Who Were the Reformers?

Are you a reformer or a re-former? Most of us in this room are aware of Unitarians and Universalists who were activists in their day before the word activist was known. I'm thinking about the men and their families who revolted against the tyranny of King George of England and reformed the thirteen colonies into thirteen states. I'm also thinking about abolitionists of slavery in the early-to-mid-1800's, both men and women, and the women who fought for civil rights and social changes—all of these under the banner of Reformers.

Here we are on the day before a national holiday, Labor Day—Labor Day was meant to honor those Americans who did just that—labored to produce products, to work hard to better this country by diligence on their jobs, and who expected fair treatment and fair compensation from their employers. Suffice it to say for our purposes this morning that the labor movement is akin to the unionization of workers and leave that topic for another time.

Let's take a few minutes to talk about Unitarians and Universalists who took it upon themselves to break the molds of whatever was once formed in their society and re-formed those molds. People like Benjamin Rush. Anyone know who he is? Show of hands? Dr. Rush was a celebrated physician and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. According to Charles A. Howe writing in the Dictionary of Unitarian Universalist Biography, which can be found at the www.uua.org website, Rush was also the leading social reformer of his time. His strong belief in universal salvation helped to promote acceptance of Universalism during its formative period in America.

Here are only some of his accomplishments—his reforms. As a physician he strove to promote the general health of the citizenry when in 1786 he established the first free dispensary in the country. The first pharmacy—and it was free! In 1793 during the great yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia, he kept detailed records, initiated and persisted in the radical treatment of blood-letting—a drastic purgation. Nevertheless, Rush was convinced that the treatment was successful and had applied it to himself. He wrote the book: An Account of the Bilious Remitting Yellow Fever, as it Appeared in the City of Philadelphia, in the year 1793. The book was published in 1794.

Another radical concept, one that proved to be true over time: he pointed out that decayed teeth were a source of systemic disease. Rush also promoted inoculation and vaccination against smallpox and pioneered in the study and treatment of mental illness. He insisted that the insane had a right to be treated with respect.

Most of us do not know that Benjamin Rush constructed a typology of insanity which is strikingly similar to the modern categorization of mental illness, and studied factors—such as heredity, age, marital status, wealth and climate—that he thought predisposed people to madness.

An interesting aside: One of the many causes of insanity he noted was the intense study of imaginary objects of knowledge such as researches into the meaning of certain prophecies in the Old and New testaments. This persists today, doesn't it? The study of old religious books to search for prophecies.

Concerning Dr. Benjamin Rush's theology, Howe continues with this: He reconciled his ancient calvinistical and his newly adopted [Arminian] principles. The word Arminian referred to the Oneness of God, not Three-in-One as certain Christian groups espoused then and now as the word Trinity. Also, like other politically-minded men of his time, he did not officially join the Universalist church.

Rush held close friendships with some of the signers of the Constitution: Jefferson and Adams, for two. Also, with theologians Joseph Priestley, an English Unitarian minister and scientist who is the discoverer of oxygen, and John Murray, who is considered the father of Universalism in America. With Murray, his letters are concerned more with his health issues. Evidently, John Murray was a hypochondriac.

Upon Rush's death in 1813, Jefferson and Adams exchanged letters. Adams said, I know of no Character living or dead, who has done more real good in America.

Reformers abound in Unitarian Universalist history. As you may have noted from the poster in the adjoining hall, many UUs were writers, political activists and abolitionists. I encourage you to study the names and faces of those reformers because that is what they did in their own little spheres. They restructured, innovated, invented, re-thought many ideas and formulated many new concepts to better society in America. Many had to fight hard to change people's minds—the first women who marched, wrote essays, spoke out, were arrested and spat upon in order for a woman to walk into a voting booth today and cast her ballot without fear of being arrested. In the early days, sometimes men helped, but sometimes they divorced their wives on account of their activism. It took courageous men to legislate for us women and pass the 19th Amendment.

It amazes me that the activists and reformers in the 19th century and into the early 20th century, lived without so much of what we consider necessary today: sanitary municipal facilities that provide clean water, waste water treatment plants, regular garbage collections, indoor plumbing, decent roads over which to travel, education of children and adults in acceptable school buildings… the list goes on and on.

We 21st century Americans complain about our government, or the lack of it in some cases, and yet we have so much here: modern technology has given us cell phones and iPads that take pictures and talk back to us, microwave ovens that mean we don't have to cook anymore—at least not as our grandmothers and great-grandmothers did on wood stoves! One hundred years ago the world was fascinated with motion pictures, phonographs, telephones that you cranked a handle on the wall box to reach an operator to make a call, and the first concepts of automobiles and airplanes! How marvelous it was! Behind the scenes of all these innovations and reforms were religious people of all persuasions, yes, and also agnostic humanitarians and humanists, many of whom attended Unitarian and Universalist congregations and still do.

And, in 1963 scientist Rachel Carson, writer of Silent Spring and many other books and essays, and who was a Unitarian in Maryland, warned the U.S. Congress about the dangers of pesticides such as DDT and their dangerous effects on animals—and eventually on us.

Also in the 20th century we had Unitarian Universalist Paul Newman—actor, philanthropist, caregiver of children and their health with his Hole in the Wall Gang Camp. The Newman's Own Foundation contributes proceeds from food sales to educational and charitable organizations.

All of these examples have me charged up about re-formers! Now, what are we concerned about in this century? Let's talk about that. I asked for you to consider what you would re-form in America today. J. Sue and I will pass out the list of UU Reformers. Please take a look at the UU names and reforms attributed to them. How are you inspired to re-form?

Who are Some of the Re-Formers?

From the late UU Rev. Ric Masten, Endline:

I've always been
a yin/yang-front/back-clear/blur
up/down-life/death kind of guy
my own peculiar duality being
philosopher slash hypochondriac
win win characteristics
when you're diagnosed
with a life-threatening disease

finally the hypochondriac
has more than windmills to tilt with
the philosopher arming himself
with exactly the proper petard
an explosive statement
found in an e-mail message
beneath a cancer combatant's name
a perfect end line, wily and wise,
reads: I ask God:
How much time do I have before I die?
Enough to make a difference
God replies

Copyright © 2013 JoAnn Macdonald. All Rights Reserved.