What are your religious texts?

Although I haven’t written anything here in quite a while, I have been thinking a great deal about faith and spirituality. I’ve been reading a lot of spiritual literature—particularly the poetry of Rumi—and trying to synthesize some of the ideas into something that works for me.

Since I began my focus on my personal spirituality this year, and particularly since I started regularly attending the Unitarian Church of Edmonton, I’ve been reading a lot of these sorts of books. Of particular note are the following:

• A Year with Rumi, translated by Coleman Barks;
• Ethical Ambition, by Derrick Bell; and
• Becoming Human, by Jean Vanier.

In some ways, these books are my personal religious texts. I have found more spiritual value in them than in the Bible (which, admittedly, I have never read in it’s entirety).

I do plan to someday read the entire Bible, as well as other religious texts such as the Koran and the Sutras of Buddhism.

But, at least at this point in my personal and spiritual development, I have gained more from the works of non-dogmatic spiritual thinkers (who, often, are not explicitly writing about spirituality) than I have from traditional religious texts.

It is these books that are my personal religious texts.

What would you consider to be your religious texts? Do you find value in tradiational sources, such as the Bible or the Koran, or do you get your spiritual inspiration from other sources, such as poetry or music? Let me know in the comments section.

I joined the Unitarian Church of Edmonton

I was going to call this post “I joined the cult,” but my SEO instincts won out over my humour instincts.

It’s true, I have joined the Unitarian Church of Edmonton (UCE). I submitted a membership application about 3 weeks ago (as did Sara) and the board accepted it sometime during the week following.

Why did I join the church? Well, essentially for all of the reasons that I mentioned in my earlier posts, “Why I go to church,” and, “Choosing a spiritual home.”

I feel a sense of community at UCE—especially now that there is a young adult social group for the Gen X and Gen Y members of the congregation (all of whom seem to be really cool people)—and I really feel like I’ve found something that’s been missing from my life since I started going to church.

Plus, I very recently starting calling myself a Unitarian—I even updated my religion on Facebook (and we all know that nothing is real if it isn’t on Facebook). Since I have started identifying my faith in this way, it only seemed logical to become a member of the church.

Will this change my relationship with the church? Probably not. I’ve been attending regularly for months now, and I already felt like I was becoming a member of the church. I’ve begun identifying my spiritual/faith beliefs as UU. All that I’ve really done is to submit the paperwork and make it official.

I mean, OK, now I’ll be able to vote on church issues during general meetings (or, rather, I will be able to vote once I’ve been a member for 2 months). And, I suppose that, maybe, I’ll feel a bit more willing to give money and volunteer time to the community than I did before. But, ultimately, all that I’ve done is to make official what I’ve already been putting into practice for several months now.

Are you a member of a church/synoguage/mosque/temple? When did you join? What made you decide to become a member of your particular church (by which I mean the congregation, not the religion itself)? I’d love to read your answers to these questions in the comments.

Unitarian minister speaks out against Alberta gov’ts cuts to sex-change operations

This letter is just one of many reasons that I’m happy to call myself a Unitarian Universalist (yes, I’ve decided that it is appropriate to identify my religious beliefs in that way):

In a $36-billion budget, the Alberta government chooses to eliminate $700,000 for gender reassignment surgeries. By my calculation that’s a whopping 0.00194 per cent of the budget.

Sorry, but to me this looks like a convenient opportunity to disguise blatant and cruel discrimination as fiscal prudence.

If it wasn’t tragic, it would be laughable.

And the saddest thing is that the government will now have to spend considerably more than they will save in defending this policy before a human rights tribunal.

It’s wrong, mean-spirited and petty, and for what it’s worth, against my religious principles.

Rev. Brian Kiely, Unitarian Church of Edmonton

The emphasis in the final paragraph is mine, but it serves to highlight the way that my church matches my beliefs. I can’t think of too many other religions where a minister would sign his or her name to a letter like this. For that reason, among others, I can’t think of too many other religions where I’d feel comfortable exploring my spiritual side.

For a look at my own opinion on this issue, check out my (unpublished) letter to the editor, “Cutting coverage for sex-change operations shameful,” on my other blog, AdamSnider.com.

Acknowledging the dark side of life

I just recently returned from a Good Friday service at the Unitarian church. It was not, as you might have guessed, an explicitely Christian service. Jesus played a part, of course, but it wasn’t the traditional Christian Good Friday mass. It was still called a Tenebrae service, but it the part about “Jesus saves!” was noticably absent (since it was a Unitarian service, rather than a Christian service).

