Why not let people differ about their answersto the great mysteries of the Universe?
Let each seek one's own way to the highest,
to one's own sense of supreme loyalty in life,
one's ideal of life. Let each philosophy,
each world-view bring forth its truth
and beauty to a larger perspective, that people
may grow in vision, stature and dedication.
The religions of humanity should be a unifying force,
for all the great religions reveal a basic unity in ethics.
Whether it be Judaism, Catholicism, Protestantism,
Buddhism or Confucianism, all grow out of
a sense of the sacredness of human life.
This moral sensitivity to the sacredness of human personality ,
the Commandments not to kill, not to hurt, not to put
a stumbling block in the path of the blind, not to
neglect the widow or the fatherless,
not to exploit the servant or the worker,
all this can be found in the Bibles of humanity,
in all the sacred books. All teach in substance:
"Do unto others as you would that others should do unto you."
There is, then, a basic unity among the great religions
in the matter of ethics. True, there are religious
philosophies which turn people away from the world,
from the here and now, concentrating life-purposes
on salvation for one's self or a mystic union
with some supernatural reality. But most of the great
religions agree on mercy, justice, love -- here on earth.
And they agree that the great task is to move
people from apathy, from an acceptance of the evils in life,
to face the possibilities of the world, to make life sweet for
one another instead of bitter. This is the unifying ethical
task of all the religions -- yes, of all the philosophies of humankind.
There is no need to force our own theological points
of view upon one another or to insist
that the moral life grows out of final, absolute authority.
