Faith of the Free

2008-01-01T09:14:00.000-05:00

"Announcing 'Ron's Authentic Frontier Gibberish' blog!"

A little something new to start off the new year. Over at the "Faith of the Free" message board, we've added a little blog section (you're invited to participate, by the way), and I'll be saving some of my more opinionated posts for that blog. Mostly, it will be on topics of religion and politics, but no matter what the subject, I promise to keep my gibberish very authentic, and at least a little frontierish (I prefer to think of it as "cutting edge"). Again, the "Faith of the Free" message board can be found at...

http://FaithoftheFree.informe.com

--and my personal blog there is at...

http://faithofthefree.informe.com/blogs/uufreespirit/

The message board continues to grow, but (as seems to always be the case with UU's) only a precious few actually "converse." Most of the recent new members lately (-- who do actually converse, bless their hearts --) have been from the UK (No, not that University in Kentucky...the other one, across the Atlantic.) Nice folks. Most of them (with whom I've chatted so far) are from various parts of England and the Glasgow area of Scotland. They have their own message board and online community, called National Unitarian Fellowship.

I know, some people have proclaimed the death of message boards, but I still like them. To me, they're more like "community centers," or at least ideally so. They have to be carefully moderated to watch for the "evil-doers" (spammers, trolls, etc.), but they have great flexibility and "editability." To me, there's plenty of room on the internet for as many formats of meaningful communication about Unitarian Universalism, our ideals and concerns as possible. As we say here in the "UU hinterlands," y'all come see us...pull up a chair and sit a spell!"

Ron

2007-04-21T14:08:00.000-04:00

A Little Message-Board Announcement

Just wanted to let everybody know that our little “all-UU message board,” formerly located at "choosingfaith.informe.com" has moved to a new address.

You can now find it at...

http://FaithoftheFree.informe.com

...and, of course, visitors and new members are always welcome!

The "Faith of the Free" message board is intended to serve as an informal (unofficial), "one-stop shop" for the sharing of information, inspiration and all sorts of conversation on subjects of mutual interest. Included will be categories relating to the values, principles, premises, and priorities of Unitarian Universalism; to our mission, vision and the "spreading of our UU gospel," so to speak; to discussion of the issues of the day; a UU history forum; several places for networking of UU's and religious liberals worldwide; also a "quotes archive" (...which, of course, has a place for those "UU jokes"),..and pretty much anything else we/you can think that may be of interest to Unitarian Universalists, locally and globally.

If you like it, please be sure to spread the word, OK? (Maybe this information can be included as “filler” for your newsletter, or at your website?)

As always, thanks so much for your help!

Ron

2007-02-08T19:15:00.000-05:00

More on "Religious Identification" in the U. S.

You've probably seen these or similar reports in the past few years. They list the percentages of Americans who categorize their religious inclinations one way or another;

http://www.teachingaboutreligion.org/Demographics/map_demographics.htm#The%20Big%20Picture

Perhaps the main trend that I've noticed in recent years is a steady rise in the number of people who select "no religion." A more recent study (than this one) showed that total to be even higher...closer to 20 percent, and I suspect it will continue a slow and steady rise in the near future. To me, this just echoes a pattern that's been taking place in Europe for quite some time now.

On the other hand, in the "other religions" category (in this 2001 study), Unitarian Universalism shares a 3.7 percent share with "Hindus; Pagans; Wiccans; Spiritualists; Native Americans; Bahai Faith; New Age; Sikhs; Scientologists; Taoists; Druids; Santaria; Rastafarian, etc." I just can't help but wonder how many of those "twenty percent or so" who, for whatever reasons, are so obviously turned off by "organized religion" might find spiritual support and genuine camaraderie within our "Faith of the Free" if such an opportunity should present itself? Even if just a tenth of those folks were to find a meaningful connection with Unitarian Universalism, that would be...well, let's see... millions. Is it such a stretch to think that we already have a lot in common with those folks?

By the way, I'm still testing the waters with a new "UU message board," and one month into the project, we have 25 signed-on members. Come and give it a look! There's plenty of room. Free parking. No charge. "Our Choosing Faith" forum can be found at this link...

http://choosingfaith.informe.com/index.php

Still trying to figure out how best to make it work. As always, your ideas for improvement would be much appreciated!

2007-01-18T10:31:00.000-05:00

New Message Board Update

I want to thank those of you who have already joined the new "Our Choosing Faith" UU message board! As of this morning, sixteen brave souls have joined me there as together we try to blaze some new trails and add something a little different to the "larger UU conversation." Yes, there are already plenty of Yahoo groups, MySpace pages, Livejournal, Beliefnet, a lot of blogs, etc....but I'm not aware of any other multi-purpose message boards that are run "of, by and for UU's." I think the message board format has its place (along with all the others).

It's nothing fancy, of course, but we're off to a pretty good start I'd say. (My first such venture last year never got beyond 10 members.) It's still very much a work in progress.

To make it go, however, we need to get the word out and to have more people routinely checking in and (ideally) participating. That's where my brothers and sisters "of kindred spirit" here in the UU blogosphere can help. I'd appreciate anything you can do to spread the word---maybe a few mentions here and there, or maybe adding links to it---so that we can make this a true "community board" for Unitarian Universalists.

