Chalice Chick reports on a discussion by on Beliefnet in which an individual calling himself Bhatkhiman argues:
"There have been articles in the UUA's official magazine over the past several years basically demonizing and castigating humanists. And this attitude was supported by the UUA President who allegedly was a former humanist who "embraced" supernaturalism as a psychological means of dealing with the death of his child. . . . and later " humanists no longer have to settle for the watered down theism-lite of the UUA and it is about time. Humanism will only flourish once humanists start to cut the ties from the increasingly irrational UUA."
We would be hard pressed to find these articles in the UU World demonizing humanism. There may more theological diversity expressed in the World than Bhatkhiman would like but there are no attacks on humanism, much less attacks on humanists themselves. And that is because most Unitarian Universalists are one or another variety of humanist. The main current in Unitarianism since at least the beginning of the twentieth century has been religious humanism, a way of being religious that originated in the panentheism and nature mysticism of the Transcendentalists in which the message of Christianity was understood to be an articulation of the best of human wisdom rather than a special revelation of a supernatural God. Humanism is an ancient orientation that human beings can move by their own efforts toward wholeness, and we do it in this life and on this earth. Humanism is much broader that the narrowly definition given by self described secular humanists who seem to think they are the one and only way of being humanist.
But the Unitarian Universalist understanding of humanism is not narrow, dogmatic and exclusive. If a self described humanist like Bill Sinkford finds solace in prayer during a personal crisis, most Unitarian Universalist humanists will pray with him. Atheism is one way of being humanist, but it is not the only way, and despite the claims of some atheism is not the majority way of being humanist.
There are many ways of doing theology without the assumption of a supernatural, but with no need for the dogmatism of atheism either. Genuine humanists appreciate all the great achievements of humankind, and for most humanists among the most significant, deepest, and most revealing creations of humankind are the human religions. The gods did not create Hinduism, Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Taoism, or the indigenous religions of Turtle Island. People did. Those people may have been responding to an experience of Mystery, and Transcendence. They may have been having an experience of their own inner psychic projections onto nature. Or both. But from those experiences they learned and taught others the power of covenant, the loving kindness meditation, the prayer of aspiration and forgiveness, and many other spiritual disciplines that enhanced our human ability to respond to difficulties with love and understanding.
If some 'humanists' are afraid of the religions created by human beings, and want to leave Unitarian Universalism for a small, exclusive circle of people who will never, ever have to listen to a ancient story of a sage or prophet, never ever have to hear some one say "thank you God," never ever have to hear someone witness the power of the spirit dwelling in their midst - well that is their loss. But our kind of generous, spirit loving, wisdom affirming humanism is in no danger of dying out in Unitarian Universalism.
Well said, Clyde. I attended a workshop in ST. Louis facilitated by Pres. Sinkford. It was well attended by our earth based contingent, as well as Christians and humanists. Pres. Sinkford, during his presentation, said, "We are all humanists." which was received with a round of hearty applause by everyone in the room. I don;t think there is a real divide in our movement, save the divide created by those who miss the point of UUism all together.
I'm a humanist, who happens to find an incredible amount of meaning in religion. :)
Hear, hear! I tend to think of all UUs as humanists, having faith the in the ability of human effort to change our realities for the better. I'm a spiritual humanist, and my boyfriend is a a secular humanist, but he appreciates the power of religious myth. We never have to argue about God. I think a lot of these arguments arise out of people being unwilling to listen to others' experiences. How not UU!
Nice post, Clyde! I've been saying for years that there's a "humanistic thread" which runs throughout modern-day UU. I call it radically-progressive protestantism, but agree with you that perhaps its greatest single influence was from the Transcendentalists.
If UU represents is, by nature, a more "attitudinal" than dogma-driven approach to religion, that common attitude is deeply humanistic, and the only breed of "humanists" who therefore would be excluded in our faith are those who have self-excluded themselves by closing their minds...who feel that they already have "all the answers" and have no need for the quest to continue.
I don't know if this particular discussion is still going on (I just came across this site by preparing a talk for church). I have to dissent from Clyde's opinion here. I think i am observing more and more among some UU's an animus against Humanists and Humanism, or, at least some of us. In the Summer '06 UUWorld, Bill Sinkford took potshots at several generations of UU Humanist ministers. In the same issue, Kendyl Gibbons (a self-described Humanist) wrote an article in which she argued that those Humanists who aren't interested in a "language of reverence", ancient sagas and rituals have a sterile lifestyle and are petulant and guilty of hubris. I really do not see how those two articles would reconcile with Clyde's assertion that no attacks are being made; nor how those articles would fit with "promoting and affirming the inherent worth and dignity of every "person". I think it is time for all of us, Humanist and Non-Humanist alike to try to discuss our differences openly and honestly within the context of caring community and with humor, not animosity.