More Shameless Slander

Robin Edgar must have some difficulty reading.  Either that, or he can’t think beyond a rigid and immature ‘black-and-white’ mentality.  This is evident in his constantly accusing UU minister and blogger Cynthia Cain of ‘demonizing and marginalizing Republicans.’  As he asserts in his latest blog post:

Rev. Cynthia P. Cain never said all mean people are Republicans; what she said was all Republicans were mean people…

Mister Edgar, she did not even say that.  She called out Republican Party leaders of mean-spirited and uncivil rhetoric.  Show us, please, where she said that all Republicans are mean people.

No surprise, however, that Robin Edgar stoops to such slander.  He can only think in the extremes of idealization and devaluation (and more of the latter than the former).  Say something he doesn’t like, and he resorts to hyperbole and sweeping generalization to devalue and denigrate you.  Especially when you are an ordained UU minister.

Nor will it help if, after making a questionable blog post, you decide to remove it.  No, then he accuses you of the manufactured transgression of ‘memory-holing,’ and treats you exactly the same as if you had left the blog post up – obsessively repeating the same accusations, insults, attacks and denigrations over and over and over and over and over again and again and again and again and again.

Mister Edgar, it doesn’t matter if you ‘paraphrase’ Horace Greeley.  Defamation is still defamation.  Distorting the facts goes against the UU principle of a free and responsible search for meaning and truth which you so claim to uphold.  More’s the pity that you refuse to see how unhealthy, counterproductive and dysfunctional your fixations, perseverations and angry rants really are.  We again implore you to seek professional help, as so many have recommended.

The Latest Accusation from Robin Edgar

Robin Edgar has hurled a variety of accusations and epithets at his numerous targets.  His most recent, borrowed from another UU blogger, is passive-aggressive.

As usual, he makes no bones about diagnosing Unitarian Universalists he disapproves of, but easily launches into a tirade when anybody even dares to ask if he might have psychological problems.  Not to mention the fallacious reasoning behind his use of the label.

Passive-aggressive people refuse to do what they are asked to do.  UU leaders are refusing to do what Robin Edgar asks of them.  Therefore, in Robin Edgar’s eyes, UU leaders are passive-agressive.

Setting aside the fact that there are other, perfectly legitimate reasons why different people refuse to do things, he’s missing the point that passive-aggressive individuals specifically resist authority.  So Robin Edgar has it backwards … or is incredibly arrogant in assuming that he should have authority over Peter Morales, Gini Courtier, William Sinkford, John Buhrens and anybody else whom he accuses of ‘mistreating’ him.

Even more interesting is when we look at other specific symptoms of passive-aggressive personalities, and see how many actually match of the behaviour of Robin Edgar himself.

The passive-aggressive create chaotic situations, and make excuses for their behaviour.  They constantly complain about being misunderstood and unappreciated, and exaggerate their sense of personal misfortune.  They have few intimates, often pushing them away with continual anger and mistrust.  Most important of all, the passive-aggressive always blame others, and never take responsibility for their own actions.

Still, just as UU leaders are not passive-aggressive because Robin Edgar projects one major trait on them, Robin Edgar is not necessarily passive-aggressive just because he seems to share some passive-aggressive traits.  But his negativity, hostility, rage and narcissistic need for attention are definitely cause for concern.  He is right when he says that others do not understand when he behaves the way he does … not only because of how counter-productive his behaviour is, but because he has utterly failed to learn how unproductive that behaviour is after so many, many years of repetitive lashing out.

Mister Edgar, whatever reasons you give for rationalizing your behaviour, it has not worked, and it will not work.  You need to learn how to do things differently.  You need to learn to let go of your rage, and to put yourself in the position of those many individuals whom you have been attacking and hurting over the years.  But your recalcitrance has convinced us that you cannot learn this yourself.  You need help.  Please get that help, before it’s too late.

Has Robin Edgar “Reached the Point of No Return”?

Recently one of our readers posted the following comment for consideration:

Read Robin’s posting on his blog today. I think that, mentally, he has reached the point of no return.

After doing so, we have to wonder if Mister Edgar ever reviews what he writes before posting it.  Perhaps if he did, he’d notice the contradiction of insisting that he does not rationalize his use of insulting and offensive behaviour, then proceeds to rationalize it as ‘tit-for-tat’ distorting the Golden Rule into ‘Do unto U*Us as they have done unto you.’

He goes on and on and on.  More attempts to deflect attention by lashing out against UU ministers he disapproves of (and that number seems legion).  More ranting, blaming and denigrating others, never accepting responsibility for his own outlandish behaviour.

But has he really ‘reached the point of no return,’ as the commenter has opined?  We certainly hope not!  We certainly hope that there is still hope for Robin Edgar to get the professional help he so desperately needs.

