Comments on: Having read “Nickle and Dimed” http://boyinthebands.com/archives/having-read-nickle-and-dimed/ Scott Wells on the practice of Christian faith Fri, 21 Nov 2008 22:36:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Larry Smith http://boyinthebands.com/archives/having-read-nickle-and-dimed/#comment-13598 Larry Smith Mon, 15 Aug 2005 18:33:16 +0000 http://www.universalistchurch.net/boyinthebands/archives/having-read-nickle-and-dimed/#comment-13598 Indeed my friend, UUs in general want to open their congregations to people of all races yet they do not want to tackle to linkages between racism and social class. Were I not so stubborn I would have left due to UU snobbery alone. I remember well the night one of my classmates, now a respected minister, put on a skit at a seminary event entitled, "White Trash Cooking" which belittled poor, Southern whites. As that skit belittled most of the people I had known my entire thirty years at that point, I was furious. It felt just as insulting as if it been done in black face. I did not confront my seminary because the PC attitude lets some people be mocked for their social class but not others. The real issues around racism are ultimately based upon social class. I firmly believe that if we examined social class in our churches and helped UUs to become less snobbish/elitist, we would have a chance, only a chance, of becoming more inclusive. Congregants have told me that they thought friends or family would benefit from being in our churches but, because friends or family were not well-educated, they would not be welcomed. Our clergy do keep up appearances and that makes the situation worse. About half of our clergy are of the" governess class," myself included. In my experience though, the other half are trust fund babies with more cash invested than their New England Puritan roots would permit them to display. I wish that UU ministers could organize a REAL union!!! Indeed my friend, UUs in general want to open their congregations to people of all races yet they do not want to tackle to linkages between racism and social class. Were I not so stubborn I would have left due to UU snobbery alone. I remember well the night one of my classmates, now a respected minister, put on a skit at a seminary event entitled, “White Trash Cooking” which belittled poor, Southern whites. As that skit belittled most of the people I had known my entire thirty years at that point, I was furious. It felt just as insulting as if it been done in black face. I did not confront my seminary because the PC attitude lets some people be mocked for their social class but not others.

The real issues around racism are ultimately based upon social class. I firmly believe that if we examined social class in our churches and helped UUs to become less snobbish/elitist, we would have a chance, only a chance, of becoming more inclusive.

Congregants have told me that they thought friends or family would benefit from being in our churches but, because friends or family were not well-educated, they would not be welcomed.

Our clergy do keep up appearances and that makes the situation worse. About half of our clergy are of the” governess class,” myself included. In my experience though, the other half are trust fund babies with more cash invested than their New England Puritan roots would permit them to display.

I wish that UU ministers could organize a REAL union!!!

]]>