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Click HERE to read about several featured speakers at GA 2025. Also included in this post is information about home hospitality at GA, ridesharing to GA and supporting people with hidden disabilities at GA.

Click HERE to access the schedule. While there’s still more to come (including Pre-GA activities, the announcement of our 2025 Ware Lecturer, and details on Meet the Moment programming), you can now start exploring the amazing lineup of sessions, worship, and events that will be offered at GA 2025.

Click HERE to read about Governance at GA: What's On the Tentative Agenda? as well as How To Participate As A Delegate at GA 2025.

Click HERE to learn more about how to offer feedback on the 3 proposed Congregational Study/Action Issues which will be on the business agenda for UUA General Assembly 2025 (where one will be selected for 3 years of study, reflection, and action). The 3 issues are: Abolition Is Faith Formation Fat Liberation: Building Justice and Inclusion for Larger Bodies Housing: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Click HERE for a post about the Hymn Sing at GA and a Blessing in Song recording. Also information iis provided about what is being done to provide good air quality at the Baltimore Convention Center.

Click HERE for information about efforts being made to make GA a multigenerational experience. There is info about resources for families at GA, children's programs at GA, etc.

Click HERE to read the article about choosing a Moderator for the UUA. This is an important role. The individual or team elected will serve as the Chief Governance Officer at the UUA for the next 6 years. Bill Young (a former member of UUSE and formerly Secretary of the UUA) is running with colleague Rev. Kimberly Quinn Johnson as a co-moderator Candidate Team.

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more The Self-Righteousness Problem in Unitarian Universalism As with other religions, many UUs are self-righteous David Cycleback Jan 31   READ IN APP   “It's not a secret that UU is a magnet for eccentric people and also a magnet for self-righteous people.”— A Unitarian Universalist congregant“I thought UUs were supposed to be different, but they can be as self-righteous as Mormons.”— a former Unitarian Universalist Unitarian Universalism (UU) is a faith tradition that prides itself on inclusivity, open-mindedness, and a commitment to social justice. With its roots in classically liberal religious thought and pluralism, UUism presents itself as an alternative to dogmatic, exclusionary belief systems. David Cycleback: Big Ideas is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribed However, despite its emphasis on tolerance and open-mindedness, Unitarian Universalism is not immune to the human tendency toward self-righteousness. In their dedication to justice and progress, some within the UU community develop a sense of moral superiority that can alienate those who do not fully align with their perspectives. This issue, while not unique to UUs, risks undermining the very values the faith seeks to uphold. The Nature of UU Self-Righteousness For some Unitarian Universalists, self-righteousness manifests as a rigid adherence to progressive ideals, an intolerance of differing viewpoints, and a tendency to view ideological opponents as morally deficient. Many UUs see themselves as having transcended the narrow-mindedness of more conservative religious traditions. While their commitment to social justice is commendable, it can sometimes result in an exclusionary mindset in which those who question certain doctrines are dismissed as ignorant, regressive, or even immoral. This tendency is evident in political and social discussions within UU congregations and forums. Because most congregations lean strongly leftward, conservative perspectives—whether political, theological, or cultural—are often marginalized or even silenced. While UUism champions the principle of a “free and responsible search for truth and meaning,” in practice, this principle is often applied selectively. Those who express dissenting opinions on complex social issues may find themselves ostracized rather than engaged in open dialogue. Psychological and Social Factors Several psychological and social factors contribute to this dynamic. One key factor is confirmation bias, where people seek out and reinforce information that aligns with their existing beliefs while dismissing contrary perspectives. In UU communities, this can create an echo chamber effect, where members continuously reaffirm one another’s views without exposure to meaningful dissent. Another contributing factor is moral absolutism disguised as relativism. While UUs often claim to embrace a plurality of beliefs, there is often an implicit assumption that progressive values are unquestionably correct. This can lead to virtue signaling, where people publicly express their commitment to justice and inclusivity—sometimes more to reinforce their moral standing than to foster genuine dialogue. Additionally, tribalism and group identity play a role. Like all social groups, UU congregations foster a sense of belonging and shared identity. However, this can sometimes result in an “us versus them” mentality, where those outside the group—especially conservatives, traditionalists, or skeptics of certain social justice ideologies—are viewed with suspicion or disdain. This contradicts UUism’s commitment to radical inclusivity and respect for diverse beliefs. In recent years, Unitarian Universalism has also become increasingly politically uniform, limiting the range of perspectives within its congregations. The influence of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) and UU seminaries has further reinforced this narrowing, as many ministers