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Humanistic Spirituality as a UU Centerpoint
As a libertarian humanist with an interest in spirituality (and strongly influenced by Ethical Culture although I live on the West Coast), I'd like to see more UU programs and sermons that deal more with "humanistic and naturalistic spirituality" as a centerpoint instead of too much reliance on political topics often with a blanket assumption that all UU's agree that the liberal approach of governmental regulation or redistribution is the best way to address problems. You'll find that libertarians and liberals often agree on what the problems are (such as the Immigration Bill in Arizona and also the underlying need to streamline and reform a burdensome and racist legal immigration system), but disagree on what solution would be more empowering (versus enabling).
In terms of "humanistic spirituality", let me describe it. Humanistic spirituality involves experiencing and understanding ourselves as vitally connected to other human beings, to nature, and the universe. As we travel through the stages of life from birth to death, we learn to create satisfying relationships with people, nature, and the universe, or we suffer the consequences. Personal ethical development comes through a mindfulness of the interactions of our actions and their consequences upon other people and living beings (including those in the future just as our ancestors' actions had consequences on our current living circumstances). I have the ethical goal of Felix Adler, the founder of Ethical Culture, which is to act in such a way as to elicit the best in others and thus in myself. Mindfulness practices such as meditation assist me with my personal expression of humanistic spirituality.
Programs of "humanistic" spirituality could include discussion of ethics itself and daily life application, how do the 7 Principles of UU impact one's personal ethical views, an ethical rather than political analysis of world events, Ethical Mindfulness as a spiritual practice, ethics and the environment, etc...
I would think these would be topics of relevance to both theists and humanists. What say you?
Dave Salyers
humanists@lists.uua.org
Jul 26, 2010
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