The Character of Liberal Religions

May 23, 2004

Rev. Paul Beckel

First Universalist Unitarian Church ~ www.uuwausau.org

 

This week marks the 104th anniversary of the founding of the International Association for Religious Freedom. The International Association for Religious Freedom was begun in 1900 at the annual meeting of the American Unitarian Association.  Since that time IARF has become an association of approximately 90 Buddhist, Jewish, Christian, Hindu, tribal, humanist, and pluralist member groups -- in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas -- all who affirm that the quest for the spirit must not be restricted.

 

This message, of course, is not new. But it needs to be re-affirmed, upheld, and lived by each new generation. For example, a few days ago the Austin, Texas Star-Telegram reported that: “...according to the office of [the] Texas Comptroller... a Denison (TX) Unitarian church isn't really a religious organization -- at least for tax purposes [because] the organization "does not have one system of belief..." and does not require belief in a god, gods, or a higher power. [The entire article is printed below.]

 

Now we might argue whether religious and other non-profit organizations ought to be tax-exempt. We might argue whether donations to religious organizations ought to be tax deductible.  But since, today, they are, government officials find themselves in the un-enviable position of determining what constitutes a “religious” organization. 

 

At least for now, the Unitarian Universalists in Denison, Texas will not be considered “religious” by the state, even though a lot of other UU churches in Texas, and some godless Buddhist groups are apparently sufficiently religious.

 

So what is religion? And what can religious organizations expect? The General Secretary of the International Association for Religious Freedom says: "Religion and belief are motivating forces which guide our existence and make it meaningful. What we can rightly demand is religious freedom, and what we correspondingly must supply are the highest ethical standards of responsible conduct. IARF is a committed fellowship of those who are engaged in both tasks."

The IARF logo says “Belief with integrity.”  I think this means: believe what you believe... not what you’re “supposed to” believe. According to their website, “IARF members ...acknowledge that we often mistake what is fleeting for ...ultimate reality, and yet we know the truth of life is expressed in many ways. Therefore, we affirm that openness to diverse expressions of faith and wisdom is necessary for spiritual growth. We recognize our common humanity in our failures and sufferings, in our aspirations and hopes, and in the universal experience of love and friendship. In gratitude for the unity of all life, we seek with compassion to realize our true nature, and justice and peace in the world.”

 

A couple of months ago I preached about New Religious Movements.  I described some religious movements that seemed a little unusual while affirming the importance of respecting our religious neighbors. Today I would like to describe the common traits of the diverse liberal religious traditions in practice around the world.

 

What are “Liberal religions”?  Liberal religions, according to UU historian John Godbey, share these 6 traits:

1.      Liberal religions affirm the individual’s freedom of choice in religions matters.

2.      They require individual responsibility in such choice.

3.      Liberal religions must be practiced in relationship with one’s community.

4.      They affirm that new religious ideas will arise.

5.      They affirm the importance of reason.

6.      And finally, liberal religions affirm the value of religious and social diversity.

 

What does that mean? #1 Liberal religions “affirm the individual’s freedom of choice in religions matters.”  When I was in college, religiously out of sorts, visiting different churches with friends, I heard a conservative preacher tell about trying to convert a member of a motorcycle gang. Over months or years he watched as the man repeatedly “saw the light” and then drifted away.  Finally one night the motorcycle guy stayed overnight at the preacher’s house, and the preacher told him that he had to make a choice.  When he woke up the next morning he heard a roaring engine as the man peeled out of his driveway...and he never saw him again.

 

“Wow!” I thought. You can leave? You can choose? I was outta there.

 

Very often religion is handed down, maintained, and protected, like a family heirloom.  There are elements of our family religious traditions that we are happy to pass from generation to generation.  But there are elements of every tradition that do not wear well in the present age.

 

And so we choose, not because we can so much as because we must.  We are heretics, all of us, in the sense of the ancient root of the word, which means, “to choose.”

 

It is a shame that heresy has come to imply a lack of religiousness, or an anti-religious attitude...because not only have heretics clung “religiously” to their unpopular points of view despite ostracism and execution, but the act of making choices, that is, discovering and expressing one’s own point of view...that is—in my opinion—that is the essence of religion for the individual.

 

And also for the religious institution: heresy is essential.  "Religions are kept alive by heresies, which are really sudden explosions of faith." [Gerald Brenan] Heresies are the background of any religious tradition: liberal, fundamentalist, and everything in between.  Siddhartha the heretical Hindu became the Buddha.  Jesus the heretical Jew became the Christ.  Luther the heretical Christian founded a church which has since been heresied into several more.

 

What differentiates liberal religions is that heresy is not only in the background, but also in the foreground.  Liberal religions vary in regard to how much internal dissent is tolerated. But in principle they agree that an open interchange of ideas is a good thing. Or at least that it is a good thing that other traditions exist, with whom to dialogue.