Again, the message board can be reached at...

http://choosingfaith.informe.com

Thanks in advance!

Ron

2007-01-11T20:38:00.000-05:00

"On Growing UU: The Example of Norbert Capek"

"It is my ideal that unitarian religion in our country should mean a higher culture. . . new attitudes toward life and practically a new race. . . .The church's task must be to place truth above any tradition, spirit above any scripture, freedom above authority, and progress above all reaction."

-- Norbert Fabian Capek

Anybody who knows me (any Unitarian Universalist) also knows that I'm a "UU cheerleader" of sorts, and am always interested in learning and sharing new ways to better grow our liberal faith. One of my "pet theories" on how we might be able to do this--at least here in the United States--is something I'll call (for the lack of a better term) "the patriotic free church" premise.

The "patriotic free church premise" suggests that what is now emerging--within modern-day Unitarian Universalism--- is a legitimate and still highly relevant---expression of the "liberal, rational, and naturalistic faith" which was common among the primary founders of the United States in the late 1700's and early 1800s--and upon which some of them devoutly believed that this brand-new, democracy-friendly republic should be anchored. Jefferson was particularly explicit in that regard, repeatedly predicting (in private letters) that Unitarianism would one day become the general "religion of the land from north to south," and that there was not a young man then alive who would not die a Unitarian. He was speaking, not so much in a sectarian spirit, but of the general prospects of a liberal, naturalistic, "Enlightenment mode of faith" (however it might become manifested)---the kind of church that could encourage utmost personal freedom and uniqueness, honesty and integrity in matters of religion; which could respect individual differences and diversity as natural qualities of being human; and could affirm the ultimate religious goal to be a growing of unity—rather than uniformity. In other words, Jefferson (as well as Adams, Paine and others) believed that a radically liberal, rational church—a sort of "Faith of the Free"--would naturally rise to nurture and keep the democratic experiment alive and well for generations to come. Jefferson had come to believe that Unitarianism was such a liberal, Enlightenment faith.

"The Revolution was in the hearts and minds of the people--a change in their religious sentiments...This radical change in the principles, opinions, sentiments, and affections of the people was the real American Revolution."

-- John Adams

"I trust however that the same free exercise of private judgment which gave us our political reformation will extend its effects to that of religion."

-- Thomas Jefferson

"I saw the exceeding probability that a revolution in the system of government would be followed by a revolution in the system of religion."

-- Thomas Paine

Among other ministers who, over the past two centuries, have caught glimpses of this "patriotic free church premise" was A. Powell Davies. In the middle of the 20th century, Dr. Davies wrote several books describing "America's real religion"--the faith behind freedom--and, together with his successful DC-area ministry--he attracted thousands to Unitarianism. (See the related story in the Winter edition of UU World.)

It seems entirely possible to me that such a faith may finally be coming of age: Not just a "liberal Christian" faith; not just a nature-based deism; not just a faith for the intellect...but one which could actually reclaim and be an organized religious embodiment of those "Enlightenment premises"---of that unity within diversity, that "e pluribus unum"---upon which this "Land of the Free" was founded. There's nothing in religion quite like it: The real question is how to grow it.

Now, you may be asking, what does all of this have to do with the title of this post…with Norbert Fabian Capek (1870-1942), founder of Unitarianism in what is now the Czech Republic? Well, I believe that Rev. Capek may have some important lessons to teach us about how to actually grow such a "Faith of the Free." His successful efforts which resulted in what was to become the largest Unitarian church in the world--in the period between World Wars I and II-- could genuinely inspire us in our own such efforts.

According to several narratives I've read about him, including the wonderful book "NorbertNorbert Capek : A Spiritual Journey" (Skinner House, 1999), he was born in the province of Bohemia. Even as a teenager, his "stubbornly free-thinking tendencies" had already become evident when his Catholic relatives discovered (to their horror) that Norbert was rejecting his Catholicism and secretly meeting with some local Baptists. His studies later led him to an ever-greater appreciation for 15th century religious reformer John Hus, for his Bohemian Brethren followers, and for their emphasis upon "ethics over dogma" in matters of religion. He wrote that he "considered the practice of the principlies taught by Jesus, not the doctrinal views of him promoted by the Roman Catholic—or later the Evangelical—Church, to be the heart of religion." Describing his own liberal group of Baptists, he wrote that…

"We do not favor dogmas, they are but lifeless formulas. We love reality, whatever moves the mind, the heart and the muscles. Let us do away with all numbness, all dying ideals. We seek new ideas and new kinds of mental effort. Freedom: that's something we get enthusiastic about! Let's free ourselves from superstition and prejudice and then truth, in its full beauty, will appear…Let us inscribe on our banner: `Freedom of Conscience' and let us win battles with it everywhere....Keep your mediators, your crutches and shepherds crooks! We want our freedom."