How could anybody who carries so many grudges and so much rage over so petty a dispute can be considered emotionally healthy?  How could anybody who has alienated so many still insist that he is totally innocent and justified in all that he does?

Please, Mister Edgar.  See a therapist or psychiatrist.  At the very least, you can set aside arguments about your mental health once and for all.

Robin Edgar and the Seven Principles

Robin Edgar has repeatedly put himself up as the judge of all Unitarian Universalist conduct, following such an extreme ‘counsel of perfection’ that nobody could possible live up to it.  Any deviation from his interpretation, and he goes on the warpath to denounce and denigrate them, and in the process declares that UUs are hypocritical.

What about Robin Edgar himself?  How well does he live up to these principles which he demands that everybody else live up to in such an absolute degree?

The inherent worth and dignity of every person.  Robin Edgar routinely insults people.  He does not merely say he disagrees with them, but calls them ‘stupid’, ‘morons’, ‘asshats’ and other derogatory terms.  He even brags that he’s deliberately rude and offensive, and uses outlandish excuses to rationalize such behaviour.

Justice, equity and compassion in human relations.  Robin Edgar has probably set a record for the number of misconduct complaints filed against UU ministers, insisting that the fact that he has declared their actions wrong is sufficient grounds for chastising and punishing them.  They include his claim that a minister has ‘demonized and marginalized ALL Republicans’ because she expressed dismay at the language used by some GOP leaders. And if the UUA will not follow through on his complaints?  Well, then they are guilty of complicity and must be similarly punished!  Apparently Mister Edgar believes he is to be the sole arbiter of justice, at least in UU matters.

Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations.   We wonder how picketing churches and meetings, and harassing those who enter them, encourages spiritual growth.  Not to mention questioning the Unitarian Church of Montreal’s right to provide free or reduced admission to university students at their events.

A free and responsible search for meaning and truth.  Robin Edgar has been playing fast and loose with the truth for years now, often using distortion and hyperbole to make his case.  We have already cited how he accuses UUs of a coverup which never happened.  Considering how he takes such an extreme approach (his views are beyond question, but woe unto anybody who dares to question him or offer contrary views) just how ‘free and responsible’ is that?

The right of conscience and the use of democratic process within our congregations and in society at large.  Robin Edgar does not believe that UU ministers have the right to express opinions which he finds objectionable (see above under second Principle).  Nor does he respect the right of a congregation’s membership to remove a disruptive individual from their ranks – at least when that individual is him.  So, at best, he believes in a selective application of this principle, where he selects when and how it will be applied.

We’ll leave it there for now, the point being clear.  Robin Edgar demands perfection from others, then plays fast and loose when it comes to how he lives by them.  If he wants to deal with ‘injustices, abuses and hypocrisy,’ then he clearly needs to start with himself.

Ten Things Robin Edgar Could be Doing

‘Doesn’t this guy have anything better to do?’  We keep hearing this question with regard to Robin Edgar, repeated almost as often as his own perseverations.  That got us thinking of things this man could do instead of wasting so much time and energy pointlessly attacking Unitarian Universalists, from picketing over and over again, to lodging the same tired complaints on his blog (and, unfortunately, the comment pages of other blogs).

So, in the spirit of David Letterman, here are our Top Ten suggestions for alternatives to Robin Edgar’s ridiculous anti-UU antics.

10) Start his own religion.  If he is so convinced he could do a better job than the current (or, for that matter, any) leadership of the UUA, then why not form his own church in Montreal, and help others start similar communities elsewhere.  Since this whole thing apparently started over his revelation, then why not make it the centrepiece of a new spiritual movement?

9) Get a (second?) job.  It’s not clear whether Robin Edgar is gainfully employed.  If not, then he could at least try to get some full-time employment.  If so, then why not channel all of that energy into a second job?

8) Take a writing course.  God only knows his hackneyed rants show a need!

7) Start dating.  None of his writings indicate he has a significant other.  Well, how could he, what with spending all of his time typing rants on his blog, making new picket signs, picketing the Montreal church, travelling to picket other UU churches and meetings?  Who knows what might happen if he made room in his life for somebody else?

6) Volunteer.  There are so many people in need of care and assistance: elderly, disabled, children from disadvantaged single parent homes.  So why not put all that energy and emotion into helping them, instead of tearing others down in a vain attempt to aggrandise himself?

5) Join a real protest movement.  There are also worthy causes whose leaders would welcome somebody willing to stand hours at a time holding a sign, or make video records of newsworthy events.

4) Go to the gym.  If Robin Edgar can lug video equipment and signs all over Montreal, he could improve his health by lifting weights and running on a treadmill.