are trained in a doctrinaire form of progressive activism. Ironically, some of the most rigid and dogmatic voices in UU spaces today are activist ministers who embody the very close-mindedness that UU is supposed to challenge. The Consequences of Self-Righteousness The self-righteousness problem in UUism has real consequences for both individual congregations and the broader movement. • Alienation of Potential Members – People who might otherwise be drawn to UUism—such as moderate liberals, independent thinkers, or spiritual seekers—may feel unwelcome in an environment that appears ideologically rigid. This dynamic can contribute to declining membership and a shrinking diversity of perspectives within UU congregations. • Intellectual Stagnation – When dissenting voices are discouraged or suppressed, intellectual and spiritual growth suffer. UUs pride themselves on being lifelong learners, but true learning requires engaging with challenging and uncomfortable ideas. If congregations become echo chambers, they risk losing the intellectual humility necessary for real wisdom. • Erosion of Compassion and Empathy – Self-righteousness can weaken the very compassion and empathy that UUism seeks to embody. When people become convinced of their own moral superiority, they may struggle to extend genuine understanding to those with different beliefs. This can lead to performative activism rather than meaningful engagement with complex ethical and social issues. • Separation from Wider Society and Communities – A culture of ideological purity can isolate UU congregations from the broader society, including communities they seek to support, such as marginalized and minority groups. Many religious, ethnic, and working-class communities hold diverse perspectives, including traditional values that may not fully align with UU progressivism. When UUism takes an approach that implicitly or explicitly dismisses these perspectives, it risks becoming disconnected from the very people it claims to stand in solidarity with. This insularity weakens UUism’s ability to build meaningful interfaith and intercultural relationships. Overcoming the Self-Righteousness Problem Addressing self-righteousness within Unitarian Universalism requires a conscious effort to cultivate true openness and humility. • Encouraging Ideological Diversity – Congregations should not only tolerate conservative or moderate viewpoints but actively seek to understand them. True inclusivity means engaging with differing perspectives, not just those that align with progressive ideology. • Cultivating Intellectual Humility – Recognizing that no one has a monopoly on truth is essential. UUs should model humility by engaging in respectful debate, asking questions rather than making assumptions, and remaining open to changing their minds when presented with compelling evidence. • Revitalizing the Free and Responsible Search for Truth – This foundational UU principle must be applied consistently across all areas of life, not just those that align with progressive activism. Congregations should create spaces where difficult conversations can happen without fear of judgment or exclusion.

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more Restoring critical thinking and common sense to the American Left The Democratic Party lost its way with many Americans David Cycleback Jan 29   READ IN APP   The American Political Landscape: A Centrist Majority Most Americans lean toward the political center, favoring cooperation, compromise, and practical solutions over rigid ideological extremes. The increasing hyperpartisanship end extremism in the Democratic and Republican parties is largely fueled by political elites and systemic issues like gerrymandering, rather than the broader public or everyday party members. David Cycleback: Big Ideas is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribed Historically, the American Left was seen as a defender of reason, science, and the concerns of ordinary people. The Democratic Party prided itself on critical thinking, pragmatic policymaking, intellectual discourse, and its commitment to the working class. However, in recent years, factions within the Left have strayed far from this tradition. Vocal extremist groups within the left—too often enabled or tolerated by the Democratic Party—have alienated voters, eroded public trust, and damaged the party’s credibility. To restore its credibility, the Left must reject ideological rigidity, censorship, and extremism while championing evidence-based policies and intellectual diversity. Key Challenges Facing the American Left Perceptions of Elitism and Detachment The recent Democratic Party is often criticized for being dominated by elites who are out of touch with the concerns of working-class and rural Americans. Progressive discourse frequently relies on academic jargon, elite urban voices, and abstract ivory tower theories, sidelining practical, real-world issues and the concerns of everyday Americans. Example: The term Latinx, intended to promote inclusivity, is widely rejected by Latino communities but remains prominent in progressive rhetoric, reinforcing the perception of elitism and arrogance. Cultural Disconnects: Attempts to align with celebrity and pop culture—like Vice President Kamala Harris’s appearances with wealthy celebrities— came across as superficial and gimmicky, furthering perceptions of elitism rather than extending the party’s appeal to everyday people. After the 2024 elections, voters concerned about higher grocery prices and being unable to purchase a first home said Beyonce and Taylor Swift campaign concerts were, at best, irrelevant to their needs. Kamala Harris's campaign associating itself with celebrity pop culture fell flat with many working-class and poor Americans Dismissing and Attacking