Now, if that sounds familiar to my fellow Unitarian Universalists, it really should! In 1909, at the age of 39, he wrote in his diary that "The fire of new desires, new worlds, is burning inside me and it must be fed somehow." As early as 1911 a trusted friend, a university professor, told Capek that his views were "really not Baptist at all, but more Unitarian." Therefore, over the next ten years or so, he tried to interest American Unitarians in helping him start a Unitarian congregation in Czechoslovakia. Then, finally, upon moving to America (after joining a Unitarian church in New Jersey in 1921), he was successful in enlisting the help of the American Unitarian Association to begin sowing the seeds for his "new kind of church"--a church of abundant freedom and radical inclusion—back in his homeland in the increasingly fertile soil of post-war Czechoslovakia. In planting his new "free church," Rev. Capek made it clear that his goal was to reclaim, for this newly-independent nation, its liberal-religious birthright. (Again, does that sound familiar?) He wanted a new church to rise that would honor the spirit of their greatest hero, Jan Hus.

Obviously, Capek was the right person at the right time, because (again, with some assistance from the American Unitarian Association), his Free Religious Fellowship in Prague quickly grew to become the largest Unitarian congregation in the world, with between 3,000 and 5,000 members, and spawned satellite congregations in at least six other towns. This came to an abrupt halt, however, with the arrival of, first the Nazis, and then a long Communist regime of control, suppression and persecution.

I believe that modern Unitarian Universalists everywhere should all know at least a little something about the life and works, eventual imprisonment at Dachau and tragic death (in a Dresden gas chamber), of Norbert Capek. I believe that all of us who truly want this liberal movement to grow should consider his example of building a "new kind of church" in a "patriotic context"—a reclamation project of sorts aimed at embracing what he, too, perceived as his country's spiritual heritage of personal freedom, diversity and integrity--and of unity more than uniformity--extended even to matters of religion. I believe that Rev. Capek's enormously successful example of what can happen when people set out to grow such a "Faith of the Free"--upon an unapologetically patriotic premise and heritage—is well worth our consideration, even here and now, in our own "Land of the Free."

Here, by the way, is the Dictionary of UU Biographies listing on Norbert Capek;

http://www.uua.org/uuhs/duub/articles/norbertcapek.html

2007-01-05T13:03:00.000-05:00

A Little Housekeeping

While working on some future topics, I wanted to take a moment to do some "thinking out loud" here about the creation of a new "UU discussion forum."

Like most Unitarian Universalists, I tend to have a lot of opinions (on a lot of subjects), and am more than willing to share them with all who care to listen. Not that any of them are any special "pearls of wisdom" of course. Admittedly, I also share with many of you the typical UU "catlike stubbornness"--and am not always quickly swayed that those opinions I hold are necessarily flawed and in need of revision. On the other hand, I'm a firm believer in growth: I at least try to stay open to "new light and truth," even when it comes from unexpected directions. My views on many subjects have indeed changed/evolved over the years--in some cases even more so than Francis David's theology--and I'm not done yet!

Also, like most UU's, I appreciate a good conversation, even when I'm just listening from the sidelines. I'd like to see more and more honest, thoughtful, courteous (and., yes, ideally humble) sharing of issues of concern to UU's, dialogue about our principles and values; our priorities; our living, still-unfolding heritage; and about such things as how to better share the "good news" about our UU faith--in a respectful, non-proselytizing manner that is in keeping with our highest values and principles.

In a continuing search for not only the best way to "speak my mind" but also to find the best possible venue (online, anyway) for the discussion of a wide range of topics, I have decided to (once again) test the "message board" route. I did this a while back, and my discussion forum never really achieved much of a "critical mass"--it had ten "members" at its peak. So, stubborn tomcat that I am, I've decided to give it one more try.

Therefore, I am hereby announcing the formation of "Our Choosing Faith" forum, and you are all cordially invited to join me there. You can find it at the address below, and please do consider bookmarking it for future use. (I'll also add a link to it here from this page.) "Our Choosing Faith" can be found at...

http://choosingfaith.informe.com/

Please feel free to jump right in and post new topics for discussion there, or to make format suggestions, OK? We'll see how this little experiment works, and if it fails to take off, then at least we will have tried. In the future, I expect that much of what I'll be posting here (in this blog) will also get cross-posted over at this new forum for further discussion.

Thanks so much for your help!

2007-01-02T09:27:00.000-05:00

"We Play Both Kinds Here…Country AND Western!”

Some additional reflections on my "small-town deep-Southern" upbringing, some forty to fifty years ago (--and, yes, I promise to get over this very soon and move on). I was recently watching that old “Blues Brothers” movie, and hearing that line from the bartender at “Bob’s Country Bunker”--that we "play both kinds of music here...country and western"-- has brought back some pretty strong and vivid memories. As I’ve already mentioned, my hometown was largely Southern Baptist, with much smaller populations of Methodists, Presbyterians, etc. It was not until I joined the military, as a young adult, that I ever (knowingly) got to know any Catholics, Episcopalians or Lutherans, or had the pleasure of being friends with someone of Jewish faith.

The religious (and to a large extent social) makeup of my hometown was similar to the selection of barbecue sauces at a local restaurant—mild, hotter and torrid. (Yes, they played all three kinds of music.) My parents and I attended the “relatively mild” First Baptist Church, but others in our family belonged to those “hotter and more torrid” congregations…with no disrespect (that I know of, at least) we called them “holy rollers.” I remembr quite well how their congregations would dance and scream, and the ministers would slam their Bibles down on the pulpit in their sermons. I never heard of any of them actually “picking up poisonous snakes” as a show of their faith, but I guess it could have happened. Perhaps some of you will recognize some of what I'm talking about here. For better or worse, the environment in which I was raised was definitely one of "variations on the same theme."

