Cape And Islands Unitarian Universalist Ministers Support Nantucket's Rev. Splaine On Fourth Of July Decision

To the editor:  We, the Unitarian Universalist ministers of the Cape and Islands, wish to express our support and encouragement to the Rev. Erin Splaine and the members of the Second Congregational Meeting House Society, Unitarian Universalist. Their decision to not hold the reading of the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights because of the continued systemic oppression of Black and Indigenous peoples was one of moral depth and conviction. They were not suggesting we cancel the Fourth of July, but rather pause one of their traditions for a period of reflection.

We were distressed and disappointed to see good, faithful, Christians make threats and vile comments towards our colleague and fellow Unitarian Universalists. Some even went as far as to call us satanists. That is not who we are. Unitarian Universalism is an old religious tradition that grew, in the New World, out of Congregationalism in the 1700s and in Eastern Europe in the 1500s. Our membership includes people such as Henry David Thoreau, Louisa May Alcott, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Benjamin Franklin. Thomas Jefferson said if he were to be anything, he’d be a Unitarian.

We believe strongly in the worth and dignity of every person, that every individual has the right to believe as they choose, that the diversity of theologies, races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, gender identities, classes and abilities, make us a stronger and more powerful nation. Look what we have accomplished with our diverse citizenry. And while we may be divided by politics, we are one America. But it didn’t feel like that reading the online comments which sought to vilify us.

We are not suggesting that white people should be subordinated to people of color or pushed to the margins…only that people of color should not be subordinate to white people. We understand that many white people don’t wish to or cannot see the ways in which people of color have been and continue to be discriminated against in this country of ours. It makes us feel badly or unjustly targeted. But while we cannot be blamed for the actions of our ancestors (we Unitarian Universalists don’t believe in hereditary sin), we can be held responsible for our current actions and the systems we uphold that oppress others. Working for a more just country is the perfect way to celebrate the Fourth of July.

While guilt is an unproductive emotion, we believe that all of us must look carefully at how we benefit from our racial makeup and how some people face bigger hurdles because of theirs. We believe that we can and should talk about race and racism. And that there are ways to do so respectfully. The Second Congregational Meeting House Society is doing the brave work of self-reflection and an honest appraisal of systemic oppression. Many members are leaving their comfort zones and stretching themselves to build their muscles as white allies. We applaud them.

Unitarian Universalism embraces differences of opinion, and we are always open to thoughtful, respectful dialogue. We understand that this can be uncomfortable and scary for many people, but we are here to serve the community and the divine in all the myriad ways we name and recognize it.

In Faith,

Rev. Dr. Kristen Harper, minister, Unitarian Church of Barnstable, Unitarian Universalist
Rev. Kate Wilkinson, minister, Unitarian Universalist Meeting House of Provincetown
Rev, Tracy Johnson, community minister
Rev. Rali Weaver, minister, Unitarian Universalists of Falmouth
Rev. William Clark, minister, Unitarian Universalist
Rev. Julia Jones, Co-minister, First Parish Brewster, Unitarian Universalist
Rev. Scott Hull, Co-minister, First Parish Brewster, Unitarian Universalist