American Unitarian Conference Forum

I have a dream:
To unite the Unitarians of the World,
To form a dynamic living community,
A Unitarian Community that promotes love, harmony, and peace.

Unitarians live isolated and alone.
Many have to hide what they truly believe.
Few have places where they can openly worship.

Each must find a tolerable place.
Gone are the churches of open worship and love.
Gone are the home fellowships and centers of learning.

Each denomination and religion has Unitarians in their midst.
Many Christians, Jews, Moslems, Hindus, Buddhists, and Pagans are truly Unitarian.
Unitarians have used the dominant teachings in their region.

In every culture I have found Unitarian teachings.
One Supreme God or being is over the multitude of gods established by man.
Each has their own name for the Supreme “I am”.

Many different and unique ways of worship are seen.
The common factor is love of the One God and love and service for the good of all humanity.
It would be nice if we could all learn and grow together.

Many religious organizations want to stop the Unitarians.
Driven from the churches many are now spiritual but not religious.
Still some hold to the labels established within their family and culture.

Rebels and heretics find much opposition as they question authority.
Seeking answers to life situations is a grueling task.
No longer are people willing to blindly follow a questionable teaching.

Unitarians now come from all cultures and ways.
Fragmented, many small groups have been formed.
Each struggles, duplicating efforts that have been done by others.

A Unitarian community could coordinate the efforts of all the small groups.
An efficient way to share information and teachings could be established.
An open dialog and exchange of knowledge and wisdom would result.

In the U.S. alone there were over 500 home fellowships.
Many churches and schools promoted a Unitarian Community.
They all have disappeared as the leadership faltered in its commitment to loving God.

I am an ordinary man, but I share with you this dream.
It is possible for all to work together to reestablish a Unitarian Community.
It is possible for all to worship and love God in our different but harmonious ways.

It is possible to promote love, harmony, and peace.
It is possible to have fellowship with others of similar beliefs.
It is possible to learn and grow together as a loving family.

Yes -- Unitarians from all over the world can unite.
We can be a united partnership and community.
We can work together for the good of all humanity.

I hope you share in this dream with me.

With love,

Rev Dorris

I share your dream, Rev. Dorris. I don't feel that believing Unitarians need to live in exile indefinitely. My guess is that a number of smaller theistic (loosely speaking) Unitarian communities will be formed or are being formed, and will come together as a world community. One might ask how much of this would happen organizationally and how much would come about informally.

I've spent quite a few winter evenings reading books and articles by those who have left their original religious communities due to organizational idolatry of some sort. They were squeamish about where their churches had gone.

The Jehovah's Witnesses have alienated and disfellowshipped many bright and sensitive people. Canadian JW historian James Penton (born 1932) was disfellowshipped in the 1970s and has since written two books that contain some valuable information about JW dissidents and how some of them have found each other. Raymond Franz (born 1922) served on the Governing Body of the JWs from 1971 to 1980, was eventually disowned by the movement for asking too many questions, and authored CRISIS OF CONSCIENCE and IN SEARCH OF CHRISTIAN FREEDOM. He seems to favor informal fellowship more than formal organization, perhaps because he has had too much of religious authoritarianism and legalism. There is also a JW reformation organization.

Some who participate in discussions on this list may feel that we've exhausted the subject of our disenchantment(s) with the UUA, while others may need quite a bit more dialogue on that. Now, I'm hearing more and more from Unitarians and Universalists who wonder how we can more intimately connect with U's with whom we feel a high correlation of compatibility.

John

Indeed....it is like being a pioneer....nobody around for miles....living in a theological wilderness. But, like the pioneers, keep working, someday a log cabin church may be built.

Did you mean that their are no Unitarian theists (or virtually none) in your metro area, or is it there are no active ones?

Here, there are some who have declared themselves UU Christian. They have affiliated with at least one national organization in that category, and some have attemded a few meetings of local UU Christians in 2001-2. Some have attended national gatherings of UU Christians. At present, as far as I know, almost all of them are active in humanist congregations, while a few have joined UCC or Episcopal churches.

Nationally, I've attended 5 gatherings of U believers, so know some people of our persuasion who reside in distant cities.

I liked the way you put that, by the way.

