Unitarian Faith
I happen to believe there is such a thing as Unitarian faith, and that this faith is powerful and enduring. I believe that the religious principals that bind Unitarians together are more important than the political ones. Both of these beliefs are quite controversal, for reasons that may be difficult to explain if you are not familiar with Unitarianism.
Unitarian faith is powerful because it is based on the raw understanding of the universal and inherent connection between all human beings and beyond to humanity's connection to the natural universe. We as Unitarians really try to accept all people and find the worthy spirit within all people, and therefore we endeavor to live up to the standard of our faith that all people have inherent worth and dignity. It is a very simple principle, but a very difficult one to put into practice and revere. Unitarians do this well - we respect the inherent worth and diginity of all people well. This is the first step - the necessary condition - upon which the Beloved Community could be built. And the foundation of this behavior is essentially a faith, in that it is something we believe in utterly and completely and without proof.
I believe that the religious calling of Unitarians is more important than the political one. In short, I think you can be a religious liberal while being a political conservative. The religious essence of Unitarianism is more fundamental and more important, because it is only on the basis of mutual love and respect that any political or social system can be sustainable. Or from another perspective, you cannot really change the minds of your enemy by anger, hatred, or fear. Fundamentally the problem we battle, the problem that underlies all other problems, is a lack of love and a lack of attention. These problems therefore can only be corrected ultimately through our efforts of love and attention.
And I believe that our ultimate (i.e. sufficent in itself) aim is not about solving problems. Our ultimate aim is the celebration of life and the reverence for life and creatiion. Life is sufficient unto itself. It is not lived to 'solve' things. It is lived because it has its own value, its own vibrancy. Our Unitarian faith should point at the inherent beauty of life. If we are correctly oriented, corrective action will come of its own accord. It is most important to be motivated by compassion and not guilt in our social justice efforts.
I have touched on a lot of points here, and maybe gone a bit astray. But the main points are this: that Unitarian Universalism is not a secular club or a social movement, but a deep faith; and that in my opinion the practice of the faith is primary to the practice of social justice action.
Unitarian faith is powerful because it is based on the raw understanding of the universal and inherent connection between all human beings and beyond to humanity's connection to the natural universe. We as Unitarians really try to accept all people and find the worthy spirit within all people, and therefore we endeavor to live up to the standard of our faith that all people have inherent worth and dignity. It is a very simple principle, but a very difficult one to put into practice and revere. Unitarians do this well - we respect the inherent worth and diginity of all people well. This is the first step - the necessary condition - upon which the Beloved Community could be built. And the foundation of this behavior is essentially a faith, in that it is something we believe in utterly and completely and without proof.
I believe that the religious calling of Unitarians is more important than the political one. In short, I think you can be a religious liberal while being a political conservative. The religious essence of Unitarianism is more fundamental and more important, because it is only on the basis of mutual love and respect that any political or social system can be sustainable. Or from another perspective, you cannot really change the minds of your enemy by anger, hatred, or fear. Fundamentally the problem we battle, the problem that underlies all other problems, is a lack of love and a lack of attention. These problems therefore can only be corrected ultimately through our efforts of love and attention.
And I believe that our ultimate (i.e. sufficent in itself) aim is not about solving problems. Our ultimate aim is the celebration of life and the reverence for life and creatiion. Life is sufficient unto itself. It is not lived to 'solve' things. It is lived because it has its own value, its own vibrancy. Our Unitarian faith should point at the inherent beauty of life. If we are correctly oriented, corrective action will come of its own accord. It is most important to be motivated by compassion and not guilt in our social justice efforts.
I have touched on a lot of points here, and maybe gone a bit astray. But the main points are this: that Unitarian Universalism is not a secular club or a social movement, but a deep faith; and that in my opinion the practice of the faith is primary to the practice of social justice action.
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