UUA Co President Rev. William G. Sinkford aka Former UUA President Bill Sinkford Gets A Blast From His Outrageously Hypocritical Past. . .
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----- Forwarded Message -----
From: William Sinkford
To: Robin Edgar
Cc: Julie Shaw
Sent: Wednesday, February 1, 2006 5:37 AM
Subject: RE: I need to speak with you ASAP. It is quite urgent. oi
Robin,
as I have written before, your concerns need to be addressed in your
congregational context. It is not my role, as UUA President, to insert
myself in congregational decision making.
From: Robin Edgar
Sent: Tue 1/10/2006 4:14 PM
To: wsinkford@uua.org; bsinkford@uua.org
Cc: jshaw@uua.org
Subject: I need to speak with you ASAP. It is quite urgent.
To: Rev. William G. Sinkford
President
Unitarian Universalist Association
25 Beacon Street, Boston MA USA
From: Robin Edgar
Montreal, Quebec,
Canada, World
Tel.: (514) 996-3937 January 10, 2006
Dear President Sinkford,
As you know from my previous email communication with you I had
intended to write you a follow up email or two soon afterwards. A
variety of factors, including your failure, or even your refusal, to
acknowl! edge receipt of that email with a return email, caused me to
hold off writing to you again in December 2005 or earlier this month.
I need to speak with you to sound you out about a few important
matters, including one that goes well beyond the state of conflict that
presently exists between me and Unitarian Universalist religious
community due to its well documented failure, and even refusal, to
practice genuine justice, equity and compassion in its human relations
with me and indeed other human beings.
A personal meeting would be even better if at all possible. I want
to propose some things to you in terms of resolving the conflict and
also contributing very significantly to the Unitarian Universalist
religious community but I feel that it is very important to be able to
speak with you personally before committing anything to writing. I
believe that speaking with you personally is in the best interest! of
everyone concerned and that includes not only you, the UUA, its
Ministerial Fellowship Committee and the Unitarian Church of Montreal,
but also the greater Unitarian Universalist religious community and many
human beings who are outside of the UU religious community.
Please call me at (514) 996-3937 as soon as is *humanly* possible
or provide me with some phone numbers where I may call you and times
when it would be most convenient to do so.
I believe that it is in the best interests of the Unitarian
Universalist religious community that you and other Unitarian
Universalists return again towards me with a reasonable level of respect
if not some genuine love and that you and other UUs enter into dialogue
with me as soon as possible in order to promote genuine justice and
thus genuine peace within the UU World but also in the rest of the
world.
Sincerely,
Robin Edgar
Text of previous email copied below -
Tuesday December 6, 2005
Dear President Sinkford,
The following letter (copied below) was distributed to people
entering and leaving the Unitarian Church of Montreal on Sunday December
4th, 2005. It will continue to be distributed for several more Sundays
during my "alternative spiritual practice" of protesting against
Unitarian Universalist injustices, abuses and hypocrisy in front of the
Unitarian Church of Montreal as I have been doing since the spring of
1998. The "annotated" version that you see copied below has been posted
to various pertinent internet forums, including the UU Deb! ate section
of Beliefnet and it will be posted to others in the coming days and
weeks. Although it is not directly addressed to you personally I expect
you to clearly and unequivocally demonstrate and express your personal
concern about the "obviously deep concerns" that I have expressed in
this communication. These concerns are pretty much the same concerns
that I brought to your attention soon after your election as President
of the Unitarian Universalist Association. One additional concern that
is not addressed in the letter is the culture of censorship that
currently pervades and degrades the UU World and I expect you to address
that issue as well in the near future.
Quite evidently and quite regrettably the UUA, its Ministerial
Feelowship Committee and the Unitarian Church of Montreal failed or
refused to live up to the second principle of UUism which calls for
justice, equity, and compassion in human relations. It goes wi! thout
saying that this failure, or indeed refusal, of the Unitarian Church of
Montreal and the greater Unitarian Universalist religious community to
provie genuine justice in this matter clearly disregarded, and indeed
violated, the first principle of UUIism which affirms the inherent worth
and dignity of every person, the third principle of UUism which calls
for acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in
UU congregations, and the sixth principle of UUism which calls upon UUs
to affirm and promote the goal of world community with peace, liberty,
and justice for all. I would like to believe that "all" includes one
Robin Edgar and I expect you to speak appropriate words and
take responsible concrete actions to ensure that that goal is soon
realized for me and indeed others, at least within the UU World.
