The Moral Unitarian Universalist - Acedia - Unitarian Universalism's great sin.

Topic Eight

Acedia - Unitarian Univeralism’s great sin.

Unitarian Universalism has eschewed a sense of the sacred for a sense of the profane. Unitarian Universalists, apart from the transcendentalists, have become a cynical people who stress the utility of the profane rather than the mystery and awe of the sacred. This is one reason why congregations and the denomination remain very small.

Unitarian Univeralism does not move people, does not have an ideological meta narrative that binds people together in a covenantal relationship that they claim is the foundation of their faith. And so Unitarian Universalism teeters on the brink of moral and spiritual bankruptcy.

Most Unitarian Univeralists can’t tell you in any coherent way what it is that their church stands for, what its mission is, and what its vision is for the future. It is this moral failing that results in a feeble and frail tradition. Where are the modern day heroes and saints? Where are the modern day narratives that describe inspiring and courageous work. UUs laughably are better known for their quibbling in committee meetings over arcane issues than in carrying out a viable mission to achieve an inspiring and uplifting vision.

The lack of an inspiring and motivating ideological narrative while morally deficient in itself, is also further demoralizing because of the lack of recognition and efforts to rectify the situation.

If Unitarian Universalism is a path to salvation both individually and societally, how does it work? This lack of explanation is a dereliction in duty and an example of the sin of acedia which in everyday language is “not really giving a shit.”

The moral problem is best summed up as “shit or get off the pot.” People can sit on the pot longer if they wish, but to claim that they are the yeast in the dough, the light shining in the darkness, and then not to act on these claims is to lie to oneself and to others so that one can rest in comfort and not be bothered to help make the world a better place by perfecting oneself.

The lack of a sense of the sacred, a Higher Power that is beyond the individual ego, sabotages and deflates the power that could be generated when Unitarian Universalism is often presented as nothing more than another profane civic organization like Rotary, Kiwanis, and the Lions. It is this lack of appreciation and empowering of the sacred that leads to acedia which is Unitarian Universalism’s great sin.

The Moral Unitarian Universalist - The cheerleaders vs the task masters.

The cheerleaders vs the task masters.

Achieving group goals can be very challenging. Many fears arise to block progress and provide obstacles to achievement. Maintaining morale, preserving self esteem, avoiding conflict, and preventing hurt feelings is also important.

In small group psychology these two kinds of leadership are called, “the task -  instrumental leader,” and the “social - emotional leader.” Usually these two functions are divided between two people, but rarely they are combined into a single leader who is called “charismatic.” The charismatic leader can both get the job done and also maintain group morale and cohesiveness.

Of the two functions which is most important for group success? It is the task - instrumental leadership. The path to hell, so the saying goes, is paved with good intentions.

Some sexists say that these two functions of leadership are gender determined in a patriarchal society with the male role being task - instrumental and the female role being social-emotional. These role assignments seem to be more the result of socialization rather than biologically determined.

In the moral domain, the foundational pillars that these functions of leadership rest on are fairness and reciprocity, and loyalty and self sacrifice for the good of the group. Unitarian Universalists talk a good game when they promote and affirm their second principle which is justice, equity and compassion in human relations, and their third principle which is acceptance of one another and promotion of spiritual growth in our congregations. When it comes to self governance, these principles are rarely enacted in a viable way and so congregations and the denomination continue to be very small and shrinking in relation to a percentage of the larger population in which they are ensconced.

The moral issue which Unitarian Universalists struggle with, but haven’t resolved, is whether they would prefer to be liked or be respected? They prefer to be liked and when conflict arises they are quick to avoid it by walking away. Is walking away a moral decision or is it immoral?

There is a place for rejection and abandonment when situations contain violence and great harm, but when they are merely uncomfortable due to disagreement and the egotistical need to be right, walking away and shunning people and exiling them is immoral.

The maintenance of group morale and esprit de corps is an important function of leadership but not as important is truth, honesty, genuineness, and right action. Prostituting truth, honesty, and right action just to maintain pseudo rapport is malignant and toxic and impedes growth and integrity.

The bottom line is captured in the slogan, “Keepin it real.” Pretentiousness, sycophancy, and false praise and appreciation are the path to hell.

The Moral Unitarian Univeralist - The sin of being anti-science

Topic Six

The sin of being anti science.

