Good news for 08/12/20 - Majority of Americans want policies to reduce carbon emissions to mitigate climate warming

Majority of Americans favor policies to mitigate carbon production in atmosphere causing climate warming.

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Unitarian Universalists covenant together to affirm and promote respect for the interdependent web of existence of which we are a part.

How things work...and what to do about them - "Change is dangerous."

Is change to be feared or embraced and engaged in with pride?

We have been trained in Western Civilization since the period of the enlightenment to see the world in a linear, reductive way based upon Aristotelian logic of cause and effect. Only in the last part of the twentieth century have we begun to appreciate systems theory and the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

In an effort to understand our experience systemically, we have developed a series of articles entitled “How things work………..and what to do about it.”

The five core psychological concerns are vulnerability, injustice, distrust, superiority, and helplessness. This article deals with our concern of vulnerability and fear. A previous article described the mind game of “It’s a dangerous world,” and in this article we will describe the mind game of “Change is dangerous.”

When reforms or changes are proposed, those in power who have a vested interest immediately defend the status quo pointing out all the ways that changes and reform may make things worse rather than better. Those defending the status quo will also argue that reformers are going too fast and that they must be patient. In our current media age, the defenders of the status quo will inject misinformation into the discussion to perplex, scare, and distract from the topic.

During the civil rights era, Martin Luther King, Jr. and his supporters were often accused of going too fast pushing for an end to segregation. In our current age, Donald Trump states that Mexicans are rapists, drug dealers, and killers who must be walled out of our country.

With the Black Lives Matters movement and protests, supporters of BLM have been called terrorists and criminals and unpatriotic by the defenders of the status quo playing on the fears of the general public to prevent the reforms being advocated.

What is the best way to deal with the proponents of the game “change is dangerous” and spectators watching this game being played? Logic, data, reason rarely works. Psychologically reassurance can help, but this too rarely works. What works best is an appeal to sympathy and compassion made through stories of human interest about people hurt by the current policies and practices whom the defender can identify with. In other words, make the appeal personal and encourage change as a salve for the guilt the defender may feel.

This appeal is based on the UU first principle which is the affirmation and promotion of the inherent worth and dignity of every person because those being victimized and hurt by the current policies and practices are just like you. To allow those other people to be hurt is to hurt yourself and your own loved ones. Change therefore is not dangerous but ameliorative. Change is not something to be afraid of but to be embraced and proud of.

This article is based on the work of Roy Eidelson. For more click here.

A Course In Miracles Workbook Lesson #10 - My thoughts do not mean anything.

Lesson # 10

My thoughts do not mean anything.

The bumper sticker reads “Don’t believe everything you think.” and we think all kinds of stuff which this lesson encourages us to consider don’t mean anything. The tag line to today’s exercise, “This idea will help to release me from all that I now believe.”

The lesson encourages us to just witness our thoughts without judgment and letting go of any attachment to them.

One person described his thoughts as “the room mate in my head.” The room mate in your head is chatting to you incessantly even in your sleep when you dream. It makes you wonder, “Is there no peace?” It would be nice if there was an on/off switch and the constant chatter of our thoughts could just be turned off.

Unitarian Universalist covenant together to affirm and promote the free and responsible search for truth and meaning and this truth and meaning is to be found within not without. Genuine truth and meaning is to be found beneath the chatter of the ego where peace and bliss reside. To get there we have to eschew all thoughts and just rest in pure nothingness - no things.

Today take a few moments to pause, step back, take a few deep breaths and remind yourself that all the chatter in you head has no meaning in the realm of eternity.

Spiritual practice - Life review, confession, taking one's inventory

Life review, confession, taking one’s inventory

The sixth component of spiritual health is mindfulness and the cardinal sin # 6 is the unexamined life and reactivity.  The spiritual practice to mitigate the unexamined life is the periodic life review, confession, and taking a personal inventory.

Mindfulness is the skill of stepping back, getting one’s thoughts, feelings, and behavior into perspective, viewing them objectively and nonjudgmentally with curiosity. This requires a periodic life review optimally done daily, weekly, monthly, yearly and during the course of one’s waking hours as needed.
In some faith traditions and in twelve step programs there is the practice of confession. Telling one’s sins, mistakes, failings to another human being with the intent of learning from one’s mistakes and considering strategies for repair and change nurtures self understanding, agency, and self efficacy..

The key marker of this spiritual practice is taking responsibility and learning which leads to spiritual growth and improvement in functioning.

