20 Characteristics of Religion
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James E. McIntosh
Sept. 3, 2006
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Marion County
P.O. Box 829, Summerfield, FL 34492
1. HONESTY
AMONG OTHER THINGS, RELIGION IS A SEARCH FOR TRUTH,
WHATEVER THE TRUTH MAY BE. …
ONLY RELIGION THAT IS HONEST ABOUT LIFE, THAT PREFERS
UNCOMFORTABLE FACTS TO COMFORTING ILLUSIONS, AND THAT
ACCEPTS THE UNIVERSE AS SCIENCE AND SANITY SAY IT IS … IS
GOING TO COME NEAR THE GOAL OF TRUTH.
2. HEALTHY
A MATURE RELIGION IS HEALTHY. … FREE FROM MORBID FEARS OF
ETERNAL PUNISHMENT, RETRIBUTION, … DAMNATION, EVIL SPIRITS
AND ALL OTHER SUCH DREADFUL NONSENSE. … THE HONESTY OF
MATURE RELIGION HAS REVEALED A UNIVERSE WHICH IS
CONTROLLED BY NATURAL LAWS RATHER THAN SUPERNATURAL
FORCES. .. IT UNDERSTANDS THAT THERE IS NOTHING TO FEAR …
3. DEEDS - RATHER THAN CREEDS
MATURE RELIGION IS A LIVED RELIGION; IT IS A WAY OF LIFE' IT IS A
MATTER OF TAKING THE HIGH PRINCIPLES WE SAY WE BELIEVE IN
AND CONSISTENTLY APPLYING THEM IN OUR RELATIONS WITH ALL
PEOPLE. JUST AS THE PROOF OF THE PUDDING IS IN THE EATING,
SO THE PROOF OF MATURE RELIGION IS IN THE LIVING.
4. FAITH
EVERY INTELLIGENT PERSON RECOGNIZES THAT THERE IS A GREAT
DEAL ON THIS WORLD WE HAVE TO ACCEPT ON FAITH. … FAITH IN
OURSELVES, IN OTHER PEOPLE, IN THE FUTURE, IN THE EFFICACY OF
GOODWILL [AND] IN THOSE MAGNIFICENT NATURAL POWERS AND
PROCESSES THAT MANY IDENTIFY AS GOD. FAITH HAS TO PLAY AN
ESSENTIAL ROLE IN HUMAN LIFE.
… MATURE RELIGION IS REASONABLE AND RATIONAL.
5. HEART
THE HEART PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE. [SOME] RELIGIONS TEND
TO DISPARAGE EMOTION AND FAIL TO UNDERSTAND THIS
MYSTERIOUS FORCE …THERE IS SO VERY MUCH IN LIFE THAT IS
NON-RATIONAL, EMOTIVE, INEFFABLE, .. OF THE SPIRIT. LOVE,
BEAUTY, PASSION, TENDERNESS, SELF-SACRIFICE, HEROISM - THE
QUALITIES WE PRIZE MOST AND THAT MAKE US MORE THAN SIMPLY
ANIMATED COMPUTERS ARE ALL IN THE PROVINCE OF THE HEART
AND THE SPIRIT. KNOWING IS IMPORTANT, BUT FEELING IS
ESSENTIAL.
6. HUMANISTIC -
THIS WORD IS USED IN THE CLASSIC AND RENAISSANCE SENSE
MEANING AN EMPHASIS ON HUMAN BEINGS AND THEIR HUMAN
POTENTIAL. … BY NO MEANS DOES MATURE RELIGION
[NECESSARILY] REJECT THE IDEA OF GOD, BUT .. IT IS MORE LIKELY
TO BE CONCERNED WITH PEOPLE, SOCIETY AND THE HUMAN
CONDITION.
7. FREE AND UNTRAMMELED
MATURE RELIGION IS NOT BOUND BY TRADITION, GEOGRAPHY,
CULTURE OR RACE. TRULY ECLECTIC, IT CAN TAKE THE BEST OF ALL
RELIGIONS. TRULY UNIVERSAL, IT CAN SPAN THE SEVEN SEAS AND
BE EMBRACED BY THINKING MEN AND WOMEN EVERYWHERE.
