Among the seven Principles that covenant Unitarian Universalist congregations, the seventh holds a unique and expansive place: "Respect for the interdependent web of all existence, of which we are a part." This statement is both a spiritual affirmation and a profound ecological and philosophical truth claim, serving as a foundational ethic for modern religious naturalism. To understand its depth is to explore its scientific underpinnings, its theological implications, and its urgent call to ethical living. At its core, this principle moves beyond a mere acknowledgment of nature's beauty to assert a fundamental ontology of relationship. It posits that existence is not a collection of discrete, independent objects, but a dynamic, interconnected process. Is this true that all existence is interdependent? From a scientific perspective, evidence abounds. In ecology, the concept of the food web illustrates how energy and matter flow through systems, where the loss of a single s...
Someone asked me what I believe in. “It’d be easier for me to tell you what I disbelieve.” I replied. The truth is I am agnostic about most things. One’s answers lie within the realm of what one is willing to believe. There are a limited number of things I believe. Empiricists declare that one can trust one’s senses. I do not trust my own senses, Nor do I trust the senses of others— Many people are incompetent. “Don’t let the truth get in the way of a good story.” Truman Capote laughed. Truth is hard to find in our reality.