If this is the first UU blog you’ve ever read, you will be wondering what this is about; have faith- you will soon learn, as he is one of the most prolific posters in the religious world. If you are a veteran of any UU blogs or forums, you are already well acquainted with Robin, for I’m unaware of a single UU venue he hasn’t posted on. He has made it difficult to follow many a thread on most forums for years by hijacking them for his own agenda, a habit that has resulted in a great many of his posts being deleted and made him persona non grata in many venues. But this is not the tragedy of Robin Edgar.
Robin is a man of considerable intelligence and command of the language, capable of finely reasoned argument- but for years he has been using this talent for a single purpose, to attack. Rather than eagerly reading his posts as people once did, they now skip over them as there will be nothing new, and even the old news will be stated in such savage terms as to be either maddening or just sad. But this is not the tragedy of Robin Edgar.
Robin has divided the world into two camps: those who will take up his cause and attack people they don’t know from Adam just on his say-so, and those he considers his enemies. He even treats those who sympathize with him and wish him well, as I do despite his recent behavior and personal insults, in the same harsh manner. But this is not the tragedy of Robin Edgar.
Robin claims to have been treated unfairly by his home UU congregation, and you know what? Despite not knowing any of the principals in the fight, I believe he probably was- at least in the beginning, before descending to their level and below. The attitudes and language he (endlessly) complains of actually ring true for a certain strain of secular humanist I’ve witnessed in action myself. But even this is not the tragedy of Robin Edgar.
The tragedy of Robin Edgar is that he has forsaken his vision. Robin was granted a profound religious vision, and mission. This is something the Divine does not do lightly, or for no reason- there are those who spend their lives seeking such a revelation, who pray that they be given such a mission. He did make an attempt to follow this mission... but after being rejected by a single congregation of a single denomination, his purpose changed. Instead of spreading the word, his pain demanded that he punish the denomination that rejected him. Instead of spreading the good news of the Divine, he decided to spread the bad news of the UUA. His hurt led him to abandon his vision in favor of punishing anyone who will not march to Boston to protest his rejection.
He has squandered an entire decade on this mission of pride, rather than the mission of God he was granted. He spent that precious time seeking allies in his quest to punish those who rejected him rather than seeking those who would accept his vision. That time could have been spent writing books or pamphlets about God’s Eye- but when Googling to write this post, all I could find written in detail about his vision was a 1997 short article in a CUUPS newsletter. During that decade, Wicca grew from a few thousand to a couple million, (many times the size of the UUA), Falun Gong entranced millions, and legions of seekers have wandered from Pagan sect to metaphysical bookstore, looking for that vision. And where was Robin? Hanging out in UU forums, blasting the minister at his first congregation.
Robin is still a relatively young man; there is still time for him to fulfill the mission God gave him. There is still time for the Emerson Avenger to realize that vengeance belongs to God, and I pray to all I hold sacred that he does so... but I fear he will not. He is in Denial about his own role in his marginalization... Ignorant of how many out there are ready to receive the vision he has stopped offering them... and Minimizing the damage he is doing to his own soul by forsaking his mission.
That is the real tragedy.
32 comments:
Wise observations, Joel.
Then Jesus called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. He said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money—not even an extra tunic. Whatever house you enter, stay there, and leave from there. Wherever they do not welcome you, as you are leaving that town shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” They departed and went through the villages, bringing the good news and curing diseases everywhere. [Luke 9: 1-6]
Jesus didn't say, hang around in the villages that reject you haranguing them until they admit how churlishly they have behaved. He said, shake the dust off your feet and move on.
Many years ago, I started out by offering sympathy and compassion for his plight, but since I was not willing to go on the offensive with him (because I only knew his side of it and I wasn't there...and I'm not confrontational anyway), he gave me the same rejection he was objecting to being given.
It really is sad that he is so stuck.
Joel, I see that one of your commandments of blogger ettiquette is Thou shalt not blow pseudonymous covers. By linking to Robin's blog, you are drawning more traffic to a site wherein a respected UU blogger and minister who writes psuedonymously is viciously attacked and "outed."
Thought you'd like to know.
I had no idea what was going on until I read this and then visited Robin's blog. Even though both CC and PB wrote about some stressful events going on behind the scenes, it didn't even occur to me that RE was the issue.
In essence, I agree with you down to the letter.
He has been using is talents somewhat productively elsewhere, if you dig through his birthday well-wishes a bit. Why he doesn't try for good relationships with UU's I really don't know. (but I could guess what he'd say.)