8. TRADITIONAL ROOTS
MATURE RELIGION IS ALSO TRADITIONAL. RELIGION IS LIKE PEOPLE,
PEOPLE DON'T JUST HAPPEN; THEY GROW OUT OF A PARTICULAR
BACKGROUND WITH A HEREDITY ALL THEIR OWN, VALUES AND IDEAS
CONDITIONED BY THEIR ANCESTRAL PAST. …THE RELIGIOUS
POSITION OF MEN LIKE GANDHI, SCHWEITZER AND EINSTEIN WAS
CERTAINLY UNIVERSAL ONE. YET IT IS SIGNIFICANT THAT GANDHI
THOUGHT OF HIMSELF AS A HINDU, SCHWEITZER AS A CHRISTIAN (BY
THE WAY, HE WAS ALSO A UU) AND EINSTEIN AS A JEW.
MATURE RELIGION MAY BE SAID TO BE TRADITIONAL IN THAT IT
RECOGNIZES ITS OWN HERITAGE AND FINDS VALUES AND
SATISFACTION IN THAT HERITAGE.
9. RESPONSIBILITY
MATURE RELIGION RECOGNIZES THAT IF ANYTHING IS GOING TO
CHANGE THINGS IN THIS WORLD… HUMANITY WILL HAVE TO DO THE
JOB. NO PRAYERS, HOWEVER PIOUS, NO RITUAL SACRIFICES,
HOWEVER COSTLY, ARE GOING TO PERSUADE A SUPERNATURAL
GOD TO INTERVENE AND SOLVE OUR PROBLEM. MATURE RELIGION
ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR OWN
WELFARE. IT ASSURES THEM THAT THEY ARE CAPABLE OF
HANDLING THE JOB.
10. GROWTH
OURS IS AN EVOLVING UNIVERSE. MATURE RELIGION NEVER LETS
ITSELF BECOME FIXATED, .. IT GROWS WITH OUR INCREASING
KNOWLEDGE OF THE WORLD. IT IS WILLING TO ACCEPT TODAYS
TRUTH EVEN THOUGH THIS MEANS GIVING UP CHERISHED,
COMFORTABLE TRUTHS OF YESTERDAY. THE SECRET OF
PROGRESS IS EVOLUTION. MATURE RELIGION IS EVER EVOLVING TO
HIGHER STAGES OF UNDERSTANDING AND ENLIGHTENMENT.
11. SOCIAL CONSCIENCE
THIS IS ONE QUALITY THAT LIFTS MATURE RELIGION ABOVE THE
OTHERS. …VITALLY INTERESTED IN THE WORLD AROUND IT AND IN
IMPROVING THAT WORLD. BELIEVING IN HEAVEN "HERE AND NOW"
RATHER THAN "ELSEWHERE AND LATER" PLACES A DEEP SENSE OF
OBLIGATION IN AND TO EVERY HUMAN BEING.
RACE RELATIONS, ECONOMIC CONDITIONS, SOCIAL PROBLEMS,
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS ARE OF CRITICAL IMPORTANCE. IT WORKS
CEASELESSLY AT THE MONUMENTAL SOCIAL PROBLEM OF BUILDING
A FINER AND FAIRER WORLD.
12. COURAGE
MUCH OF THIS WORLDS PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE BY A FEW MEN
AND WOMEN WITH THE FORTITUDE TO FIGHT FOR WHAT IS RIGHT;
CIVIL LIBERTIES, RACIAL EQUALITY, ERA, AND FREEDOM TO CHOOSE
ARE AMONG OUR EFFORTS TO ACHIEVE A LITTLE MORE HUMANE
AND CIVILIZED SOCIETY. MATURE RELIGION MUST HAVE COURAGE
SIMPLY TO SURVIVE.
13. HUMBLE
JUST AS KNOWING THAT TRUTH IS AN EVOLVING AND EVER-
CHANGING REALITY, MATURE RELIGION RECOGNIZES THAT IT DOES
NOT HAVE A MONOPOLY ON TRUTH. IT CLAIMS NEITHER PAPAL OR
OTHER INFALLIBILITY. IT IS SINCERELY, EVEN PASSIONATELY,
DEDICATED TO WHAT IT BELIEVES. BUT, IT DOES NOT INSIST THAT
ITS BELIEFS ARE THE WHOLE AND FINAL ANSWER.
14. COMPREHENDING -
A MATURE, GROWN-UP RELIGION DOES NOT BELIEVE THAT ALL
MYTH IS NECESSARILY UNTRUE… INSTEAD IT KNOWS THAT
METAPHOR, MYTH, SYMBOL, FANTASY AND FOLKLORE CAN OFTEN
BE ANOTHER AVENUE TO TRUTH, … ILLUMINATING AND REVEALING.
