Back from the Abyss

Greetings, all!

Welcome to the "Faith of the Free" blog! This website is dedicated to the framing, growth and advancement of an "ultra-liberative and radically-catholic," democracy-friendly, openly and critically questioning, non-dogmatic, yet-unfinished and still-unfolding, "spirit of the Enlightenment" movement in religion commonly known as Unitarian Universalism.

My name is Ron Stevens, and I'm a long-time "UU" now living in the Charleston, South Carolina suburb of Summerville. I'm a semi-retired government employee, currently involved in putting together a new "emerging" UU congregation here in the Summerville area, under the (at least initial) name of "All Souls Parish."

I've been "dabbling with blogs" for a while now, most recently with one that was called "Advancing UU." Unlike that last effort, this "Faith of the Free" blog seeks to explore and better understand the spiritual, intellectual and historical "DNA" of our liberal faith, and to do so even from a beginner's or "outsider's" perspective. Although I've been active in UU for over 30 years, I also consider myself a beginner, and will start here with an honest admission of naivete and ignorance, but also a hunger for truth and willingness to learn...and I hope you will understand that it's in that (non-dogmatic, open) context that I will be offering my personal observations and theories, as well as those of others, for your consideration and feedback.

"We need not think alike to love alike."

-- Francis David

It seems to me that the prospects are reasonably good for growth of such a "Faith of the Free"--- for an approach to religion which emphasizes both "particularity and universality," both uniqueness and commonality, both unity and diversity, and geared more toward a spirit of unity more than uniformity --- for the kind of religious movement that (early Unitarian minister) Francis David was describing over 400 years ago in Hungary and Romania.

“Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call to her tribunal every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there is one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blindfolded fear... Do not be frightened from this inquiry by a fear of its consequences. If it ends in a belief that there is no god, you will find incitements to virtue in the comfort and pleasantness you feel in its exercise, and the love of others which it will procure you...Your own reason is the only oracle given you by heaven, and you are answerable not for the rightness but the uprightness of the decision."

-- Thomas Jefferson

From radical-Protestant roots, and further shaped in subsequent generations by the vast horizons and possibilities of "Age of Enlightenment" thinking--has emerged a progressive and accepting faith where people, regardless of their religious backgrounds or theological inclinations, are welcomed (even encouraged) to think for themselves as unique individuals, to "question with boldness," to draw their own honest conclusions, even to hold and express their own honest doubts, and to do so in caring and sharing religious communities where love, and respect and integrity matter far more than agreement and submission to unquestionable dogma.

"Freedom is the ground of all vital activity. Faith without freedom is dogma. Love without freedom is an illusion. Justice without freedom is oppression. In every instance, freedom is the factor that sustains and completes the other goal. It is the oxygen of the human spirit, the indispensable element for growth and wholeness."

--- Rev. David O. Rankin

This blog will serve as a companion to a Yahoo discussion group of the same name. The focus here will be bit more theoretical, while the Yahoo group will be devoted to the sharing of more practical information about actual happenings in UU-land. Both will share the same "UU-style evangelistic" flavor. For anyone who would like to follow the progress of both groups, the Yahoo group can be found at...

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Faith_of_the_Free,

-- and you're also cordially invited to another Yahoo group which I happen to moderate: It's called "Larger Faith" and is dedicated to discussion, information and inspiration in the area of "progressive Universalism" (of the Ballou-Skinner-Cummins-Patton variety). The address there is http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LargerFaith.

"All the names that divide religion are to us of little consequence compared to religion itself. Whomsoever loves Truth and lives the Good is in a broad sense of our religious fellowship. Whoever loves the one or lives the other better than ourselves is our teacher, whatever Church or age he may belong to."

--- William Channing Gannett (1840-1923)


So...why yet another UU blog? Simply put, the need is there, and frankly I believe we are still missing a golden opportunity to (respectfully yet unashamedly) bring our message of a "Faith of the Free"--and our "good news" of the importance of utmost freedom, honest reason and generous tolerance, even in matters of religion--into the public psyche and main streets of America, and to an ever-shrinking, faster-moving, yet deeply fragmented world which (I honestly believe) desperately needs to hear it.

Again, welcome! I look forward to joining you as we tackle some provocative issues and enlightening conversations together.

Ron