Recently, his homestead pages have gone down, which is where he had most of his revelation related content. But yeah, if he'd spent half the time he's spent on UU's on his own material, then he'd have quite a following.
At the moment, though, I don't think Robin as a spiritual leader would be a good thing. If he were to promote those ideas full time, without understanding why he couldn't work things out with us, then I'm not sure the world would be a better place.
In today's email i got a message with a picture taken by the Hubble telescope. They are calling the picture "God's Eye". It's a picture of a galaxy(?) that does look much like an eye.
It made me think of this post. I'd send it to you if I knew how.
Anonymous, thanks for the heads up; I have corrected it. Kim, I sympathize; I have trouble figuring out stuff like that, too- but you've given me enough information to Google for it. Thanks!
Found the picture, and it is truly beautiful! it's here
I just came across this blog and you are right on, he has and continues to waste his time. God knows what he might have accomplished if he had just walked away and started up his own movement. However, I take issue with this part of your blog "Robin claims to have been treated unfairly by his home UU congregation, and you know what? Despite not knowing any of the principals in the fight, I believe he probably was- at least in the beginning, before descending to their level and below."
I am Anonymous UCM, you have absolutely no conception of what went on with Robin before we were forced to abrogate his membership. I am tired of reading all the blogs where the UCM is chastised/condemned without any effort whatsoever to contact us and hear our side of this saga, so I will again post the statement we provide to those who take the trouble to ask us what happened. The wonderful thing about our common judicial systems is that there is a presumption of innocence, a trial and a verdict based on evidence; please give the UCM the same opportunity instead as Judge Roy Bean is purported to have said, "First we'll have a trial, then we will hang him."
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. Seven years ago 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 two years ago; and the church has simply moved on.
Man what a load of DIM Thinking U*U BS has been posted here. Not only by Joel Monka in his original DIM Thinking thread but most recently by the DIM Thinking Anonymous U*U troll from the Unitarian Church of Montreal. Anonymous U*U's DIM Thinking institutional denial and cover-up has already been thoroughly rebutted months ago but I guess I will eventually have to get around to thoroughly rebutting Joel Monka's sanctimonious DIM Thinking U*U BS here too. No rush though as I expect most people who bother to enter into a genuinely free and *responsible* search for the truth and meaning behind Joel Monka's rather tragic U*U BS will see right through it.
I will now address some of Anonymous U*U's institutional denial that is unique to this thread.
:I just came across this blog and you are right on, he has and continues to waste his time.
My time is hardly wasted Anonymous U*U I am accomplishing most albeit not all of what I expect to accomplish with my ongoing protest activities.
:God knows what he might have accomplished if he had just walked away and started up his own movement.
Indeed God does know that. God also knows what outrageous hypocrites U*Us are because if U*Us practiced what they so insincerely and outright fraudulently preach there would be virtually no need for me to start my own movement. . . God knows every detail of this ongoing conflict Anonymous U*U. God is keeping track of everythimg and ultimately you and all other U*Us will answer to God for spitting in God's eye. . .
:However, I take issue with this part of your blog "Robin claims to have been treated unfairly by his home UU congregation, and you know what? Despite not knowing any of the principals in the fight, I believe he probably was- at least in the beginning, before descending to their level and below."
What's to take issue with oh so Anonymous U*U? This is the truest part of Joel's DIM Thinking post. Anyone with a modicum of intelligence and conscience can easily determine that I was treated unfairly (to say the very least. . .) by intolerant and abusive Montreal U*Us to say nothing of the UUA and it's negligent and complicit Ministerial Fellowship Committee. I take issue with Joel's assertion that I have descended below the level of U*Us though.
:I am Anonymous UCM,
ROTFLMU*UO
What a joke. *I am* Non-person UCM. . .
:you have absolutely no conception of what went on with Robin before we were forced to abrogate his membership.
I don't doubt it. Joel has displayed plenty of DIM thinmking ignorance. I challenge you to fill in the details oh so Anonynous U*U. Tell us all about what went on before I was unjustly expelled from the Unitarian Church of Montreal for doing nothing more than writing letters of grievance and engaging in legitimate peaceful public protest. Tell us all about that totally mythical "chair throwing incident" that you accused me of a while back Anonymous U*U.