There are cigarettes causes cancer deniers, climate change deniers, anti-vaxers, holocaust deniers, conspiracy theorists, racists, xenophobes, homophobes, mysogynists, white supremacists, flat earthers, and god knows what other kinds of quacks, cranks, eccentrics, and psychotics. And what is a Unitarian Universalist or any sane, mentally healthy person to do when confronted by manipulative, psychopathic, and delusional people, groups, and beliefs?

The first question that might be asked is “Are they mad or bad?” meaning are they crazy or morally culpable or maybe some of both? If they are merely crazy they require compassion, pity, understanding and treatment. If they are bad, they require accountability, censure, and restitution for damages.

The sin of anti-science is the sin of pride. The arrogance that compels a person to insist on being right even when the evidence indicates otherwise is evil. This kind of “pig headedness” is born out of an insecurity where the need to be right based on the ego demands of one’s pride and saving face trumps truth and cooperation with one’s fellow human beings and the well being of the planet.

Allegiance to one’s ideology is unconsciously believed to be the source of one’s security and happieness even when it wreaks destruction, suffering, and hell on earth. Unitarian Universalists covenant together to affirm and promote the free and responsible search for truth and meaning with the emphasis on “responsible.”

What is a “responsible” search for truth and meaning as compared to its opposite an “irresponsible” search for truth and meaning? Who is to say what is “responsible” and “irresponsible?” In answering this question two factors become relevant: science and a moral code based on natural law.

Science answers the question “Is it right?” meaning is the finding valid and reliable, and the moral code answers the question “Does it work?” meaning does it accomplish its intended purpose in a just, equitable, and compassionate way?

Ideology which is anti-science and unfair and hurtful is evil even if it provides benefits to special interests. Belief systems have consequences. The bumper sticker reads, “Don’t believe everything you think” and another bumper sticker reads, “If you don’t believe in something, you will fall for anything.”

Unitarian Universalists are children of the enlightenment and the transcendentalists. As such they have put their faith in science and natural law. They eschew and condemn arrogant ideology and beliefs based on loyalties to identity groups. When we consider various ideologies and belief systems the mindful UU always asks, “Is it moral?”

The Moral Unitarian Univeralist - What is the bedrock of our UU faith?

Topic Five

What is the bedrock of our UU faith?

The insightful slogan “Garbage in, garbage out,” refers to honesty and accuracy of data. Are our lives based on truth or lies, on authenticity or pretense?

Unitarian Universalists covenant together to affirm and promote the free and responsible search for truth and meaning. What is it that UUs are looking for when they embark on this search? Is it happiness, truth, goodness, beauty, pleasure, power, status, money, validation, love, all of these things, some of these things, none of these things?

If a philosopher suggested that the answer to the question of what it is we are searching for were morality, what would you think? What is the moral life? What is morality anyway? Perhaps the best answer is one of the  eight principles of Buddhism which is “right action.” Unitarian Universalism has no similar principle other than the second principle which is to affirm and promote justice, equity, and compassion in human relations.

Morality, drawn from the six sources which Unitarian Universalism identifies as foundational and relevant to its living tradition, would include the Ten Commandments of the Judeo-Christian tradition, as well as the values of humanism, the reverence for the interdependent web drawn from the Earth centered traditions, the wisdom of prophetic women and men, and,of course, most importantly, one’s own experience of the transcendent wisdom which informs one’s own conscience.

Human beings, though, are conditioned and socialized into an ego based society which teaches, pressures, and rewards behavior in compliance with perverse norms and attitudes which are destructive and dysfunctional to the individual’s well being and those with whom the individual is in relationship with.

There are many ideas lying around about what will achieve the good life. Some ideas are good and some are bad. The question is always which to choose? This awareness of choice leads to the idea of discernment. How do we discern what is right, good, honest, beautiful? There are two answers: having made a choice, how is that working for you?, and what would love have me do?

If we always acted in a loving way there would be no need for a moral code. A moral code would be moot. And so, the moral Unitarian Universalist aspires to always act in a loving way. This intention is the bedrock of our faith.

The moral Unitarian Universalist - False equivalencies

Topic four

False equivalencies

One of the biggest lies perpetrated in our postmodern culture is the idea of false equivalences. The idea that there are two or more sides to everything and that there are “alternative facts” is  a form of dastardly evil corrupting our common welfare. This idea of “fair and balanced” allows the powerful to dominate and manipulate the subjugated and oppressed minorities and sustain the control of those in authority.