the Working Class:Urban cultural elites dismissing working-class, rural Americans and Republicans as ignorant, backward, or racist alienates many and drives them further from the Left. One lifelong Democrat recently shared the following: "As liberal as I am, I am very disappointed in the Democratic Party. They have lost their vision in trying to pander to every subsect of the population. They’ve forgotten the heart and soul of their support: the working middle class. They would be wise to remember this ‘silent majority’ in the next elections. When even those who fall into the DEI category are voting Republican, your message has a problem." This growing detachment—coupled with the increasing focus on urban, highly educated constituencies—has pushed many working-class and rural voters, including minorities, to seek alternative political options. The Rejection of Common Sense When ideology takes precedence over simple common sense and observable reality, the Left’s credibility and effectiveness are undermined. Policy Missteps: • Crime & Public Safety: Progressive policies like decriminalizing public drug use and adopting lenient approaches to petty theft such as shoplifting have contributed to rising crime and overdose deaths in cities like San Francisco and Portland, eroding public trust. Most Americans could have predicted the disastrous results. • Education & Equity: Eliminating advanced math programs in high schools to promote equity undermines meritocracy and alienates those who value academic achievement. • Fighting Racism with Racism: Simplistically framing any and all disparities as products of racism or sexism is clearly false, and overlooks other factors like class and geography. • Biological Reality & Fairness: Denying the existence of biological differences between sexes, especially in sports and feminist concerns, not only defies common sense but alienates moderates and fuels perceptions that the Left is disconnected from reality. • Border Policy: Lax immigration enforcement and open-border rhetoric have strained resources and raised concerns among traditionally Democratic constituencies. The inability to tackle massive illegal immigration and dismissing those who raised concerns was one of the key reasons for voters switching from Democrat to Republican during the 2024 campaign. Cultural Narratives and Extreme Rhetoric • Undermining Objectivity: Some progressive postmodernist perspectives argue that science, logic, and reason are inherently tied to racial or cultural constructs, framing them as oppressive. These claims not only lack credibility but also undermine universally valued principles that transcend identity politics. • Identity Over Ideas: The notion that a person's identity determines the legitimacy of their opinions fosters division rather than meaningful dialogue. Most Americans believe in evaluating individuals based on character, merit, and the substance of their ideas rather than immutable characteristics like race or gender. • Victimhood Culture: Glorifying oppression as a form of moral superiority is counterproductive and widely rejected by most Americans. Teaching people that they are inherently and eternally victims is developmentally backward. Prioritizing Politics Over Science and Facts The Left has long positioned itself as the party of science and critical thinking. However, its credibility has been undermined by those who dismiss or obscure inconvenient realities to align with political narratives. Examples of Misdirected Priorities: • COVID-19 and the Wuhan Lab Theory: Early discussions about the virus’s potential origins in a Wuhan lab were dismissed by Democratic leaders and left-leaning media as conspiratorial, xenophobic, and racist. Yet, this theory is now widely considered plausible, demonstrating the risks of politicizing scientific inquiry. • Biden’s Cognitive Health: Concerns over President Joe Biden’s clearly observable cognitive decline were largely ignored or suppressed, with instances of public confusion dismissed as partisan attacks. This suppression has deeply eroded public trust in the Democratic Party. • Politically Partisan Organizations: Once-respected scientific institutions—including elite universities, the ACLU, and publications like Scientific American and Nature—are increasingly seen as prioritizing progressive ideology over objective research. This shift has damaged trust in institutions that are supposed to uphold unbiased inquiry, with some now viewing these organizations as partisan shills rather than scientific. • Silencing Inconvenient Truths: Public experts such as Democratic Party data analyst David Shor and Harvard economist Roland Fryer, who presented evidence-based findings that challenged dominant leftist narratives, faced intense backlash. This reinforces the perception that ideological conformity is valued over truth, further weakening the Left’s credibility in the realm of science and reason. Cancel Culture, Ad Hominem Attacks, and Circular Firing Squads Critical thinking, science, and pragmatism thrive on open debate, yet cancel culture has become a defining characteristic of the progressive Left. Those who challenge the dominant narrative are often quickly labeled as “bigoted” or “right-wing.” When the Left resorts to ad hominem attacks, calling those with alternative viewpoints racist or uninformed, it weakens their credibility and alienates moderates who want to engage in meaningful discussion. The progressive Left’s tendency to vilify anyone deemed “impure” through circular firing squads only reinforces the perception of ideological zealotry. Overreactions, such as labeling Trump a Nazi, describing Republicans as evil, or absurdly accusing Elon Musk of making a Nazi salute, give the Left an appearance of being irrational, prone to hysteria, and unreasonably