Universalist symbol
Chapel Hill Community Church is putting on a play entitled “Jesus – The Teen Years,” a pathetic excuse for art which, according to its director, Julie Tomkovick, is an attempt to take “a familiar story and [turn] it into something recognizable.” Read: the play treats the subject of the holy life of Jesus Christ as if it were a cheap circus act. Tomkovick presents the audience with an over-the-top comedy that doesn’t let the facts get in the way. One thing’s for sure, however: she chose the correct church at which to host her production.
According to one of the actors staring in the play, “Jesus is no different from anyone else.” A visit to the Chapel Hill Community Church’s website will leave one with a similar impression. You see, Community is a Unitarian Universalist congregation and Unitarian Universalists don’t allow themselves to “’be bound by a statement of belief.’” No, Unitarian Universalists have many “beliefs within” their “faith” among which Christianity holds a dubious place along with “Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, Pagans, Atheists, Agnostics, Humanists, and others.” And, lest we commit a sin against the diversity god, let us not forget the Wiccans or the witches and other “earth-based spiritualities” that, according to the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations’ website, make up 19% of the denomination.
Glory ‘hallelu! Hopefully it won’t be too disheartening for the eager beaver Unitarians to learn that there exists a Law of Non-Contradiction; either there is a God, or there isn’t. But the ‘Communi ‘Unis won’t even admit that much. Therefore, Community’s doctrine amounts to a meaningless collection of stupid platitudes that (just oh, by the way) make a mockery of Christ’s teaching, which brings me back to the ridiculous play at hand.
Among the more revealing details of Jesus’ teen years, he discovers that his sister is a lesbian. And, apparently Judas Iscariot was Christ’s childhood chum. Why Judas? Well, according to the director, Judas “got a bad rap” because “without Judas’ eventual betrayal…the rest of the story wouldn’t have happened.” And, the play’s summary found on the play’s official website goes on to say, “Judas’ act comes from love and courage, not cowardice.” I see. So, when Jesus said, “but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! good were it for that man if he had never been born” he was just kidding. Hahaha!
Community Church’s teaching constitutes nothing short of moronic mumbojumbo that is accompanied nicely by “Jesus – The Teen Years.” And, in it’s rejection of Christ’s exclusive teaching (i.e. John 14: 6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”) the local church spits in the face of the Lord’s work on the cross.
(Note: there seems to be more than one Community Chruch; we are refering to the one located on 106 Purefoy Rd., Chapel Hill, NC)
Did you go to the program, or any of their church services?
I have never been to the church nor have I sat through a service, but I have listened to a podcast of a sermon.
AD, your attempt at being axiomatic is immature at best and dangerously irresponsible at worst. As someone who grew up in a Unitarian Universalist congregation and represented it as a delegate on the international level, I can attest to the diversity and complexity of the UU approach to faith.
Many UU communities and congregations would be aptly described by Justin’s article. (This “Jesus teen years” idea is ridiculous, so I am inclined to believe the congregation in question probably deserves the criticism.)
I merely object to the eagerness with which some would condemn an entire religious community. So you have read some “content” dubiously advertised somewhere. Wow, we should give you a fellowship! What a scholar you are! A theological expert!
I compliment Justin’s mature answer to my question. He seems to have done his research regarding the Chapel Hill Community Church. Just don’t make quick judgments about the entire religious tradition, especially one that is so evidently (and intentionally) diverse.
My original comment asked if Justin had attended either the program or any of the church services (services being exclusive of the play). Your usage of the word “service” in the first clause of your comment and your separate usage of the word “program” in the second clause of your comment lead me to believe you were generalizing both about church services in general and the “Jesus’s Teen Years” play in particular. That the grammatical structure of your comment was misinterpreted or ill-conceived is trivial.
Even if you had nothing to say about UU services in general, my comment was first a response to Justin’s article and only secondly a response to yours.