:I am tired of reading all the blogs where the UCM is chastised/condemned without any effort whatsoever to contact us and hear our side of this saga,
What I joke. I have repeatedly urged U*Us to contact the Unitarian Church of Montreal and demand their side of this totally ludicrous saga of the U*U community. Please do present the UCM's side of the story Anonymous U*U beyond the DIM Thinking institutional cover-up and denial SPAM that you keep posting even though it was long ago thoroughly rebutted pooint-by-point. . . Tell us all what "went on" before I was thrown out for writing letters and publicly protesting. Tell us all about the "chair throwing incident". We are all ears Anonymous U*U. I, perhaps more than anyone else, want to hear your side of the story so I can point out all the falsehoods and outright lies in your deceptive misinformation and disinformation.
:so I will again post the statement we provide to those who take the trouble to ask us what happened.
Well this is a very interesting statement. This is perhaps the first time that Anonymous U*U has stated that the DIM Thinking institutional denial SPAM that he has repeatedly posted to The Emerson Avenger blog and and elsewhere on the internet is an official statement of the Unitarian Church of Montreal. I have already shown that it is full of wholes and effectively a pack of lies or highly misleading half-truths. I will definitely be contacting the Unitarian Church of Montreal about this assertion in the near future. Why does the UCM hide behind such institutional denial that covers-up and hides the real truth about what really happened between me and the Unitarian Church of Montreal I wonder?
:The wonderful thing about our common judicial systems is that there is a presumption of innocence, a trial and a verdict based on evidence; please give the UCM the same opportunity instead as Judge Roy Bean is purported to have said, "First we'll have a trial, then we will hang him."
Yes please do. It would be far more than what the Unitarian Church of Montreal did when it held its very carefully orchestrated Stalinistic show trial and then "excommunicated" me in November of 1999. That kangaroo court aka lynch mob disguised as a "special congregational meeting" had all the hallmarks of a Stalinistic show trial at which I was presumed to be guilty of the highly questionable "charges" that the Unitarian Church of Montreal brought against me. Any genuinely free and genuinely responsible examination of the abundant available evidence will support my allegations against Montreal Unitarians and show that their allegations about me don't stand up to scrutiny.
Help! I got trolled.
Does Robin drop by every potential new Unitarian's blog to tell them his story and try to put them off, just because he fell out with one UU congregation?
The more I think about this, the more saddened I am that this has happened.
I declared that I have found something truly beautiful and joyful and life-affirming, and I got trolled.
If anyone follows my link above, they may wonder what I mean, as I have deleted Mr Edgar's comments from my blog. I don't give air-time to trolls.
I've ranted about it here.
Geez, what happened to forgiveness?
I, too, have been a victim of Robin's venom. I have chosen not to identify myself because of the sensitive nature of my relationship to Robin and the UCM. Suffice it to say that Robin's 'righteous indignation' has already cost me dearly. I sincerely hope he gets the help he so desperately needs.
I would tend to agree with Joel's contentions. Such a wasted opportunity...
Funny - Everytime I think he's given up his quest, Robin shows up again, spewing the same venom.
You’re right on Joel.
His behavior on-line parallels the brief account given by Anonymous UCM – and he helps confirm UCM’s account by coming here with one of his typical ranting responses. Clearly he won’t be satisfied until Ray Drennan is guillotined in the middle of Victoria Square, and every Unitarian Universalist in North America bows before him and begs forgiveness.
What a waste. What a tragedy.
What’s more . . . since the incident with Rev. Drennan that set him off almost 10 years ago the CUC and the UUA have both undergone a significant transformation. I can well believe that Robin’s revelation may have been rebuffed (inappropriately) in the far more secular humanist climate of that time. We’re a very different church today.
It’s time to get over it Robin. For the good of your soul . . . for the good you can yet be . . . it’s time to move on.
It's time for U*Us to actually practice what they preach and enter into a genuinely free and genuinely responsible search for the truth and meaning that lies behind my ongoing protest activities. It is time for U*Us to finally get around to providing some genuine restorative justice, some genuine equity and indeed accountability, and show some real compassion rather than continue to spout ridiculous over-the-top lies and slander about me. There will be no peace between me and outrageously hypocritical U*Us until such a time as there is some real truth and justice. And yes, that most certainly includes U*U clearly and unequivocally acknowledging the real injustices and abuses that they are quite eveidently guilty of either directly perpetrating or indirectly perpetuating with DIM Thinking such as the DIM Thinking displayed in Joel's tragically off-base post and many of the follow-up comments made her by DIM thinking and indeed dim thinking U*Us.
