"We will walk on our own feet; we will work with our own hands; we will speak our own minds...A nation of men will for the first time exist, because each believes himself inspired by the Divine Soul which also inspires all men." — Ralph Waldo Emerson [1]
At the time that American Transcendentalism was born, it was a rebellion within the Unitarian community. At that time, equating Transcendentalism with Unitarianism would have been laughable, but over time Unitarianism has become more and more Transcendentalist. Unitarian Universalism still does not regard itself to be rooted in Transcendentalism, but the two are close enough to be compatible.
My chief objection to revealed religion in general is that it rests upon a doctrine of special revelation, though there are significant exceptions at the heart of the Judeo-Christian tradition. As I have moved away from submission of my moral soul to indoctrination, I have become more emphatic in my belief that the individual must be responsible for his/her own morality. To simply adopt someone else's morality is irresponsible. Furthermore, there is nothing more primary as a source of meaning and morality than the individual soul. If we cannot trust our own conscience, what good does it do to forfeit our role in life's moral drama? We have no choice but to use our own judgement; to settle for anything less would be, well, immoral.
Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind. — Ralph Waldo Emerson [2]
Sometimes one may feel shame for one's country, but we Americans have much to be proud of.
Unitarianism and Universalism are each very American religions, both historically and philosophically. Though Unitarianism has roots in Europe, it quickly developed a distinct personality of its own in America, and is tied closely to American culture and history.
Unitarian Universalism provides Americans an opportunity to participate in a compassionate, faith-based community without forfeiting their capacity to think for themselves—in a manner that is uniquely American. In such way, Unitarian Universalism provides Americans with a means to reclaiming their heritage from fundamentalism and nationalism.
Yes, it's true: I hug trees. There's plenty of room in my heart for dogs, cats, trees, and rivers. Because of this innate love of nature, I require a faith that is inclusive enough to nurture a reverence for nature.
Thanks to the final principle of the UUA, I can enter the congregation without shame:
Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. [3]
There's one thing I would change, though: I would replace the word respect with the word reverence. I don't mean to imply that trees have rational facilities, but rather, I strongly believe that Nature is more than a very important mechanism. I believe that everything in Nature experiences its own existence, but even if one takes that away, isn't reverence a better word than respect?
Even without this recently introduced principle, the Unitarian and Universalist churches share a grand environmentalist heritage. Several Unitarians and Universalists played leading roles in the early American environmentalist movement. The best known were Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson and the Reverend Thomas Starr King. I feel privileged to join the congregation of such great Americans.
1. The American Scholar — Ralph Waldo Emerson
2. Self-Reliance — Ralph Waldo Emerson
3. Unitarian Universalist Association Principles and Purposes
Unitarianism — C G Singer
American Transcendentalism — Donna M. Campbell
What is Transcendentalism? — Jone Johnson Lewis
The Emergence of Transcendentalism — Ian Frederick Finseth
National Parks: The American Experience — Alfred Runte
Nature Writings: Words of the Rev. Thomas Starr King [PDF] — Arliss Unger
Nature — Ralph Waldo Emerson