3) Go to the library.  Or, he could pick up some books, and fill his mind with something more constructive than his obsessive fixations.

2) Meditate.  These are not the actions of somebody who has found peace.  What would happen if he managed to do so?

And the number one suggestion, not only from us but from so many who have read his online tirades or witnessed his antics on the street…

1) Get therapy!

 

Montreal Unitarian Beware…

It is typical of malignant narcissists to play a warped game of tit-for-tat.  When those around him talk about something else, he cries, ‘What about me?’ When they try to point out his own antisocial behaviour, he points an accusing finger and snarls, ‘What about her?’

Such is the course of Robin Edgar.  When asked if he would pleadge not to use physical violence against Unitarian Universalists, he not only refuses to give a straightforward answer, but once again picks on somebody else.  In this case, it is Reverend Victoria Weinstein.

Again, he harps on a post she made, and later deleted.  Mister Edgar, you are the one obsessed with anal impalements, not to mention connecting so many other things with the human rectum.  Reverend Weinstein has moved on, and you are still unable to.

He also repeats his diatribe about an incident remarked about in 2005.  We also commented on this ten months ago, and we made it clear that we did not condone such behaviour.  Not enough for Robin Edgar, because when confronted with his own irrational and spiteful antics, he needs somebody else to point to as a distraction. ‘What about her?’

If that were not enough, he accuses unnamed members of the Montreal church of physically assaulting him.  Really, sir?  Then why no mention of any criminal complaints filed by you against these individuals?  Where is your evidence?  Where are your witnesses?

But let us return to the point, Mister Edgar – your behaviour.  You have been harassing, attacking, stalking, insulting, offending and generally acting like that part of the human anatomy you so love to point out, for almost two decades now.  You have widened your circle of targets, spewing venom and bile at any and all UUs who refuse to join your endless crusade.  Like other obsessed stalkers before you who have done likewise, either at the lady who spurned them, or the employer who fired or refused to hire them, yours is a clear pattern of escalation.

First you expect to trust that you will not be violent because you have not yet been violent.  Again, let’s point out the danger of escalation, where the offending behaviour only gets worse and worse as the obsessed stalker decides he has to ‘take it up a notch’ to get what he wants (and, in his warped view of things, somehow deserves).  During the time you were a member of the Montreal church, you were asked to abide by certain covenants, and then violated those covenants.  So how can you be trusted now?

Worse yet, Robin Edgar claims the right to what he calls ‘legitimate self-defense.’  Well, we have seen what he considers to be ‘legitmate’ in terms of grievances and complaints – simply another excuse for him to pick a fight, denigrate somebody else, and draw attention to himself.  We would hate to see what somebody so self-centered would regard as ‘self-defense.’

We would hate to see the Montreal church needing to become a fortress.  But it is clear that Robin Edgar cannot be trusted to remain nonviolent, considering the violence of the words and imagery he chooses to use, and the examples he cites (exaggerated and distorted as they are) to rationalize and justify his already outrageous behaviour.

Members and friends of the Unitarian Church of Montreal – please be careful!  The potential danger of this man should not be underestimated.  Do whatever you can within the bounds of law and reason to keep Robin Edgar at bay.

Will Robin Edgar Pledge to Remain Nonviolent?

We have commented before on the use of violent rhetoric and imagery in Robin Edgar’s blog and comments, and our concern that the escalation we have observed could lead to his eventually becoming violent in actuality.  He has chosen to respond that he has always remained ‘peaceful’ (albeit with a continually angry tone, preferably laden with insults such as ‘morons’ and ‘asshats’).

Still, we notice that he has never explicitly pledged to remain nonviolent in his actions, but that his choice of words and images continues to reveal a man consumed with such bitterness and rage, that those who become his targets have good cause to be concerned for their very safety.

Mister Edgar, this is our question to you:  Will you now pledge to never engage in violent actions against any and all Unitarian Universalists?

It is a simple question, and one deserving of an answer.  Since you are so fond of perseverating how you only engage in ‘peaceful public protest,’ will you now assure by your promise that your behaviour will always remain peacful, and that you will at least take no action to do physical harm against those whom you protest against?

We await your reply, Mister Edgar.

Robin Edgar Resorts to Slander and Racism Against Rev. Peter Morales

Once again, Robin Edgar has stooped to new lows in his unending lashing out against Unitarian Universalists.  This time, the current target of his obsessive rage is UUA President Reverend Peter Morales, first with a post insinuating (in his lame yet outrageous style of ‘parody and satire’) that Morales has ‘demonized and marginalized’ a whole host of groups to which Mister Edgar claims the right to speak on behalf of.  He gives no evidence that Morales has indeed done anything to deserve such a comment, but this is par for the course with his previous behaviour, seeking any and every excuse to bash and belittle UUs in a desperate attempt to inflate himself.