As far as Yvonne's comments go she reacted badly to my pointing out to her that U*Us were not quite as wonderful as she thought they were. Most people react badly to having their bubble's burst, even when there is no personal animosity involved as was the case. I would suggest that readers who get this far would do well to read my comments and Yvonne's comments on this later blog post that she titled disgusting. . . Yvonne responds to my initial comment to that post about anti-Muslim religious intolerance by saying, "OK, now I understand your feelings." We then have a civil and productive discussion about what this protracted war of words is all about. It is a far more worthwhile read than Joel's tragic rant above.
A point-by-point rebuttal of Joel's tragic original post is long overdue. When he posted it he very conveniently banned me from posting to his blog for a month so that I could not immediately respond to his U*U BS and thoroughly rebut it. I did get around to writing up a thorough point-by-point rebuttal that blew gaping holes in Joel's U*U BS but it vanished into thin cyberspace when I tried to post it. I am going to get some much needed sleep now but I will hopefully be back to thoroughly rebut Joel's U*U BS soonish. . .
As you wrote the above comment, Robin, your own comments were turned off. You claimed to be too busy to address comments, and yet have filed four posts and a number of comments on other blogs- thousands of words around the web. I will leave it to your conscience whether you wish to comment here again without turning your own comments back on.
I made it clear that it was an issue of time management Joel. I said that it was a temporary moratorium, mainly in terms of responding to comments on The Enmerson Avenger blog which where getting out of hand in terms of quantity and length thanks to your own over-the-top comments, those of indrax, and a few other anonymous or pseudonymous U*U trolls posting U*U BS to my blog. Do you know any other U*U themed blogs that have a post with 100 comments posted to it, with a good portion of those being my rebuttals of BS posted by DIM Thinking U*Us?
I said that the moratorium was mainly due to having to set priorities and free up time to deal with preparing for my day in court to challenge Rev. Diane Rollert's dubious demand for a restraining order against me and some other important things that I have to do at the moment. The moratorium was not, and is not, a ban against anyone and I made it clear that it would be lifted soon after my court date on the 25th. I made it clear that I might make a few posts in the meantime but the fact of the matter is that at least three of the recent posts are would not even exist if it was not for the foolish actions of U*Us. . .
If Montreal interior decorator had not purloined one of my picket signs last Sunday this TEA blog post would not exist, nor would this humorous "broadside" by the U*U Jihad Navy. If oh so aptly named Ms. Kitty aka Rev. Kit Ketchum had not covered up and hid my initial brief comment pointing out that Humanists may not be any better at actually practicing what they preach than U*Us are on her Affirmations of Humanism blog post I would not have felt the need to post several follow-up comments, only one of which was somewhat lengthy, or reconstruct the comments that Ms. Kitty had tried to bury in her big fat U*U "memory hole". . .
My conscience is clear Joel. I have more than amply responded to your own and other U*Us' existing U*U BS on The Emerson Avenger blog and will happily rebut more of it some time after the 25th of February. Anyone can read what you and indrax and others posted which is more than can be said for numerous comments that I have posted to U*U blogs in the past. The temporary moratorium on comments to The Emerson Avenger blog was justified and necessary, especially since most of what was being posted to TEA was largely redundant repetative rehashing of what had been posted there many times before. If anyone should examine their consciences it should be you and the other U*Us who posted DIM Thinking U*U BS here. You in particular should examine your conscience about posting this rather tragic example of U*U BS at a time when you had banned my from posting to your blog for a full month for doing something that had nothing to do with your blog. How would you like it if I posted an U*U Jihad Navy broadside aimed at your U*U and made it impossible for you to respond to it for a month Joel. If you think that I should not have a clear conscience for instituting a shorter and actually quite necessary moratorium on comments to my blog what about your rather more questionable, to say nothing of less ethical, outright banning me from responding to the U*U BS you posted here? BTW You just wasted about one half hour of my time. . . I suggest that you take some time to examine your conscience about your emotion driven over-the-top reactions to my legitimate actions.
You really are funny, Robin- Imprimus, 53 of those 100 comments you complain about are YOUR OWN, as are 80% of the total words, thanks to your habit of responding with a paragraph per sentence of original comment- sometimes per sentence fragment! (something you should stop, as removing a clause from its context can change its meaning) Secondus, you taunted me to keep writing (cat got your tongue)- it's really weak to dare someone to keep writing, then complain when he does. Tertius, if you don't like "redundant repetative rehashing" of the past, how do you think the REST OF US feel about it?
:Imprimus, 53 of those 100 comments you complain about are YOUR OWN
Which is exactly why I decided to place a temporary moratorium on comments Joel. It was taking up too much of MY OWN time to respond to your own and other U*Us' DIM Thinking U*U BS.
