Oct. 30, 2022.
By Susan Bennett, President, UUCF Board of Directors.
When I first became a Unitarian Universalist over 30 years ago, one of the first things that resonated with me was the Five Smooth Stones of Liberal Religion articulated by James Luther Adams, the most influential Unitarian Universalist theologian of the 20th Century. Adams wrote, “Religious liberalism depends on the principle that ‘revelation’ is continuous. Our religious tradition is a living tradition because we are always learning new truths.” This made so much sense to me, and I felt at home in a religious community that was open to changing our practices and approaches based on new thoughts, new ideas and new information. I am a firm believer that learning is a life-long process and that if we stop being open to new learning and the diverse perspectives of other people, we shrivel up and wither. Only by staying curious throughout our lives can we remain creatively engaged with the world around us. This is true of religious communities as well as individuals.
This is one reason why I’m so excited by the work of the Article II Commission of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), which has been tasked by the UUA Board with reviewing and revising Article II of the UUA bylaws, the section that contains the UU Seven Principles and the purpose of the association. For some religions, this would be an unchanging document, but ours is a living tradition. As the UUA Board stated when it created the Article II commission, “We are now well into the first quarter of the 21st Century. Our Association has grown in its understanding of systemic oppressions, such as racism, ableism and heteronormative beliefs. However, many people feel the language of Article II does not reflect these learnings. The Board believes we need an Article II [that] leads us into the future.”
The Article II Study Commission has been hard at work over the last several years and has been reaching out to UUs everywhere for input and feedback. They have just released a full draft of their proposed, new Article II for individual and congregational feedback. The Study Commission’s outreach team will be hosting Zoom feedback sessions in the first half of November, along with gathering feedback through a forthcoming online form for individual comments.
The Study Commission will present its final draft to the UUA Board in January for inclusion on the agenda for General Assembly (GA) 2023 to be held in Pittsburgh. It will then be the subject of mini-assemblies before the initial vote at GA 2023. If the majority of GA delegates vote to pass the draft, it will require a two-thirds majority vote at GA 2024 to become the new Article II of the Bylaws.
I encourage you to read the draft and follow the procedure for responding outlined by the commission:
“This draft makes significant changes to Article II. We invite you to read it using one of the practices we have started following in our work:
- Read it the first time to observe how it makes you feel.
- Read a second time, observe what it makes you think.
- Finally, read it a third time before thinking about any suggestions.”
Our faith is evolving, growing and changing to meet the realities of the 21st Century. UUs are striving to be more inclusive, more welcoming and more open to diversity of experience. I find this a very exciting, challenging and fertile time to be a UU. Together we are co-creating our faith and I encourage you to engage in this process by reading the draft and responding. Click here for full details and registration.
I also encourage you to consider joining me in attending the General Assembly in 2023 and consider applying to be a UUCF delegate. The UUCF Leadership and Nominating Committee will provide more information in early 2023. If you have any questions, please reach out to me.