Did the UUA push humanists out?

[applewuud]

I'm reading a book by Michael Werner, "Regaining Balance", published by Religious Humanists press. In it, he makes the case that "Humanism was deliberately and purposely pushed out of the Unitarian-Universalist Association", and that its traditional focus on reason in religion has been replaced with a fuzzy, feel-good irrationality that is tolerant of everything...except those who dare to challenge anyone's theological views.

By shunting HUUmanists to the side, Werner says, UUs have lost their unique, skeptical position. By trying to be all things to all people, by making an "idolatry of tolerance", the UUA has steered what used to be an intellectually disciplined, largely humanist organization towards the broad middle, and is "guilty of supporting irrational beliefs that inevitably lead to the religious right's excesses."

My question is: has anyone here who used to hang out at UU fellowships/societies/churches felt that they're not welcome for expressing humanist ideas there? Did the slide back towards theism in Unitarianism make you feel unwelcome?

 

[StarryNightshade]

To be honest, as someone who goes to a UU congregation on a great occasion, I think they're trying to make it more balanced for theists. For a while, it was theists who felt unwelcome and uncomfortable at UU congregations; largely to the fact that UU was pretty much a "Humanist church".

As far as I am concerned, there is room for both theists and non-theists at UU, and such diversity should be cwelcomed.

By the way, I say this as a religious humanist, so take that how you will.

 

[KnightOwl]

As an atheist and member of an AHA chapter, I can say I heard several atheistic and agnostic humanists taking issue with how unfriendly the local UUS had become. I don't enjoy the "church" experience integral to Unitarian Univeralist membership, so I can't say from first hand experience.This was roughly 5 years ago and I haven't heard anything lately, but I haven't been attending AHA meetings either.