:Secondus, you taunted me to keep writing (cat got your tongue)- it's really weak to dare someone to keep writing, then complain when he does.
Actually it's really weak to come back with the exactly same DIM Thinking U*U BS when I challenge it. . .
:Tertius, if you don't like "redundant repetative rehashing" of the past, how do you think the REST OF US feel about it?
I would say that that comment borders on more DIM Thinking Joel if you are suggesting that my continued protests against past and indeed present and ongoing U*U injustices, abuses and hypocrisy are "redundant". I would not have to engage in repetative rehashing of the past, to say nothing of the present. . . if you and other DIM Thinking U*Us did not continue to either Deny and/or Ignore and/or Minimize the very real U*U injustices, abuses and hypocrisy that I am protesting against.
Well I guess I might as well waste some more of my time and finally thoroughly Joel Monka's U*U BS. Herewith my long overdue point-by-point rebuttal of Joel Monka's rather tragic DIM Thinking U*U BS -
:If this is the first UU blog you’ve ever read, you will be wondering what this is about; have faith- you will soon learn, as he is one of the most prolific posters in the religious world.
Look's that way doesn't it Joel?
:If you are a veteran of any UU blogs or forums, you are already well acquainted with Robin, for I’m unaware of a single UU venue he hasn’t posted on.
You are unaware of a lot more than that Joel. In fact there are plenty of U*U "venues" that I have not bothered to post on, to say nothing of those that I have been banned from posting on. . .
:He has made it difficult to follow many a thread on most forums for years by hijacking them for his own agenda, a habit that has resulted in a great many of his posts being deleted and made him persona non grata in many venues. But this is not the tragedy of Robin Edgar.
Indeed it isn't. The real tragedy hear is U*U "memory holin" and other U*U censorship of legitimate criticism and dissent. Especially when U*Us pretend to be "opposed to censorship by church, state or any other institution" and great defenders of civil rights and liberties in their evidently fraudulent religious propaganda. . .
:Robin is a man of considerable intelligence and command of the language, capable of finely reasoned argument- but for years he has been using this talent for a single purpose, to attack.
Wrong. I most certainly do use my considerable intelligence and command of language and finely reasoned argument to expose and denounce U*U injustices, abuses and hypocrisy but that is by no means the only way I use these talents. For the record a good portion of my "attacks" are in defence against, or retaliatation for. . . insulting and defamatory attacks on me by intolerant and abusive U*Us.
:Rather than eagerly reading his posts as people once did, they now skip over them as there will be nothing new,
No of course not. . . It's the same old same old isn't it Joel?
:and even the old news will be stated in such savage terms as to be either maddening or just sad.
ROTFLMU*UO! Where are all these "savage terms" Joel?
I dare say that intolerant and abusive U*Us are far more prone to using savage terms that are either maddening or just sad than I am Joel. Heck, half the time I am having a good laugh at the expense of foolish U*Us.
:But this is not the tragedy of Robin Edgar.
Indeed it is not because it is just more ignorant U*U BS spouted by Joel Monka.
:Robin has divided the world into two camps: those who will take up his cause and attack people they don’t know from Adam just on his say-so, and those he considers his enemies.
Another fine example of Joel Monka's ridiculious U*U BS.
:He even treats those who sympathize with him and wish him well, as I do despite his recent behavior and personal insults, in the same harsh manner. But this is not the tragedy of Robin Edgar.
Indeed it isn't Joel. Your U*U BS is BS is BS. . .
:Robin claims to have been treated unfairly by his home UU congregation, and you know what? Despite not knowing any of the principals in the fight, I believe he probably was- at least in the beginning, before descending to their level and below.
Maybe Joel Monka would care to provide some examples of just how I have descended to the level of Rev. Raymond Drennan, other Montreal Unitarians, to say nothing of various UUA officials like Rev. Diane Miller, Rev. Dr. Tracey Robinson-Harris and other rather low U*Us.
:The attitudes and language he (endlessly) complains of actually ring true for a certain strain of secular humanist I’ve witnessed in action myself. But even this is not the tragedy of Robin Edgar.
Indeed this is not my tragedy Joel. The attitudes and language I (endlessly) complain of actually do ring true for a certain strain of secular humanists and that is actually a tragedy, but by no means the only one. . . of the "tiny fringe religion" known as Unitarian*Universalism aka U*Uism.
:The tragedy of Robin Edgar is that he has forsaken his vision.
More U*U BS courtesy of Joel Monka.
