Reaching Out Campaigns

Peace Bang raises some thoughtful concerns about the new ad campaign of the Unitarian Universalist Association in that it does not emphasize the positive content of UUism. Nonetheless I can see how this ad can work.

It may play on the idea that UUism is not like other religions but the problem is folks on the whole only seem to know of fundamentalism or no religious option. That’s it. There simply is no space in a lot of folks heads to imagine a third option.

To consider UUism or any alternative means to consider the possibility that there is a religion which does not look like religion as they know it. This ad (like the United Church of Christ ads) try to create that opening. This made an impact in our campus ministry work.

For folks more sophisticated about religion it may not be compelling. But most folks who give up on fundamentalism don’t become UU, Buddhist, liberal Protestant, or other forms of progressive faith. They simply become members of the church alumni association.

For those who could find positive resources in various religious traditions but can no longer find fundamentalism as viable,it's important to be able to articulate not just a positive alternative but also that it is indeed an alternative to religion as they know it.