Home  

THE PERMANENTS IN RELIGION
Rev. John T. Crestwell, Jr.
June 17, 2005

“Foolish, foolish, foolish is the music that thinks it is good enough by itself.   Or the government that lives as if it is better than the long run.  Or the ice cream that believes it is pure and constant.”

The words from Davies member Hiram Larew state well that life is dualistic.  As I said in my last message, there is no true understanding in life if we do not see that the complimentary pair of opposites, the virtue and vice, communicate to us that we are human and alive.  We should embrace this fact as a way of dealing realistically with our perceptions and realities…

The words also imply that it is arrogance to think we at present are the “be all—end all” of existence.  It is true, you can be honored in one generation and forgotten in the next.  All of life is fleeting—and so foolish, foolish, foolish we mere mortals for believing that we are great; for acting as if we will live forever, and as if we’ve figured anything out!  The Upanishad writings were right, “To know is to not know, and to not know is to know!”

I’ve titled the sermon this morning “The Permanents in Religion”.  If you are listening, I’ve already contradicted my last statement.  How can anything be permanent if all is fleeting?  How foolish am I for choosing this topic!

I think all of life is fleeting, but there are permanents in life and in religion that can help us see the importance of our faith and the importance of community; and to be a voice crying out in the wilderness for people to have the space and freedom to “NOT KNOW” if that makes sense…

Theodore Parker in 1841 during the ordination of Rev. Charles Shackford in Boston wrote what is now a famous Unitarian sermon, titled “The Transient and Permanent in Christianity”.  Parker was trying to prove that the basic essentials of Christianity had not changed—the teachings of salvation and forgiveness and love that help people become better human beings— what he called the “eternal truth of God” this permanent had lasted hundreds of years…

But there were transients, things that were ever-changing.  He said these were and are “…the thought, folly, the uncertain wisdom, the theological notions, the impiety of humans.”  He said these, “form a great part of what is commonly taught as religion.”  He continued:

“The creeds, confessions, and collections of doctrines, deduced by reasoning upon the facts observed, may be baseless and false, either because the observation was too narrow in extent, or otherwise defective in point of accuracy, or because the reasoning was illogical, and therefore the deduction spurious.”

He would go on to explain that nature and the solar system, are what they are, yet human definitions and interpretations change, the perceptions or view of what people think of them are transient, but in reality nature is still nature and the cosmos the cosmos, the solar system, still the solar system.  So nature and the solar system are permanents in this example, but become transient from preconceived notions or just bad information.  He mentioned how Galileo was shunned and silenced for his beliefs about the sun being the center of our solar system.  The Catholics and others believed the earth was the center.  This shaped perceptions in that time.  It was a lie.  This is an example of what Parker means when he said the solar system was the solar system but because of poor reasoning and research, people were left with, plain and simply—bad information.   

So you see, for Parker, God was God, and Christianity was Christianity.  This is beautiful stuff and the Transcendentalists were hitting on something.  Eastern philosophy and their studies of nature were impacting their ideologies and they were beginning to see God outside the box.  Of course, these thoughts have benefited modern Unitarian Universalism greatly!

But, I think Theodore Parker’s views don’t fully work today.  They are transient thoughts.  Particularly because he believed Christianity was permanent as a faith.  He was a Christian.  Perhaps the idea of forgiveness and love between humans is a bit more permanent, but a specific religion, BY NAME, I would say is not.  This is where Parker’s transient theology errs.  If you remember,  the religion Zoroastrianism was THE RELIGION of its time.  It was and is considered the first world religion. There were over 2-million followers in its hay day—that was a lot of people Before the Common Era and into the early First Century!  Today, they have scarcely 150,000 converts.  What was here yesterday is gone today.   What was important to one generation is trivial in the next.   I believe that if Parker lived today, he would have evolved his belief sociologically and psychologically—understanding human needs more instead of a particular BRAND of religion.  Brands come and go.  He said in his sermon that “…if men observe and reflect upon religion, which will be done as long as man is a religious and reflective being, there must also be a philosophy of religion, a theology and theological doctrines.”  Parker seemed to have had some understanding that humans do need religion as a system that binds the mind and body together.  Religion, as Rev. Preston and Rev. Don defined for us many Sundays ago, is “a system of beliefs”.   The root for religion is “Religio”—to bind together.  Religion then is when we bind together a system of beliefs about God or the gods, the cosmos, nature, and existence—all of life; and religion binds humans together who share similar views.   We feed the body food to energize it so we can get through the day, and we feed the mind philosophy and theology and we gather in community to feed our souls, which helps make sense of all of the senselessness.

And so, we are foolish if we think that our particular brand of faith is so special that it is better than any other.  It’s better for us, but BETTER is relative.  Now, we Unitarian Universalists have chosen a soda that has a different kind of carbonation, but it’s still soda!  The point is, all religions ARE TRANSIENT—their theologies and philosophies—transient…  And even Parker’s theology—transient.  What are we left with?  Is their anything to hold on to?  Perhaps…

With all of this rational agnostic relativist talk, I believe there are still permanents in religion?  (I think).   What am I talking about?  If you are listening to me, interpersonal relationships, the human touch is a permanent in religion…

You know, I think I need to belong to something bigger than me, that makes me feel a part of something; that is an extension my family.  I need to feel like I have a place in the Universe.   This, you will find, is one reason people find religion or are religious…

I think I need a place to be respected.  Where people regard my existence as worthwhile and recognize or honor my efforts; where I and they see my life as meaningful.  Yes, I need to be a part of something that gives me respect!