:Robin was granted a profound religious vision, and mission.
Right. Please remind us just what that profound religious vision and mission was Joel.
:This is something the Divine does not do lightly, or for no reason- there are those who spend their lives seeking such a revelation, who pray that they be given such a mission.
And who should be very careful what they ask for lest they get it. . .
:He did make an attempt to follow this mission... but after being rejected by a single congregation of a single denomination, his purpose changed.
More U*U BS. My purpose did not change but I did add and synthesize the purpose of exposing and denouncing U*U injustices, abuses and hypocrisy to my "mission", particularly since the slanderous lies of the U*Us harmed my ability to carry out my "mission" and, at least in some ways. . . protesting against these and other U*U injustices, abuses and hypocrisy helped me to spread the word about it.
:Instead of spreading the word, his pain demanded that he punish the denomination that rejected him.
Wrong again Joel. My ongoing fight against U*U injustices, abuses and hypocrisy has little to do with personal pain. I am a very emotionally tough person in case U*Us haven't noticed yet. . . It has much more to do with trying to bring some much needed reform to the corrupted and quite Godless "tiny fringe religion" known as U*Uism. Like UUA Presidential candidate Peter Morales, I believe that U*Uism is capable of becoming considerably more than the "tiny fringe religion" that it currently is if it returns to the monotheistic religious heritage that it has all but totally rejected. . .
:Instead of spreading the good news of the Divine, he decided to spread the bad news of the UUA.
More U*U BS. I am doing both and even synthesizing those "missions" to seem degree. Anyway, who said that the news I got from "the Divine" was all good news? I certainly didn't. . .
:His hurt led him to abandon his vision in favor of punishing anyone who will not march to Boston to protest his rejection.
ROTFLMU*UO! Yet another fine example of Joel Monka's completely over-the-top U*U BS. I have most certainly not abandoned my vision nor am I punishing anyone who will not march to Boston with me to protest against a whole host of U*U injustices, abuses and hypocrisy.
:He has squandered an entire decade on this mission of pride, rather than the mission of God he was granted.
Wrong again Joel. For starters my prophetic "mission" against various U*U injustices, abuses and hypocrisy, including but by no means limited to the anti-religious intolerance and bigotry that corrupts the U*U "religion", is not a "mission of pride". In fact pride has little to do with it. If anyone has "squandered an entire decade" it is DIM Thinking Unitarian*Universalist U*Us who have squandered numerous opportunities to do the right thing, acknowledge the very real and very well-documented injustices, abuses and hypocrisy that they are clearly and unequivocally guilty of and finally get around to responding in genuine responsibility to the Spirit that bloweth where it listeth. . .
:He spent that precious time seeking allies in his quest to punish those who rejected him rather than seeking those who would accept his vision.
More U*U BS. I spent very little time "seeking allies" in my quest to expose and denounce U*U injustices abuses and hypocrisy because it was obvious that very few U*Us were interested in practicing what they preach from the beginning of this conflict. I have spent plenty of time seeking those who would accept my vision but very few people seem terribly interested in doing that either. Hundreds of thousands of people, if not a few million, have been exposed to my vision in various ways but almost none have shown much interest in becoming allies. It is not me who is squandering my "mission" or my "vision" but the many people who choose to ignore it or reject it out of hand. Tragically that includes thousands of U*Us who pretend in their fraudulent religious propaganda and outrageously hypocritical sermons to be a "religious community" where "Revelation is not sealed!"
:That time could have been spent writing books or pamphlets about God’s Eye-
Been there done that years ago Joel. . .
:but when Googling to write this post, all I could find written in detail about his vision was a 1997 short article in a CUUPS newsletter.
My various "websights" that shared my vision with hundreds of thousands of people went down in the fall of 1996 but a Google search should have found cached versions of them. I must get around to rebuilding them one of these days but, in that hundreds of thousands of people were exposed to the revelation that I am claiming and were not all that interested in helping me to share it, reestablishing those websights is not my highest priority at the moment.
:During that decade, Wicca grew from a few thousand to a couple million, (many times the size of the UUA), Falun Gong entranced millions, and legions of seekers have wandered from Pagan sect to metaphysical bookstore, looking for that vision. And where was Robin? Hanging out in UU forums, blasting the minister at his first congregation.
