Posted on 11/07/2005 9:39:18 PM PST by Behind Liberal Lines
This Sunday, Buddha Buck and his friends made so many pancakes at Ithaca's First Unitarian Church that they ran out of batter.
The breakfast that dozens enjoyed in the church's parlor was the fourth annual "Pancakes with the Pagans" breakfast within Ithaca's Unitarian Universalist (UU) Society. Some might see a contradiction between pagans and church, but in the First Unitarian Church of Ithaca, there is none.
"It's not like we're trying to get pagans together with southern Baptists," Buck joked, explaining that his pagan group is actually a group within the UU congregation of Ithaca.
Buck added there are numerous groups within the UU congregation - Jews, Buddhists, Christians, Secular Humanists and more. All these groups can join under one roof, he explained, because of UU's open mindedness.
"Our society is accepting of a variety of viewpoints and welcoming to those who don't feel welcome elsewhere," Buck said.
Buck's pagan organization is called CUUPS (Covenant of the UU Pagans). The group decided four years ago to hold a pancake breakfast in celebration of the pagan holiday Saimhain, which is on October 31st. Supposedly, like Halloween, Samhain is the day when the veil between the living and the dead is the thinnest. It is also a holiday that celebrates the change in seasons.
CUUPS decided that the Sunday after daylight savings time would be a perfect day to hold their breakfast. Every year, a portion of the UU congregation would show up an hour early because they forgot to set their clocks back. So CUUPS decided to hold their breakfast an hour before services, and they had a huge turnout.
Kaaren Remley, president of CUUPS, helped work the griddle on Sunday. Remley explained she came into the UU congregation long after becoming a pagan.
Originally Presbyterian, Remley felt disenfranchised from the church, namely because she felt it did not have enough basis in the earth or in a feminine perspective. Remley found both of those desired traits in Paganism, and so she joined a Pagan group. Then, years later, when Remley attended a UU service, she found it so welcoming toward herself and her viewpoints that she joined that, too.
"The great things about [UU]," Remley said, "is that there are so many varied opinions, and we can get into them without starting World War III."
Eva Snyder is the Secretary of CUUPS, and she also came into the UU congregation after becoming a pagan. Snyder was attracted to UU's emphasis on social action. She explained the UU symbol - the chalice and the flame - came from when Unitarians and Universalists were smuggling Jews out of Europe before and during the Holocaust.
To explain some background, Unitarianism and Universalism have always shared a philosophy of religious tolerance and questioning, but they have not always been united. Unitarianism is a rejection of the trinity concept; instead, it believes that there is one God in one part. Universalism is a belief that God would not be so cruel as to damn anyone, and therefore everyone must go to heaven. The two combined their organizational strength in 1961.
Snyder explained that many famous American figures have practiced Unitarianism or Universalism.
"Jefferson did not believe in the divinity of Christ in the last four years of his life," Snyder said. "He believed Christ was one of the wisest of men, but he didn't believe Christ was a God."
Snyder said she gets a sense of religion from CUUPS, and from Ithaca's UU society, she gets a sense of philosophy. "Paganism provides me with a sense of ritual and mythology...," Remley said. "Unitarian Universalism tends to be very intellectual and philosophical. It's a very rational orientation."
"Unitarian Church" is a contradiction.
Yeah, in an alternate reality, fantasy world kind of way.
I love the UU's motto: "Somebody loves you!"
They're just not sure who.
I have a colleague, a completely secularized Jew, who when he married a Frenchwoman (nominally Catholic, though as my priest says, "the French are genetically atheists") agreed to have the ceremony performed by a Unitarian minister, "Because they don't seem to believe anything I don't believe."
Do you know how to run a Unitarian out of town?
Burn a question mark in their yard.
Being a descendent of the blue faced, pagan Celts (for you Yankee sumbitches that can't read/talk, that's pronounced KELT, dammit, regardless of your basketball team) I would like to know just who you think is better with which to party! Of course that is assuming YOU aren't the sacrifice.
Ithaca is not a city of evil, but a decent old gun for the price.
The only Christians that associate with the Unitarian Church are in name only.
A wide open mind allows the brain to fall out.
Unitarian, Pagan - is there even a difference?
LOL :o)
1. There is no indication of the quantity of batter. One quart, one gallon, 55 gallons?
2. So what if you run out. Do you have a pancake breakfast where you are supposed to have batter left over?
The islamics would kill the religion out of existence if they tried to convert them. On second thought, islamics would kill these people just for the fun of it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
