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Title: Anarchism and Unitarian Universalism Author: Clayton Dewey Date: 2004 Language: en Topics: religion Source: Retrieved on December 19, 2009 from http://news.infoshop.org/article.php?story=04/01/26/2904407
I vividly remember my first real encounter with anarchist thought; it
was at a Young Religious Unitarian Universalist (YRUU) conference. I saw
a girl Sonja, wearing a shirt with some sort of anarchist phrase and
drawing on it. I found it odd that someone would wear an anarchy shirt,
especially since she seemed so intelligent and figured that the appeal
of chaos really only lied in the young angst-ridden punks I came across
on occasion. Later I overheard Sonja tell of how she bought the shirt at
her favorite anarchist bookstore. This told me that 1)there was actually
entire books on the ideas of anarchy and that 2) if she bought it from
her “favorite” store there must be other anarchist bookstores. I decided
to research it. I typed in anarchy and came across the Anarchist FAQ.
Soon I realized that anarchists did not in fact believe in chaos, and
actually felt that order could be maintained in ways other than the
state and hierarchy. Thus my journey into anarchism began.
Today I am a self-declared anarchist and Unitarian Universalist. While I
can attribute my introduction into anarchism to YRUU and many of my UU
friends are also anarchists, the fact remains that on both sides
ignorance about the other is rampant. It’s a shame that this is true,
especially because I feel that the anarchist movement and Unitarian
Universalist religion could greatly compliment one other in their
commitment to a better world.
While not all anarchists absolutely reject religion, many do and many
(anarchists and non-anarchists) equate anarchism with atheism. Even more
reject organized religion. There’s great reason for these beliefs. The
idea that one must acquiesce to the power of a “divine” or supernatural
force flies in the face of the anarchist values of freedom,
individuality along with their rejection of hierarchy and authority.
Similarly, creed-based religions’ assertion that their way is right,
even if that way is non-hierarchical, is incompatible with the anarchist
notion that absolute Truth is a farce and to have one set of morals
placed upon all to be coercive and destructive to creativity and
individuality. Most organized religions are oppressive institutions that
anarchists seek to abolish along with the state and capital. However, to
throw out organized religion all together would be a grave mistake.
Many anarchists may all-out reject the idea of an organized religion,
for the above-said reasons, but since when have anarchists been opposed
to organization? The popular IWW cry is “Don’t mourn, organize!” And it
was the Italian anarchist, Ericco Malatesta who declared that “Anarchism
is organization, organization and more organization.” Just as anarchists
wish to create non-hierarchical institutions which satisfy our material
needs in place of the existing oppressive ones, we should be
establishing institutions which satisfy our spiritual needs. This is not
a call to form an anarchist church which all anarchists must subscribe
to. This is, however, a call to explore the possibility of anarchistic
organized religions. Fewer and fewer people are attending church
regularly. The right would attribute it to the ever-increasing moral
decay of our society, but perhaps it is because more people have a hard
time subscribing to one, narrow interpretation of the Bible or
expression of spirituality. More and more marriages are crossing
religious lines, leaving parents in a bind when wishing to raise their
children in a supportive community, but also one that would be open to
more than one belief system. Just as “a human being in isolation cannot
even live the life of a beast, for they would be unable to obtain
nourishment for themselves” materially, so may they wish for spiritual
nourishment from others as well. While people are becoming disillusioned
with organized religion, the healthy, self-liberating alternatives are
small and virtually unknown to the populace. Again drawing from
Malatesta, “When a community has needs and its members do not know how
to organize spontaneously to provide them, someone comes forward, an
authority who satisfies those needs by utilizing the services of all and
directing them to their liking.” In this case, that authority is the
religious right. When we as anarchists abandon religion and in
particular organized ones, we allow the right to move in and provide for
that community instead. If we cannot offer a community to help assist
parents in raising a family and serve as a support group, they may
simply pick the lesser of evils. It is for this reason that we must
support those organized religions which are based upon the same
principles that we are striving for in an anarchist society. It is my
feeling that Unitarian Universalism, is one of those religions.
A significant part of anarchism is the idea of self-liberation. We must
unlearn oppressive axioms instilled in us. We are socially conditioned
through myriad avenues: family, school, media, etc; one which has a
dramatic impact on people’s conditioning is religion. Many point to the
Judaeo-Christian foundation of American society to be the root of
oppressive thought such as patriarchy, white-supremacy, colonialism,
etc. If we are serious about people liberating themselves mentally,
emotionally and spiritually it makes sense that we be offering places
for people to go that seek a religion which promotes the individual and
free search for truth and meaning. The religion I wish to address in
this essay is Unitarian Universalism.