And where was that tiny, and indeed rather stagnant and even dwindling, "fringe religion" known as U*Uism Joel? Where might Unitarian*Universalism be today if it had actually lived up to its claimed principles and purposes and other ideals in its *reaction* to my claimed revelation of God rather than consistently and repeatedly making a total mockery of them? For the record I was by no means blasting only the fundamentalist atheist anti-religious bigot of a "Humanist" U*U ministerr who intolerantly and abusively attacked my and trampled all over the pearl's of timeless wisdom that I honoured U*Us by trying to share with them. I have been blasting the Unitarain Church of Montreal as a congregation, the UUA as an institution, and various injustices, abuses and hypocrisy found throughout the so-called U*U World. That is part and parcel of what prophets are called to do *Joel*. . .
:Robin is still a relatively young man; there is still time for him to fulfill the mission God gave him.
Please do fill us in on the extent and details of the mission God gave me Joel. I am all ears. Or perhaps I should say I am all eyes. . . But thanks for acknowledging that there is still time for me to fulfill said "mission". Even if there is not, God can find someone else to fulfill it. God has lots of time. It is human beings who may be running out of time to respond appropriately to contemporary revelation of God. Indeed most human beings who have been exposed to my "mission" in one way or the other over the last decade or more have squandered the opportunity that was presented to them and that includes no shortage of religious leaders from various faiths. Please do point out which U*U minister ever responded in genuine responsibility to the spirit of my mission Joel. . .
:There is still time for the Emerson Avenger to realize that vengeance belongs to God, and I pray to all I hold sacred that he does so... but I fear he will not.
I am not actually seeking "vengeance" Joel. I am seeking genuine restorative justice, equity and accountability, to say nothing of a little compassion. . . from (so far) rather corpse-cold Unitarians Joel. Of course, in the absence of even the slightest effort on the part of Unitarian*Universalist U*Us to provide some genuine justice and equity, to say nothing of their preference to try to delay, deny and outright pervert justice, a little bit of U*U Jihad "direct action" here and there helps to fill the gaping hole where genuine justice and equity should be. . .
:He is in Denial about his own role in his marginalization...
Wrong again Joel, but you are certainly in deep Denial of the role of the Unitarian Church of Montreal, the UUA and its aptly named Ministerial Fellowship Committee, and the roles of many other DIM Thinking U*Us (including your own role) in my ongoing marginalization within the U*U World. I went though standard procedures for more than two years before going public Joel. Montreal Unitarians and UUA U*Us squandered more than two years in which a genuinely, just equitable and compassionate resolution to this war of words could have been quite easily reached. Since then they have squandered the better part of a decade by not only doing absolutely nothing to responsibly redress my serious grievances but they have only escalated and aggravated this war of words with their deeply misguided and outrageously hypocritical
unjust, inequitable and uncompassionate reactionary reactions to my legitimate grievances and protests.
:Ignorant of how many out there are ready to receive the vision he has stopped offering them...
You are apparently ignorant of the fact that I have already offered "the vision" to hundreds of thousands of people who have mostly ignored it, disregarded it or rejected it out of hand. I have never stopped offering my vision Joel even if I have slowed my pace a bit for some good reasons. My vision has been available on the internet for many years in one form or another and, where possible, I continue to offer it to people in other ways. As usual it tends to fall on "deaf" ears and "blind" eyes.
:and Minimizing the damage he is doing to his own soul by forsaking his mission.
God knows that I have not forsaken my mission Joel, even if I have taken a bit of a go slow approach for some very good reasons for the last little while. You and other DIM Thinking U*Us are however clearly Minimizing the damage that U*Us have done, and are still doing, to their own U*U Souls and to U*Uism as a "religion" by forsaking virtually every principle, every purpose and ideal claimed by U*Uism in not only ignoring and/or rejecting my "mission" and "vision" but by intolerantly and abusively trampling all over the pearls that I have offered to the U*U "religious community". And That is the real tragedy of the U*U World Joel. . . The one thing that you claim is "The Tragedy of Robin Edgar" is not even true but I can point to any number of ways that U*Us have responded to my "mission" and my "vision" that can be properly described as tragic. In fact your DIM Thinking U*U BS spouted here could be justifiably described as the tragedy of Joel Monka. . .
Correction - My various "websights" that shared my vision with hundreds of thousands of people went down in the fall of 2006 (not 1996)
Joel:
Do not attack.
That is pretty good advice James. Too bad that you could not take it yourself recently, to say nothing of in the past. . . In any case, the original post here titled "The Tragedy of Robin Edgar" is an attack as are some of the follow-up comments. I have made it clear to U*Us that, as long as U*Us continue to attack me in various ways, the gloves will be off if and when I choose to retaliate. Unfortunately, most U*Us seem to be awfully slow learners. . . Quite frankly I should have posted my point-by-point rebuttal as soon as it was possible to do so, but I just was not all that concerned that people of intelligence and conscience would put much weight in Joel's strident U*U BS. I am still not concerned about that but decided to post my thorough rebuttal to educate those DIM Thinking U*Us who clearly lack both intelligence and conscience.
Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that most U*Us who choose to comment seem to be awfully slow learners and prefer to attack me than responsibly acknowledge the "pure religious bigotry" and other injustices and abuses that I am fighting against. I expect that there are plenty of U*Us who have read this post and The Emerson Avenger blog who have had the good sense to hold their tongues even if they felt like attacking me.
The tone of this debate can change considerably if and when U*Us stop saying and/or posting highly questionable over-the-top U*U BS about me that is usually very easily rebutted with verifiable facts and truthful testimony. When U*Us are civil and reasonably respectful towards me and other people I usually do not attack them. This is readily verifiable by reviewing my interactions with U*Us on U*U blogs whose owners do not censor my legitimate posts that deal with U*U injustices, abuses and hypocrisy and do not attack me. There are more of those than U*Us might think. . .
James Andrix quite reasonably said, "Joel: Do not attack."
Well Joel Monka is going to have a hard time kicking me in the balls when I just finished smashing his clay feet into little pieces isn't he James? I find it most ironic how in thoroughly smashing Joel's clay feet I have exposed yet another Unitarian*Universalist aka U*U. . . case of foot-in-mouth disease. Joel would be very well advised to refrain from attacking me, as would all other U*Us who may be tempted to do so. In fact Joel Monka would be much better off acknowledging defeet here (typo intended) and toning down his emotion driven over-the-top U*U BS that only serves as a fine example of the U*U foot-in-mouth disease that harms the U*U fold. Speaking of folds. . . I would like to remind Joel Monka of the term "threefold".
Come to think of it. . . I will put my considerable intelligence and command of the language, as well as my finely reasoned argument to good use here and remind U*U Joel Monka of yet another meaning of the word fold. If he chooses to raise the anti-Robin rhetoric to yet another level of U*U BS he will probably live to regret it three times over. . .
In fact, "conservative" U*U Joel Monka would be very well advised to refresh his memory about the meaning of the word "conservative", and then apply the appropriate definition of that valuable English word to his far from cautious and moderate rhetoric about me, and no I do not mean "a person who is reluctant to accept changes and new ideas". . .
Wow! It only just struck me that there are actually thousands upon thousands of conservative U*Us in that sense of the word "conservative"!
ROTFLMU*UO yet again. . .
"The tragedy of Robin Edgar is that he has forsaken his vision. Robin was granted a profound religious vision, and mission."
So he (Robin Edgar) says. And as far as I've seen from various blog entries, it's a fairly innocuous one as 'profound religious visions' go. I personally take claims of personal revelation with a huge amount of skepticism; it's a commonplace to note that extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. It appears no evidence is forthcoming, so I remain skeptical.
If you choose to believe R.E. has had a personal revelation from the Divine, that's certainly your prerogative--and it's your blog, after all. But I can see no compelling reason to accept that he has had a personal communication from the Divine.
I do agree that whatever insight he claims has been far eclipsed (pardon the pun) by the energy he has expended towards 'getting even' with the Unitarian Church of Montreal and by extension, with all of UUdom. He will be remembered not for his revelation but for his vendetta, along the lines of the modern sedevacantists in the Catholic Church. He would rather be 'right' more than anything else in the world. (Unfortunately and ironically, that's an attitude that is frequently found among UUs.) And yes, that truly is a shame, if not exactly a tragedy.
Be well.
People have no idea how desperately I wish Edgar would just get over it and convert to Catholicism and become a cloistered Trappist monk, vowed never to open his mouth and speak another word for the rest of his natural life.
From an anonymous UU
I agree with the gist of this article. It is, however, extremely generous to RE. ""The tragedy of Robin Edgar is that he has forsaken his vision. Robin was granted a profound religious vision, and mission."
As I understand it RE's revelation was that a total eclipse of the sun is the literal 'eye' of God, looking down on the world. I do not feel compelled to see that as a profound religious vision or message. It is his belief. His other behavior strongly points to mental issues, and I'd leave it at that.
Wow. I just got a couple of weird messages from this guy and thought "what the what?" It is now 2013 and he is still doing this... Going on 20 years now? Wow.
I wish you peace Robin, but I think previous posters are correct that there are mental health issues in play.
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