Sermon “Humanist Teachings: Our Fifth Source” Rev. Roberta and Jim Verscheuren

            In The Demon Haunted World, Carl Sagan wrote, “My parents were not scientists. They knew almost nothing about science. But in introducing me simultaneously to skepticism and to wonder, they taught me the two uneasily cohabiting modes of thought that are central to the scientific method.” Those two uneasily cohabiting modes of thought are also central to Unitarian Universalism. One of the great challenges of our religion is to hold in tension the searchings of the rational mind and the yearnings of the mystical heart. That is one of the gifts religious humanism brings to our faith. This service, which focuses on religious humanism, concludes a year long exploration of the various sources of our faith. As with all of the other sources, I have invited members of the congregation whose personal spiritual paths resonate with a particular source to join me in the pulpit. In a few minutes Jim Verscheuren will share his experience of religious humanism. But first a little bit of context.

            The tension between mind and heart is not new. In ancient Greek philosophy, a difference emerged between the Apollonian and the Dionysian view of human nature. The Apollonian was concerned with form and structure. It exalted human reason as the primary trait that distinguished human beings from other life forms. This school believed in the potential for a rational and harmonious world if civilization would only give itself over to the development of cognitive faculties. The Dionysian view emphasized the dynamic aspects of human life. Existence was seen as a series of struggles and contradictions – a tragic inability to avoid suffering at the hands of fate. This philosophy emphasized the affective or feeling aspects of human nature.  

            So, is it human intellect or human will that should be the focus of our philosophy? An overemphasis on intellect leads to a certain naive optimism about our human ability to live an 'error free' existence. An overemphasis on the affective leads to an equally naive pessimism; as innocent and passive victims of fate we are helpless to improve our lot. As Christendom became the primary interpreter of culture in the Greco-Roman empire, these questions posed by the Greek philosophers were pushed aside. The faithful were encouraged to look 'Godward' rather than asking questions about the nature of humanity. It wasn't until the Renaissance, a millennium later, that the ancient Greek tradition was rediscovered, and intellectual endeavor once again turned to a more 'this worldly' focus.

The world view of the Renaissance was dynamic and vibrant and offered people the hopeful idea that as human beings, we could be active participants in a natural harmony. The Renaissance world view was humanist, not because it rejected a belief in God – it did not, but because it affirmed the importance of human thought and the exercise of free will. Humanity mattered again.

Further progress towards humanist religion was made during the Enlightenment, in the form of an ongoing attempt to focus scientific and intellectual inquiry into the area of human experience. Historian Alan bullock says, “The great discovery of the Enlightenment was the effectiveness of critical reason.” Faith in critical reason brought injected new optimism into liberal religion. James Freeman Clarke, a Unitarian minister in the mid-1800’s, articulated the Five Points of Unitarianism as, “The Fatherhood of God, the Brotherhood of Man, the Leadership of Jesus, Salvation by Character, and the Continuity of Human Development in all worlds, or the progress of Mankind onward and upward forever.” He may have been a wee bit optimistic, but I can tell you that if you were a Unitarian in the 1950’s, you might have seen the banner hanging in your church basement that still proclaimed his words. 

It wasn’t until after World War I that humanism became a distinct religious and philosophical movement. In 1933, when the first Humanist Manifesto was issued, fifteen of the original signers were Unitarians and one was Universalist. The Humanist Manifesto challenged the most basic assumption of Western religion – that religion had to do exclusively with a belief in God. Humanist leaders John Dietrich and Curtis Reese asserted that one can be religious without being theistic. Dietrich called this the naturalistic approach to religion; he based his philosophy on a set of assumptions about the nature of humanity, the nature of the universe, and the source of religious authority. 

The nature of humanity in this religion without God? First, every person is unique. Second, life is a constantly evolving reality and truth cannot be isolated at any point in history. Third, we can improve ourselves and our world by the intelligent control of materials and ideas. Reese said, “The primary object of humanism is to find out what human needs are and how they may best be met – and then to meet them.” Humanism is an ethical theology based on moral values that emerge out of human experience. Since human experience is constantly evolving and changing, all values must be, again according to Reese, “experimental and tentative'.

The nature of the universe in this religion without God? The universe is self existing and not created. Reese said that the natural world could condition but not determine human behavior. Free will is an essential determinant in humanist thinking.    People can change and adapt to changing conditions; this is what saves us from being victims of fate.

Finally, the source of religious authority in a religion without God? It is us. Human beings reflect on our lived experiences. Perhaps most importantly, it is us together. Not isolated individuals but a community of persons dedicated to the process of seeking the truth and living an ethical life.

Reason, free will, the inherent worth of every person, the necessity of community, the possibility of growing into a more just and peaceful world. That is what religious humanism brought to Unitarian Universalism. And now, from the theory to the practice ...