A Spiritual Alternative for those disillusioned with religion

It is difficult – and painful – to have chosen a vocation where when
the general public finds out what I do their first association is
either bewilderment or judgment. And often it is the first followed
quickly by the second.

Being a spokesperson for religion – in an age of people raised to
become fluent in cynicism and self reliance – can be very painful if
you are at all sensitive… or sincere… about what you do. Which is to
say, if you have the character to qualify you for the job, you
probably don’t want it. And the boot camp experience that prepares
the novitiate to serve the people often corrupts a pure faith more
than strengthens it – assuming the faithfulness was pure to begin
with.

And I cannot begrudge those who’ve succumbed to the commentary
exchanged between the skeptics and the stoics about religion. Much of
what is said is true. A lot of religion has simply become a vehicle
to carry particular prejudices into the public domain. Much of
religion has become a dumb pack mule for our cultural bias. As such,
it is often too easy to spot the abuses and hypocrisy. A random
search of the communication supply line operating within so many
churches will turn up a lot less love and a lot more hate being
transported across the borders between pulpit and pew.

‘Religion’ and ‘church’ has become so tainted that a new leader in
America’s religious affiliation has emerged. According to the last
pew research poll conducted in 2010 the fastest growing response to
the question, ‘What religious affiliation do you identify with?’ is
‘none of the above.’

Even the churches that are doing good work – and there are a few –
adopting as their mission to teach diversity, inclusivity, tolerance,
understanding, acceptance – will often have people who seek to make it
very clear, “we’re not really a religion.” Or “We’re not really a
‘church.’” It seems to me that disassociating from something clearly
tainted is like abandoning a sinking ship, which I can sort of
understand. But isn’t it also abandoning the people on those ships?
And aren’t an awful lot of those people in pain? In need?

I thought of a new slogan to – both – differentiate and identify us as
we – as an alternative to yesterday’s religion – seeks to make our way
in the world:

“Unitarian Universalism – A spiritual alternative for those who want
Love and Justice rather than Shame and Guilt.”