Despite the long, multi-syllabic name and relatively small “membership”
base (about 218,404 in the United States), Unitarian Universalism
(UUism) is far from a cult. In fact, it could quite possibly be the
anti-thesis of such. UUism is unique from other religions in that it is
non-creedal. Thus, there is not one singular belief that binds Unitarian
Universalists together. Instead, much like anarchy, UUs are brought
together by a set of principles, interpreted and expressed uniquely by
each individual. The principles of UUism are the following:
congregations;
our congregations and in society at large
part.
As can be seen, while all the principles may not necessarily speak
powerfully to all anarchists or be relevant enough to “convert” one to
UUism, it can be said that each one of them is compatible with
anarchism. None of the principles espouse the need for hierarchy, the
domination of others, nor the presumption that life be based on
competition. In fact, upon reading them, it can be drawn that the
essence of anarchism (as taken from the Anarchist FAQ), “free
co-operation between equals to maximise their liberty and individuality”
is strongly imbedded in these principles, particularly the first,
second, fourth, fifth and sixth.
L. Susan Brown describes anarchism as the belief in “the inherent
dignity and worth of the human individual,” almost identical to the
first principle of UUism. Hence, the basic premise of UUism springs from
a reverence for the freedom of the individual. Hierarchy and domination
is directly opposed to this, as well as against the fourth principle “A
free and responsible search for truth and meaning.” It is up to the
individual, not some higher authority (be that person, word or deity) to
decide what is right and true. It can be said then, that UUism and
anarchism both spring from the principle of liberty.
Both UUs and anarchists realize that liberty does not exist in a vacuum,
thus the word “responsible” being present in the fourth principle. Along
with that, they understand that humans are social beings and interaction
is inevitable. What must be asked then, is how should we interact so as
the most freedom can be attained? UUs point to the values of “justice,
equity and compassion” as those which should be present in our relations
with one another. Anarchists would agree, claiming that voluntary
cooperation (mutual aid) is the principle on which we should base our
interactions. Further, UUs call for the “respect for the interdependent
web of all existence of which we are a part.” Once again, the respect
for liberty as well as the rejection of domination over another. It
could also be said that it acknowledges the need for solidarity, for we
are all connected.
The last principle of anarchism, equity, is also among the values of
UUs. When we speak of equity, we mean not the subjugation of people to
fit a certain model, but rather ensuring that opportunities are open
equally to all. UUs have demonstrated this in thought, calling for
“equity” in human relations and a world based on “justice.”
UUism was born from two faiths, Unitarianism and Universalism,
eventually uniting in the sixties. Both these religions came out of the
fight that anarchists have taken on now — rejection of authority and
hierarchy.
Unitarian comes from the word “one god.” Unitarians rejected the Trinity
(Father, Son and Holy Ghost) and the deification of a human being, in
this case Jesus, as serving them in any way. Rather than worship Jesus,
they followed him. Like the Unitarians, Leo Tolstoy, probably the most
influential character in the Christian Anarchist movement, drew his
inspiration from Jesus’ actions and words rather than obsessing over
whether or not he was divine and the one Son of God. In biblical texts
he saw “the voluntary poverty of Jesus, his comments on the corrupting
effects of wealth and the Biblical claim that the world was created for
humanity to be enjoyed in common have all been taken as the basis of a
socialistic critique of private property and capitalism.” The idea that
Jesus was a person rather than a deity also rejected the notion that no
one can be as great as Jesus, but that indeed all can live out the
examples he set forth.
While the Unitarians rejected absolute authority, the Universalists took
on hierarchy. Universalism comes from the idea of universal salvation.
At the time, pre-destination: the idea that people’s souls are stamped
as good or evil the moment they are conceived on thus only certain
people will reach heaven, was commonly held. Predestination was an
effective tool in justifying the positions of the ruling class and their
nobility, for they were good and deserved their unequal amount of power
while the poor were kept down. Universalists cried out against this,
claiming that God was a loving and compassionate God and that anyone and
in fact all people were capable of reaching heaven. And from this
position came the first principle — The inherent worth and dignity of
every person.
Along with the courage to put forth these beliefs in freedom and
equality; UUs have consistently been at the forefront in regards to
accepting marginalized and persecuted people. “The Gloucester church
included a freed slave among its charter members, and the Universalists
became the first denomination to ordain women to the ministry, beginning
in 1863 with Olympia Brown.” UUism has also been a leader regarding
glbtq rights, establishing a Gay Affairs Office in 1973. Openly gay men
and women can and are ministers within the faith. UU Ministers also
ordain same-sex marriages. UUism is rich in dissent as well as the
continued fight against oppression towards a more accepting, free world.
