There is a joke that was very popular several decades ago among Unitarian Universalists. It seems that there was a Unitarian Universalist who had died and was going to heaven, when he came to a fork in the road. There was a directional sign to guide the traveler, if he took one fork he would continue to heaven. The other fork led to a discussion about heaven. The Unitarian Universalist did not hesitate, he proceeded to the discussion.
This joke elicted the laughter that comes from a surprising self recognition. Unitarian Universalists do like to discuss, to engage with others in examination of a topic from all points of view.
But our delight in this joke also indicated an unease, discussions about religious topics are not the same thing having religious experience oneself. So the discussion about heaven might just have a discussion about spirituality, prayer, mediation, or inner peace. There is a difference between thinking about topics, and sharing ideas of religious concern, and actual religious experience.
The joke was still current when our association of congregations came up with a new statement of purposes for its by-laws, the Principles and Purposes asserted that The Living Tradition We Share Draws From Many Sources:
(and the first source reads)
Direct experience of that transcending wonder,
affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit.
We appreciate that "prophetic women and men" have had spiritual experiences, transformative experiences which led them speak words and perform deeds which in turn challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion and the transforming power of love. We appreciate the wisdom from the world's religions and Jewish, Christian, Humanist and Earth - centered teachings but the first source of our living tradition we declared was direct spiritual and religious experience - not acquired wisdom, and not exchanges of opinions in discussion groups. Philosophers have always noted that there are two ways of knowing; there is direct. personal, experienced knowing, and there is the knowing that comes from thinking on experience (reflection), hearing stories about experience (exchange), and exchanging opinions about experience (critique.) All of the latter are varieties of "knowing about."
As I see it, we must learn to combine these two ways of knowing. It is good to examine and discuss, to ponder and criticize. But there is a kind of knowledge that comes from experience, and one who does not have that experience can not have the kind of knowledge that experience yields.
Today, we have a new appreciation of metaphor, and symbol, even in our jokes. I suspect for many Unitarian Universalists in 2005, the choice that was presented by that sign at the fork in the road would not be as obvious.
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