15. TOLERANCE
FOR MANY REASONS, MATURE RELIGION HAS RESPECT FOR OTHER
RELIGIONS; IT SIMPLY SAYS " I RESPECT YOUR BELIEFS AND I HOPE
YOU RESPECT MINE, BECAUSE (AS HE SAYS)_ " ALL ROAD THAT LEAD
TO GOD ARE GOOD".
16. MISSIONARY MINDED
JUST BECAUSE MATURE RELIGION RESPECTS THE BELIEFS AND
PRACTICES OF OTHER RELIGIONS, THAT DOES NOT MEAN IT
NECESSARILY REGARDS THEM AS ETHICAL OR INTELLECTUALLY
EQUAL. MATURE RELIGION IS SELF-CONFIDENT. THROUGH WRITTEN
AND SPOKEN WORD IT CARRIES ITS MESSAGE TO ALL WHO MAY BE
INTERESTED. NOT DOGMATICALLY, BUT WITH A REASONABLE
DEGREE OF CONVICTION. IT BELIEVES ITS PRINCIPLES AND
PHILOSOPHY OFFER THE BRIGHTEST HOPE FOR THE ACHIEVEMENT
OF A TRULY CIVILIZED SOCIETY. MATURE RELIGION IS MISSIONARY-
MINDED.
17. PEACE OF MIND
FINDING TRUE PEACE OF MIND IMPLIES SERENITY AND MEANINGFUL
COMING TO TERMS WITH LIFE. THAT IS A PRIMARY GOAL OF
MATURE RELIGION; … ACTUALLY, IT IS MORE OF AN ACHIEVEMENT.
IT IS A VIRTUE THAT COMES INTO BEING WHEN WE LIVE BY OUR
PRINCIPLES. IT IS THE PEACE THAT PASSES UNDERSTANDING.
18. INTEGRATIVE
THE MATURE MIND HAS A LOGICAL, RATIONAL, SYSTEMATIC VIEW OF
LIFE AND THE UNIVERSE. IT DOES NOT KNOW ALL THE ANSWERS.
BUT, IT KNOWS THERE ARE ANSWERS AND THAT THEY ARE
REASONABLE; IT KNOWS THIS IS A UNIVERSE OF ORDER, PATTERN
AND PURPOSE. IT KNOWS THAT THE PIECES OF THE PUZZLE
COMPOSE A PICTURE THAT MAKES SENSE. MATURE RELIGION
MAKES MEANING OUT OF MEANINGLESSNESS AND SENSE OUT OF
NONSENSE.
19. ULTIMATE REALITY
MATURE RELIGION SEEKS ULTIMATE REALITY. WE SEEK THE HOLY
GRAIL BY ACHIEVING A SENSE OF RAPPORT, RELATIONSHIP,
ONENESS AND AT HOMEYNESS WITH THE UNIVERSE. TO FEEL
OURSELVES A LIVING, VITAL PART OF A COSMIC LIFE PROCESS; A
PROCESS THAT GOES ON AND ON, IN A WORLD THAT HAS NO END.
TO FIND AND FEEL THIS IS TO KNOW A SENSE OF PEACE, PURPOSE,
MEANING AND GLORY.
20. TRIUMPH
DEATH IS A NATURAL PART OF THE LIFE PROCESS. WHEN WE BUILD
OURSELVES INTO THE WORLD AROUND US, WE DO NOT DIE BUT
RATHER BECOME A PART OF THE ONGOING STREAM OF LIFE
ITSELF. MATURE RELIGION IS TRIUMPHANT IN THAT IT ACCEPTS
DEATH AS A NATURAL PART OF LIFE.
ARGO QUOTES ROBERT INGERSOLL:
"I SEE A WORLD WITHOUT A SLAVE. MANKIND AT LAST IS FREE.
NATURES FORCES HAVE BY SCIENCE BEEN ENSLAVED." LIGHTNING
AND LIGHT, WIND AND WAVE, FROST AND FLAME HAVE BECOME
TIRELESS TOILERS OF THE HUMAN RACE. .. LIFE LENGTHENS, JOY
DEPENDS, LOVE CANOPIES THE EARTH. AND OVER ALL, IN THE
BRIGHT DOME, SHINES THE ETERNAL STAR OF HUMAN HOPE"
21. LASTLY … ARGOR SAYS ..
'IT IS A DREAM THAT MAY YET COME TRUE WHEN RELIGION
BECOMES WHAT IT MIGHT BE, AND COULD BE, AND SHOULD BE'.