Following up on Will Shetterly and Philocrites, I want to put in a vote for the Churches of Doubt as a replacement name for Unitarian Universalist. Probably not for good reasons, mind you.

Frankly, I like the thought that it would slightly trouble people. But immediately the old stand-by question of “So what do you guys believe?” would fall by the wayside. “Oh my, they’re not really sure what they believe, are they?” would be the new reaction. The follow up question would then become, “So what do you do?” or “Why do you get together at all?” Much better questions to be asked.

I’ve never found a satisfactory answer to the belief question, and I don’t think it’s because I haven’t taken “Articulating Your UU Faith.” It’s just a bed set up to begin with. My mother is still convinced that we can believe anything we want to (not true), which hasn’t helped her understand why I’m no longer a charismatic Christian. (“But if you can be any religion, why don’t you talk about committing your life to Jesus?”)

And I have a sense that friends don’t see the point either. If we draw from many religions and philosophies, well, why can’t they do that well enough from home? Any new name–if it’s to be an improvement–has to make it completely obvious what we believe so that they onus is on what we do. I don’t have a lot of hope for it, but “the Church of Doubt” might just whet the appetite a little. “Hmm, what’s a doubting church like?”

Of course, this completely sidelines the fact that too many UUs are completely bereft of doubt: they know what they believe, dammit, and they know (even better) what they no longer believe. Maybe “the Churches of Doubt” would be a corrective. But perhaps that’s another subject and another post.

But a new thought occurs to me. What about “the Churches of Faithful Doubt?” Now that might tweak some interest. Might lead to the question, “But what is faithful doubt?” Now that’s a question I’d like thrown to me. It’s a little bit ironic, paradoxical, contradictory. Leaves room to explore. Almost demands exploration…