2 + 2 = 4 not 5, not 3.

The accountant asked the CEO what (s)he wanted the answer to be?

The CEO said “10” and so the accountant demonstrated how 2 + 2 = 4, and 4 + 4 = 8 and one of the original 2s added to the 8 indeed makes 10 and so 10 is a “perfect answer” as Trumpian administration officials proudly pronounce.

And when questioned about the accounting methodology to arrive at this “perfect answer” the accountant declared that it is “new math” which is now used to answer complicated questions which none but the most sophisticated can understand so it is best if people just take their word for it.

Truth, in the postmodern world, no longer means accuracy and correspondence with any reality, but rather consensus and sycophancy with the people in power who dispense the rewards and punishments.

Back in the 60s disinformation and disengenuousness to manipulate and exploit was called a “mind fuck.” Mind fucking is a sin and one of the most egregious forms of evil. Mind fucking may seem like a small thing, but it drives people crazy because it mystifies rather validates one’s intuitive apprehension of reality.

Unitarian Universalists covenant together to affirm and promote a free and responsible search for truth and meaning. Among UUs mindfucking is not allowed but censured. The opposite, what philosopher Jurgen Habermas calls “communicative rationality” as distinguished from “strategic rationality”, is encouraged and promoted in our covenantal relationships. “Communicative rationality” is based on authenticity, and genuineness and sincerity, what is called in everyday language “keepin it real”. “Strategic rationality” is based on exploitation, manipulation, ulterior motives, and false equivalences.

The moral, devout Unitarian Universalist strives to keep it real.

The Moral Unitarian Universalist - Creating, producing and disseminating disinformation

Creating, producing, and disseminating disinformation

From “Lie Machines: How Governments Are Using Tech To Spead Misinformation About Covid-19” by Hope Reese, One Zero, 05/13/20

Lie machines are on the rise — they’ve been built to undermine our faith in society’s key institutions and to encourage citizens to question authority. Lie machines have helped swing elections and sow discontent. And now they’ve been tuned to abet authoritarianism during the coronavirus crisis. 

“It’s about doubting institutions that have performed pretty well for a long time, like national health care systems and professional news outlets,” says Philip N. Howard, the director of the Oxford Internet Institute. Howard is the author of the new book, Lie Machines: How to Save Democracy from Troll Armies, Deceitful Robots, Junk News Operations, and Political Operatives, which has taken on an urgent new relevance as states and political actors try to influence the perception of their response to the pandemic. 

Howard defines the lie machine as “the social and technical mechanisms of putting an untrue claim into service of ideology,” composed of three parts: producers of lies, such as political candidates; distributors, such as social media platforms like Instagram; and marketers, such as political consultants. In the age of Covid-19, the lie machine is working to undermine trust in institutions like the World Health Organization, pushing a narrative that scientists and experts should not be trusted. And this, Howard argues, has worrying implications for global health

The rise of conspiracy theories and the malicious spread of disinformation whether the topic is Covid-19, Climate Change, Vaccinations, Guns, government, integrity of public servants has become an epidemic of its own with toxic and deadly results for the common welfare.
Some might write off this creation, production, and dissemination of false information as the result of ignorance and gullibility but there is often something more sinister and evil in the intent and hoped for outcome of such corruption of community trust and understanding. For corporate organizations it has become a business model to garner more clicks and likes and views to enhance the covert collection of individual data and to increase revenue from advertising dollars.

The more sensational the more outrage is generated which results in audience attraction, engagement, and involvement with the news outlet and internet platform. Consumers have been captured and are encouraged to “like” and “retweet” and forward links and enable the disinformation to go viral. The consequence of this behavior is separation, division, “us vs. them” thinking and often has serious consequences for families, communities, states, countries, and the planet.

Satan has been called the “Father of lies” and Satan has plenty of children doing his bidding and sowing discord, animosity, illness, and death making earth a hell rather than a heaven.

Unitarian Univeralists covenant together to affirm and promote seven principles which are designed to create heaven on earth not hell. And while UUs mean well in theory, they contribute to the spread of disinformation and are just as subject to arousal to outrage and sensationalism as any other American maybe even more so because of their proclivity to social justice activities.

It does not do any good to argue with proponents of conspiracy theories because they often are delusional and tend to be paranoid. Such people need our compassion and understanding. They are filled with fear which causes their clinging to false information in a misguided attempt to create meaning from the frightening things in the world they are witnessing.