 

Note that I am holding up the concept of heresy, not the content.  No doubt some choices and opinions are destructive, irrational, and socially unsupportable.  But the individual must still be free to believe whatever he or she genuinely believes, which brings us to our second point: Liberal religions require individual responsibility in making such choices.

 

Responsibility means that each person not only has to figure out what they believe, and how to put their beliefs into practice, but each person is responsible for the consequences of their beliefs and actions. Society has to enforce some limits, of course, when one person’s beliefs begin to interfere with another person’s freedoms. But as far as possible, if we really expect people to be responsible, then we need to allow each other to deal with the consequences of our own beliefs.  I may go to hell for what I believe. Don’t sweat it. It’s not your responsibility.

 

Liberal religions leave private behavior and private thoughts to the individual.  We certainly draw inspiration from other people, who have taught us through their words and deeds. But we cannot give away our final authority...our final responsibility for our own beliefs. We couldn’t give that responsibility away even if we wanted to. 

 

Which also means that neither sacred scripture, nor even a personal visit from the gods can be blamed for our behaviors.  We are ultimately responsible for our own values, and how we put them into practice.

 

Third: Liberal religion must be practiced in relationship with one’s community. Unfortunately, many Americans have no concept of liberal religion.  So we’re often asked: “If you don’t have doctrines or a creed, then why have a religion?”  To this I answer:

·        because we seek meaning and purpose in life

·        because we wish to become better people, and make better choices

·        because we wish to share the gifts of our lives

... and for all of these things, we need one another.

 

Besides, religious freedom cannot endure as a vague concept... but only as it is embodied, and practiced, in community.

 

#4 Liberal religions...affirm that new religious ideas will arise. While fundamentalists see their sacred texts as unified, complete, and self-sufficient, religious liberals look to many sources for inspiration. And while fundamentalists look backward toward an original mythic cycle of events, religious liberals look to the unfolding span of history, including the unknown future, for new insights into the perennial questions, and even new questions in which to delight.

 

#5 Liberal religions...affirm the importance of reason. Like other religious groups, UUs affirm the value of tradition, we look to the exemplary lives of good people, we look to experience, intuition, art, and nature. But we also heed the guidance of reason, and the scientific process.

 

Science is kind of like heresy.  It does not always lead to absolute truth.  But the scientific process is still enormously valuable. Here’s how it works: we take hypothetical truths and subject them to critical analysis. We assess the evidence. We subject what we think we know to review by independent sources. We look for consistency and coherence between our various theories of how life works. Religion is not science. Much of religion can never be proven to be untrue.  But the tools of rational analysis are still incredibly valuable for us as religious people.

 

And finally: #6, Liberal religions affirm the value of religious and social diversity. In our own community (at the farmers’ market for example) we are reminded again and again of the beauty of human diversity.  And maybe that would be enough: the beauty... the variety, the possibility of us all getting along even as we barter and step on one another’s toes.  Maybe that would be enough, but astonishingly we are blessed with something more: Diversity and inclusion are beautiful concepts. But liberal religion is about the conversations that take place after we have included. Liberal religion seeks the deeper truths that we might discover -- about ourselves and our world --through creative interchange with those who see the world through very different eyes.

 

***

A little internet research on some of the member groups of IARF reveals a remarkable diversity:

 

·        Konkokyo is a Japanese group founded by a farmer in the mid 1800s.  Their founder, Konko Daijin, discovered a method of mediating between people and one of the gods. Konkokyo sprang from a Shinto culture but makes a point about not being a derivative of Shinto.

 

·        Rissho Kosei-kai is a Japanese Buddhist group. “...members take ‘being content with little’ as a criterion of life because they know that all living beings are infused with the life of the Original Buddha. And they extend a helping hand to people in far corners of the globe because they realize that everyone, everywhere, is equally animated by the Original Buddha; we are all brothers and sisters.”

 

·        The Fo Guang Shan Order of Humanistic Buddhism is based in Taiwan. Its members now number 1.5 million on all continents. They hold the following beliefs: 1. All beings are intimately interdependent on each other. 2. Be compassionate and treat all beings as if they were a part of you. 3. Develop the wisdom to determine what is right and wrong. 4. Develop the strength to be tolerant. 5. Be generous and befriend others. 6. Be a practitioner of mind purification.

 

This group’s website talks mostly about the group’s activities in Africa, including setting up a seminary to train monks who will begin the process of Africanizing Buddhism. They acknowledge that Buddhism is a life style which adapts to meet the needs of communities, blending with the local culture and transforming itself.