In another post, I talked about “positive liberty” and “negative liberty,” and I suppose my eventual migration to liberal religion came from a need for both. There was definitely a “negative liberty” component—I had seen, first-hand, the hypocrisy that grew under the surface in that “Godly” community. The same people who made such a fuss about how evil it was for a person to mow his lawn on a Sunday saw no problem with their “Klan rallies” (which took place in a field behind my house. Though I kept my distance, I can still recall the glow of those big bonfires and the blaring loudspeakers on a crisp winter night).

My church had a youth group called the “Royal Ambassadors” (I don't know if they still exist or not), and one of the strongest of all my childhood memories was the “initiation” ceremony they had, where new recruits (like myself) were expected to run through a gauntlet—a belt-line is what they called it--of exuberant boys beating you with their belts. I remember actually being slightly injured by it—but arguably the worse part of it all is that it occurred inside a church.

On the other hand, there were also far more pleasant memories, of caring, and compassion, and friendships, and I did like being a part of the church's music program (in a children’s choir), and those church summer camps were pretty enjoyable as well. I certainly wouldn't want anybody to think that it was all bad. (OK, I'll admit, however, that I probably could have done without some of that seemingly endless preaching…Sunday mornings, Sunday evenings, Wednesday evenings…and, if that was not enough, there were those out-of-town trips during the week to multi-night “revivals” in other churches. )

While reflecting on all of this, I saw a news story, in the past week or two , about a U. S. Congressman from Southern Virginia (I believe his name is Goode), who was warning of the dangers of allowing more immigration of Muslims into the United States, and of more Muslims being elected to public office. As it turns out, the Congressman’s statements---and his steadfast refusal to retract or apologize for any of them---were met with overwhelming support from the voters back home, in the small towns which he represents. (Stories like that tend to make me want to scream from the rooftops "can't we all just get along?" )

Obviously, even now, in this information and internet age, and in a nation which now is home to more than 300 million people of so many varied ethic, and cultural, and religious backgrounds, a few things are just so deeply engrained that they are slow to change. Though the “Klan rallies” may have become less numerous, and those “beltlines” may have been toned down a bit over the years, in some places they are still perfectly satisfied with going on playing “both kinds of music,” while at the same time (it seems to me) they often miss the very core-message of the religious leader they so fervently claim to worship, a message of "unconditional love and of walking humbly together," even with our inevitable differences.

As the years have gone by, I have become all the more convinced that we UU’s--and religious liberals in general--represent an attempt at creating and growing something ultimately far healthier and wholesome than dogmatic provincialism—not just an exercise of “negative liberty,”for breaking free from those aspects of religion that seem so objectionable to us, but also the “positive liberty” to use our precious freedom as a "means, rather than an end"---as a sort of “enabler” to help us to do whatever we can to grow a less brutish and more loving, a less provincial and more open and accepting, less self-righteous and more respectful, peaceful and civil world...a home to many different rhythms and melodies.

2006-12-31T10:55:00.000-05:00

The Ultimate "UU" Holiday!

Just putting on my "Devil's Advocate's hat" for a moment--on this first day of a brand-new calendar year--what I've been pondering is the following: If we Unitarian Universalists were to have "our own holiday," what might it be? Some of us likely would suggest the birthday of Michael Servetus, others (at least here in the United States) might say the "Fourth of July." In an earlier post, I also made a case for "New Years Day," a time of both inventory-taking and new resolve, a day that represents the "Janus-like" coming together of past and present reality and future possibility. But, in keeping with my role of "Devil's Advocate," let me suggest that the "best answer" to that question may lie elsewhere;

A couple of days ago, in another post, I accidentally hit upon something pretty profound I think... something that goes right to the very heart of this thing we (religious liberals) call religion. I was talking about my gradual personal “conversion” experience, from the widely accepted “The Bible said it, I believe it, and that settles it” paradigm to more of an “I believe it because my own mind and heart, my own observations and experiences of the world--and those of other people within it whom I've come to trust--have convinced me of its truth.”

Here’s how I put it the other day: “I long ago rejected the Calvinistic mindset and embraced a thorough-going “Universalism” with its high-road and uncompromising regard for love, goodwill and radical acceptance—yes, extended even to matters of religion. At the same time, a strong “nature-bias” and “free-spiritedness” were also becoming deeply embedded within my overall “worldview and Godview,” and finally, as a young adult, all of this came together and led me to deliberately seek out a new religious home--one that would refuse to erect any fences around its love and acceptance, and resists the placing of any constraints whatsoever upon the exercise of the free mind and heart of a responsible human being.”

