I write this knowing that I could alienate quite a few people I know if they were ever to read it. I don't necessarily want to do that, but this is how I feel and I just really want to get it out there.
For the past three summers I've been a counselor for the teen program at a Unitarian camp. And I really enjoy it; the kids are all good kids, I love the other counselors and I get a free week of food and lodging. It's awesome.
The problem I have is with the Unitarians. They try to sell their church as "We don't care what you believe, as long as you believe something," and "All are welcome" but the whole message of tolerance that they seem to think they're promoting is often clouded by a very "Us and Them" mentality.
Sometimes it's stated outright and sometimes it isn't, but I often get a very "We're so great because we're so accepting, not like some other people," be they other religions or non-hippies or whatever. That attitude being just as exclusive and segregatey as people who openly hate other religions or races or groups of people.
It's like the thing that sets them apart, their supposed acceptance of all people, is the thing that gives them a sort of holier than thou attitude. It bugs me.
Some of the other counselors keep expecting me to show up one year with a chalice tattoo but it's not going to happen. I enjoy camp for my one week out of the year, then I go back to my real life. It's fun for a while but it's not for me.
To be honest, I know some Unitarians in my "real life," too and they bug me even more than the people at camp. Now that I think about it, the "Us and Them" mentality is only ever implied at camp. The UUs I know out here are far more likely to state it outright and not even notice the double standard.
Sorry, I'm getting all bitter. I should stop now before things get ugly. To make myself feel better, I shall tie it all together with a line from Illumination by Gogol Bordello (which I love and makes me happy):
"Of course there is no Us and Them, but Them, they do not think the same."
Be seeing you.
-Sally