It is a good idea to take one’s personal inventory on a daily basis and periodically report the results whether to a priest, a pastor, a sponsor, a therapist, or a best friend.

The concept that best describes this practice is witnessing nonjudgmentally. It takes practice. It can be done meditatively for at least 5 minutes at a time with the goal of expanding the time as desired. When one can clear their mind of all clutter and just become one with all, enlightenment has arrived.

Unfortunately, one of the weaknesses of the Unitarian Universalist tradition is its failure to ritualize the need for periodic life review, confession, and taking of one's inventory. The closest it gets to this practice is the affirmation and promotion of a free and responsible search for truth and meaning. Having articulated this fourth principle there are no recommended practices to apply it in an efficacious way. This is a failure in the UU tradition to nurture and guide spiritual development.

Good news for 08/11/20 - Here's how it's done for a safe re-opening at SUNY Brockport this fall, 2020

Unitarian Universalists covenant together to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person. Cooperating, in solidarity, to protect the health of one's fellow students, faculty, and support staff at your college is a great way to implement this principle on one's daily life.

Letters From Hilton, NY - Letter # 5 - Loving unconditionally is the path to enlightenment

Letter #5

Loving unconditionally is the path to enlightenment.

It’s been quite a month so far in Hilton, NY where Harry Hollywood wants to be more attuned to being unconditionally loving and just listening to people nonjudgmentally. He told some of his friends that he was finding it difficult.

“Well, you’re not Jesus Christ,” said Elmer Sandbagger. “I think it’s better to call a spade a spade, to take the bull by the horns, and just give it straight.”

Roy Christian piped up and said, “Elmer, did you ever hear of Irish diplomacy? It’s making a person go to hell in such a way as they enjoy the trip.”
Barb Golden said, “That’s funny Roy, but a bit cynical don’t you think?”

“In sales, you have to be nice all the time even as you look for openings to engage the customer, suck them in, and then close the deal,” said Ted Marketer.

Harry was getting upset with the conversation and wondered if any of them were really understanding what unconditional love is. Harry believed that God loves us unconditionally and doesn’t care what we, God’s creations, do. God gave us free will so whatever we create is on us not on God. We can create hell or heaven depending. Unfortunately, human beings love conditionally and play the games of “give to get,” and “it’s not me it’s you.”

Jennifer Golddigger said, “Oh, I can love anybody if there;’s money in it.  I’m an equal opportunity hostess as long as you paid the cover charge at the door.” Then she laughed.

“I suppose you could be a nonjudgmental unconditional lover if you were a Buddha or a Jesus or a Krishna,” said Jacob, “but how many of us become enlightened during our current incarnation? We’ll need to come back again and again until we get it right.”

“May it be so,” said Harry.

“What the hell do you mean by that, ‘may it be so,’” said Elmer?

“That we could attain enlightenment,”: said Harry.

“For crying out loud, “ said Elmer. “You people are holy rollers, air in the clouds, not in touch with reality idiots.”

“Whatever,” said Harry, “but I love you anyway Elmer.”

And that’s the way things have been going in Hilton, NY this month where Harry is trying to love everybody unconditionally, Jennifer will do anything for money, Ted thinks being nice is a marketing ploy, Barb thinks being charming can be cynical, Jacob is on his way to enlightenment, Elmer isn’t having any of it, and God continues to love them all unconditionally.

A Course In Miracles Workbook - Lesson #9 - I see nothing as it is now

Lesson #9

I see nothing as it is now.

We have learned from psychology about implicit bias, confirmation bias,  the Dunning-Kruger effect, and even if these terms are not familiar, we all understand racism, xenophobia, misogyny, and prejudice. Understanding these concepts, we also can understand today’s lesson, “I see nothing as it is now.”

Practicing today’s lesson takes humility and mindfulness. We are very attached to our beliefs, opinions, values, practices, and we don’t question most of them comfortably. To recognize and acknowledge that “I see nothing as it is now,” makes us vulnerable and scared. It may also lead to confusion and depression. We are, after all, beginning to give up our ego attachments and this is a loss that we resist. It helps if we have a sense of humor and can laugh at our self righteousness, judgmentalism, and arrogance.

Unitarian Universalists covenant together to affirm and promote the free and responsible search for truth and meaning. This truth and meaning will never be found in the world of the ego because the world of the ego is an illusion which we create and are socially conditioned to believe. The search for truth and meaning takes the seeker inward where one goes beyond the ego plane and seeks the transcendent, the world ot the Spirit, the soul.