What I was describing there, it seems to me, reflects far more than just my own little “personal conversion” process: It expresses something far larger…in fact, I would suggest that our entire “liberal religious legacy” is one of similar movement---from “the Bible says it, and therefore I believe it” to “the ways of Nature and Nature’s God have convinced me so.” Although I must admit that the lines which distinguish that "first paradigm" from the second one are often far from clear--and further muddying the waters are scriptural passages like 1 Thessalonians 5:21, which instructs its believers to “prove all things, hold fast that which is good”--I believe a strong case can be made that modern-day Unitarian Universalism is deeply rooted in that very movement--both in the past and present-- a migration away from automatic, unquestioned reliance upon external authority to a trust in the "sacred worth" of "soul freedom" (of personal free-agency) for the authentic, well-reasoned assessment of truth and goodness, even from scripture.

So, I would argue that perhaps our most appropriate “UU holiday of all" would be at whatever time, whenever, in human existence, and in our personal lives, the focus and the balance begins to shift, when the scales begins to tilt, away from the primacy of "arbitrary, external revelation" over to complete freedom of conscience, to spiritual free-agency (soul freedom) in the quest for "ultimate truth"...away from “the Bible says so, and therefore I believe it, and that settles it” over toward that affirmation of the sacred authority of each individual human mind and heart as the "ultimate arbiter" in what is, at last, to be considered, worthy of our ultimate commitment and worship.

Since this "conversion process" has been going on for centuries--and is still unfolding, even today--no such single date could ever be assigned for such a "holiday." Still, the significance of this "tilting of the scales" and its implications for human society cannot be overstated, and should never be forgotten.

Ralph Waldo Emerson and the Transcendentalists of the 19th Century perhaps are best known for advocating that every person, every soul, in every generation, is entitled to a "direct relationship with the Universe," Emerson, who served for a while as a Unitarian minister, and continued to give sermons late in his life (at Follen Church in Lexington, MA), summed it up this way ,in his 1836 "Essay on Nature"...

"Our age is retrospective. It builds the sepulchres of the fathers. It writes biographies, histories, and criticism. The foregoing generations beheld God and nature face to face; we, through their eyes. Why should not we also enjoy an original relation to the universe? Why should not we have a poetry and philosophy of insight and not of tradition, and a religion by revelation to us, and not the history of theirs? Embosomed for a season in nature, whose floods of life stream around and through us, and invite us by the powers they supply, to action proportioned to nature, why should we grope among the dry bones of the past, or put the living generation into masquerade out of its faded wardrobe? The sun shines today also. There is more wool and flax in the fields. There are new lands, new men, new thoughts. Let us demand our own works and laws and worship."

Our heritage and legacy of "personal conscience and reason over outside moral authoritarianism" goes back much farther than the Transcendentalists, of course. It extends to "rationalistic Christians" and mystics even prior to the formal beginning of the Reformation. Hans Denck, for example, was an Anabaptist "prophet" of the early 1500's. He was considered both a rationalist and a mystic, and both a Universalist and (accused of being) a Unitarian. For fun, let's compare Emerson's words of 1836 with these from Hans Denck, over three centuries earlier;

"I know for certain that this voice of Conscience and religious feeling tells me truth. I will therefore listen to it, whatever it may say to me. And when I find it in any creature---high or low---I will listen to it once more. Where it directs me, I shall go as itdesires, and what it warns me against, that I shall avoid....

"We should diligently and earnestly listen...We should not absolutely reject all outward testimony, but should listen to everything and test everything...If you hear your brothers say something that is strange to you, do not at once contradict, but hear whether it be right, whether you may accept it. If you do not like to hear it, still do not condemn him, and if it appears to you that he is mistaken, consider whether you may not be more mistaken.…"

"There is a witness in every man. If a man will keep still and listen he will hear what the spirit witnesses within him. Not only in us but 'in the heathen and in Jews' his witness is given, and men might be preached to outwardly forever without perceiving, if they did not have this witness in their own hearts…."

"The kingdom of God is in you, and he who searches for it outside himself will never find it, for apart from God no one can either seek or find God, for he who seek God, already in truth has Him."

-- Hans Denck

-- From his 1526 tract "Was geredet sey..." --

" God compels nobody, for He will have no one saved by compulsion...God forces no one, for love cannot compel, and God's service is, therefore, a thing of complete freedom....Everyone among all peoples may move around in the name of his God. That is to say, no one shall depriveanother — whether heathen or Jew or Christian — but rather allow everyone to move in all territories in the name of his God. So may we benefit in the peace which God gives....It is God Himself, Spirit and no letter, written without pen or paper so it can never be destroyed..For that reason, salvation is not bound up with the scriptures to make good a bad heart, even though it may be a learned one. A good heart, however, with a Divine Spark in it is improved by everything, and to such the scriptures will bring blessedness and goodness."

