“to celebrate the wonders of this world. . .”
One of the pillars of foundational religious thought that Unitarian Universalism rests upon is that of “Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit” (from the Sources, which are part of our Association’s bylaws). Dictionary.com defines humanism as “any system or mode of thought or action in which human interests, values, and dignity predominate,” or “a variety of ethical theory and practice that emphasizes reason, scientific inquiry, and human fulfillment in the natural world and often rejects the importance of belief in God.”
But what does that look like in practice? The Rev. Dr. Kendyl Gibbons, who serves the First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis, Minnesota, explores a “Humanist Identity” in this sermon from September of 2006. Rev. Gibbons is a member of the board of HUUmanists, and co-dean of The Humanist Institute.
from “Humanist Identity”
by the Rev. Dr. Kendyl Gibbons
Whether we are considering the exercise of leadership in this amorphous and sometimes fractious larger movement of humanism, or examining what is distinctive in our approach to the celebration of community, or bringing the voice of this congregation’s unique perspective into conversation among local Unitarian Universalists, many of us carry with us, as I do, the label of humanism. And as we approach the celebration of our 125th year as an institutional participant in the faith community of Minneapolis, it is worth asking again, what does it mean to be humanist? When we subscribe to that identity as a congregation, what are we claiming for and about ourselves? What resources does that identity offer us, and what kind of accountability does it ask of us? Of course, these questions do not have pat answers –- indeed, they have engaged the attention of some very fine minds for a century and a quarter right here, and I do not expect to dispose of them neatly this morning. Nevertheless, I think there are at least four things we can be assured of about what it means to embrace a humanist identity. It means, first of all, that we own a history together. Second, it means that we affirm a certain set of core values, specifically freedom, reason, and respect. A third implication is that we are engaged in a process of ongoing inquiry. And finally, it means that our conduct in all settings and circumstances, will be seen as representative of how humanists generally think and behave. Let’s unpack each of these four elements a bit.
A humanist identity partly consists of a particular history that we adopt as our own. It is not a specific national or ethnic or even institutional history; rather, it is the story of a cluster of ideas, as they emerge and grow and are suppressed and reemerge in various places and moments of human society over time. These ideas include the fundamental equality of human beings with one another, the capacity of the human mind and the process of reason increasingly to understand the nature of the universe, the necessity of individual freedom as a precondition for a just society, and the expectation of happiness and fulfillment in this life and this world. These ideas can be traced across cultures and eras and continents; wherever they grow bright and become influential, we humanists find our ancestors. We find them among the philosophers of ancient Greece, who dismissed the gods, and turned to examine the stuff of the world and the idea of a good life. We find them among the early sages of the far east, who advocated self-awareness, compassion, and impersonal cosmic forces. We find them among the scholars and artists of the European Renaissance, who loved the beauty of the world and questioned the authority of the churches. We find them among the scientists and inventors of the Enlightenment, who created a method of self-correcting knowledge, and among the revolutionaries who insisted upon the rights of humanity, and the iniquity of both slavery and kings. We find our forbears among the courageous reformers who have challenged tradition and public opinion in order to change long-standing injustices. We find them among the skeptical thinkers who disprove superstitions, who unmask pious frauds, who dare to imagine a world without gods. Every time an institution is founded for the purpose of increasing knowledge and advocating reason, we see the influence of humanism at work. Every time a community gathers in the name of simple humanity, to celebrate the wonders of this world, and the possibilities of this life, we see the light of humanism spread. To have a humanist identity is to claim this history as one’s own, to see yourself as a participant in this tide of freedom and reason, contributing your share to its work, rejoicing as it gains ground. This is our story, not of ultimate salvation, but of the progress of and hope for humanity. A humanist identity grounds itself in this story.A humanist identity also carries these values into our lives in the present day. We affirm our humanism in the practices of freedom, reason and respect, both in our own personal behavior, and also in the principles that we support in our culture and society. Humanism begins with the surprisingly daring proposition that ordinary individuals are the best judges of what will make them happy, and that to a very great extent, people should be allowed to do whatever it is they think is most likely to make them happy. This freedom has limits, of course, where it impinges on the freedom or well being of others, but it teaches us in a fundamental way that as we do not wish for anyone else to impose their views on us for our own good, so we must not seek to impose our views where they are not shared. Now this principle says nothing about making our views as attractive and persuasive as we can; indeed, at the heart of freedom is the discipline of persuasion. We are called upon to be able to explain why our convictions make sense in a way that someone else can understand; we can expect our ideas to prevail only if we can gain the free assent of our neighbors and fellow citizens. This can be a demanding discipline, and the use of force is always a tempting option, when we think we know what the right answer obviously is. Yet a true humanist identity requires us to protect not only our own liberty, but everyone else’s, in the knowledge we are only as safe in our freedom of thought and conviction as the least powerful and disenfranchised minorities are also free.