 

Still, even groups that promote adaptation may have some specific requirements.  Fo Guang Shan, for example, requires its monks to: Follow our Buddhist precepts of which there are 250 including: celibacy and vegetarianism; Be a graduate of one of our Fo Guang Shan Male Buddhist Colleges; Must be fluent in Mandarin Chinese; Able to read the Buddhist Sutra in classical Chinese script; Play the Buddhist religious instruments; Meditate in full lotus position for over one hour; Be well trained in the Chinese Martial Arts including Tai Chi Chuan; and be Able to cook vegetarian food. Fo Guang Shan is also constructing a facility in Africa to house 600 orphans.

·        The principles of the Brahmo Samaj, which was derived from Hinduism in 1828 are:

There is only one God, who is the creator, and the saviour of this world. God is spirit, infinite in power, wisdom, love, justice and holiness, omnipresent, eternal and blissful. The human soul is immortal and capable of infinite progress, and is responsible to God for its doings. Human happiness in this and the next world consists in worshipping God in spirit and in truth. And "The true way of serving God is to do good to others."

 

Brahmos hold all the great religious leaders of the world in respect, and believe that truth is to be gleaned from all the scriptures of the world. The Brahmo religion is truly eclectic, Universalistic, and calls itself "dogmatically undogmatic". Rationalist in everything, it does not deny the possibility of Divine Revelation, but reserves the right to test the validity of what is supposed to be revelation.

 

There are IARF members in

BANGLADESH: Young Men's Buddhist Association

HUNGARY : Community of the Medicine Buddha

INDIA : Guru Nanak Foundation (whose name suggests a Sikh origin)

ISRAEL : Centre for Religious Pluralism

NIGERIA : The Light of Salvation Mission

NORTHERN IRELAND : The Non-Subsubscribing Presbyterian Church

PHILIPPINES : Manotobo Tribal Group

RUSSIA :Logos Society of Christian Culture and Education

 

There are also some Unitarian and Universalist groups, for example the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists, which has congregations from New Zealand to South Africa, and Spain to Sri Lanka.  (The UU church in Appleton has an ICUU partner church in Transylvania.)

 

When I was a seminarian (at Meadville Lombard in Chicago) I had the good fortune to study with students of ministry from several of these traditions, including Konkokyo, Brahmo Samaj, the Universalist Church of the Philippines, and The Unitarian Churches of both Romania and the Czech Republic.

 

***

Liberal religions promote tolerance. But having looked at a range of religious traditions, I cannot say that I respect all forms of religious expression.  In fact I’m committed to interfering with the work of those who promote sexist, racist, classist, and homophobic public policies in the name of their religious principles. I’m committed to interfering with the work of those who use religion to justify hatred.

 

Still, I commit myself to respecting the persons, if not their positions.  I commit myself to respectfully hearing their fears and needs, even as I offer an alternative approach to facing the frightening changes and challenges of the modern world.

 

I know that many religious sources, practices, and beliefs that are not meaningful to me are meaningful to others, and motivate them to lead productive, caring lives.

 

I personally choose to commit myself to furthering the Unitarian Universalist tradition, as one tradition of many, one tradition of hope. 

 

 

 

Unitarian group denied tax status

By R.A. Dyer
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

AUSTIN - Unitarian Universalists have for decades presided over births, marriages and memorials. The church operates in every state, with more than 5,000 members in Texas alone.

But according to the office of Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn, a Denison Unitarian church isn't really a religious organization -- at least for tax purposes. Its reasoning: the organization "does not have one system of belief."

Never before -- not in this state or any other -- has a government agency denied Unitarians tax-exempt status because of the group's religious philosophy, church officials say. Strayhorn's ruling clearly infringes upon religious liberties, said Dan Althoff, board president for the Denison congregation that was rejected for tax exemption by the comptroller's office.

"I was surprised -- surprised and shocked -- because the Unitarian church in the United States has a very long history," said Althoff, who notes that father-and-son presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams were both Unitarians.

His church is just one of several Unitarian congregations in North Texas, including churches in Fort Worth, Arlington and Southlake.

Strayhorn's ruling, as well as a similar decision by former Comptroller John Sharp, has left the comptroller's office straddling a sometimes murky gulf separating church and state.

What constitutes religion? When and how should government make that determination? Questions that for years have vexed the world's great philosophers have now become the province of the state comptroller's office.

Questions about the issue were referred to Jesse Ancira, the comptroller's top lawyer, who said Strayhorn has applied a consistent standard -- and then stuck to it. For any organization to qualify as a religion, members must have "simply a belief in God, or gods, or a higher power," he said.

"We have got to apply a test, and use some objective standards," Ancira said. "We're not using the test to deny the exemptions for a particular group because we like them or don't like them."

