3050 Annual Meeting of the Conservative Forum for UUs

Conservative Forum for UUs

The Conservative Forum (CFUU), which has 60 to 80 members, held its annual meeting with about 35 attendees. Because only one (the moderator) was a CFUU member, voting for the new slate of officers was easy. The Forum's purpose and goals were reviewed briefly. One historical perspective the moderator noted was that the liberal movement was once united against a monarchy. However, after the overthrow, one "liberal" branch wanted to limit government power as a result, and the other "liberal" branch wanted to use government to further the public welfare.

A spirited round of questions and answers followed. Attendees, some of whom described themselves as libertarian, reported feeling frustrated at being marginalized in their congregations. One conservative said that he didn't feel comfortable enough in his congregation to "come out of the closet." Although conservatives and libertarians in UU churches share the same values of their more left-leaning members, their methods for implementation are different. Many political conservatives reported hearing put-downs of Republicans and other conservatives in congregations, even during announcements. Many agreed that when someone experiences inappropriate behavior or actions by other UUs, there are recourses, such as speaking to the minister, the board, the district leader, or the UUA.

Other attendees told stories of how although they were in the minority, they could at least speak out and be respected. Almost all hands went up when the moderator asked who had positions of leadership in their churches, many in financial leadership. Everyone agreed that we need to find the language to have dialogue with more left-leaning UUs.

Reported for the Web by Katherine Weeks, edited by Margy Levine Young; Web Design by Paul Hughes

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