So Robin, Just What Do You Do on Christmas???

Since Garrison Keillor’s essay on Salon.com (“Don’t Mess With Christmas”) many UU bloggers have been responding to his remarks about the carols he heard in one UU church.  Emphasis on the word one – because every UU church and fellowship celebrates this time of year in different ways.  Some celebrate Christmas with Jesus and God played down; others go all out with nativity scenes and carols with “Christ is born” in the lyrics; others prefer Solstice or Yule celebrations.  Apparently Mr Keillor doesn’t get that, and some UUs got upset with him over it.

Needless to say, it was another opportunity for Robin Edgar to lash out at UUs for being “wrong” – and it only makes us wonder, just what does he do on Christmas?  Does he go to a Christian church and celebrate the birth of Jesus?  Does he join the pagans in their Solistice revels? Does he just sit in a dark room like Scrooge, with nobody around him?

Apparently, the only “spiritual practices” he wants to engage in are celebrating total eclipses as the “eye of God”, flaming away on the Web, and picketing the church who felt compelled to throw him out for harassing its members.

Tell us, Robin, do you have any imagination left?  Or have you been reduced to finding excuses to scapegoat and belittle the only religious community who came even close enough to putting up with you?  Hardly sounds spiritual to us.  Certainly not in the spirit of the season.

If you want Christmas for Christians and nothing else, then go to a Christian church.  If all you have to say to us is more bellyaching and name-calling, and you have to resort to quoting celebrity curmudgeons to do it, that says much more about you than it does about us.

UU A Way of Life: What Happened, eh?

Most UU bloggers have either banned Robin Edgar for his insulting attacks, or post his comments in the desperate hope that he won’t attack them (at least too much)

On the blog “UU A Way of Life” there used to be a post titled: “Why I Support Robin Edgar” where he lauded the so-called Emerson Avenger for “speaking truth to power”

Notice we said used to be a post.  Do a search and click on the link and … Blogspot says it no longer exists!

So, tell us, David.  Did you have a change of heart?  Not that this is surprising.  After all, this ain’t the first time that Robin Edgar has bitten the hand that tried to feed him.

In a later post, he then wonders why people “hate” Robin Edgar.  Well, we can’t speak for every victim of his bullying, but we wouldn’t describe how we feel towards him as hate.  Pity, perhaps, for years of wasted energy.  Fed up, definitely.  Even amused, and we know that some are out and out afraid of him, the same way any stalking victim would be afraid.

So, you don’t hate Robin Edgar.  Do you still support him?  If so, why is that post gone?  If not, then maybe you should clarify.

The Other Side of the Robin Edgar Story

Why does Robin Edgar have it out for anyone who is Unitarian Universalist?  Why does he expend so much time and energy lashing out not only on his blog, but every UU blog he can find?  If you read his account, he is the victim of “repeated injustices, abuses and hypocrisies” starting with Reverend Ray Drennan poo-pooing his religious experience, then the Unitarian Church of Montreal, and finally every single UU he’s complained to.

Well, the Montreal church has it’s own side of the story, which has been posted elsewhere.  Here’s a copy:

The withdrawal of Mr. Edgar’s membership from the Unitarian Church of Montreal was not motivated by his religious beliefs, but by his disruptive and aggressive behavior towards the members of this congregation. His inappropriate behaviour has continued for more than ten years. He was brought before a Disruptive Behavior Committee, where over the next three years attempts were made to have him moderate his unacceptable behaviours. He would agree to proposed solutions and then go on as before. He was repeatedly warned that failure to comply with what he had agreed to do would result in serious consequences. Over this period, he was suspended from participation in Church life for six months. Unfortunately, upon his return his behaviour worsened and he was suspended for an additional year. Again when he returned, his inappropriate behaviour continued. Finally in November 1999, at a meeting of the full congregation, during which he spoke on his own behalf, a congregational vote was taken and his membership was revoked. This decade long process, during which sincere attempts were made by the congregation to negotiate a solution, ended when it became clear that he had no intention of ceasing his disruptive and aggressive behaviours. It should be noted that Reverend Ray Drennan did apologise, in person, on more than one occasion. However, this did not meet with Mr Edgar’s satisfaction. Mr. Edgar has redressed his grievances to whomever he has seen fit, be it the UAA, CUC, etc., and his complaint to the Quebec Human Rights Commission in 2002 was summarily dismissed as being without merit. Mr Edgar continues to picket the church in the futile belief that the Church will act. Reverend Drennan is no longer the minister as he left to follow his own life’s journey some years ago; and the church has simply moved on.

Additionally, the new minister of the Montreal church, Reverend Diane Rollert filed for a restraining order against Robin Edgar, which the Montreal court saw fit to grant.  Still he pickets, rants and lashes out at UUs everywhere.

Robin Edgar wants people to believe that he’s the eternal victim.  Read for yourself, and judge him by his fruits.