Monday, January 11, 2010

What in God's name are we teaching our children?

Walter Wink called it the myth of redemptive violence. It is very compatible with our reptilian brain that the way to be safe is to arm ourselves and kill others who we suspect are our enemies. However, history and our better selves know that this is not true.

I am reminded of the parental pledge to the world, "I will not raise my child to torture or kill your child."

Unitarian Universalists more other people value the inherent worth and dignity of every person. While we can pretty much all agree on this value, when we bring it into application the conflicts emerge. Those of us who want Unitarian Universalism to become a peace church seem to accept and support this value more comprehensively and unconditionally than others who want to qualify it.

Did Hitler has inherent worth and dignity?

4 comments:

  1. Presumably you meant to say -


    Unitarian Universalists more *than* other people value the inherent worth and dignity of every person.

    I wish I could agree David but that statement does not align very well with my actual personal experience of *most* of the Unitarian*Universalists I know, including no shortage of U*U clergy. They talk the talk but do not walk the walk.

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  2. An arrogant statement asserting moral superiority to UUs. That sort of thing is responsible for a lot of woe in the world. Jihadists believe their values supercede all others. How's that working out?

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  3. I believe that Unitarian Universalist values/principles are superior, that's why I am an adherent of the faith.

    Some values are superior to others:

    I choose honesty over deceit

    Kindness over attack

    Justice over subjugation

    Compassion over oppression

    Love over hate

    Humility over arrogance

    Etc.

    Some values ARE better than others that's why we teach our kids the difference between right and wrong and expect certain levels of civility and respect in our social interactions.

    I am not sure where you are coming from.....

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