extreme. No, Musk did not give a ‘Nazi Salute’: Are the Media going to really start this nonsense all over again? by Andrew Doyle The ideas may originate from the extremes, but the Democratic Party and left press have enabled and too often embraced them This includes adopting progressive jargon, engaging in ideological policing, and reflexively dismissing critics—including those within the Left—who question critical race theory, open-border policies, or so-called "woke" ideologies. In the United States, trust in the press has now fallen below that of Congress, reflecting widespread skepticism toward media objectivity and credibility. A Path Forward: Restoring Credibility Focus on Practical SolutionsTackle issues like crime, homelessness, and drug use with evidence-based, pragmatic policies. Balance equity initiatives with meritocracy to promote fairness while maintaining excellence. Foster Open Debate and Intellectual DiversityEncourage dialogue on challenging issues, such as gender policies in sports or the origins of COVID-19. Embracing rather than attacking diverse viewpoints fosters trust and strengthens credibility. Reframe Social Justice EffortsApproach race, class, and identity issues with nuance and common sense, focusing on shared values and unity rather than division. Promote efforts that build bridges, not walls. Improve MessagingCommunicate clearly and directly, focusing on practical solutions that appeal to a broad audience. Avoid polarizing rhetoric like “Defund the Police” which alienates moderates and stifles meaningful conversation. Rather than academic jargon, speak in the language that the everyday American public uses. Reject Ideological Rigidity and ExtremismPush back against extremist factions and fringe ideas, prioritizing a centrist, pragmatic approach that serves diverse communities. This strategy will help broaden appeal and restore trust. Honestly listen to Diverse PerspectivesEngage with people from outside the political bubble, especially conservatives, rural Americans, and working-class voters, to better understand their concerns. The Media’s RoleThe mainstream press must prioritize unbiased, fact-based reporting. Biased narratives only deepen divisions and distort public opinion. . Conclusion The American Left risks losing its identity as the champion of reason, science, and pragmatism. By returning to its core principles—critical thinking, evidence-based policymaking, fairness, and honesty—it can rebuild trust and reconnect with the broader electorate. To meet the challenges ahead, the Left must embrace practical solutions, intellectual humility, and open dialogue, and explicitly reject the fringe extremists and elitists within the Left.

Link: UUnderWorld January 2025d The new issue should be up on the website (UUnderWorld.com) soon.

Redux: Why the UUA is Doomed to Fail in Its Goals The church has become even whiter Preface: The following is an old analysis of mine explaining why the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA)’s attempts to increase the church’s general and racial and ethnic minority membership, while laudable in intent, are ill-conceived and lacking even in common sense, and the church is unlikely to achieve either goal. I repost it because the UUA published its 2024 UUA Certification Report (click to read) which not only details the church’s ongoing membership and budget issues but also shows racial minority membership has fallen in recent years. According to reports, UU minority membership has fallen from 11 percent in 2008 to an even more paltry 6-9% in 2024. The 2024 report is a treasure trove of information and numbers about UU and its congregations. Clearly, the UUA’s methods are not only not working but making things worse. David Cycleback: Big Ideas is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribed . The old analysis: Why the UUA is Doomed to Fail in Its Goals Unitarian Universalism (UU) is a tiny, eccentric, politically far-left, and predominantly white church with dwindling membership. It is far whiter than the United States population and than most Christian and conservative churches, including the Catholics, Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Anglican Church, and Mormons. While UU has advanced from its heterosexual patriarchal roots, the lack of racial diversity has been a source of angst to many UUs who see themselves as social justice vanguards. (UUA 2010) (Braestrup 2017) (Pew Research Center 2015) Doubling concerns, according to its 2022 report, the UUA has had the largest drop in membership and number of congregations in church history. There are currently the fewest members, religious education (RE) members, and number of congregations ever. The previous pre-Covid census in 2020 showed the largest drop in membership in twenty-three years and the largest drop in Religious Education membership in forty-nine years. (UUA 2020) (Loehr 2005) (Halsted 2019) (UUA 1997) The current national UU leadership has expressed that it aspires to both increase UU membership and greatly increase racial minority membership by moving UU even further to the political left into extremism. This article explains how these goals can conflict and how the current national UU’s attempts may achieve neither. (Frederick-Gray 2021) (CLFUU 2017) . UU’s Traditional Culture As with most churches, Unitarian Universalism has had a particular demographic and culture. UU is associated with its white, Puritan, New England Unitarian roots. Famous Unitarians included Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Susan B. Anthony, Thomas Jefferson, Frank Lloyd Wright, Kurt Vonnegut and Julian Jaynes. The Collegeville Pennsylvania fellowship is named after Thomas Paine. Martin Luther King Jr. said Sunday at 11 a.m. is the most segregated time in America, with people traditionally