Thursday, December 21, 2017

What matters the most to UUs


UUs covenant together to affirm and promote the free and responsible search for truth and meaning. What does "free and responsible" mean? It does not mean, as is often misconstrued by outside observers, that UUs can believe just anything they fancy. UU faith is not based on anarchy, nihilism, and whims. Unitarian Universalism does have certain principles. It is not an unprincipled faith. Sometimes these "principles" can be thought of as values and these values imply that certain beliefs matter. What matters to UUs? In it's simplest form, it is Love of which we all are a part. This Love , in which UUs believe, is unconditional.

It is written in A Course In Miracles that "No belief is neutral. Every one has the power to dictate each decision you make. For a decision is a conclusion based on everything you believe." T-24.Intro.2:3-5

What is it then that you believe? And based on those beliefs, what do you value? A quick way to hone in the answer to these questions is to fill in this blank, "What matters the most to me in my life is ___________________."

It is written in ACIM, "To learn this course requires willingness to question every value that you hold." T-24.Intro.2:1

Are we willing to do this?  Unconditional Love is a most difficult teaching. Jesus said we should love our enemies, love the people and things that scare us. Our spiritual growth depends on it.

4 comments:

  1. It never ceases to amaze me how radical this blog is. You are able to get right to the root of the topic. UUs believe in love, but not just amorphous, ambiguous, fuzzy and fun love, but "uncondtional" love as you write. The Universalists contribution to humanity was this antithetical belief to the Puritan belief in predestined damnation.

    Thank you for your work here explicating a UU theology which improves the thinking of the world.

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  2. In these days of social media, we should ask ourselves, "Do I want an audience or a relationship?"

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  3. The bigger question might be "Do we have a shared purpose here?" If so , what is it? If not, why bother?

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  4. Dear Peter:

    Our shared purpose, I hope, is to bring about peace and joy on earth which ACIM calls the "At-one-ment" which David has defined as "When everybody loves everybody all the time."

    The next question then becomes, "How do we pursue our shared purpose together to achieve our desired outcome?"

    Some people might say that there are many different ways to pursue this purpose but I am suspicious that in the end it always come down to love.

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