-- Hans Denck

-- from "Widerruff," his dying "Confession," 1527 --

What a grand heritage we have...that we share with the likes of Hans Denck and Ralph Waldo Emerson! Whatever day we might choose to be an official "UU holiday," it seems to me that it would necessarily be a celebration of the "personalized faith" of people like Hans Denck and Ralph Waldo Emerson. It would be a celebration of the lives and contributions--and the sacrifices--of so many other religious free-thinkers and free-spirits who, throughout the ages, have shared that same "conversion experience," from "The Bible says it, (therefore) I believe it, and that settles it" over to one of "humbled but adamant" insistence upon "soul freedom," upon personal authority, responsibility and accountability--even in matters of religion. At least that's what the "Devil's Advocate's" been telling me lately: What do you think?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[A final note: I've misplaced, for the moment, my "contemporary source" for those Hans Denck quotes. I think they came from a college library in Columbus, Georgia, over 20 years ago, and are now stored away in a box in my attic. If any of you have any designs upon using/quoting them further, please let me know, and I will hunt that source down for you, and we can then give proper credit to whomever made it possible for us to enjoy these fine English translations of Denck's remarkable work. -rs]

2006-12-30T11:21:00.000-05:00

A Couple of Websites To Recommend.

I would like to thank Jonathan Rowe, an excellent blogger and author of some very insightful and provocative magazine contributions, for his recommendation of this blog. Jon's a university professor and attorney who lives, I think, in the "Philadelphia side" of New Jersey. His blog covers a number of subjects, from a generally libertarian perspective. Just a few weeks ago, I discovered Jon's posts regarding our nation's "Founding Fathers" and founding premises, and the role of the Age of Enlightenment (as well as our liberal, Enlightenment-informed spirituality) in the formation of our "Land of the Free." As fascinated as I obviously am with this whole subject-area, I naturally went back through the archives of his earlier posts to see what else Jon had written. It's been a very interesting read, and I would recommend it to anybody else who would like to see some good, "no nonsense" narrative on the people and influences that really shaped our nation.

Also, a big hat-tip to the "Positive Liberty" website for posting Jon's kind words there as well! Positive Liberty is described by Wiki as "an idea that was first expressed and analyzed as a separate conception of liberty by John Stuart Mill but most notably described by Isaiah Berlin. It refers to the opportunity and ability to act to fulfill one's own potential, as opposed to negative liberty, which refers to freedom from coercion." Another website that I am pleased to have discovered recently, and am delighted to recommend for your viewing pleasure and mental nutrition.

Thanks, guys!

2006-12-30T10:37:00.000-05:00

What I’m “Up To” Here…

By now some of you have wondered what’s going on here, with this “Faith of the Free” blog: Who’s this guy? What's he up to? Do we really need yet another UU blog? Those are fair questions, and I’d like to take a moment to offer a response.

-- First, let me say that I'm not a UU minister, nor do I in any way represent the UU Association. I have never received any formal training in religious theory or any practical matters of parish leadership. Actually, I’m a career “government weatherman” who has moved around quite a bit over the years with my job, and have sampled our liberal faith from different angles and perspectives as a “UU layman” and served in a number of capacities in small Unitarian Universalist congregations. I briefly served as an officer in the Mid South District of UUA, and for a time was also a member of the large All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma (led at the time by John Wolf and Brent Smith), as well as the UU Church of the Larger Fellowship--our worldwide “church by mail.” (I’ve attended only one UUA General Assembly, by the way…the one held in Atlanta in the mid 1980’s.)

Although there are aspects of my small-town, Southern Baptist upbringing that I still cherish (the music and the organization, for example, and their sense and clarity of mission), I long ago rejected the Calvinistic mindset and embraced a thorough-going “Universalism” with its high-road and uncompromising regard for love, goodwill and radical acceptance—yes, extended even to matters of religion. At the same time, a strong “nature-bias” and “free-spiritedness” were also becoming deeply embedded within my overall “worldview and Godview,” and finally, as a young adult, all of this came together and led me to deliberately seek out a new religious home that would refuse to erect any fences around its love and acceptance, and any constraints upon the exercise of the free mind and heart of a responsible human being. For many hours, and several days, I sat in an Atlanta public library, with pen and paper beside me, studying every possible religious and spiritual option (no matter the size), and listing, side by side, the “best fits” for my own free, open, questioning, and honesty-seeking understanding of religion.

Out of those “final candidates”—which (as best I can recall, over 30 years later) included the liberal Quakers, humanistic Jews, Unity, Bahai faith, Ethical Union and the Unitarian Universalists—from those, I made a conscious and informed decision to pursue Unity and Unitarian Universalism. Finally, and with utmost regard for Unity and its positive understanding of Christian spirituality, I chose the Unitarian Universalist faith--with its radical free-spiritedness, the open-ended acceptance, the encouragement of honest, deliberate questioning (and even honest doubting) and the increasing embracement of diversity—this unreservedly became my “chosen faith.” Although (perhaps from my Baptist roots) I have often felt pain and frustration over the organized expressions and directions of Unitarian Universalism (or lack thereof), I have never for a moment doubted the ”personal rightness” of that decision.

-- But enough about me, right? Regarding the blog, what I would like to do (first of all) is provide a place for the comprehensive assessment of the “core identity” of our liberal faith. I know that there have been periodic discussions among the blogs--also in places like Beliefnet, My Space and Yahoo groups--about those “central premises” that bind or draw us together (in all of our rich and colorful diversity), but I want to go deeper still, and to analyze, with even greater detail, every aspect—each of our “talking points,” so to speak. I especially want to go well beyond those (both loved and despised) “seven principles” and explore their connectedness and confluence with identifiable trends and attitudes, which (arguably) go back for many centuries.