tending to congregate with their own demographic. Some racial minorities have said they are drawn to UU’s beliefs but have a hard time fitting in with the dominant culture. One congregant wrote, “I don’t think segregation is intentional. It’s a matter of music, demographics, age, culture, worship style, etc.” (Blake 2010) (Grossman 2015) (8th Principle 2021) Anyone who attends a UU congregation knows they can have a controlled, insular, polite, Northern European-American culture. As a native of Wisconsin and with many Minnesotan relatives, I’ve commented that the culture of the Seattle UU congregation I attend is “very Scandinavian.” I am neurodivergent (autistic and bipolar) and Sephardic Jewish and from personal experience understand how people who are different can feel frustrated and misunderstood in a UU congregation’s culture. I agree with the UUA that UUs should work on being educated about different cultures and peoples and how to be welcoming to those who are attracted to UU’s beliefs. . It’s Not Just Racial Minorities: UU Culture Is Unwelcoming to the Majority in Most Demographics Usually omitted in the argument that UU culture is unattractive to most racial minorities– and in the mind of some is, thus, “racist”– is the fact that UU is unattractive to most whites. Many outsiders would describe the current UU as a counterculture. I once wrote, “Yes, It is true that UU is unattractive to most blacks. It is also unattractive to most whites, Asians, Hispanics, Middle Easterners, Jews, and every other race and ethnicity. That’s why it’s so small.” My white libertarian friend from Texas would follow the UU’s Principles and is a fan of the Unitarian psychologist Julian Jaynes. He told me he could stand about ten seconds of UU’s brand of identity politics and politically correct language. I have talked to atheists who I thought might be attracted to a church that has atheists and shares their political persuasion. The majority of the small sample had no interest in joining a UU congregation because they don’t want to belong to any organized church, even one that has atheists and agnostics, and attend services that have a church-like style. Even to these politically left atheists, a “church for atheists” was an incongruous concept. Many working-class and working-class background UUs have long complained about classicism and vocation/education elitism in UU and UU congregations. This remains. Economics professor and social critic Glenn Loury says that most proponents of the prevailing UUA-style social justice and identity politics are university-educated “cultural elites” who are often out of touch with and even dismissive of white and non-white working-class and poor American cultures and views. (Loury 2022) A complaint about the recent years’ narrowing of UU’s politics is that it excludes political moderates and conservatives who would embrace the UU’s Principles. There is no political litmus test to be a UU, and there is no reason that many moderates and conservatives who believe in “the inherent worth and dignity of every person” can’t belong to a UU or other religiously liberal church. UU Minister Rev. Sean Neil-Baron put it “We are a liberal religion not a religion for liberals,” and there used to be an active group for conservative UUs. (UUA 2017) (Morgenstern 2020) I know numerous UUs who have said they wish their congregational membership had a broader political spectrum. Many UUs are rotely dismissive and even openly disdainful of conservatives, often just assuming all UU congregants share their progressive views. A more conservative ex-UU wrote, “I left the Unitarian Church several years ago when I came to realize that it is little more than a liberal-left wing political advocacy group masquerading as a religion.” . Moving Further Left Makes UU Only More Unappealing to Most Minorities About fourteen percent of the country is black. It is simply the statistical reality that if every church wants to be, say, forty percent black, that is impossible. UU, in its traditional or current state, will not be the type of church that attracts large swaths of blacks and other racial and ethnic minorities. In her 2017 essay Where Are We Headed?, UU Minister Rev. Kate Braestrup wrote that UU would have to become more conservative and welcoming to a broader range of political views to attract many minorities who are generally more conservative than UU. (Braestrup 2017) Pew Research Center polling has shown that the progressive left is only 6% of the United States population, and is predominantly non-Hispanic white and culturally elite (highly educated and economically privileged). Similarly, a 2021 national education poll reported that the “extreme woke” (Those who advocate for the dismantling of society, that students should be taught that whites are oppressors and non-whites are oppressed, etc.) make up 6% of the population and is disproportionally non-Hispanic white and culturally/socially elite. (Pew Research Center 2021) (Sumner 2022) According to a 2020 Pew Research Center Poll, 65 percent of black Democrats identify as moderate or conservative, and only 37 percent of Hispanic Democrats identify as politically liberal. By a wide margin, whites are the most likely to be in the far left or progressive portion of the Democratic Party. An Indian immigrant told me that he no longer felt welcome or heard in his UU congregation due to his more conservative viewpoints. (Pew Research Center 2021) (Pew Research Center 2020) (Winston 2020) Taking a variety of fringe political positions unpopular with most minorities, the UUA has called for the abolishment of police and for congregations to quit calling the police. A 2021 national poll showed that only 23 percent of blacks, 16 percent of Hispanics, and 22 percent of Asians support reducing spending on