look at the true religious spirit itself being taken captive, even crucified, by hierarchies of church and state, and at the perennial need to resurrect and renew a true discipleship of equals.

The first meeting of the Christian group is tonight. I'm not sure who exactly will be there, or how much we'll have in common. I hope it turns out to be what it seems like it could be. If nothing else, this book has me tremendously excited, and I'm looking forward to reading and discussing the rest. But I've been finding myself wishing for some sort of deeper spiritual experience in my life, lately. Maybe this will be the road in.

Comments

[patgreene.livejournal.com]

I'm envious :D I would love to be part of that group. Please post more about it as you go along?

[tsjafo.livejournal.com]

I'd also be interested in seeing more posts about this, if you feel comfortable with it.

[trinker.livejournal.com]

I hope it brings you what you wish.

(Meanwhile, I'm also glad that your headache went away, and sorry that I wasn't able to post a message on that earlier.)

[patgreene.livejournal.com]

I'm envious :D I would love to be part of that group. Please post more about it as you go along?

[erin-c-1978.livejournal.com]

Today, many otherwise well-informed, intelligent people - religious liberals, seekers after wisdom and justice, even skeptics and the news media - often speak as though the Bible says and means only what those fundamentalists say that it says and means!

As a liberal Christian, this is something with which I have a great deal of difficulty. Even when I can feel how badly a fundamentalist interpretation of the Bible sells it short, it's very difficult for me to break out of that mindset and the language associated with it, because that's what I was raised with. Sounds like a fantastic book.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

This is something we talked about a lot tonight at the group. All of us are liberals, politically as well as religiously, and we've all found ourselves falling into a very defensive, negative view of the Bible and Christianity - like, we're always telling people "well, it doesn't have to be interpreted like that... it's not about punishment and rejection...", but we don't necessarily have a more positive vision. We talked about wanting, through this group, to develop a more affirmative understanding of Christianity in a liberal context.

You should read the book! Really. It's wonderful.

*blinks* In his brain...

[tendyl.livejournal.com]

Are you sharing a brain with my Beloved? He keeps telling me that and I keep ignoring him...I think because of my background. Hmm, please keep writing - it may help me with some of my issues with Christianity. And I'm adding that book to the list I want to read after school lets out this summer.

[wcg.livejournal.com]

I hope it's wonderful. Looking forward to reading about it (or talking to you about it).

[janetmiles.livejournal.com]

Coincidentally, I've been thinking for a while that I need/want some kind of religious observance in my life. I'm never going to be an observant Jew, and I think the likelihood of my becoming an observant Pagan is only slightly higher, and I've been wondering if UU might be the way to go.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

UU congregations vary incredibly widely, so it's hard to predict in advance what your local church/society/fellowship would be like. It looks (from here (http://www.uua.org/CONG/results.php?s_method=state&state=TN&submit3=GO%21)) that there are two churches in Knoxville and one in Oak Ridge, so if you try one and don't like it, the others might still be worth checking into. We love our current church, but didn't really care for the one in Iowa City - they were very different in feel, and both are quite different from the church curiousangel attended in Memphis.

[anotheranon.livejournal.com]

Thanks for listing the book - I might try and pick it up at the library sometime! I'd also be interested in reading about this group, if you choose to post about it.

[starstraf.livejournal.com]

I miss covent groups - that is one of the first things I'll do once we eventually move (still a year or so) is find a UU church - the one here sucks. My old one in C/U now has a knitting covent group!

[ranunculus.livejournal.com]

I really hope this turns out well for you.

I was raised by two UU parents. They wanted me to have a basic Christian background and succeeded, perhaps too well. After a lot of exposure to different flavors of Christianity I've become Pagan. One of the things that encourages me in that particular direction is the study of myth, and it's function in human society. I could write a lot about this, but... :)

About misuse of religion. I don't think that Christians have the patent on misusing religion. I believe that any system is ripe for misuse, and human nature being what it is, it will be misused eventually.

In any case I wish you joy in this exploration.

Thank You!

[katrinahawke.livejournal.com]

Greetings!

Thank you... you reaffirm my faith. I hope it all goes well for you.

Katrina

Wow.

[bsquad.livejournal.com]

I could have written the initial sentiments of this post almost word-for-word about the GOP.

I've also been realigning my comfort level with Christianity, mainly through the non-fiction writings of C. S. Lewis and the fiction of Orson Scott Card. The last time I tried the closest UU church, the congregation seemed pretty greenlined, but it's been a few years. Maybe they've got a Bible study group, too.

Re: Wow.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

I could have written the initial sentiments of this post almost word-for-word about the GOP.

*Rivka's head explodes*

Damn, Elocutus, be careful.

A lot of UU churches do, in fact, mistake themselves for the local chapter of the Green Party. I think it's a major failing, as I've written here before.

Re: Wow.

[bsquad.livejournal.com]

*sweeps up the pieces of Rivka's head and hands them back to her.*

I meant the part about considering yourself a Christian, but being increasingly uncomfortable self-identifying as one because it's becoming a watchword for intolerance and exclusion.

And I knew about the Green Party thing. It's part of why I had no urge to go back to the UU church here.

[johnpalmer.livejournal.com]

For what it's worth, as a wiccan, I still feel I am a Christian, and I still feel that there's a lot of good that can be done by taking back the term.

It's crazy that there are people who proclaim to be the defenders of the faith, but who say that people should love money as well as God, build up treasure here on earth, rather than in heaven, should pray in public where other people can see them, should render unto God that which is Caesar's... and (ahem) WHO knows what all else.