I think I need a place to be appreciated.  Not only do I want respect but words of appreciation for my volunteer efforts; that my presence is enjoyed; I need to give and feel loved and be appreciated.   Yes, I need to find a place to be recognized and appreciated…

I think I need a place where I am liked or I can be liked.   I want to have and make friends.  People I can hang out with, go to the women’s circle (well you know what I mean); or to a parlor chat, or movies and munchies, religious education, church picnics.  I want to talk with my friends.  We might even gossip a little bit.  (I said a little bit.  Amen).  Yes, I want to be liked.

I think I need a place to be enthusiastic and expressive.  I need to get these thoughts out of my head.   I need someone to hear me out.   I’m tired of talking to myself.  I need someone to tell my stories too.  I need to release the creative energies within me.  Yes, I think I need a place to be enthusiastic and expressive about what I think and feel…

Yes, I think I need a place to find romance.   If I’m single, guess what?  I’m looking!  If I’m married, I need a place that will hold me accountable to my relationship.  Yes, I think I might want to find romance.  By the way, this is one good reason to grow our church!  More prospects… Amen. (somebody said, “…or more suspects—hello!)  I think I need a place to find more romance.

I think I need a place to feel safe.  I have many fears.  I would like my fears relieved.  Or at least have a place where I can openly deal with them.   The world is so big and life can be scary.  I need a church that makes me comfortable; that helps me deal with my insecurities; a place that’s like a good parent, chastising me at times to help me get my focus back, but always there with open arms.  I need to know I am secure to share my beliefs, and that it’s safe enough for me to test my ideas…  If I am human, I think I need a place to feel safe.

I wish I could take credit for the seven things I named, but this is from a gentleman, Tony Jeary—what he calls “The Seven Subtle Unconscious Desires” of people:  To belong, to be respected, to be appreciated, to be liked, to be enthusiastic, to find romance, and to be safe.

As odd as it may sound, these are the permanents in religion.  These are the permanents in life.  This is why people go to church.  Beyond the brand, beyond the theology, people go to church to be with other human beings.   In this light, religions are all the same.   Now, I am very strong about my belief in this religion, Unitarian Universalism, it is the one for me; but I realize that as special as this faith is to me, it is quite the same as the others sociologically…   It’s a different flavor of soda pop but it’s still soda!

The lesson here for us is that if we KNOW  there are these sociological permanents we share with all people; not just as it relates to being religious but being human, then we can see clearly that all humanity no matter the race, sexual preference or gender have basic desires.  We want many of the same things.  But this should not be seen as a competition over who can hoard the most resources.  No.  This should indicate a shared mutuality.  It should cause us to empathize with those who “have-not”; that we are in fact our brother’s and sister’s keeper, and I want to treat folk like I wish to be treated, because I too need affection and attention and love; and when I see others who do not have it, it bothers me because I know how much they need it!

So you see, I cannot “see another’s woe and not be in sorrow too.”  I cannot “see another’s grief and not seek for kind relief”.   I cannot “see another’s tear and not feel my sorrows share!”   If we have many of the same needs, then I AM YOU and YOU ARE ME; and since we are biologically 99.9% “of the same substance”, then I cannot see you disrespected without feeling some disrespect.  I cannot chastise you without feeling some remorse. I cannot blow you up, less I blow myself up.  I cannot see you starve less I starve myself—no matter your religion.  For me, understanding this is getting to the heart of what true religion is my friends!  And it brings us full circle right back to principle #1: that I/we believe in the inherent worth and dignity of all people!   If I respect myself I have to respect others because all human personality has value or as Edgar Sheffield Brightman would say, human personality has value because we are all made in the image of God.  And so the lesson today is that “as long as I have breath, as long as vision lasts; as long as my heart beats, I must answer “yes” to love.  Disappointment pierced me through, still I kept on loving you.  If they ask what I did best, tell them I said, “yes” to love!”  “Move me from arrogance, pompousness and from thinking myself more important than I am…  Might all of us be led from calling special privilege justice…  Oh Creative Sustaining Force-- of our mixed up, tragic, aspiring, doubting, and insurgent lives, help us to be as good (to each other) as in our hearts we have always wanted to be.”

Foolish, foolish, foolish is the person who thinks they are more than the other.

Foolish, foolish, foolish if we do not see ourselves in or as the other.

Foolish, foolish, foolish if we do not understand, as Dr. King said well, that we are all tied inextricably in a single garment of destiny.

Remember this today, and particularly when you deal with that person you absolutely detest this week…  Remember, they are as fragile as you are and as pompous as you are.  You are looking at yourself!   We’re all just human beings trying to find meaning in life…  We all wish to belong, to be respected, to be appreciated, to be liked, to be enthusiastic, to find someone to share our lives with, and to be safe.  These are the permanents in religion and in life and will be around as long as there are Homo sapiens on this planet.

If you fell asleep during this message, wake up because I want to sum it up with these few words:   “The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return!”

Amen and Amen.

About Our Diversity Growth Plan

Request updates for this site.

Rev. John Crestwell Bio & Sermons

A. Powell Davies Bio

A. Powell Davies Sermons

Sunday Morning Worship Services

Celebrations

Caring Network

Membership

Virtual Memorials

Links