Traditional faiths

Since Strayhorn took over in January 1999, the comptroller's office has denied religious tax-exempt status to 17 groups and granted them to more than 1,000, according to records obtained by the Star-Telegram. Although there are exceptions, the lion's share of approvals have gone to groups that appear to have relatively traditional faiths, records show.

But of the denials, at least a fourth include less traditional groups, the records show. In addition to the Denison Unitarian church, the rejected groups include a Carrollton group of atheists and agnostics, a New Age group in Bastrop, and the Whispering Star Clan/Temple of Ancient Wisdom, an organization of witches in Copperas Cove.

Some of the denials occurred because of missing paperwork or other problems, according to the comptroller's office. A few, like the denial for the New Age group and the witches group, were decided because their services were closed to the public, according to documents.

But the denials of the Red River Unitarian Universalist Church in Denison and the North Texas Church of Freethought in Carrollton, as well as an earlier denial by Sharp for the Ethical Culture Fellowship of Austin, were ordered because the organizations did not mandate belief in a supreme being.

The disputed tax dollars don't amount to much, but the comptroller has taken a stand on principle, Ancira said.

"The issue as a whole is, do you want to open up a system where there can be abuse or fraud, or where any group can proclaim itself to be a religious organization and take advantage of the exception?" he said.

Those who oppose the comptroller's "God, gods or supreme being" test say that it can discriminate against legitimate faiths. For example, applying that standard could disqualify Buddhism because it does not mandate belief in a supreme being, critics say.

Opponents note that the federal government applies less stringent rules for federal tax exemptions, yet manages to discourage fraud and abuse. They also question whether the comptroller's office has formulated excuses to discriminate against nontraditional groups, such as those that include witches and pagans.

But Ancira says it's up to the comptroller's office to interpret state law, which he describes as rather vague. He insists the comptroller never favors one religion over another.

"This comptroller, in particular, wants everybody on a level playing field," he said.

'Creedless' religions

The comptroller's office has not always barred "creedless" religions from tax exemption, said Douglas Laycock, a University of Texas law professor who specializes in religious liberty issues.

That standard first came up in 1997, when then-Comptroller Sharp ruled against the Ethical Culture Fellowship of Austin. In making that decision, Sharp overturned the recommendation of his staff.

The Ethical Culture Fellowship sued, claiming that Sharp overstepped his authority. Allied with the group in the ongoing lawsuit are pastors from a broad range of faiths, including Baptists, Lutherans and Mennonites.

Both the lower court and the Texas Supreme Court have ruled against the state's decision. In one opinion, an appeals court said the comptroller's test "fails to include the whole range of belief systems that may, in our diverse and pluralistic society, merit the First Amendment protection."

Strayhorn vows to continue the legal fight to the U.S. Supreme Court, if necessary. "Otherwise, any wannabe cult who dresses up and parades down Sixth Street on Halloween will be applying for an exemption," she said in a April 23 news release.

The Red River Unitarian Universalist Church, the 50-member congregation whose tax application was rejected by Strayhorn's office, has held services in Denison for the seven years. Althoff said his group includes "hard-core atheists" as well as "New Agey-type people."

But the lack of a single creed is a hallmark of Unitarianism, Althoff said. Instead, Unitarian Universalists have seven guiding principles, including "respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part," according to the Unitarian Universalist Web site.

The group also draws from various religious and philosophical traditions, including Jewish, Christian, humanist and Earth-centered teachings, but promotes individual freedom of belief, according to the Web site. It notes that Unitarians and Universalists have operated in the United States for at least 200 years, although the two groups did not merge until 1961.

It now includes about 40 congregations in Texas, and more than 1,000 in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Despite its lack of a specific creed, Unitarian Universalism is as much a religion as any other, Althoff said. From his perspective, religion is not just about the answers to life's big questions, but also calls on people to evaluate the questions themselves.

"It seems to me that any [group] that is specifically organized to address and explore the issues of what constitutes the good life, both here and perhaps in the afterworld, would qualify" as a religion, Althoff said.

The Rev. Anthony David, lead pastor of Pathways Church in Southlake, said he is disturbed by the comptroller's decisions because it ignores Unitarian Universalists' belief that spiritual fulfillment can emerge in "different ways at different levels."

"It reflects an incredible misunderstanding of what a church needs to look like," David said.

Pathways teaches that God is a term that describes the source of ultimate meaning and purpose, but the church does not advocate a one-size-fits-all theology, David said.

"Creedlessness doesn't mean no belief or anything goes," he said.

Craig Roshaven of Fort Worth's First Jefferson Unitarian Universalist Church said he has followed the comptroller's decisions with growing dismay.

His group has tax-exempt status, but he wonders what's to prevent Strayhorn from revoking it.

"The comptroller's logic could be applied to any of us," he said.

Ancira said the comptroller's office has no plans for such reversals. But then again, said Ancira, "There's nothing preventing us from doing so.