I’ve been tossing around thoughts on the quantifiable difference between being a Unitarian Universalist and being an anti-mainstream Christian.

Last week I approached two seminary students who were responsible for this week’s Wednesday Vespers service, offering to sing Faure’s “Pie Jesu” from the Requiem, ’cause it’s pretty and seasonal and I think it would add to any service this gray time of year. As soon as they heard “Jesu” they shut me down, saying it wouldn’t be appropriate with their message of “Take your light out into the world.” “All they’ll hear is ‘Jesu,’” said one of them.

Whether or not you believe in Jesus as Messiah, isn’t his story one of taking light into the world? And, can’t we learn from that, whether or not we accept it as gospel?

I think that Unitarian Universalists have become so much about being against the “mainstream” that as a movement we have forgotten how much spiritual fodder there is in our history as a Christian church.

It is my belief and experience that this country as a whole is culturally Christian. Think about the flocks of “Christmas and Easter” churchgoers. Look at federally-mandated holidays. Honestly think about how you feel inside if you’ve ever publicly stated that you’re not a “believer”.

There’s a strange dichotomy in American religious thought. On one hand, there is tradition, where prayer and Jesus and apple pie hold all the answers. On the other hand, we’re taught to be thinking beings, and the superstitions that have become attached to mainstream Christianity don’t exactly make intellectual sense to a lot of people. It’s getting people to admit that without feeling guilty that is the largest challenge.

But, I feel that Unitarian Universalists aren’t doing the greatest job at being around for those who do come to the realization that they need a spiritual home, but that they’re not necessarily Christians. UUs go too far in the opposite direction, trying to distance ourselves as much as possible from what has become Christianity that we have become a group of anti-Christians rather than a cohesive religion in our own right. We become a refuge, yes, but not necessarily for healing - more for wallowing.

I see Unitarian Universalism as the evolvement of American theology, at least at its highest ideal. Rather than rejecting biblical teachings, we take them further than literal scripture, bringing them and other teachings into the present day. Why be a religion of rejection of theology, when we are poised to be one of rebuilding, evolving, and healing hope? Why not take the opportunity to meld theology and thought from across the spiritual board, rather than spend so much time arguing about what is wrong with others?

I am the last person to defend modern Christian theology. I am so not about communion, baptism, or any of what I see as superstitions that have become a major part of the American brand of religion. But, there is no denying the pure message of the person of Jesus of Nazareth. Love everyone. Be a good human, a good citizen. Be humble. Don’t abuse power over others. These are fundamental truths that everyone can agree on, right?

Except that American culture has become about the haves and the have-nots. The right versus the wrong. The “me” generation, where no one else matters if they don’t believe exactly the same way. Yet, there is a vast need for reasonable, intellectually-guided, real spirituality. As a movement, Unitarian Universalists need to provide relief from culturally implied guilt and shame that come from non-belief in modern Christianity. Our message of inclusiveness needs to include those who don’t completely reject that modern Christianity.

I don’t want to be an anti-Christian. I want to be a steward of love and acceptance, of reaching beyond the surface, of evolving spiritual thought. One doesn’t evolve without at least a nod to what came before.

(Addendum: the service the students sparking this dialogue/rant put together was completely non-participatory besides a beginning and ending hymn, included a so-called “dialogue” sermon on the greater meaning of “communion” that left out any kind of dialogue in the minds of the congregation, and left me wanting to walk out within ten minutes due to the complete lack of spiritual involvement… so I’m awfully glad that they turned me down in hindsight.)