You will be receiving one or two formal requests for your personal
intervention in! this long drawn out conflict soon however I want you to
be aware of this recent more generally distributed communication before
I send you any further letters.
I will ask you to acknowledge receipt of this communication in an
email. I do not expect or require a detailed response. It is probably
best if you wait until you receive my forthcoming communications before
responding in any detail. If you should wish to speak to me personally
you may call me at (514) 996-3937
Sincerely,
Robin Edgar
Here is the "annotated" internet version of my letter of December 4, 2005 -
From Robin Edgar
Sunday December 4, 2005
To whom it may concern,
Today marks the 5th anniversary of my false arrest in December 2000 on trumped up criminal charges brought against me by Montreal Unitarians. After a few of criminal court dates I was acquitted of these unwarranted criminal charges that were intended to completely censor and suppress my legitimate public protest. I am protesting against the failure and refusal of the Unitarian Universalist religious community to responsibly redress my own and other UUs' legitimate grievances about abusive clergy misconduct. I am also protesting against the antireligious prejudice and intolerance that deplorably pervades and degrades UUism. The abusive clergy misconduct that I was subjected to arose directly from the antire! ligious intolerance, indeed the outright bigotry and hostility, of a self-professed "Humanist" Unitarian Universalist minister. I have seen too much evidence of similar antireligious prejudice and hostility towards God believing people within contemporary UUism. Such antireligious prejudice and intolerance, even hostility and bigotry, betrays UUism's monotheistic heritage and makes some UU congregations far from "Welcoming" (and at times even less than "Safe") for God believing people in general and Christians in particular. These UU injustices and abuses make a complete mockery of the claimed principles and purposes of UUism, and other UU ideals and must be responsibly redressed by all UUs, including current UUA and CUC leadership.
My clergy misconduct complaints did not involve sexual misconduct however I am also concerned about the UUA's and MFC's past failure to responsibly redress complaints arising from sexual misconduct by UU ministers. The UUA's "official apology" to victims of clergy sexual misconduct admits that the UUA has "largely failed" the victims of clergy sexual misconduct. In May 2000 I protested the failure of both the UUA and its Ministerial Fellowship Committee to responsibly address clergy misconduct, sexual or otherwise, in front of the UUA's offices at 25 Beacon Street. I also protested at UUA and CUC AGMs. I am protesting on behalf of all the victims of abusive clergy misconduct committed by UU ministers and all other people who have suffered either insult or injury (or b! oth) as a result of antireligious intolerance as well as other injustices and abuses committed by hypocritical UUs who willfully disregard and violate claimed UU principles and purposes. I have been protesting in front of the Unitarian Church of Montreal on most Sundays since May 1998 because these remarkably hypocritical UUs have r! ejected or willfully ignored all of my letters of grievance and my subsequent public protests. Montreal UUs have repeatedly unjustly punished me for refusing to “accept" their unjust, inequitable and uncompassionate rejection of my grievances arising from their well documented injustices and abuses. I have been repeatedly verbally attacked by Montreal UUs and I have been threatened and physically assaulted on occasion as well. Montreal Unitarians attempted to criminalize my public protest and have repeatedly called the police even though my protest is legal. In doing so Montreal UUs have made a total mockery of their purported principles and purposes, and other claimed ideals.