It was quite a moving service, for me. It was short but sombre. It caused me to be much more introspective than I have lately, and to acknowledge the darknesses in my life.

In particular, I thought about my father.

My farther is ill. He may even be dying, albeit relatively slowly. His kidneys are failing. In fact, he started on dialysis earlier this week. While I think he still has some kidney function, it’s as though the organs have already failed him completely.

It seems more and more unlikely that he will live to be an old man (he is only 50). I have been denying this and, in doing so, acting as if our time is unlimited. Instead, I should embrace the dark truth of the situation. I should acknowledge his illness.

I should cease taking my father’s life for granted. I should make more time for him in my life. I should let him know that I love him—through actions, if not through words. I should do all of this soon.

Now may be all that we have.

Choosing a spiritual home

I’ve been trying to write this post for far too long now. I kept thinking that, in writing about the fact that I have chosen a new spiritual home, I should write a post comparing the two churches I was choosing between—Unitarian Church of Edmonton (UCE) and Westwood Unitarian—and saying what it was about UCE that made me choose it over Westwood.

The problem with this approach, and the reason that I’ve finally abandoned it, is that in saying what I like about UCE the post kept sounding like I was criticizing Westwood. That was not my intention at all. It’s simply that UCE is better fit for Sara and I, so we have decided that it will be the church we attend regularly.

Without commenting on Westwood, then, what is it about UCE that made us choose it? Well, I can’t pretend to speak for Sara, but here are my reasons for choosing the Unitarian Church of Edmonton as my new spiritual home:

• I like the belief system (or lack thereof, depending on your point of view) that Unitarian Universalists share. The openness and liberal philosophy have strong appeal for me.
• I like the minister; his sermons are thought-provoking and insightful. He’s also got a good sense of humour and isn’t afraid to let it show when he’s at the pulpit—religion doesn’t have to be deadly serious.
• The congregation is large enough that I will probably be able to meet some like-minded people and perhaps even make some new friends, but small enough that it still feels like a fairly close-knit community (of which I am very slowly becoming a part).
• They offer a lot of opportunities to learn new things. Currently, Sara and I are taking two courses through the church: Our Neighbouring Faiths (an introduction to 6 major world religions) and The New U (an introduction to Unitarian Universalism, including the history of the faith in general and of UCE in particular).
• Like all UU churches, UCE is welcoming of everyone, regardless of race, colour, creed, religion (seriously), gender, sexual orientation, income, or anything else. To be able to be a part of such a welcoming community is an amazing feeling.

There are lots of other reasons, too, but mostly I just feel comfortable at UCE. I’d probably have checked it out a long time ago if I had known about it sooner.

It feels very good to have found a spiritual home where I can explore my own faith on my own terms while still being part of a welcoming community who can help me in my journey (and, eventually, I hope to be able to help others, whether by volunteering at the church or by just talking about spiritual matters with other members of the congregation).

The next step, I guess, is to become a member of the church. I haven’t quite decided that I’m ready for that, but I think it’s likely in the cards. Hell, one day I might even start calling myself a Unitarian Universalist.

Writing as a spiritual practice

Mary Jaksch has an interesting article on Write to Done about writing as a spiritual practice. As someone who is both a writer and a person trying to find greater spiritual depth in life, I found it an interesting read.

My favourite part of the article is when she describes what she means when she says something is spiritual:

When I say spiritual, I’m not talking about anything high-flying. I’m not talking about angels, higher vibrations, higher intuition, higher anything. I’m talking about something lowly: how to be grounded in the moment.

I like this definition of spirituality as something lowly and Earthly. To me, that’s the most important kind of spirituality. I can’t possibly know if all of the high-flying gods and angels stuff exists, but I am fairly certain about the reality of our physical realm (i.e.: the world that I can perceive with my 5 senses).

Thinking of spirituality in Earthly terms means that it becomes something tangible and accessible to everyone. I can’t think of a better way of thinking about spirituality.

As nice it is to think about the concept of a perfect afterlife, I’m much more interesting in exploring spirituality and faith in a way that impacts the life I have now. How can faith improve my life, and how can I help to improve the lives of others?

To me, that’s what faith and spirituality are all about.

To read the rest of Jaksch’s article, visit Naked Mind: Writing as Spiritual Practice.