John

Thank you John and Eruonen,

The UUA and the AUC exist as small parts of a larger but hidden "Unitarian Community."  

There is a great deal of turmoil at the present time throughout all organized religions.  People are questioning doctrine and required beliefs because what they have no longer seems to work.  People are questioning the need for organized religion as a whole.

Still they seek for the fellowship of like minded or open minded people and they seek answers to many questions.  They are looking for guidance and a way to fill in the gaps in their knowledge.  They are looking for a place of harmony where they can worship and have fellowship but still ask questions. Many seem to have blended the thoughts of many religions into a personal theology that runs counter to their denomination's beliefs.  Many are afraid to express their own views.

People still want and seek to belong to a larger, dynamic movement.  They want their voices to be heard and respected.  A formal but voluntary community might meet this need.  Home fellowships or churches could have an identity on a national or international basis. A central point of contact and coordination could function to keep the small groups informed and provide basic guidance upon request.

With love,

Rev Dorris

John, in my area there are the usual assortment of faiths....including UUA churches...but none of the churches (UCC, Episcopal etc.) are a clean fit with my theology...the closest is a UCC church where the minister said nothing is required of membership..be it creeds, statement of faith etc. except "Jesus is Lord".....which I pondered as there are alternative meanings to the term....but I fully know well what the orthodox meaning is....but even if they are progressive...not sure I would ever feel anything but an outsider. It remains a possiblity.....as an alternative...not as a replacement for what I would like to see.

At this point, my wife is only interested in the choir.....
My 14 yr old son would not be that interested...
My 8 yr old daughter probably would be...at least somewhat.

Rev Dorris...you are very correct....

"Still they seek for the fellowship of like minded or open minded people and they seek answers to many questions. They are looking for guidance and a way to fill in the gaps in their knowledge. They are looking for a place of harmony where they can worship and have fellowship but still ask questions. Many seem to have blended the thoughts of many religions into a personal theology that runs counter to their denomination's beliefs."

Same here Nathan....first of all...I don't feel very qualified to lead a group and 2nd, I doubt my wife would be that interested. Could I? Well I suppose I could try....do I really want to...well.....considering everything going on in life...not at this time. Maybe a small advert in the religious section would generate some inquiries....

Short answer....not doing everything that could be done...hence the wailing and gnashing of teeth

One of the items we will address at a meeting of the Unitarian Community is this concern. How can we give people the information, tools, and guidance needed to start and maintain fellowships?

With love,

Rev Dorris

A couple of us met in Atlanta during the past week. We will be forming a new organization. I guess it is really already formed but in the beginning stages of development.

"Unitarian Community" will be an open association, welcoming to members of all faith communities that believe in One God. We will promote the Unitarian Faith.

There will be no dues or membership fees. Any support will be in the form of "Love donations". The primary focus at the present will be establishing the web sites, the formal or legal organization, and establishing a monthly e-newsletter to be sent to each subscriber for free.

Our intent is to encourage the formation of home fellowships and churches by providing the leadership and the tools necessary to give each individual the knowledge and courage to take such a step. We will also be reaching out to established organizations, churches, and individuals that have been disenfranchised and now feel isolated or alone.

With love,

Rev Dorris

Unitarian is the host of the below listed Unitarian Community forum.


I've created an online community called "Unitarian Community".
Please join the discussion!

With the message board, you can view discussion folders quickly in the left-hand column and read up to 20 messages at a time. You can even attach files (such as pictures and programs) directly to messages -- just like e-mail. It's fast, easy, and efficient.

As the Forum "Host," I control the specific features of the Forum.
The best way into my Forum is at the following URL:

http://forums.delphiforums.com/unitarian


The new web site for Unitarian Community will be:

http://www.unitariancommunity.org/

If you would like to visit me on Belief net, my personal home page and journal is at:

http://community.beliefnet.com/RevDorris

Another discussion group will be formed on Belief Net concerning the Unitarian Community.

More information will be coming soon.  If you would like to be placed on the Unitarian Community e-mail list, please send me your private e- mail addresses.  This will ensure that you are included in all our activities and mailings.

With love,

Rev Dorris

I may be contacted directly at RevDorris@aol.com