Progressive and Reactionary Religion

Nearly every religion in the world today has progressive elements that seek openness and freedom and reactionary elements that believe their way is the only way.

As we have looked together
  at the wide variety of religious experience
    one of my recurring themes has been
       the two sides of religion.

I want to think of them as progression vs. regression,
   that is, religion can be expressed as
      progressive or regressive.

Progressive religion is open to new ideas.

Regressive religion is usually a closed system.

Any religion can be progressive,
   but most start out somewhat regressive.

Progress looks forward.

Regression looks to the past.

The two sides of the religious coin can be in balance,
        but that kind of experience is rare.

The single most important difference
   between progressive and regressive faith
       is faith in the faith itself,
           faith in a leader
               whose own spiritual experience
                     is normative for everyone.

Far better is a spiritual leader
    who can guide her or his followers
         into their own spiritual experience.

Regressive religion looks back to the revered leader
     requiring everyone to believe their teachings.

Often the revered leader is considered infallible.

A progressive faith is aware of the possibility
     of human error creeping into doctrine.

   A regressive faith emphasizes divine revelation
 and expects its doctrines to be perfect and infallible.

You have probably heard or read
  the nearly perfect expression of regressive religion:
      "God said it.
            I believe it.
               That settles it."

Needless to say at this point,
    what we often call fundamentalism
         is another term
for religion that I am calling regressive.

The divisions between
    progressive and regressive faith in our time
         are deeper and deeper.

They are triggering an "us vs. them"
             kind of tribalism.

It is becoming harder and harder for us
     to listen to - or even hear - each other.

I have said for many years
    that the differences within religious groups
          is greater than the differences between them.

The distinctions within groups are becoming sharper.

There are narrow views of religion
          in every tradition.

The acknowledgement that there can be good
   in another tradition
      is not characteristic of the narrow view
         of regressive religion.

That acknowledgement is a precondition
    to progressive religion.

What I hope to do in our studies of religions
     is to open wide the door
        in all our hearts and minds
            to learn from each other
                and from many others.

Sadly, many of our family, friends and neighbors
     who are moving into a more tribal view of faith
         will not want to learn much from us,

but we can still learn from them.

Maybe an example of open minded listening
    can even set a necessary example
        for those who are taking a narrower view.

Of course, it does not always work that way!

To give you a better idea of where I want to go
       in months ahead,
             I'm talking today about
                  the most important distinction
                       between good and evil
                            in religious commitment.

No matter
   what our personal spritual practice may be,
        it is our own personal practice,
             and we cannot impose it or its principles
                  on anyone else.

It is good
  to have religious beliefs and spiritual practice,
     but it is evil to try to impose
       our own personal commitments on anyone else.

Dan Brown cited William Blake
    in his recent book, Origins.

A wonderful poem is a crucial part
      of the denouement of the novel.

In the "Four Zoas"
Blake wrote:
"The dark religions are departed
And sweet science reigns."

To be absolutely blunt,
     dark religions are regressive.

Every religion is dark and dangerous
    whenever and wherever it is regressive,
         simply by believing and proclaiming
               that it alone is the truth for everyone.

By doing so it becomes the enemy of science,
    including and maybe especially
        the scientific study of religion.

Science requires a more open mindedness
    regarding any subject under study.

Scientists even have to be open to the possibility
    that things they have long believed
         may be proven false.

Peer review holds open the chance
      that one's own work
           may be proven to have been mistaken
                 at certain points.

Progressive religion would have to be very open
    to the scientific study of religion,
        including itself.

So far, as we have looked at various religions,
   we have only scratched the surface
       of the science of religion,
           the sociology of religion.

We have looked a little bit at history
    and the ways religions have shaped history
        and the ways they have been shaped by it.

Now I want to move both forward and backward.

I hope that doesn't mean that I will be
    both progressive and regressive (!),
       or at least if I must be both,
          that I will succeed in keeping
               those two possibilities in balance.

I want to move backward
     by looking again at some of the religions
          we have already looked at.

I want to move forward
      not only by looking at some other religions
           but also by looking more deeply
                into the theologies and practices
                     of religions we have already looked at.

I hope we can see ways
    that we can learn from others
         and enhance our own spiritual practices.

I want to be entirely open to ideas from you
    about the direction we will continue to go
         in our study of other faiths.

Our own Unitarian Universalist faith
     is deeply involved in this process
          by its very nature.

We provide tools for living a life of faith
    with principles of thought, word and action
        to enable an ethical life.

(Seven such principles, to be exact.)

[Single word summary by Fred:

1. Worth
2. Compassion
3. Acceptance
4. Search
5. Democracy
6. Community
7. Web]

We also provide tools for each and all of us 
    to develop our own faith for life,
        a way of approaching our own spiritual journeys,
             every one of us in our own unique way.

As UU's we are progressive in our religion
  at the very heart
     of what we stand for.

At the same time, we are in no less danger
    than any other form of relgious expression
        of developing regressive tendencies.

We are human beings.

We tend to be tribal.

Under stress, we draw inward
    to protect ourselves and others like us.

We also sometimes become too enthusiastic
    in our critique of each other
       and maybe especially of others outside our 
           living tradition.

We can safeguard our faith and life
    in the sweet science of Unitarian Universalism
        if we do just a few things:

We can keep our minds open
     to lessons from others around us.

We can recognize negative examples
     in those who have closed their minds
         while trying to defend the things they treasure.

We can open our hearts to disagree with each other
     and again especially with those outside our walls
          without becoming disagreeable ourselves.

Maybe most importantly,
    we can continue to seek
        and form alliances with
             people of good will
                 regardless of their background
                      or religious tradition,
                          especially those who are not like us.

By doing so
   we can make our own faith and practice
       far more progressive,
            and we can provide a strong witness
                to those around us
                    who lean more to the regressive side.

"Be ours a religion that goes everywhere..."

Be ours a religion that is always open
            to learn from others

That is the only way we can encourage people
     who are inside closed systems
         to open their windows and doors a little bit
            and allow the winds of change to enter.

Amen.

Blessed Be!