Sex and Spirituality

"they sleep" by caro*naf

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, I thought it was only appropriate that I talked about sex.

You might wonder: What does sex have to do with spirituality?

For a lot of people, sex and spirituality are very closely linked, especially if they base their moral code on their religious beliefs. Many religions talk about sex as sin, at least if it occurs outside of marriage.

For these people, their spirituality dictates their sexuality.

Personally, I don’t see anything wrong with premarital sex. Sex is not a sin. If anything, sex is a gift from god.

There are, of course, moral issues surrounding sex—rape, adultery, pedophilia, you name it—but sex itself is not a bad thing.* I can’t imagine too many people would disagree with me on that point.

Where a lot of people, both religious and non-religious, will disagree with me is in my belief that sex is a spiritual act. At least, it can be a spiritual act.

I’m not going to suggest that by going out and having a one-night stand, you’re getting closer to god. In order for sex to be a spiritual act, there has to be a connection with your partner (i.e.: a spiritual connection).

What is it about sex that makes me think of it as spiritual?

Primarily, it’s the connect with another human being on the most intimate of levels. Short of giving birth to someone, there is no deeper way to bond with a person than to have sex with them. If the sex is truly intimate, and not just a physical act, you’re accessing every part of your partner, and they’re accessing the deepest parts of you—physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Part of my personal understanding of god is that “he” is not so much an external being as much as an internal, human force. This isn’t to say that humans are gods, but that we all have an element of the divine within us. To open oneself completely to another is to give that person access to that spark. Sex connects us to the spirit of the person we are with and, by extension, with the great Spirit of Life.

Sex is also a sort of zen-like experience. For me, and I assume for most people, having sex is the ultimate “in the moment” experience. It’s pretty rare that I find myself thinking about anything outside of the moment while I’m in it.

Because of the zen-like nature of sex, there is a strange sort of spiritual element that make me feel at peace with the entire universe. Of course, a lot of that is because of the happy-fun-time chemical cocktail coursing through my body while I’m in the act, but I see little value in separating the physical from the metaphysical. After all, it’s only through our physical selves that we can experience the metaphysical (I realize that this statement is a paradox of ridiculous proportions, but it’s what I believe).

Now, having said all of this, the spiritual element of sex is rarely something that I’m actually conscious of during the act.

Physically, sex is just plain fun. I think it goes without saying that sex is pretty awesome, even when these spiritual elements are removed from it.

But, for me, it’s the spiritual side of sex that makes it really worthwhile. It’s as much about connecting with my partner’s spirit as it is about physical pleasure.

As usual, I’m interested in hearing your thoughts. How do you related sex and spirituality? Do you related the two, or do you see them as entirely separate from one another? Leave your thoughts in the comments section.

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*By no means am I suggesting that people who commit adultery are the same as rapists and pedophiles; I was simply listing some sex acts that I believe are immoral.

Why I go to church

Since I first visited the Unitarian Church of Edmonton (UCE) four weeks ago, I have attended every week. Part of the reason for this is that I’m still trying to decide if UCE is the right place for me.

But, my reasons for continuing to go to church are more numerous than that one point alone.

I have a number of reasons for attending church, not least of which is the fact that each sermon at UCE is as much about learning new things as it is about connecting with my spiritual side.

My reasons for going to church include:

• Feeling a connection to god, whatever god may be.
• Feeling a connection to a caring and compassionate human community.
• Connecting through physical contact with other people.
• Feeling more connected to Sara.
  

Let me explain each of those points in greater detail.

Church makes me feel closer to god

While this may seem like a strange thing to say, given my view of god as something impersonal and largely absent from the day-to-day workings of the universe, I feel closer to god when I attend church services.

I can’t really explain why. I guess it’s just that church brings out my spiritual side. That’s one of the main purposes of attending a church service—nurturing the spirit—so I suppose this should come as no surprise.

Watching people light candles of caring and concern, or lighting my own, makes me feel close to god (and to other people). Listening to sermons sometimes make me feel closer to god. Most importantly, moments of quiet meditation make me feel closer to god.

It’s that last point that, in a way, surprises me the most.

I have always thought of faith and religion as something very personal. The experience of god is a very individual experience. In this regard, it makes perfect sense that a moment of quiet meditation would be a moment where I feel close to god.