"It is no less true that the faith of the future must be positive rather than merely negative. It must have affirmations as well as denials. [Liberal] religious faith to date has been a world-shaking movement. It has broken down age-old superstitions. It has set minds free. It has looked straight at facts, hated mysteries...It was suspicious of enthusiasms. While truth was being emancipated from tradition and inherited faiths, and from the dominance of emotions, it is impossible to live in a vacuum. It is all very well to eliminate those crude utilitarian incentives from religion. But what urge does one propose to substitute for the ancient ones?"

-- Rufus Jones

American Quaker leader, from “Faith and Practice of the Quakers,” 1927

-- Why such a “heritage emphasis?” At the very least, I would respectfully argue that it’s important because when any organized social movement—such as our liberal-religious one —begins to lose sight of its “reason for being”---when that particular train starts to “come off the track,” (as appears to have occurred in our case over the past couple of generations) the best way to figure out where (how and why) that happened is to go backward “along that same track” and look for the point(s) where the breach occurred. This, of course, assumes that the track itself has some importance—is a legitimate consideration—that continuity of heritage and legacy are indeed important, if for no other reason than to help a movement get “back on track” whenever necessary.

-- Another “new twist” with this blog is that I hope to use the “companion site”—the “Faith of the Free” Yahoo group (at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Faith_of_the_Free) as an alternate place for ongoing discussion of the topics that are presented here. I cordially invite all of you to join us over there as well!

-- My long-term goal for this blog may also include multiple contributors—perhaps a small group of “visionary UU leaders” (and ministers emeritus) who could periodically use this venue to share their own thoughts and insights. This, also, we can discuss in greater detail as we go along.

Again, a warm welcome to this little blog from the (also unseasonably warm) Southland, a website that's dedicated to the recognition and advancement of the world’s “Faith of the Free!” It’s my pleasure and honor to be here with so many fine, thoughtful and inspirational UU and liberal-religious bloggers. With your help and input, we'll make this a very useful and worthwhile venture.

2006-12-29T12:08:00.000-05:00

"Growing a Faith of Reality--and of Possibility"

“Janus is the Roman god of gates and doors (ianua), beginnings and endings, and hence represented with a double-faced head, each looking in opposite directions. He was worshipped at the beginning of the harvest time, planting, marriage, birth, and other types of beginnings, especially the beginnings of important events in a person's life. Janus also represents the transition between primitive life and civilization, between the countryside and the city, peace and war, and the growing-up of young people.”

--from “Encyclopedia Mythica” (Pantheon.org)

“Janus, the gatekeeper” — namesake for the first month of our calendar year--is probably the most neglected player in our holiday observances, but his message of “dual perspective” is arguably just as important as any other. (Janus, of course, supposedly has the ability to look both directions at once, which, in itself, is a valuable concept for people of liberal-religious faith which embraces “both-and” thinking more than either-or tunnelvision.) As the above definition suggests, the Janus image also has been utilized in other capacities, including rites of passage from childhood to adulthood. May I further suggest for a moment that such a dual focus could just as easily be “upward and downward” as much as “forward and backward?” In this respect, Janus can also be used as a consideration of both reality and possibility, and for a liberal, progressive religious faith I would argue that few things could be more important.

Pre-merger Unitarian leader James Freeman Clarke once proclaimed "five points of Unitarian faith" which went something like this...

1. The Fatherhood of God

2. The Brotherhood of Man

3. The Leadership of Jesus

4. Salvation by Character and

5. The Progress of Mankind, onward and upward forever.

Wow, how far we have come since then! (And, wow, how naive were their dreams back then...!) First, in this (widely-used) formula, God had a clear and undeniable gender, and the ideal relationship of "his" children was also couched in masculine terms, and then Jesus is proclaimed as the primary leader of our common faith, then...well, OK, maybe we can give them a pass on point number 4...but not on the fifth one: War and violence, poverty, famine, injustice and so many factors have conspiringly come together to shoot enough holes in that "onward and upward forever" premise that it now resembles Swiss cheese. What remains of our liberal faith--of Universalism included--is arguably a far more sober but still hope-filled, rationalistic faith and spirituality grounded both in reality and possibility.

Those of us who were born at the very end of the year (today is my birthday, by the way), are, in a sense, both cursed and gifted. From childhood, our birthday celebrations are often somewhat overshadowed or muted by holiday considerations, but, on the other hand, the concept of "new year's day" takes on an even greater significant for us. No, I don't make any grand New Year's "resolutions, " but I do have several days to ponder such things as past successes, opportunities lost, and present and future possibilities.

Further stirring this "internal conversation" for me this year is the fact that the first "comment" that was sent to this "new blog" was a highly critical one (from a person who is well known on the internet for the perennially antagonistic tone of his/her comments).