police. Polls over the years have consistently shown that the large majority of all racial and ethnic groups want the same or more spending on police and the same or larger police presence in their neighborhoods. (UUA 2020) (Pew Research Center 2021) (Gallup 2020) (Parker & Hurst 2021) (Hirsi 2021) Black civil rights leader and Democratic Party Whip James Clyburn said that the “Defund the Police” sloganeering cost Democrats seats in the 2020 election and harmed the Black Lives Matter cause. Los Angeles Mayor and former Congressional Black Caucus Chair Rep. Karen Bass called Defund the Police “probably one of the worst slogans ever.” (Brown 2020) (Moore 2020) The national UU and UU groups have aligned themselves with fringe Jewish groups, such as Jewish Voice for Peace, and movements, such as BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions), that are out of step with majority Jewish views and even labeled as antisemitic by mainstream Jewish organizations. (McCardle 2016) (Leblang 2017) (ADL 2015) Multiple national polls have shown that not only are substantially large majorities of all racial demographics against politically correct culture and the politically correct language adopted by the UUA, UU World, UU ministers and many congregations, but the top three in opposition are American Indians (88%), Latinos (87%) and Asians (82%). Seventy-five percent of black Americans were against PC culture and language. (ThinkNow 2019) (Monk 2018) (McWhorter 2022) Black linguist and black-English expert John McWhorter wrote that the term “BIPOC” is unpopular with most racial minorities. A Latino pollster found that “When it came to ‘Latinx,’ there was near unanimity. Despite its usage by academics and cultural influencers, 98% of Latinos prefer other terms to describe their ethnicity. Only 2% of our respondents said the label accurately describes them, making it the least popular ethnic label among Latinos.” Some Latinos have called white people using Latinx “Anglo-Imperialist,’’ “Anglicizing our language,” “culturally ignorant,” and “English speakers imposing their social norms on other cultures.” (Thinknow 2018) (Douthat 2019) (McWhorter 2022) (Cunningham 2017) Common sense says that a white-dominant church or congregation is not going to attract or be welcoming to most racial and ethnic minorities by adopting unpopular and sometimes even offending language and political positions. Rev. Braestrup wrote: “Despite our decades of self-flagellating attempts to scour away every vestige of racism from our bleeding hearts, religions that have never made the slightest effort to ‘dismantle white supremacy’ aren’t just more successful at attracting congregants of all colors, they are — according to our own preferred measures — far less racist . . . . The statistics, in other words, strongly imply that anyone who wishes to belong to a non-racist church should depart Unitarian Universalism and join the Assemblies of God. Or– easier still– become a Catholic.” (Braestrup 2017) . While UUs like to think of themselves as independent thinkers and open-minded, I find them to be as much of groupthinkers and crowd followers as in any religious denomination. UU spaces are often political and ideological bubbles, unaware of or dismissing different viewpoints including from minorities. A UU said that to many UUs multiculturalism means “People who think like us but come in different colors.” I replied, “Multiculturalism means they aren’t all going to think like you, and many will think things you very much disagree with.” UU leaders often hold up the goals of multiculturalism and diversity. However, they don’t really want multiculturalism and diversity. A multicultural and diverse church would contain diverse political, social and ideological ideas and values. With their new expectations of political and ideological conformity, national UU leaders are trying to create a monoculture that, ironically, will exclude most racial, ethnic and other minorities. . Conflicting Goals The UUA’s efforts are not just about attracting minorities to UU but being more inclusive and empowering of minorities already in UU. The latter are important but cause a conflict. Racial minorities in UU tend to be much further to the political left, more radical and identity politics-centric than the general racial minority population. Also, UU advertises itself as a “safe space,” so attracts from the small percentage of minorities who psychologically want or need safe spaces. Many white UUs and white progressives are under the mistaken impression that radical minority activists are proxies for their entire demographics. This often is because UU leaders and idealogues misleadingly say that the positions are the majority views or the only “authentic voice” of minorities. UUs are learning about race relations from a tiny group that is unrepresentative of the larger minority groups. (Hirsi 2021) (Loury 2021) Doing what “BIPOC of UU” want will make UU even less appealing to most outside racial minorities. The radicalization of UU may not only not attract many racial minorities to UU but likely will lead to many religious liberals leaving. The conflict is exemplified by the word Latinx. UU works to be LGBT+ inclusive and the UUA, UU World and many UU congregations and groups commonly use the term Latinx. Latinx is simultaneously seen as gender-inclusive and is off-putting to a majority of Latinos. (Douthat 2019) The use of Latinx demonstrates that UU aspires for the diversity and inclusion of numerous minority identities, not just racial and ethnic. In both practice and theory, this is a conundrum because minority cultures and demographics are never in exact alignment with each other. That’s why it’s a challenge to create successful multi-cultural and interfaith organizations. People with multiple