Side by side with our commitment to freedom stands our insistence upon the guiding power of reason. This is not to say that all our experiences, or even all our decisions, are perfectly rational. No human being has ever achieved such a state, and in some sense to do so would be to cast off the organic nature of our existence. We recognize that we are creatures of instinct and impulse, of needs and yearnings that are not always logical, and humanism teaches us to be content with that reality, not to seek to transcend it into some realm of disembodied ideas and perfection. But notwithstanding this embrace of our wholeness and finitude, we remain committed to the ways that logic, reason, and understanding can help us live better, happier lives. To think carefully, to act rationally, to approach the world with a healthy scientific curiosity -– all these make it more likely that we will be able to live as we would wish, and create fulfillment for ourselves and others. Moreover, we find that knowing how things work is a fulfillment in itself; our curiosity is both instrumental and also intellectual, and our minds have satisfaction in knowledge for its own sake. Additionally, as important as reason is to the development of the individual mind, we also find it indispensable as a public discipline. In making collective decisions for the common good, it is necessary to have a conversation in which facts are accurately reported, and the logical consequences of actions are thoughtfully considered. In the absence of reason, tyranny of one form or another becomes inevitable.
Out of these two considerations, of freedom and reason, emerges the principle of respect; that every person must be free to follow wisdom and conscience where it leads, and that one who claims a humanist identity is committed always to treating his or her fellow beings as having an essential, irreducible dignity. We learn from one another, from each others’ ideas, each others’ mistakes, each others’ examples, both good and bad. We do not believe that some are saved, and some are damned; that certain people are special, and others are expendable. A humanist identity calls upon its adherents to honor the common humanity in every person, and to model tolerance and engagement with views other than their own.
This responsibility as a model raises a third element of humanist identity, which is the recognition that when we claim to be humanists, then everything we do, everywhere we go, is viewed by the public as a demonstration of what humanism is about. Whether we are rude or gracious to those serve us; whether we are responsible or careless with our promises; whether we do business fairly, how we treat our spouses, children, and friends, the way we function in the political arena; how we respond to crisis and challenge when they come, the way we cope with disappointment or loss; our capacity for creativity, even the very balance and order of our lives, all make a statement about humanism as a philosophy and a faith. To have a humanist identity is to accept this responsibility for representing our fellow humanists and the movement as a whole; it is to agree that the consequences of a humanist perspective are demonstrated by how we conduct ourselves. If our behavior in any circumstance reflects poorly upon us, it is not just our own characters that are tarnished, but also the public perception of that humanism whose adherents we claim to be.
Finally, to have a humanist identity is to be engaged in a continuing process of inquiry – about the world, and ourselves, and the best way to live. It means being at peace within ourselves about the fact that we do not have all the answers to all the dilemmas of the human condition, and that even the answers we think we do have are always subject to reconsideration in the light of new information. It is to accept and embrace change as the one enduring quality of reality; it is to abandon the quest for perfection, permanence, certainty. It is this acknowledgement of all that we do not know -– which Socrates would have called true wisdom -– that saves us, if we abide by its disciplines, from hubris and arrogance. We are watchers on the shore of wonder, along with all our human brothers and sisters, and every acre we gain on the island of knowledge makes that much more coastline for our further exploration. Merely claiming to be a humanist is not in itself an accomplishment; only if our humanism makes us wise and honest and modest, compassionate and gracious; only if it motivates us to learn, to create, and to serve; only if it makes us eager for freedom and faithful to our covenants, is it anything to brag about. And indeed, if it does all that, there will be no need to brag, for the value of a humanist identity will be clearly apparent for all to see. It is in the service of these aspirations that we gather here every week, helping one another to learn and to remember these essential qualities of what it really means to be a humanist, pausing in the whirl of our daily activities and responsibilities to ask how we are doing with regard to these ideals.
We are star-stuff, my friends, risen into consciousness for this brief moment of opportunity to know ourselves, and the glorious, complex enormity of the universe in which we have our being. Let us carry that awareness into the lives we lead, into the relationships we conduct, into the work we do, into the communities we touch. Let our humanist identity gather us here, releasing the creative spirit among us, and the power of transformation into the world, that we may indeed know peace and hope and thanks; that we may be renewed in heart and mind, to celebrate once again.
Source: from “Humanist Identity” by the Rev. Dr. Kendyl Gibbons, who serves the First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis, Minnesota, preached September 17, 2006.
Tags: humanism, Kendyl Gibbons, living faith, philosophy, reason, sources, tradition
