Part of the problem is that we have all acted as slaves to our culture. As more and more cultures interact, we have clashes of terms and beliefs. We are all aware of the problems but feel helpless to initiate needed changes. Our understanding of the nature of God grows, but we are often enslaved by outmoded ways and traditions.
The One or the nature of God does not change regardless of the names and terms we use. To an outside observer, we as a culture will look as if we a playing a religious or spiritual game with our new found knowledge. We like to put nice little labels on everything. We adopt the use of foreign names and chants, even though we do not understand the meanings. We copy others while we hold fast to conflicting thoughts and ways. This is a spiritual game. Is it any wonder that no progress seems to be made by individuals and religious groups?
What we should be doing is much more difficult to achieve. We should be internalizing what we believe to be true, living in accord with that belief, and be putting those teachings into our own words, words that we can understand, molding the best of the teachings together, and then sharing those beliefs and observations with others in an understandable way. In this way we can all grow within or without our traditions while recognizing that others have the same freedom and ability. We can come together when we truly recognize that we are all worshiping the One in our multitude of ways.
Till we can do this we will remain like slaves to our cultures and traditions.
With love,
Rev Dorris
"...but we are often enslaved by outmoded ways and traditions."
The world has been and is currently in crisis due to this problem....such needed changes are a very slow and painful process.
While most of us are indeed "...like slaves to our cultures and traditions".....even slaves can dream and see over the thorny hedge.....sometimes a few escape...but fear of the unknown keeps many on the plantation.
Frredom can be frightful....
It is time to quit looking over the thorny hedge and do the work needed to cut it down. Freedom can be frightful, that is true, but isn't that just what our Unitarian Community is all about.
We are the few that have escaped, now we have to show others the Way. Change comes slowly and painfully, but does not come at all if we are afraid to accept the responsibilities that come with freedom.
With love,
Rev Dorris
Yep! Speaking metaphorically
Any path out must have guideposts....those "escaping" should not find themselves lost in the jungle or confused which way to go...otherwise...leave them where they are...it could be worse.
A modern Unitarian theology is needed.....we have bits and pieces...but we need at least a map showing the way...even if all of the sections are incomplete with unexplored dark woods and mysterious mountains.
How detailed a map do you think is necessary?
How many guide posts are required?
Many Unitarians say they want no creed or doctrine, but isn't this what you say is needed?
With love,
Rev Dorris
Realistically....they become necessary for any kind of structure...otherwise..hopeless wandering rules the day...of course, the individual reserves the right to bypass any "guidepost" and cut a new path. The guideposts are less creed or dogma than learning stations...this has been tried and works...use or don't use.
Learning Stations? That is a good way of putting it.
Posts already on this forum could be thought of as learning stations. These reflect my thoughts and the responses reflect the thoughts of other members.
Just to list a few:
1. What is a Unitarian?
2. Leading Unitarian lives.
3. Defining "The American Unitarian Tradition"
4. Holy Lore
5. From the Principle Upanisads
6. The Unitarian Path
7. Keeping God at Arms Length
8. What can we do?
9. Reason, Knowledge, and Wisdom
10. Sermon -- Rediscovering our Spiritual Roots
11. What is this?
12. What should I teach?
13. One year of daily Bible readings (Posted monthly)
14. Sermon -- A Ministry for God
15. God's love and Ours
16. Assemble with friends
17. Ideas for Opening/Starting/ and Maintain a Church
18. New Dimensions in Unitarianism
19. Our Religious Principles
20. So you want to be a leader
21. Find a Friend
22. To Do what needs to be done.
The San Diego church site has a volume of guidance/statements on what a Unitarian Christian believes.
How many more guide posts are needed? How many more learning stations before you think others will feel the path is marked well enough to take their first step on the Spiritual Journey?
With love,
Rev Dorris
Well, I think it needs to be clarified somewhat....is this faith a Unitarian Christian faith vs a Unitarian &/or Universalist faith? While there is much overlap...."branding" is key to arousing interest. What exactly is our public face for our "somewhat" organized faith?
My guess is that a Unitarian Christian brand would provoke the most interest....as it comes with a recognized term that liberal Christians would notice.
Of course, some may not like the Christian name association...what other faith names are there that are acceptable to our strain of Unitarians?
Much distance in the public mind between what many of us consider the "flaky forms of UUism" and our embryonic faith would have to be made.
Each time we attach a qualifying label to Unitarian, we are replanting the thorny hedge. On an individual or local level, some qualification may make things more understandable or compatible with our personal culture. On a national, international, or universal level that thorny hedge grows very quickly. It enslaves some while keeping others with compatible beliefs out. Our "brand" is the Unitarian Faith. Belief in the "One."
As a minister and as an individual, I will not replant the thorny hedge. As a member of the board of directors of the AUC, (as of a couple of days ago), I will work to remove the thorny hedges that have been planted on the national scene.
As one of the founding members of "Unitarian Community", I will promote an inclusive Unitarianism, locally, nationally, and internationally.
As Paul Yonge put it in paraphrasing Edwin Markham:
Some draw a circle to keep us out;
Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.
But love and the Unitarian Community
have the wit to win.
We'll draw a circle to take them in.
Now this ruffles a lot of feathers, but it falls under "Doing what needs to be done."
With love,
Rev Dorris
I remember the forum posts about having a virtual on line church. I remember checking into a few sites but was not really happy with what I saw. They seemed a little too much like video game situations. I dropped the idea, but now it is coming back up again. I have been told that the CLF has gone through the virtual church and on line church ideas. Someone can check into it further and let us know what they find. To have such a enterprise will require the full participation and efforts of many individuals.
People on other sites are also talking about pod-casting sermons, sermon videos, etc. This is beyond my expertise level. Most people want more personal or individual contact and interaction. This can be done through private e-mails, the forum and chat-room discussions, but the need is for face to face contact between members who live in the same geographic areas.
We could post weekly or monthly sermons or sermon outlines, but that is very time consuming unless other ministers, lay people, and others participate on a regular basis.
At the present time, I have only 5 names/e-mail addresses of people interested in receiving a newsletter. When we get 15 to 20, I will devote the time to start and maintain the Unitarian Community Newsletter. What do you think? Will you be willing to contribute and participate in the efforts? Most of what would be of interest till then can be posted of the forum, web pages, or group page.
I have set up a Unitarian Community Group page on Belief Net, but have not yet sent out many invitations for people to join the group. I started sending them out on Saturday to Belief net members and the response has been good. We will see what kind of response I get as I continue to send out more invitations. I will also setting aside some time to send out invites to people to join us on the Delphi Unitarian Community forum. You are all invited to both sites.
My Belief Net profile and journal have now had over 1100 visits, with about 240 friends. The AUC information of the UUA forum has had over 2200 viewings. The more I visit other group pages and post my views, the more the number of visits to my page increase and in turn the visits to our other sites increases.
If the AUC and the Unitarian Community are going to grow and prosper, more individuals need to be out on the net and/or in the streets letting people know that there is a Unitarian Community and an American Unitarian Conference.
Paul Y. will be at the UUA General Assembly, in Fort Lauderdale, to let people know about Unitarian Community. UnitarianCommunity.org
With love,
Rev Dorris