identities often experience such internal conflicts. . Many Ways to Create and Different Considerations of Diversity Some UUs are not troubled by the lack of racial diversity. They say that most churches and congregations have particular cultures and demographics, such as Scandinavian Lutheran and Eastern Orthodox congregations, many Muslim and Hindu temples and Jewish synagogues. The least racially diverse American church is the National Baptist Convention with ninety-nine percent black membership. Of the six least racially diverse American churches, three are 90+ percent white and the other three are either 90+ percent black or 90+ percent Asian. With 80 percent of Jews worldwide being Ashkenazi, it’s no surprise that the synagogue I attend is predominantly Ashkenazi. Further, a congregation mostly attracts people from its neighborhood which means the congregation will tend to reflect the demographics of the neighborhood. (Pew Research Center 2015) As far as attaining diversity and multiculturalism go, there is more than one way to skin a cat. For example, congregations can do interfaith work with other congregations and organizations. A Seattle UU congregation belongs to an interfaith network with members from the neighborhood mosque, Hispanic Catholic congregation and synagogue working together in neighborhood charity work. This type of work involves not only a diversity of races, but of cultures and beliefs. It is problematic when UUs want ethnic and racial minorities to be part of their church but only if they “think the way we do.” I see a tokenizing and fetishism in focusing strictly on the percentage of skin colors in a congregation, and a pandering in doing whatever it takes to attract people of different skin colors. UU Minister Rev. Craig Moro wrote, “I suspect one of the things that drives ‘BIPOC’ folks away after a visit or two is that some UUs seem to be trying to ‘collect’ them– to add them to some sort of collection of skins and heads. That would scare me, too!” An Asian man who quit UU wrote, “The tone of the entire organization has shifted more and more left and privileged as time goes on . . . When a person of color does show up (myself included), it was ridiculous. Our opinions were not valued because they were our opinions, but simply because of the color of our skin. In trying to be more inclusive, the organization became more racist. No non-white person wants to get in a room and watch rich white people flog themselves all day and apologize for transgressions that may or may not have ever happened. It is tiresome and has nothing to do with fellowship. It just makes those members feel better.” I wonder about UU laity who are so easily and sometimes unquestioningly willing to discard their long-held UU values such as religious liberalism, self-determination, due process, diversity of individual views and paths, and freedom of expression and speech simply because a group of self-anointed authorities in classes and the pulpit instruct them to. It makes me wonder what other values they’d be willing to throw overboard in the name of a cause, because of the color of someone’s skin or to go along with a crowd. Some UUs say that the object shouldn’t be to blindly fixate on a numbers game of “bringing in minorities” but on making sure congregations and members are welcoming to the racial, ethnic and other minorities who are attracted to UU’s beliefs. I belong to different communities. These include a mostly white but gender diverse UU congregation, a synagogue, a multi-racial and racial minority-led workplace, my Armenian-Iranian immigrant partner and her Armenian family, and a vintage baseball card collecting club that is nearly all white male but with a wide diversity of religious and political beliefs. The combination of these and other relationships is my multi-cultural experience, and I neither expect nor want each to be the same. . The challenge of creating racial diversity and how to attract and maintain minorities in dominant white churches is not an issue just for Unitarian Universalism. With challenges, successes and failures, there have been numerous attempts to create multi-racial Christian churches. (Gjelten 2020) There is no one or objectively correct answer as to what should be achieved or how to achieve it, and any way involves conflicts and trade-offs. A church can’t be all things it wants and doesn’t want to be all things to all people. To gain one valued thing you often have to give up another valued thing, and pleasing one group of people within a community sometimes will turn off another group. Such is the nature of communities, especially in a liberal, pluralistic church. However, I firmly believe the UUA’s and many UU congregations’ attempts to move UU as a whole further to the left into political extremism, both generally but in particular in the area of identity politics, and to try to create ideological and political homogony will neither attract substantial numbers of racial and ethnic minorities nor expand UU membership. My prediction is that, if the UUA and UU congregations stubbornly continue along this track, UU membership will fall even more drastically. In fact, it was after I originally wrote this article that the UUA reported yet another huge drop in membership for 2023. (UUA 2023) . References 8th Principle (2021), “Where Did This Come From Originally?”, https://www.8thprincipleuu.org/background ADL (2015), “BDS: The Global Campaign to Delegitimize Israel”, https://www.adl.org/resources/backgrounders/bds-the-global-campaign-to-delegitimize-israel Blake J (2010), “Why Sunday morning remains America’s most segregated hour”, https://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2010/10/06/why-sunday-morning-remains-americas-most-segregated-hour/ Braestrup K (2017), “Where Are We