ʺEthics are nothing but reverence for life.
That is what gives me the fundamental
principle of morality, namely that god consists in
maintaining, promoting and enhancing life, and
that destroying, injuring and hurting life are evil.
-Albert Schweitzer
Even before I’d heard of UUism, I remember thinking that if this guy isn’t going to heaven, why would anyone want to bother with it anyway? Of course these words from one of our Unitarian “saints” ring especially clear and poignant in these perilous times, don’t they?
Indeed, talk of morality is much on everyones’ lips these days. It’s encouraging that book by Harvard’s Humanist Chaplain, Greg Epstein, “Good Without God” hit the best seller lists. The secular roots of good behavior are being pushed hard by the American Humanist Association in posters appearing on buses and road signs from L.A. to Idaho and Chi town, warranting even a top of the fold editorial piece in that city’s “Chicago Tribune.” Imagine “Don’t believe in God? You’re not alone.” appearing among the messages on one of our local buses? Ouch!
Within our own little UUFEC free thought communities, the moral dimensions of human evolution are coming in for a lot of play lately. Even visiting our annual Humanist conference in San Jose this June, I was struck by how the human family’s morals were on everyone’s minds. Dr. Rodrigue Tremblay (a fellow Montrealer), did an inspiring and optimistic presentation on the topic, followed by a signing of his fine book, “The Code for Global Ethics, Ten Humanist Principles.” Hosts of the conference, Secular Coalition of Silicon Valley, hold super seminars every Sunday with many on human behavior. The videos can be viewed at their website.
My own bottom line in living a humanist lifestyle is the survival, possibly flourishing, of our species, habitat and our fellow creatures, but in reality we could hardly have made it to this point had we not developed conduct and behaviors critical to our security and mutual well-being. The humanistic “Golden Rule” comes to mind. Of course these were rapidly seized upon by all the various religious and tribal entities and incorporated into their own dogmas, inevitably, leading to particularization of “our” morality, national, denominational or other tribal interests – applicable to our kind, or possibly those “others” who happened to agree with us. I’m okay, but I’m not really so sure about you!
If it’s been a while since you picked up on another UU free-thinking celebrity, re-visit Reverend Robert Fulgum’s little book, “All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten.”
Yes, here we are groping around in this new time and century for a new moral rock on which to build the new church for humanity. Why? In reality, even with a huge game change under way, the rules remain pretty much the same, don’t you think? Hardly a liberal or conservative concept – but like Nike says, “JUST DO IT!”
SHALOM