The three best things that UUs can do is to create a more constructive meta narrative to provide a model or frame of reference within which to understand the threatening perceptions of the frightening things in the world. Second to unmask those who would manipulate and maliciously create, produce, and disseminate false information in order to sow discord to slow the recognition of truth and maintain their positions of dominance. Third, to mitigate the negative consequences of utilizing false information so that health and wellness are experienced instead of suffering and death.

Are Unitarian Universalists up to the challenge? They may mean well, but they have a long way to go to recognize, acknowledge, and respond to the evil in the world which surrounds them. Their hearts may be in the right place, but now they have to develop the skills and competence to minimize and eliminate disinformation and conspiracy theories from our communities and society.

The moral Unitarian Universalist - Having a blind eye with institutional racism

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Abetting institutional racism

The killing of Armaud Arbery on February 23, 2020 in Brunswick, GA by George and Travis McMichael is a terrible tragedy and a crime. However the failure of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to do anything about it until May 7, 2020 is a far bigger crime for which we all are responsible.

In case you haven’t noticed, institutional racism is alive and well and practiced in a thousand ways every day in the U.S. of A. Most Americans are oblivious and indifferent if not passive aggressively supportive and want to “Make America Great Again” when white privilege is protected and preserved and non whites know their place.

White grievance has long been a thing, but now is overtly politically popular with President Trump saying that “there are good people on both sides.” For Unitarian Universalists that is dead wrong. Racism, personal and institutional, is evil and flies in the face of our core principles which we covenant together to affirm and promote.

So what are the criminal justice policies in your jurisdictions where you live and work? I’ll bet if you investigate, you will find many examples of racist policies and procedures. When you vote for district attorney, for mayor, for county sheriff, for governor, for your city council people, school board members, state senators and assembly people check their criminal justice policy records. You will be surprised at what you find. Let us know what you discover in the comments below or send me an email.

Is it a moral responsibility of Unitarian Universalists to educate themselves about criminal justice policies in their jurisdictions and advocate for fair, just and equitable laws and enforcement? If we, UUs, genuinely believe and apply our principles we can no longer be ignorant, indifferent, and inactive in seeing to it that criminal justice practices recognize, acknowledge, and support the inherent worth and dignity of every person..

The Moral Unitarian Universalist - Lying

The point keeps getting lost in this debate nationally about the Federal management of the Covid- 19 pandemic.

It is important to recognize and acknowledge that facts are facts. Opinions are opinions, Behavior is behavior.

I don't care what people do. That's their decision. I do care whether they get the facts straight or not.

Disinformation is pure evil. Satan, remember, is the father of lies.  Donald Trump and his administration and many of our State’s governors and Senators and congresspeople are Satan's favorite children because they do his will and work.

As Naomi Klein said and I am paraphrasing, "There are a lot of ideas lying around. Some are good and some are bad. Be careful which you choose to think about, disseminate, and act on."

Making a mistake is one thing. It is not immoral to be ignorant, but it is immoral to lie and promulgate deceit to achieve one’s goals.

Unitarian Universalists covenant together to affirm and promote seven principles. Unfortunately, besides the principle to affirm and promote justice, equity, and compassion in human relations they have no affirmation about truth telling. 

I have been lied to on many occasions by UUs sometimes with significant congregational consequences. With lies and deceit any trust in covenantal relationships is broken.

The basis of maintaining and benefiting from covenantal relationships is trust and trust is based on honesty.

It would seem then that to maintain healthy covenantal relationships, lying should be prohibited, censured, and called out. Once called out, lying needs to be acknowledged, apologized for, and the lie corrected so that healthy rapport can be restored.

We are living in a time when lying and deceit has become accepted as the way of getting things done and “winning.”

It is time for Unitarian Universalists, more than other Americans, to stand up for truth telling and censure lying and deceit. We can start in our own families, our places of work, in our congregations, in our communities, in our States and in our Nation.

The social disruption of the Covid-19 brings lying and deceit in the pursuit of ulterior motives from the background to the foreground. UUs could lead the way if they could get their own house in order. The disinformation being perpetrated is being used to divide people for political advantage to achieve selfish goals.

One of the most important things you can do during this Covid-19 is simply to recognize, acknowledge, disseminate, and act on the truth so that trust can be restored across our communities, States, Nation and the world.