Headed?”, https://trulyopenmindsandhearts.blog/2017/11/21/where-are-we-headed/ Brown, M. (2020), “Democratic Whip James Clyburn: ‘Defund the police’ cost Democrats seats, hurt Black Lives Matter movement,” https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/11/08/james-clyburn-defund-police-cost-democrats-seats-hurt-black-lives-matter/6216371002/ Coyne J (2022), “The annual evolution meeting raises some questions,” https://whyevolutionistrue.com/2022/05/12/the-annual-evolution-meeting-raises-some-questions/ Cunningham V (2017). “The Case for Black English: In his latest book, John McWhorter celebrates the dialect that has become an American lingua franca,” https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/05/15/the-case-for-black-english Douthat R (2019), “Democrats’ Latinx Problem”, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/05/opinion/latinix-warren-democrats.html Frederick-Gray S (2021), “Sea Change, Not Slow Change”, https://www.uuworld.org/articles/president-fall-2021 Gallup (2020), “Black Americans Want Police to Retain Local Presence”, https://news.gallup.com/poll/316571/black-americans-police-retain-local-presence.aspx Gjelten T (2020), “Multiracial Congregations May Not Bridge Racial Divide”, https://www.npr.org/2020/07/17/891600067/multiracial-congregations-may-not-bridge-racial-divide Grossman C (2015), “Sunday Is Still the Most Segregated Day of the Week”, https://www.americamagazine.org/content/all-things/sunday-still-most-segregated-day-week Halsted J (2019), “My Church is Dying and I’m OK with that”, https://praywithyourfeet.org/2019/12/17/my-church-is-dying-and-im-ok-with-that/ Hirsi I (2021), “Black Residents of Minneapolis Say They Need More Cops—Not Fewer”, https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/minneapolis-police-reform/ Leblang D (2017) “Area Jews ask: Why would a church show an anti-Semitic movie?”, https://www.jewishjournal.org/2017/11/02/area-jews-ask-why-would-a-church-show-an-anti-semitic-movie/ Loehr D (2005), “Why Unitarian Universalism is Dying”, https://files.meadville.edu/files/resources/why-unitarian-universalism-is-dying.pdf Loury G (2021), “Wrestle not against flesh and blood: Original Essay of the Journal of Free Black Thought,” Journal of Free Black Thought Loury G (2022), “Why Does Racial Inequality Persist?”, https://media4.manhattan-institute.org/sites/default/files/R-0519-GL.pdf McArdle E (2016), “Rabbi Jacobs: Why I raised divestment concerns during celebration”, http://uuworld.org/articles/uuaga2016jacobsdivestment McCardle E (2017),”Two-thirds of UU congregations participate in White Supremacy Teach-In”, https://www.uuworld.org/articles/two-thirds-participate-teach McWhorter J (2022), “BIPOC is Jargon. That’s OK, and Normal People Don’t Have to Use It”,https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/25/opinion/bipoc-latinx.html Monk Y (2018), “Americans Strongly Dislike PC Culture,”http://theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/10/large-majorities-dislike-political-correctness/572581/ Moore M (2020), “Congressional Black Caucus chair: ‘Defund the police’ is ‘one of the worst slogans ever’”, https://nypost.com/2020/06/16/black-caucus-chair-defund-the-police-is-one-of-the-worst-slogans/ Morgenstern A (2020), “Conservative Values for Unitarian Universalists”, https://www.uucpa.org/services/conservative-values-for-unitarian-universalists-2/ Parker & Hurst (2021) “Growing share of Americans say they want more spending on police in their area”, https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/10/26/growing-share-of-americans-say-they-want-more-spending-on-police-in-their-area/ Pew Research Center (2015), “The most and least racially diverse U.S. religious groups”, https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/07/27/the-most-and-least-racially-diverse-u-s-religious-groups/ Pew Research Center (2020), “5 facts about black Democrats, https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/02/27/5-facts-about-black-democrats/ Pew Research Center (2021) “Facts About the U.S. Black Population”, https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/fact-sheet/facts-about-the-us-black-population/ Sumner S (2022), “6 percent of Americans are woke extremists”, https://www.econlib.org/6-of-americans-are-woke-extremists/ ThinkNow (2019), “Progressive Latino pollster: 98% of Latinos do not identify with “Latinx” label,”http://medium.com/@ThinkNowTweets/progressive-latino-pollster-trust-me-latinos-do-not-identify-with-latinx-63229adebcea UUA (1997), “Toward an Anti-Racist Unitarian Universalist Association: 1997 Business Resolution”, https://www.uua.org/action/statements/toward-anti-racist-unitarian-universalist-association UUA (2017), “Conservative Forum for Unitarian Universalists”, https://www.uua.org/offices/organizations/conservative-forum-unitarian-universalists UUA (2020), “UUA Membership Statistics, 1961-2020”, https://www.uua.org/data/demographics/uua-statistics UUA (2020), “The Unitarian Universalist Association Says It’s Time to Defund the Police”, https://www.uua.org/pressroom/press-releases/unitarian-universalist-association-says-its-time-defund-police UUA (2023): “Annual Congregational Inventory,” https://dyn.uua.org/congregation/certlist.php? UU World (2010),”Racial and ethnic diversity of Unitarian Universalists”, https://www.uuworld.org/articles/racial-ethnic-diversity-uus Winston D (2020), “As Democrats go hard left, Hispanics head to the center”, https://rollcall.com/2021/06/23/as-democrats-go-hard-left-hispanics-head-to-the-center/ WSUU (2018), “Beloved Congregations”, https://wsuu.org/2018/11/07/sign-up-for-beloved-conversations-groups/ David Cycleback: Big Ideas is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribed © 2024 David CyclebackUnsubscribe

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