Following his conversion from Unitarianism to Roman Catholicism, Orestes Brownson maintained a voice in the press through his highly opinionated publication
Brownson’s Quarterly Review. With the onslaught of the Fugitive Slave Act and the tenuous Compromise of 1850, Brownson increasingly vocalized his long-standing (Unitarian?) belief in the unity of the races and the inherent worth of human life, even as his words challenged the views of his intended audience. Critiquing the complacent (and hence complicit) position of his fellow religionists, Brownson opined: "the friends of religion seem to be more oppressed with the weakness and degeneracy of human nature, than encouraged by a sense of its innate greatness and dignity" (The Works of Orestes A. Brownson, 274).
Despite inevitable (and occasionally apt) blogosphere nitpicking, the UUA's newest campaign to
Stand on the Side of Love courageously promotes "respect for the inherent worth and dignity of every person" in the midst of countless incidents of exclusion, oppression and violence based on people’s identities. Much as Brownson heard the quiet promise of goodness amidst racial apartheid, so too this faith again chooses to put its trust in hope. May it be so.
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6 comments:
May it be so indeed. . .
Unfortunately the UUA, U*U clergy, and numerous individual U*Us choose NOT to stand on the side of love for victims of incidents of exclusion, oppression and violence* based on their identities such as Christian, pagan, theist or Republican that occur quite regularly within The U*U Movement itself. I am still waiting for the UUA to stand on the side of love for me and other people who have been subjected to exclusion, oppression, and verbal or even physical violence because of our belief in God.
* I am including verbal and psychological violence since physical violence is comparatively rare albeit by no means non-existent within the U*U religious community
A nit to pick maybe...
...what's the inherent worth of those on the other side of love?
...doesn't anyone on the other side of love's divide deserve more of our attention, time, and energy because we value their inherent worth and dignity?
I think this divide notion a false one, and driven by a political agenda to salvage Obama's experiment as it's wheels get wobbly (and eventually come off), but given the notion what then is the worth and dignity of those we've cast to the otherside?
:...what's the inherent worth of those on the other side of love?
That is a very valid point Bill and one that I have thought of but haven't arrived at a conclusion yet. My general position is that ALL humans beings have a certain amount of *inherent* worth and dignity but they can add value to their worth and dignity or devalue their worth and dignity by way of the things that they say and do or indeed fail to say and fail to do. . . How much worth and dignity does an Iranian Basiji militia thug delivering an axe blow to a peaceful protester have?
:...doesn't anyone on the other side of love's divide deserve more of our attention, time, and energy because we value their inherent worth and dignity?
I actually like to think that I give more of *my* attention, time, and energy to those on the other side of love's divide in order that they might increase their inherent worth and dignity along with that of the people who they have degraded and victimized etc.
I think you both raise for points. What troubles me is the dualism embedded in the phrase 'standing on the side of love' - it implies a dichotomy between the lovers and the haters. My understanding of the campaign's intention, however, speaks more to the idea of 'standing in love' towards all. 'Love is hard work; and hard work sometimes hurts.' But the cultivation of a loving comportment to the world means standing in relationship, striving for mutuality, taking other people seriously in their own unique individuality.
:What troubles me is the dualism embedded in the phrase 'standing on the side of love' - it implies a dichotomy between the lovers and the haters.
I agree that that dichotomy is indeed implied in the 'Standing On The Side Of Love' slogan. OTOH There hopefully *is* a dichotomy aka divide between lovers and haters. One of my problems with the whole 'Standing On The Side Of Love' slogan/campaign is that it implies that U*Us themselves do not ever stand on the side of hate, exclusion and oppression which is simply untrue in my own experience and observation of the U*U World. Hence these plagU*Urized Standing On The Side Of Love banners.
:My understanding of the campaign's intention, however, speaks more to the idea of 'standing in love' towards all.
I agree that this is how it is presented and I am all in favor of that. To be honest I was not impressed with how the slogan/campaign was initially all but *exclusively* associated with the marriage equality issue. I dare say that I may well have been partly responsible for pushing the UUA to broaden the scope of the Standing On The Side Of Love campaign by demanding that the UUA must http://emersonavenger.blogspot.com/2009/07/standing-on-side-of-love-banners-as.html for any and ALL victims of clergy misconduct committed by U*U ministers. I arguably broadened the scope of the slogan months before the UUA did. . . In fact this concept figured in the first of my New Year's Resolutions
:'Love is hard work; and hard work sometimes hurts.'
I agree and I see little or no evidence of the UUA actually *engaging* in the hard work of standing on the side of love for victims of U*U clergy misconduct and other people who have been harmed by U*Us in general and U*U clergy in particular. They may talk the talk but they refuse to walk the walk.
:But the cultivation of a loving comportment to the world means standing in relationship, striving for mutuality, taking other people seriously in their own unique individuality.
Well I thank you for standing in relationship with the rather unique individual known U*U World-wide as The Emerson Avenger Erik. ;-) I sincerely hope that the current UUA administration will have the integrity and good sense to begin standing in relationship, striving for mutuality, and taking me seriously in the coming months.
Looks like there was a bit of a typo. The URL should not have been redundantly posted. I meant to say -
I dare say that I may well have been partly responsible for pushing the UUA to broaden the scope of the Standing On The Side Of Love campaign by demanding that the UUA must stand on the side of love for any and ALL victims of clergy misconduct committed by U*U ministers.
Thanks for remaining at the table Erik it is genuinely appreciated.
Regards,
Robin Edgar
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