During a private meeting with him, the purpose of which was to try to expla! in a profound revelatory experience that I had undergone in early 1992, former UCM minister Rev. Ray Drennan sarcastically mocked and ridiculed my religious beliefs by labeling them as "silliness and fantasy" amongst other derisive and insulting comments. Rev. Ray Drennan contemptuous dismissed my revelatory experience as "your psychotic experience" and angrily insisted that I was in immediate need of "professional help." As if these words were n! ot insulting and damaging enough Rev. Drennan went on to label 'Creation Day' (an inter-religious celebration of Creation that was inspired by my revelatory experience) as "your cult." When I immediately challenged him to qualify what he meant by this damaging slur (which is the 21st century equivalent of labeling someone as a "witch" or "heretic") he replied, "I mean a manipulative and secretive religious group." Ironically, less than a month earlier, Rev. Ray Drennan and the Board of the Unitarian Church of Montreal had banned ‘Creation Day' from being celebrated in the "sanctuary" of the UCM during an "in camera" segment of the October Board meeting that was totally secretive cynical manipulation of the democratic process; even though ‘Creation Day' had been unanimously approved as an adult RE activity by the UCM's Religious Education committee. Rev. Drennan nev! er retracted these demeaning and damaging allegations about me, nor did he ever issue an acceptable apology that clearly and unequivocally acknowledged the wrongfulness of his words and actions. Rev. Ray Drennan was never held accountable by the Unitarian Church of Montreal or the UUA's Ministerial Fellowship Committee. I on the other hand have been repeatedly punished and attacked by UUs for refusing to “accept” these UU injustices and abuses. The Ministerial Fellowship Committee complicitly "whitewashed" Rev. Ray Drennan by asserting that his demeaning and abusive misconduct, as I described it in more detailed letters of grievance, "seemed to us to be within the appropriate guidelines of ministerial leadership." When I wrote a letter protesting this ludicrous decision, Rev. Diane Miller responded by vaunting the "wisdom" of the MFC's decision to "close the file."
My grievances arising from the abusive clergy misc! onduct of Rev. Ray Drennan, and the subsequent negligent and unjustly punitive responses of the Unitarian Church of Montreal must finally be responded to by Unitarian Universalists in a manner that clearly lives up to both the letter and the spirit of UUism's Seven Principles, other UU ideals, and policies such as the Safe Congregations program. I also expect the UUA, the CUC, and the Unitarian Church of Montreal to ! hold all those who are most directly responsible for the negligent, incompetent, and complicit response to my serious grievances fully accountable for their reprehensible actions and indeed their clearly negligent inaction. Rev. Diane Miller and other members of the MFC's Executive who unjustly, inequitably, and uncompassionately rejected my serious grievances, who complicitly "whitewashed" Rev. Ray Drennan’s clergy misconduct, and who have "largely failed" the various victims of sexual misconduct and abuse by UU ministers must face accountability for their own deplorable failures. Justice must finally be done for me and for others and I expect it to be seen to be done by the Unitarian Universalist community as a whole.
Sincerely,
Robin Edgar email – robinedgar59@yahoo.ca
Google and Google Groups! searches on pertinent names and key words such as - "abusive clergy misconduct" will find pertinent posts in various inter-net forums that provide considerable additional information about these UU injustices. See also the UU Debate section of http://www.beliefnet.com. My new blog that is dedicated to exposing UU injustices, abuses, and hypocrisy is found at - http://emersonavenger.blogspot.com
Sunday December 4, 2005
To whom it may concern,
Today marks the 5th anniversary of my false arrest in December 2000 on trumped up criminal charges brought against me by Montreal Unitarians. After a few of criminal court dates I was acquitted of these unwarranted criminal charges that were intended to completely censor and suppress my legitimate public protest. I am protesting against the failure and refusal of the Unitarian Universalist religious community to responsibly redress my own and other UUs' legitimate grievances about abusive clergy misconduct. I am also protesting against the antireligious prejudice and intolerance that deplorably pervades and degrades UUism. The abusive clergy misconduct that I was subjected to arose directly from the antire! ligious intolerance, indeed the outright bigotry and hostility, of a self-professed "Humanist" Unitarian Universalist minister. I have seen too much evidence of similar antireligious prejudice and hostility towards God believing people within contemporary UUism. Such antireligious prejudice and intolerance, even hostility and bigotry, betrays UUism's monotheistic heritage and makes some UU congregations far from "Welcoming" (and at times even less than "Safe") for God believing people in general and Christians in particular. These UU injustices and abuses make a complete mockery of the claimed principles and purposes of UUism, and other UU ideals and must be responsibly redressed by all UUs, including current UUA and CUC leadership.
