An atheist sermon on grace (my second UU* sermon)

by rawe 8 Replies latest jw experiences

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  rawe

  Hi Everyone,

  I had a fair bit of fun giving my first ever post-JW religious sermon. So I asked Rev. Andy if he would like me to deliver another. He said yes and mentioned the theme for the month of January was "grace."

  This second sermon is not as overtly about JWs as my first one. I do though mention some things like Raymond Franz and an Awake! article in the 1990s. I also mention an experience I had reading the life story of an Ex-Mormon.

  Like before, I found the experience unlike giving JW public talks. To be able to author your own material and speak freely about what you really believe is way better starting point for public speaking. I was still a bit nervous, but mostly because I felt like all the people VUU deserve the best I can give them.

  Anyway, if you're interested, I hope you enjoy.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbDgNvHiz9U

  Cheers,

  -Randy

  *UU = Unitarian Universalist. A liberal religious faith that is based on 7 principals rather than any defined dogma. They are one of the few faiths when an atheist such as myself can feel at home.
  
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  Still Totally ADD

  Hello rawe, it so good your are able to give another sermon. I will be giving the sermon this Sunday on the history of the UU 's. Its for the many new ones who have been coming lately. Frist thing I learned after leaving the borg was what Grace really means not the nonsense the wt taught. Have fun with it and enjoy your cup of coffee afterward. Sill Totally ADD
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  rawe

  Hi Still Totally ADD,

  In the sermon I made brief mention of NWT translating the Greek "chariti" as "undeserved kindness" vs "grace" that most other translations use. I didn't get into why that might be the case. I don't know for certain of course. However, it is typical of new religious movements to make choices that separate themselves from others. In this they are seeking a purity or restoration. In reality it tends to leads to smugness. How odd is that? The very Christian quality that should result in humility and wider acceptance of others instead leads to harshness and intolerance!

  On VUU's YouTube channel there is a recent sermon by Reverend Dennis McCarty entitled What's Antidisestablishmentarianism and Why Should We Care? This sermon goes into a bit of UU history. He also touches on some of the mistakes the Unitarians made.

  The general impression I get is the Unitarians were kinda intellectual and scholarly. In contrast the Universalist were more of a humble lot that simply stressed universal salvation. As Rev. Andy has quipped, the Unitarians believed they were too good to be damned and the Univeralists believed God was too good to damn them. The blending of these two makes the group interesting.

  Good luck with your sermon!
  

  Cheers,

  -Randy
  
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  cofty

  Thank you for sharing that. I will watch it later.

  IMO it is the subject of 'grace' that separates JWs from the christian faith.
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  rawe

  Hi Cofty,

  Thanks. I'll be interested in your feedback.

  The sermons throughout the month took on the subject of grace from a number of different angles. My sermon's focus was on why, as an atheist, I feel blessed.

  The normal Christian view of grace seems to be responsive. That is, Christians are taught and believe they are under grace and blessed by God and hence should be likewise toward others. That charity towards others is the natural response to feeling blessed. I think some JWs react in a similar fashion, but when they do, it is contrary to overall direction of the organization. The JW "blessing" is receiving the "truth" from The Watchtower. Hence JW "charity" is distributing The Watchtower to others. When published JW stories hint at special favor from Jehovah, invariably, the focus tends to be on how the organization was blessed.

  The truth for me, though is, I feel incredibly blessed. Not only am I one of the "lucky ones," to quote Dawkins, but I have an incredible wife, four beautiful daughters, two son's-in-law, three grandchildren with one more on the way. And when it came time to leave JWs my entire family left with me. We are shunned by a few friends and family that matter, and that remains painful. But we'll keep chipping away at the stone in hopes they will see their way clear to letting us back into their lives. Already a few have.

  Cheers,

  -Randy
  
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  dogisgod

  I had a part recently at my UU place....it was on Cognitive Dissonance.
  
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  rawe

  Hi dogisgod,

  Very cool! Cheers, -Randy
  
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  Still Totally ADD

  Damn three UU's on this post. You know a UU is just a Quaker with ADD. The UU's holy book is "Roberts Rules of Order" and finally; UU's are a group of over intellectualized agnostic who have yet to get out of the habit of going to church on Sundays. Lol. I love UU jokes. Still Totally ADD
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  rawe

  Hi Still Totally ADD, We just need to keep this up. Eventually The Watchtower will issue a stern warning about the dangers of UUism :-). I must here confess that I had never heard of RRofO until one VUU members casually mentioned it. Kidding aside UU is a great place for atheist/agnostics who continue to feel a pull towards being religious and/or have an interest in social justice work. Cheers, -Randy