Who can you accept as an authority figure?

Jeff, you wrote >>  In general, how is one supposed to distinguish an acceptable authority figure form those we are are to reject? <<.

Interestingly, Jesus has an answer when asked the same question. Jesus said, "By their fruit you will know them."

Or as I like to say, quoting my own authority, "The proof is in the pudding."

Another  quote you can take to the bank is "How is that working for ya?"

Unitarian Univeralists covenant together to affirm and promote seven principles the fourth of which is "the free and responsible search for truth and meaning."

The ultimate authority is, of course, one's own conscience assuming one's conscience is "informed" and authentic. People we have learned from cognitive science are subject to "confimation bias." So doubt is the spice of life even doubt of your own beliefs.

So when I suggest questioning authority, I am including one's own, but as Plutonius says in Shakespeare's play, Hamlet, "above all esle to thine own self be true."

As Socrates said, the hallmark of a wise person is knowing what they don't know. So, another one of my guiding principles is "Don't believe your own bullshit because it paves the well to hell."

GIPHY

Do we have an authority problem?

Unitarian Universalists don't like authority. They not only don't like it, they rebel against it every chance they get. In my whole life I have never found such a large group of passive aggressive people. It's in their blood and DNA.

UUs justify their passive aggressivity under their principles of free and responsible searches for truth and meaning, and their love of what they call democratic process, but behind this facade is a fear and hate for authority and their intention to serve themselves and their own desires.

In the great Paul Newman movie, Cool Hand Luke, the primary line, repeated as the warden was beating him, was, "What we have here is a failure to communicate."

In A Course In Miracles, it is stated as clear as day that what we humans have is an "authority problem." It is written referring to symptoms of distress, "I have spoken of different symptoms, and at that level there is almost endless variation, There is, however, only one cause for all the them: the authority problem. This is the "root of all evil."" T-3.VI.7:1-3

Just as Cool hand Luke had a communication problem, we have an authority problem.

We humans think, and we have been told, that we have created ourselves. As 2 years old we say , "No! You're not the boss of me!"

And we insist as adults that God is not the boss of us and even that there is no God only myself to count on.

We can be silly, silly people. "Ridiculous!" as my 13 year old nephew, Caleb, tells me.

Indeed, ridiculousness abounds.

At our death, if not before, we will have to submit to a force far greater than ourselves from which we emerged and unto which we return.

In the meantime, we can continue to entertain our illusions.