But it is the post following this which is even more offensive.  In response to Morales’ observations regarding the Maricopa County sheriff’s office under Joe Arpaio, Robin Edgar labels Morales the ‘token Latino Hispanic President of the UUA’, further accusing Morales of hypocrisy because, as far as Robin Edgar is concerned, the UUA does not have enough Hispanics in its ranks to speak the truth in love regarding racism.

There is an enormous difference between the UUA, which has been making efforts to deal with issues of race and ethnicity, and a sheriff’s department with appallingly disproportionate statistics for its community (both in the lack of Hispanic officers and the high number of Hispanics arrested by the department).  But to lower himself to such an offensive personal attack against Morales only shows just how far this man is willing to go to draw attention to himself, and to artificially prop himself by tearing others down.

Mister Edgar, if the only way you can make yourself feel worth and dignity is to lash out at others, call them names, and resort to racism and slander, then you have no claim to feel outraged or indignant when the target of your endless ire either refuse to respond, or express how you have hurt and demeaned them.  How dare you attempt to make yourself the judge of who lives up to UU ideals, when you yourself go out of your way to do the opposite.

Shame on you!

Faith and Begorrah

So why would Robin Edgar try to appropriate Saint Patrick’s Day in a feeble attempt to draw attention to himself?

Perhaps to show disapproval at the leaders of the UUA’s ‘Standing on the Side of Love’ campaign using Valentine’s Day to raise awareness of the need for compassion in such issues as same-sex marriage and immigrant rights.

Then again, we have seen Robin Edgar find even the flimsiest excuse to go off on yet another rant.  This one has half a dozen of his signature ‘Big Fat U*U’ perseveration, and five accusations of UUs being ‘anti-‘ something.

Not to mention more snide name-calling and insistence that this is all ‘satire.’  Forget that it serves no constructive purpose whatsoever.  Robin Edgar is constantly rationalizing and excusing his outlandish behaviour, his endless lashing out, his berating and insulting even those who have (and want) nothing to do with him.

Robin Edgar talks about ‘getting his Irish up’ and ‘opening a can of whup-ass’, and then declaring that he’s not talking literally.  Most likely, he is not being literal in his use of violent phraseology … yet.  But for somebody who has carried this much rage for this long, it is only a matter of time before he loses control completely and explodes, rationalizing further that the only way for him to get the attention his narcissism demands is to do real damage to those he has continually demeaned and devalued while hypocritically attempting to put himself on the pedestal of judging UUs for not meeting some unrealistic idealized standard of perfection.

We would agree that UUs are not perfect.  We are all, after all, human beings and not angels.  But there is a difference between indignation towards the wrongs of the world, and blind consuming rage which does nothing but denigrate the targets of one’s obsession.

Robin Edgar’s Wacky Wednesday

It’s no surprise that Robin Edgar is in love with his own words.  Lots and lots and lots of words.  Lots and lots and lots of incredibly, tediously repetitive words.  In lots and lots and lots of repetitive posts and comments.

This Wednesday, he’s made four posts on his blog.  Whether he’s going for a record, or simply had too much caffeine (or whatever) we can’t be sure.  Unfortunately, there’s not much to what he has to say.  It’s just more of the same.

The first of these posts is yet another email missive to Reverend Peter Morales, the UUA’s current President.  Yet another lengthy, childish whine about how Morales is not paying attention to him.  Well, why should he, Mister Edgar?  Why should he pay attention to you lodging the same complaints and making the same gripes over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and…

Then three posts about what UU bloggers have to say, all with the same ripped-off catch-phrase: ‘But don’t take my word for it.’

No imagination or ideas.  No real news.  Just more of the same gripes, complaints, insults and general UU-bashing he’s always done.

In other words … another online temper-tantrum by the Perseveration Avenger.

Mister Edgar, you’re not even amusing anymore.  You’re just plain irritating.  Then again, you’ll probably be bragging that you’re deliberately irritating, and even believe in some bizarre fashion that such ridiculous behaviour actually advances your ’cause’ – whatever that may be.

So why do we keep track of this man?  Because so few people are willing to hold him to account for his actions.  Ignore him, and he will simply find an even more outrageous way to get attention.  Attempt to engage him, and he will simply dominate the discussion and make it all about him.  He needs to be treated like the spoiled brat that he is.  And what do you do with a spoiled brat?  Tell him forthrightly that his antics and tantrums are unacceptable, and then send him to his room until he learns to behave around civilised people.

We can’t actually confine Robin Edgar, but we can chastise him.  We only wish more people had the courage to do so.