Unitarian Universalism has also popularized many ideas that anarchism
embraces as well. The best example of this is probably Henry David
Thoreau, Unitarian and transcendentalist. Thoreau’s essay, Civil
Disobedience is without a doubt one of the most influential writings in
the history of radicalism. His statement that “How does it become a man
to behave toward this American government today? I answer, that he
cannot without disgrace be associated with it.... Under a government
which imprisons any injustly, the true place for a just man is also a
prison” galvanized people into going against the government and refusing
to comply with the rules. It is from this idea that one of most highly
regarded tactics by anarchists, direct action, emerged. Another
influential radical Unitarian is singer/songwriter and labor activist
Pete Seeger. In the same category is Utah Phillips, outspoken proponent
for anarchism and UUism. The Unitarian Universalist movement also has
strong ties with women’s rights movements and feminism. Mary
Wollstonecraft herself was both an anarchist and Unitarian and was bold
in her radical politics and challenges of the church. Susan B. Anthony,
Clara Barton, Louisa May Alcott, to name just a few, were all Unitarian
women who fought for the rights and respect of women. Historically, many
UUs have been an active force in radical politics, living out the seven
principles and the essence of Unitarian and Universalist belief.
There’s no doubt that Unitarian Universalists have been some of the more
daring religious peoples of our time, since Michael Servetus (one of the
first to preach the Unitarian faith) was burned at the stake, UUs have
confronted ridicule and suppression for their belief that each person
should have the right to choose his/her religious beliefs.
And while there have been many a brave Unitarian and Universalist, the
religion and its past is far from perfect. Yes, the religion has offered
sanctuary for the persecuted, but not consistently. It was in the
sixties that Unitarian Universalism lost a great deal of its supporters,
people of color. It was because a great deal of UUs were uncomfortable
with being “too vocal” about civil rights. As a result, people of color
left the faith betrayed. To this day, the majority of UUs are white, are
middle to upperclass and liberal reformists. There have been steps made
to mend the wrongs of the past, but most UUs’ involvement in the
political arena is flawed in the same way liberals’ involvement is —
issue-oriented rather than holistic, minimalistic and ineffective (ie:
voting, typical boring protests) and paternalistic.
Another flaw I see with the faith is what many people are calling “the
gap.” That is, once young UUs leave the house they also leave the
church. According to the UU World, as many as 90 percent of UUs leave
the church after graduating high school. The biggest reason for this is
a simple one — the UUA doesn’t provide for what young adults are looking
for. Most don’t care for the traditional, sit-down and listen to someone
speak, format but are also ageing out of Young Religious Unitarian
Universalists (YRUU). They need something unique for them as well as an
understanding of what they are going through. Unfortunately, many UUs
are out of touch with young adults as well as their passions. Thus a
mass exodus of young adults from the faith is the current reality.
Luckily, steps are being made to rectify these failures by the church.
Many anti-oppression programs have been starting up, challenging many
UUs’ privileges as white, upper-class individuals. The Diverse and
Revolutionary Unitarian Universalist Multicultural Ministries (DRUUMM)
formed in 1997 to “create a support and advocacy organization for People
of Color working in professional capacities within Unitarian
Universalism.” (www.druumm.org/2.html). Since its inception, the
organization has expanded to include all members of the UUA, not just
professionals. The new president, Bill Sinkford, was popularly elected
because of his determination to put issues such as race,
multiculturalism and anti-oppression work to the forefront as issues for
the UUA to focus on. Also, more and more congregations are becoming
“welcoming congregations,” meaning that they have completed programs
that bring awareness to the unique situation that the glbtq community is
faced with and what sort of role UUs can take in ending the oppression
and hardship felt by them.
Just as UUs are working towards being better anti-racist allies with
people of color and other oppressed groups, they are also working
towards meeting the needs of young adults. The Mind the Gap campaign was
started up to address the age gap between youth and adults. The campaign
successfully raised 2 million dollars to offer services specific to the
needs of young adults.
UUs have certainly made mistakes before and continue to do so now, but
our strong focus on being consistent in our values as well as a strong
tendency towards critical thinking has kept the religion fresh and
ever-evolving. The above-mentioned steps being made towards becoming a
truly free and equal religion, despite the strong reformist and
privileged nature of many UUs, is proof that working with this religion
is worthy of our time and effort. If we as anarchists are more vocal
within the movement, these sort of changes will be stronger and quicker.