My clergy misconduct complaints did not involve sexual misconduct however I am also concerned about the UUA's and MFC's past failure to responsibly redress complaints arising from sexual misconduct by UU ministers. The UUA's "official apology" to victims of clergy sexual misconduct admits that the UUA has "largely failed" the victims of clergy sexual misconduct. In May 2000 I protested the failure of both the UUA and its Ministerial Fellowship Committee to responsibly address clergy misconduct, sexual or otherwise, in front of the UUA's offices at 25 Beacon Street. I also protested at UUA and CUC AGMs. I am protesting on behalf of all the victims of abusive clergy misconduct committed by UU ministers and all other people who have suffered either insult or injury (or b! oth) as a result of antireligious intolerance as well as other injustices and abuses committed by hypocritical UUs who willfully disregard and violate claimed UU principles and purposes. I have been protesting in front of the Unitarian Church of Montreal on most Sundays since May 1998 because these remarkably hypocritical UUs have r! ejected or willfully ignored all of my letters of grievance and my subsequent public protests. Montreal UUs have repeatedly unjustly punished me for refusing to “accept" their unjust, inequitable and uncompassionate rejection of my grievances arising from their well documented injustices and abuses. I have been repeatedly verbally attacked by Montreal UUs and I have been threatened and physically assaulted on occasion as well. Montreal Unitarians attempted to criminalize my public protest and have repeatedly called the police even though my protest is legal. In doing so Montreal UUs have made a total mockery of their purported principles and purposes, and other claimed ideals.
During a private meeting with him, the purpose of which was to try to expla! in a profound revelatory experience that I had undergone in early 1992, former UCM minister Rev. Ray Drennan sarcastically mocked and ridiculed my religious beliefs by labeling them as "silliness and fantasy" amongst other derisive and insulting comments. Rev. Ray Drennan contemptuous dismissed my revelatory experience as "your psychotic experience" and angrily insisted that I was in immediate need of "professional help." As if these words were n! ot insulting and damaging enough Rev. Drennan went on to label 'Creation Day' (an inter-religious celebration of Creation that was inspired by my revelatory experience) as "your cult." When I immediately challenged him to qualify what he meant by this damaging slur (which is the 21st century equivalent of labeling someone as a "witch" or "heretic") he replied, "I mean a manipulative and secretive religious group." Ironically, less than a month earlier, Rev. Ray Drennan and the Board of the Unitarian Church of Montreal had banned ‘Creation Day' from being celebrated in the "sanctuary" of the UCM during an "in camera" segment of the October Board meeting that was totally secretive cynical manipulation of the democratic process; even though ‘Creation Day' had been unanimously approved as an adult RE activity by the UCM's Religious Education committee. Rev. Drennan nev! er retracted these demeaning and damaging allegations about me, nor did he ever issue an acceptable apology that clearly and unequivocally acknowledged the wrongfulness of his words and actions. Rev. Ray Drennan was never held accountable by the Unitarian Church of Montreal or the UUA's Ministerial Fellowship Committee. I on the other hand have been repeatedly punished and attacked by UUs for refusing to “accept” these UU injustices and abuses. The Ministerial Fellowship Committee complicitly "whitewashed" Rev. Ray Drennan by asserting that his demeaning and abusive misconduct, as I described it in more detailed letters of grievance, "seemed to us to be within the appropriate guidelines of ministerial leadership." When I wrote a letter protesting this ludicrous decision, Rev. Diane Miller responded by vaunting the "wisdom" of the MFC's decision to "close the file."
My grievances arising from the abusive clergy misc! onduct of Rev. Ray Drennan, and the subsequent negligent and unjustly punitive responses of the Unitarian Church of Montreal must finally be responded to by Unitarian Universalists in a manner that clearly lives up to both the letter and the spirit of UUism's Seven Principles, other UU ideals, and policies such as the Safe Congregations program. I also expect the UUA, the CUC, and the Unitarian Church of Montreal to ! hold all those who are most directly responsible for the negligent, incompetent, and complicit response to my serious grievances fully accountable for their reprehensible actions and indeed their clearly negligent inaction. Rev. Diane Miller and other members of the MFC's Executive who unjustly, inequitably, and uncompassionately rejected my serious grievances, who complicitly "whitewashed" Rev. Ray Drennan’s clergy misconduct, and who have "largely failed" the various victims of sexual misconduct and abuse by UU ministers must face accountability for their own deplorable failures. Justice must finally be done for me and for others and I expect it to be seen to be done by the Unitarian Universalist community as a whole.
Sincerely,
Robin Edgar email – robinedgar59@yahoo.ca
Google and Google Groups! searches on pertinent names and key words such as - "abusive clergy misconduct" will find pertinent posts in various inter-net forums that provide considerable additional information about these UU injustices. See also the UU Debate section of http://www.beliefnet.com. My new blog that is dedicated to exposing UU injustices, abuses, and hypocrisy is found at - http://emersonavenger.blogspot.com
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