A friend posted this cartoon at Facebook, and it set me to thinking. I fear its true about much of our lives, but mostly I found myself considering the nature of religions.
It is a commonplace that within liberal religion, and I’m thinking of its major expression as Unitarian Universalism that one may “believe anything one wants.” And it certainly can be true. We’re all invited to the party as we are. But to be authentic to the invitation one is expected to test everything, test again, and then only hold on to what one finds true within one’s heart and mind. And then test again. The invite is to start with what you believe, and then through the process of opening heart and mind to then believe only what one finds she or he must believe.
Frankly, its the adherents of “orthodox” religions, who tip their hats to creedal assertions that are exercising the arts of will, believing what they want in the face of, often, massive contradiction.
I recall my old friend the Dharma bum Uncle Weasel who when asked what he believed, replied “as little as possible.”
Therein lies the route
To true freedom…
To Thoughts that are free…
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