We thought it was our ability to love that made us human,
but it turns out it was actually our ability to SELECT EACH IMAGE CONTAINING A TRUCK.
What does it mean to be human?” Every religious tradition has given answers to this question. The book of Genesis says that “G*d created humans in hir image. In the image of G*d she created them. Male and Female she created them.” (I changed from masculine to feminine pronouns. We can discuss this later)
In the book of Mathew, Jesus says “blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called the children of G*d. Hebrew and Christian scriptures refer to G*d as our father and make no mention of our mother. Native American traditions teach that Earth is our mother. Jesuit priest, paleontologist and theologian Teilhard de Chardin asserted that humans are evolving, mentally and socially, toward a final spiritual unity.
Buddhism teaches that there is no self, no thing that is permanent or separate from the rest of existence. The Dalai Lama uses a term “codependent co-arising” which I take to mean that all of us together are co creating, that conditions arise from the consciousness and the actions from all of us.
It is not my goal to offer one definitive answer to the question, what it means to be human.” By considering different views on humanity, we might then choose to examine our own beliefs. We might break free from the limitations of our own thinking of what it means to be human. If we leave asking ourselves what it means to be human, we might consider and discover some new awesome possibilities for living. It’s an example of believing that to question truly is an answer.
I’m not saying that answers don’t matter. I’m not denying the power or usefulness of believing, for example, that we were created in G*d’s image. If I hear or read someone saying this, it reminds me that there is, inherent in us, a holiness, the capacity to transcend pettiness, anger and resentment, to move beyond our agenda. We can cultivate our caring and become responsive to universally held needs for wellbeing.
What does it even mean to be created in the image of the divine? What is divinity? What is G*d? If I identify myself as agnostic or atheist is it possible for me to find meaning in statements that speak of G*d? What can any of us take from the Genesis statement that we humans are created in G*d’s image?
One humanist view that I find congruent with monotheism is the belief that all of the Universe grows from one order, one system. We might take “created in God’s image” to mean that we are a manifestation of the one great order that generates all that we experience and more. A similar view is that everything originates from the same stuff; material and energy. Although we humans are small, we are made or born from stardust. Stephen Hawkin said “We are very, very small, but we are profoundly capable of very, very big things.”
A great force upon our view of humanity is our own life experience. We learn what we live. Psychology suggests that we may come into this world with tendencies about how we perceive and respond to life. Lastly we are shaped by the framing given to us, doctrines, theologies, scientific theories and culture.
To consider the influence of culture, let’s pause for a moment from thinking about what it means to be human, and consider our views about being male or female. For most of us the idea that there could be something besides this binary is a relatively new idea. Each of us has had years of conditioning that influence our understanding and experience of ourselves and others as male or female. What is one example of something you were taught about what it means to be a boy or girl, man or woman that you no longer believe?
We have taught or conditioned to believe things that may impede our ability to appreciate our humanity. Our UU tradition repeatedly has us look at two things: 1) the stories, ideas, dogmas held by our society or culture 2) what we believe. Honest self-examination may yield realization that we speak and act in ways that are not consistent with what we say we believe.
At this point we might experience shame or condemnation. UU tradition encourages us to notice but not buy in. We promote free and responsible search for truth and meaning that leads to freedom, awakening of consciousness, liberty, peace and a joy that grows from understanding. Full disclosure, I’ve found that to awaken requires patience, persistence, courage and compassion. It has helped me to realize that everyone has wounds and pain. Slowly, I’ve developed curiosity about the ways I have sought to avoid feeling the pain I’ve carried. Then I made a commitment to stop this avoidance. I’ve repeated my decision many times to be willing to feel and learn from unhealed pain.
I’ve noticed how prevalent among humans is the difficulty in accepting ourselves as we are. This a theme in most tragedies and comedies. In literature, tragedies are concerned with the main character’s tragic flaw.
Situation comedy is similar. The story is generally the same. The main character gets into a pickle. Instead of accepting what they have done, they take extreme measures to avoid consequences. These may fail immediately or lead to initial relief and success only to later lead to greater conflict and humiliation.
I’ve noticed that most times people mention that they are human, they also use the word “only,” as in “I’m only human.” Human becomes a synonym for flawed. I guess that a central part of the human condition is difficulty accepting ourselves as imperfect. The word “perfect” means complete. Humans are not complete. If we are fortunate, we are “works in progress.”
Lately, I have been marveling that self-awareness, self-honesty and self-acceptance seem a universal struggle for humans. I’m no exception. I have these ideas about what I should be able to accomplish. When I come up short, I usually realize that I have done something that I “shouldn’t” have done, or I’ve not done something that I believe I “should” have done. When I am full of should, I urgently try to compensate. I work harder and longer. I push myself until I meet the consequences of doing so. Often it’s only my commitment to return to compassion and self-kindness that keeps me from further punishment.
It has helped that I have a religious tradition that affirms the goodness of creation and humanity. Many cultures and religious traditions promote the idea that humans have a wicked and sinful nature. They say that we deserve eternal damnation, and only by grace and acceptance of a savior will we be spared or redeemed.
Getting someone to believe that they are bad, wicked and sinful is a very costly painful and damaging form of influence. It’s also common in a society that functions by enforcing structures of domination. Then people who see themselves as having achieved some dominance often fight to maintain their dominance over others. It helps maintain the domination system* to have widespread belief that “bad” people deserve to be punished. To achieve or maintain dominance, some try to appear as powerful warrior chiefs. They demand obedience and persuade people that their protection is needed.
Humanism emphasizes human capacity for learning. Humanists believe in people’s capacity to unite to improve human living conditions and foster a commonwealth.
Religious humanists may be theist, atheist or agnostic. They may believe in some principle, order or sovereign force which they may or might not refer to as G*d. Either way, humanists do not wait for divine rescue. Humanists believe in the possibility of human cooperation, organizing for common interests. They recognize that humans can be greedy, selfish and cruel.
Religious Humanism has grown to become a big part of UU religious life and practice. Some of us are atheists. Some of us are agnostic. Some of us are theists or anyways have faith in a wonderful force or order that’s much greater than human societies or structures. Many of us experience spirituality in nature. Our tradition emphasizes interdependence and respect for the web of existence of which we are a part. The structures and activities of our religious life demonstrate our faith in the possibilities of human agency. We create covenants and make promises to each other. When we fall short of our ideals, our tradition encourages us to keep learning together.
Before I end, I want to go back to the story from earlier, Kierkegaard’s “The King and The Maiden.” I imagine it speaks to us because to some extent we can identify both with the king and the maiden. The story is about greatness, privilege, the divisions of class or caste societies, and the love that overcomes what separates us from each other.
It strikes me that this love requires us to know about greatness and humility. The king wants the maiden to love him. He realizes that she must be free to be able to choose to love him. He let’s go of his power and privilege to meet her as an equal.
There are belief systems in this world that teach us that humans are inherently bad. There are belief systems that say might is right, structural power is evidence of superiority, only kings and winners can be great and know greatness.
Our tradition asks us to remember that everyone wants to know and be great. Human history is filled with horror and staggering beauty. UU tradition asks us to remember that humans are capable of greatness. Our tradition asks us to believe that extraordinary goodness and power will arise in surprisingly small places. The transformative healing power of this goodness is with us always! Whatever history does, whatever conditions may arise, we have the power to choose humanity. Part of humanity means connecting with something much greater than us, and sometimes if we can accept being very small, we discover that we are connected to something that dissolves our limited thinking. It sometimes happens that human experiences love beyond belief.
Blessed be!
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