In fact, many of the UUs involved in putting on anti-oppression
workshops, fundraising for campus ministries, etc. are anarchists. As
anarchists, our understanding of privilege, power and oppression are
invaluable to those seeking to take on such projects. Also, the
anarchist movement is comprised mostly of young adults, precisely the
populace the UUA is seeking to reach out to. If we become active in the
religion, those issues which Unitarian Universalists are working on will
be deepened by our own experiences and knowledge. It has always been
when UUs have had a healthy understanding of power and privilege along
with the ability to create non-hierarchical organizations, that they
have provided spaces for people to exercise their faith freely and to
the fullest. If a strong anti-authoritarian strain consistently runs
through the faith, programs such as Young Religious Unitarian
Universalists (YRUU) will continue to empower youth, Unitarian
Universalist Young Adult Network (UUYAN) will grow, more congregations
will prioritize anti-oppression work, the organizational structure of
the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) will become more horizontal
and less hierarchical and other facets of the faith will be truly
democratic, accepting and libertarian in nature.
Of course, this offer of the hand, like any, would not be one-sided but
mutually-beneficial. I’ve known many an anarchist to get burned out,
grow jaded and bitter. A perfect example is a recent discussion
regarding the A-Zone, a long running infoshop in Chicago. When putting
out a call for help, many people responded with ambivalence because of
the elitist, pretentious attitude they come up against when offering to
help in the past. This isn’t the case everywhere, but it certainly
exists enough to be taken serious note of. In many ways it has been my
spirituality, cultivated within Unitarian Universalism that has kept me
grounded, energized, positive and hopeful. I’m not saying that UUism
will magically erase the police harassment, the horrific injustice
anarchists face when fighting against capitalism or even the toll that
just knowing the destructive effects of capitalism takes upon us, but I
do feel that for many anarchists: UU circles have the potential to offer
support, understanding and an intimacy with people that is always vital
when working for positive change.
There are, in fact, UU circles that have taken on an explicitly radical
tone: UUIgnite — for UU radicals engage politically and UU Prophets, “an
effort to reclaim radical Unitarian, Universalist and Unitarian
Universalist history and kindle the UU legacy of social justice.”
Along with curbing rampant cynicism or hopelessness, the UU church’s
services are ones that many anarchist parents could benefit from. As was
mentioned at the beginning of this piece, many parents would like a
supportive community to raise their children. UU religious education is
extremely positive for children, offering the diverse views of world
religions, encouraging an understanding of the many spiritual views out
there. Rather than telling kids what to do, they simply show them what
is out there and then let them decide for themselves what fits them
best. YRUU basically saved me in high school because it was the only
place where I could be accepted for who I really was. It was also there
that I learned many of the activist skills I posses now: making
decisions based on consensus, putting on conferences and holding
successful workshops.
UU congregations oftentimes offer services beyond Sunday such as book
clubs, women’s and men’s groups, pagan clusters, daycare services, etc.
Church doors are often opened to protesters during summits or
conferences as well as concerts, benefit shows, and other events. If we
have a healthy relationship with the local church these resources are
available to us: Food Not Bombs could use their kitchen, the sanctuary
could be opened up for an Anarchist Black Cross benefit show or people
traveling could just spend the night inside away from the cold. These
bonds have already been made in some areas and in others they can be
developed and strengthened.
The Unitarian Universalist church is one that shares the most basic
principles as we anarchists do: freedom, solidarity and mutual aid. It’s
about time we begin to actualize these principles by reaching out to one
another. Here are some ideas to facilitate such networks:
esp. social justice conferences.
abolition movement, etc. ) to a congregation.
interested in: food not bombs, same-sex marriage, fighting against
religious bigots, pro-choice rights, etc.
respectful and try to engage in honest, sincere discussion with UU
members about your beliefs so as to dispel any myths they may be holding
about you.
about the existence of god, anti-oppression training, etc.
about anarchism and the commonalities you share.
www.uuignite.net
www.uuyan.org
www.uua.org
Anarchism and Organization by Errico Malatesta
Anarchist FAQ, A.2.1 What is the essence of anarchism? Quoted from
Anarchist FAQ, A.2.1 What is the essence of anarchism? [The Politics of
Individualism, p. 107]
Anarchist FAQ, A.3.7 Are there religious anarchists?
Harris, Mark W. Unitarian Universalist Origins: Our Historic Faith
UU Prophets. Continental Conferences.
Jan 26, 2004.