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"Faith of the Free"
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uufreespirit
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Joined: 16 Apr 2007
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 Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2008 2:25 pm Post subject: FIVE PILLARS OF RELIGIOUS HUMANISM |
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THE FIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF HUMANISM FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
"...First, it must affirm that human beings are an integral part of nature. We are not separate and distinct from the rest of the natural world; we are part and parcel of it. We are related to every living creature, both plant and animal. The elements of which we are composed -- carbon, calcium, iron -- are the same elements of which the rest of the universe is made. We are not dominant over nature as once we believed but are its stewards and trustees.
Second, therefore, any religion of the future will affirm humankind's responsibility to preserve and sustain the natural world. The future of life on this planet and, indeed, the planet itself depend on it.
Third, any viable future religion must take seriously the implications for religion of the remarkable discoveries of the modern natural and human sciences. The religion of the future should be a religion that learns from science and adapts its teachings accordingly.
Fourth, such a religion will recognize the importance of both reason and reverence. The human ability to think critically and constructively has made possible our many scientific achievements and medical and technological advances, but it is only reverence, understood as feelings of respect and awe, that can save us from the hubris that would destroy all the good we have accomplished. As Paul Woodruff writes in his elegant little book, Reverence: 'Reverence begins in a deep understanding of human limitations.' And he goes on to note that it is reverence that keeps human beings from acting like gods. It is thus essential to our true humanity. And while reverence is not only a religious quality, a religion without a profound sense of reverence is no religion at all.
Finally, the religion of the future must affirm those values that help to make our lives more fully human. Becoming more fully human involves the transformation of the mind and heart from self-centeredness to a sense of one's self as part of a larger sacred whole and to a deep commitment to the human and natural worlds. It is about the transformation from a shallow life of fear, greed, hedonism, and materialism to a meaningful life of love and caring, gratitude and generosity, fairness and equity, joy and hope, and a profound respect for others.
The grounding of religious humanism in religious naturalism makes it possible to affirm a perspective that includes these five characteristics and thus qualifies as a religion for the twenty-first century. The late Carl Sagan wrote: 'A religion that stressed the magnificence of the universe as revealed by modern science might be able to draw forth reserves of reverence and awe hardly tapped by the conventional faiths. Sooner or later, such a religion will emerge.' I believe it is emerging among us today..."
-- The Reverend (Dr.) Bill Murry
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-- This is from a sermon delivered (with Scott Alexander) at the River Road Unitarian Universalist Church in Bethesda, Maryland, on Feb. 4, 2007. Here is a text link to the entire sermon;
http://www.rruuc.org/index.php?id=191&sermon=070204
Video version is also available from RRUC sermon archive website. (Login required for that).
Ron
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-- Ron
"Freedom depends on free thinkers." --- Dan Barker
"The Reformation Must Continue!" --- Friedrich Schleiermacher
-->> Have you tried "UUPLINK UU RADIO" lately? You may be surprised! Go to... http://www.live365.com/stations/uuplink?site=uuplink"&"%20play
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