What surprises me, I guess, is that I feel that experience more strongly when I’m sitting in my seat at church than when I’m meditating anywhere else.

But, again, church is designed to be a spiritual environment. It’s a place where we can open ourselves up to whatever it is that we believe in.

The nature of the space allows me to open my heart and mind to the possibility of the something greater than myself, and so private meditation within the bounds of the church building tends to be more intense than it would be in another situation.

Church connects me to a real and human community

The second major reason that I go to church is because it is a community. I am a social creature as much as any other human being, so I enjoy the idea of being a part of a like-minded community where I am free to be myself.

While I am not a humanist in the secular sense of the word, my beliefs are heavily influenced by humanist thought. I believe that the human world, the everyday actions that define who we are, is as important and as spiritual as anything supernatural that may or may not exist.

Being a part of a church community, a community made of fellow human beings, helps to remind me of the importance of our humanness. It also reminds me that, as humans, we are more alike than we are different.

This reminder that all humans are, at the core, mostly the same, helps me to move beyond the prejudices and stereotypes that all of us tend to develop. In many ways, I think this is what the first principle of UU—the affirmation and promotion of the inherent worth and dignity of every person—is all about.

Church gives me a physical connection to others

This is a small thing that has a big influence on me.

I’ve read before that physical contact is a basic human need. We are healthier and happier when we touch other people. This is in no way a sexual thing. (Unfortunately, I can’t seem to track down the study I’m referring to.)

I’m not sure why, but I’ve always been a fairly closed off person. I used to be uncomfortable hugging people as a way of saying hello or good-bye. I am not uncomfortable with this anymore, but it’s not something that I do often.

To be honest, other than the occasional handshake with a client or co-worker, I would likely go for days, even weeks without having physical contact with another human being if I was not in a romantic relationship (one of the few places where I’ve always felt comfortable touching another person).

However, despite the fact that I’ve often been uncomfortable touching people, this is more to do with social expectations than any kind of physical comfort. We live in a society where we’re not supposed to touch one another.

In fact, quite the opposite of not wanting or needing to have physical contact with other humans, I enjoy it. It makes me feel happier and healthier.

Because of this, I really enjoy the fact that, at the end of a church service (at least at UCE) we hold hands with the people on either side of us and sing a short song. This simple act of holding hands with people who are, for the most part, strangers, has a powerful effect on me.

It heals me. It connects me to other people. It connects the spiritual to the physical (in my mind, the two are often one and the same, which probably goes back to my humanist beliefs). Without this simple act, I would have far less physical contact with other people, and I would likely not feel as happy as I do.

Church helps improve my connection with Sara

I believe that humans are biologically predisposed to be spiritual. Even atheists engage in spiritual practices (though they may not recognize them as such). It appears to be a part of human nature.

If spirituality is built into our DNA, then is an important and basic part of who we are.

If spirituality is at the core of who a person is, then is only makes sense that I have begun to feel even closer and more connected to Sara (my girlfriend) since we started attending UCE together. While our spiritual beliefs are not the same, the Unitarian church provides us with a place where we can have a shared faith experience.

It’s also got us talking about faith and spiritual matters more than we used to. As we talk about our personal ideas of faith, religion, and spirituality, we get to know one another even more than we already do.

Sharing this important aspect of our lives has, I feel, improved our connection. I feel that I know Sara more intimately than I did before. I feel that I am closer to her than I was before. And I feel even more certain that she is the right woman for me.

Do you attend a church of some kind? What does church mean to you? Why do you go to your place of worship?

Environmentalism as a spiritual practice

Environmental stewardship is a key element of my personal faith, and I believe that it should be an important part of any faithful person’s life, regardless of what they find faith in. Whether it be rational humanism or fundamentalist Christianity, environmentalism should play a major role in a person’s faith.

In terms of my developing Unitarian Universalist faith, doing what I can to take care of the environment is a way of living up to the seventh principle: Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. To neglect the environment would be to disrespect the interdependent web of existence and, by extension, all living things. That’s a lot of disrespect, if you ask me.

Having respect for the environment is also important to me because being in nature is one of the ways that I attempt to reach out to god. Being in nature is one of the most spiritual experiences that I know of. To neglect the environment—to let the Earth die—would be tantamount to killing god.

I also have reasons that are, perhaps, not as directly related to faith, such as wanting to leave my future children with a world that will sustain them and their children after them.

With these reasons in mind, here are some the efforts that I make to try and protect the environment.