I don't believe any of us (in our right minds) would claim that Unitarian Universalism has achieved any degree of perfection. As I understand liberal religion, perfection is not even a part of its pantheon, and since imperfection is a part of our very essence--our DNA--it's our fate to always be an awkward and mistake-prone religious movement. While the idea of forming a "more perfect union" is noble and worthy ideal, an ideal it must remain...a distant, unreachable star in an ever-changing world. That's reality. But we also have enormous potential for change, mid-course correction-- even improvement, and that, too, I would suggest, is reality. Where people (like our "constant critic") seem only intent upon "cursing the darkness," it seems to me that UU's and religious progressives should be JUST AS committed to the other side of that proverb--to the "lighting of candles." Again, I don't, and will never, deny that we have significant problems---both denominationally, and even as a species, but I also have come to believe that a more Janus-like “both-and” vision is far healthier in the long-run than a "tunneled" worldview.

So, especially at this time of year, perhaps it's a good idea for us to follow Janus' lead, and to gaze soberly in both directions, to take inventory--and yes, occasionally to curse the darkness--but also to acknowledge those inevitable imperfections and then proceed to "light some candles," and (dare I say it?), to roll up our sleeves to make some changes as well? Instead of dwelling only upon the "warts" of our faith, why not set out to offer (or create) something better?

Do you think it’s possible that a person can be hopeful, but not particularly optimistic? If so, then my outlook on life would probably fall into such a category. I see so many hostile forces at work, so many negative trends that show no signs of stopping...so many human attitudes and habits that show no signs of changing. Still, I remain hopeful. I believe that meaningful progress COULD be made. As Powell Davies has written, orthodox religions the world over haven't shown any real signs of being able to address these problems in any particularly effective manner, and, in fact, are often more a part of the problem than the solution. What then, might a truly progressive, pragmatic religion bring to the table, which could serve our planet and its inhabitants any better?

What better time to ponder such questions as these…to thoroughly exercise our own “Janus-view” (not to be confused with a jaundiced one), admitting the reality of BOTH our inevitable imperfections and our unquenchable urge to do better? All hail, Janus, the gatekeeper--- the revealer of reality and possibility---at your special time of year!

Ron

2006-12-26T10:41:00.000-05:00

Why the name "Faith of the Free"?

The name "Faith of the Free" appears to date back (at least) to a hymn composed by the Reverend Vincent Silliman for a convocation of Unitarian ministers in 1944. (The hymn is number 257 in the UU hymnal "Hymns for the Celebration of Life," by the way.) Its words speak of an "increasing heritage, monarch and priest defying," a "Faith of the people everywhere, whatever their oppression, of all who make the world more fair, living their faith's confession: Faith of the Free! Whatever our plight, thy law, thy liberty, thy light, shall beour blest possession." To me, those lines speak volumes. They describe a living heritage--not so much of a shared theology, but of the immense value of a "free man's faith;" not of unquestioning allegiance to "truths" imposed upon us by others, but a stubborn insistence upon following the highest possible dictates of our own individual and unique minds and hearts...and of a shared commitment to "live our faith's confession"...to do whatever we can to "honor this gift of life" by finding ways to work together and live together peacefully, respectfully, and constructively. In other words, to me the message of this hymn is a highly positive one-- about the power of "freedom for" more than "freedom from," and about the never-ending, ongoing quest for greater "unity more than uniformity."

Rev. Silliman was one of the best friends and closest professional collegues of the Rev. Dr. A. Powell Davies, who became one of the nation's most influential clergymen during the middle part of the 20th century, and who "evangelized" that vision of a "Faith of theFree" in word and deed, in books and sermons that were heard by thousands. The influence of Silliman's and Davies' message and witness to an Enlightenment faith of freedom and unity--of both the sacred worth and inherent uniqueness, and the ultimate connectedness/kinship of all souls--a premise which he was convinced was (and still is) vital to both our nation and world, has lived on, even beyond the merger of the Unitarians and Universalists.

Another noted UU minister, the Rev. Dr. John B. Wolf, who served as minister to Tulsa, Oklahoma's All Souls Unitarian Church for some forty years, recently told me of the great inspiration of Davies' ministry upon his own style and passion, which has resulted in a vibrant UU congregation which now has about 1300 adult members and 700 children, at least three choirs, two spin-off congregations, and a community witness that continues to serve our liberal-religious movement with utmost pride and honor. (It was from John Wolf and his successor at All Souls, Brent Smith, that I had first become acquainted with the term "Faith of the Free.")

That vision...the vision of a faith "of the people everywhere, whatever their oppression, of all who make the world more fair, living theirfaith's confession" is one that, I believe, the world needs to know about. And that's why I've decided to start this new blog--to do my small part to carry forward that "radically-protestant, spirit of Enlightenment" message of Hans Denck and Michael Servetus, of Sebastian Castellio and Francis David, of Thomas Jefferson and Theodore Parker, of Hosea Ballou and Clarence Skinner, and of modern-day prophets like Vincent Silliman, Powell Davies and John Wolf. I want to make whatever little contribution I can to honor and preserve, and hopefully to advance, this vision of a "community of the free" so deeply rooted in a unique living tradition--in a hard-won heritage and legacy wedded, not so much to a fixed body of doctrine, but to some of the most noble premises ever imagined...to the sacred worth of both the free, honest and boldly questioning mind and the loving, caring, compassionate and justice-seeking heart of every new generation. "Faith of the Free! whatever our plight, thy law, thy liberty, thy light, shall be our blest possession."

Back from the Abyss

2006-12-24T19:44:00.000-05:00

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