• Reusable shopping bags – I’ve been using reusable shopping bags for a while now. Canvas, cloth or other similar options all work well. I prefer the bags that Superstore sells here in Canada, because they’re actually made from recycled plastic. Since they’re made from a waste product, they’re doubly green.
• Purchase local and/or organic products – While buying local can be difficult living up north in Edmonton, I do the best I can. I try to buy local produce and meat whenever possible. If it’s local and organic, all the better. If a particular foodstuff isn’t available from a local producer, I will generally try to buy the organic option, since it’s usually a little bit better for the environment than the non-organic version. One of the added bonuses of buying local, at least when it comes to food, is that your meal will usually taste better, since the food is fresher.
• Use energy efficient light bulbs – I have been slowly switching over to CFLs. Whenever a light bulb burns out in my apartment, I replace it with a CFL. I know I should probably replace all of my incandescent bulbs with CFLs, but it seems wasteful to throwout a light bulb that is still in working condition, even if it does use more electricity.
• Eat less meat – Raising livestock requires a massive amount of resources and produces a lot of carbon emissions. Because of this, I try to eat less meat. I generally eat at least one meatless meal a week. It’s not much, but if everyone did this, it would make a huge difference. Plus, we eat too much meat in the West as it is, so cutting back a bit is better for your body, too.
• Turning off the lights – It’s a simple thing that we’ve all been raised to do: turn off the lights when you leave a room. I must admit that I’m not the best at remembering to do this, but I try not to have more lights on than I need. Often, I have only a single light bulb burning in my apartment in the evening.
• Use human-powered appliances – This one is something that you might not think of, but something as simple as using a hand-powered can-opener instead of an electric one makes a difference. In this vein, I use a French press instead of an electric coffeemaker to brew my coffee in the morning. This has the added benefit of making coffee that tastes better, too. Obviously, I’m not suggesting you stop using electric appliances altogether, but that electric can-opener is overkill unless you’re opening the huge 4L can of ketchup or something like that.
• Use environmentally friendly cleaning products – A lot of cleaning products are not environmentally friendly. Laundry detergent, which typically contains phosphates, is particularly harmful. I have begun using biodegradable, phosphate-free detergent that is 3x concentrated (cutting down on the package size). It’s also free of a number of other ingredients commonly found in less environmentally friendly detergents, such as petroleum products. These products are sometimes more expensive, but more and more often they are the same price as the less eco-friendly alternative.

Do you think that caring for the environment is important aspect of faith? What acts do you take in order to try and protect the planet? Share your thoughts in the comments section.

Should I explore Quakerism?

Quakerism is the religion practiced by the Religious Society of Friends (also known as Quakers). In my readings about Unitarian Universalism (UU), I’ve noticed that there seems to be some overlap between the two faiths, especially in more recent times.

Several prominent Unitarians (and probably many more non-prominent ones) were Quakers, at one point in their lives. Of course, many members of the UU faith belonged to a different religion at one point in their lives, so perhaps this doesn’t mean much.

But, the point I’m trying to make is that Quakerism shares many similarities with UU.

Both faiths believe in finding your own path to god (or whatever is meaningful to you). In fact, although Quakers are generally considered Christian, many Meetings (a congregation of Quakers) have become more liberal and welcoming of non-Christians. It is now possible to be an atheist Quaker, or a Muslim Quaker, or a Humanist Quaker.

This sort of liberalism is, as I’ve said before, one of the things that I’m looking for in my spiritual life. The freedom to explore my own path to the truth is something that is vital to my spiritual growth and personal happiness.

After reading about Quakers and what they believe, I wonder if they might not be the faith community that I’m looking for. To be honest, I don’t think that they are, but I’m definitely curious about how they do what they do.

There is a Quaker community in Edmonton, and I think it would be interesting to check them out. I’ve read a bunch of the info on their website, and they seem like a welcoming group.

I plan to go to a Quaker Meeting for Worship at some point in the future. From what I’ve read, it sounds like quite a unique experience.

For now, I’m still very interested in exploring Unitarian Universalism, but I definitely think that checking out the Quakers will help me to better understand both my own spirituality and that of others.

I’m interested in hearing from you, though. What, dear reader, are your experiences with Quakers (if any)? What notions—either preconceived or learned through experience—do you have about the Religious Society of Friends? Does it interest you? Does it appall you? Please, share your thoughts in the comments.