A PLACE OF WHOLENESS
A Tapestry of Faith Program for Youth
WORKSHOP 7: REASON
BY BETH DANA AND JESSE JAEGER
© Copyright 2010 Unitarian Universalist Association.
Published to the Web on 9/29/2014 7:12:31 PM PST.
This program and additional resources are available on the UUA.org web site at
www.uua.org/religiouseducation/curricula/tapestryfaith.
WORKSHOP OVERVIEW
INTRODUCTION
My religious superstitions gave place to rational ideas based on scientific facts, and in proportion, as I looked at everything from a new standpoint, I grew more and more happy, day by day. — Elizabeth Cady Stanton, 19th century Unitarian suffragist and author of The Woman's Bible
The use of reason is a defining part of Unitarian Universalism as a liberal, humanistic religion. The core activities of this workshop explore the meaning and role of reason in religion, connecting it with the many sources of knowing that religious people draw on. The alternate activities engage diverse learning styles through movement and delve deeper into the sources of religious truths and decision-making.
GOALS
This workshop will:
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Participants will:
WORKSHOP-AT-A-GLANCE
Activity | Minutes |
Welcoming and Entering | 0 |
Opening | 5 |
Activity 1: What is Reason? | 10 |
Activity 2: Story — Reason, Science, and the Question of God | 15 |
Activity 3: Hot Chocolate River | 25 |
Activity 4: Responding to Injustice | 20 |
Activity 5: I Believe, I Feel, I Act | 5 |
Faith in Action: Reasoned Debate | |
Closing | 10 |
Alternate Activity 1: Using Reason | 25 |
Alternate Activity 2: The Dance of Reason and Spirit | 15 |
SPIRITUAL PREPARATION
Reason is a power of our minds that helps shape our development and our decision making. Reflect on the role of reason in your life. How important is reason for you? What sources of knowledge do you draw on? Alternate Activity 2 explores the "dance" between reason and spirit. Unitarian Universalists are sometimes accused of being too rational, and this "dance" refers to the attempt to balance the power of reason with our experiences of beauty, love, and mystery. To what extent does this characterize your religious journey? Is one dance partner more dominant than the other in your life? You and the participants may lean more in one direction more than the other. Be aware of your own reactions as well as those of participants, and encourage open and loving dialogue about the differences.
WORKSHOP PLAN
WELCOMING AND ENTERING
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
The Welcome Words are meant to set the stage for the workshop and spark conversation before the workshop begins. The Welcome Words for today are a quote and a question.
My religious superstitions gave place to rational ideas based on scientific facts, and in proportion, as I looked at everything from a new standpoint, I grew more and more happy, day by day. — Elizabeth Cady Stanton, 19th century Unitarian suffragist and author of "The Woman's Bible"
Question: How does reason based on scientific facts lead to a happy life?
As participants arrive, invite them to decorate a journal, review and/or add to their journals based on the Welcome Words, or informally discuss the Welcome Words. Orient visitors and first-time participants to the program and get a sense of what brought them today.
OPENING (5 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Distribute Handout 1, Responsive Reading — Five Smooth Stones from Workshop 1. Lead participants in the responsive reading or ask for a volunteer to lead. Encourage participants to take turns leading the responsive reading from workshop to workshop.
At the conclusion of the responsive reading, ask for a volunteer to light the chalice.
Including All Participants
Assist any youth that might need help with words in the responsive reading. Remember to allow participants to pass on reading aloud.
ACTIVITY 1: WHAT IS REASON? (10 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
A matching game explores the meaning of reason for Unitarian Universalists.
Explain that the group will explore the definition of reason through a matching game. Tell them that they will work in pairs to see who can correctly match all the words and definitions the fastest. The words include "reason" and other terms that can be difficult to understand. Tell them that as soon as they are done matching, they should raise their hands.
Distribute Handout 1, Vocabulary of Reason, face down and tell them when to turn their papers over and begin working with their partner.
When the first pair has raised their hands, ask them to share their answers. If they are correct, they win! Invite questions from the rest of the group. If the first group to raise their hands did not match correctly, continue to the next pair until you find one that has matched all the words and definitions correctly.
Explain the importance of reason in Unitarian Universalism past and present. Read or adapt the script from Leader Resource 2, Reason and Unitarian Universalism. Invite discussion and encourage youth to speak to the role of reason in their lives.
Close by telling the group that in this workshop, they will explore ways that reason is used to reach a variety of religious conclusions.
ACTIVITY 2: STORY — REASON, SCIENCE, AND THE QUESTION OF GOD (15 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
This activity is a fictitious forum between Linus Pauling and Charles Hartshorne that is designed to explore the use of reason and science in religion and the question of God's existence.
Welcome the group to a fictitious forum set in the late 1970s on the topic of "Reason, Science, and the Question of God." The panelists are: Linus Pauling (1901-1994), a chemist, humanist, and peace activist; and Charles Hartshorne [pronounced Harts-horne] (1897-2000), a process philosopher and theologian. Explain that you will serve as the moderator of the forum, and then ask for two participants to volunteer for the roles of Linus Pauling and Charles Hartshorne. Give volunteers nametags and copies of the story. Ask them to sit in the chairs.
Present the fictitious forum using the story script.
At the conclusion of the forum, thank the volunteers.
Point out that this forum illustrates how the work, activism, religious involvement, and ethical orientation of both Pauling and Hartshorne are informed by reason and science, yet they reached very different conclusions about the existence of God. Pauling was an atheist, and Hartshorne was a theist.
Belief in God is just one example of a theological question that reason may inform.
Ask participants to raise their hand if they use their minds—reason, logic, and intellect—in forming their religious beliefs and perspectives. Then ask participants to raise their hand if they are atheists, or don't believe in God/gods. Now ask participants to raise their hand if they believe in a god/gods of some kind. Then ask them to raise their hands if they don't know whether or not they believe in the existence of God/gods of any kind. Invite discussion on the diversity of beliefs within the group when all likely use reason to reach different religious beliefs.
Share the following quote from A History of Unitarianism, Vol. 2 by Earl Morse Wilbur:
Of course it is inevitable that free minds guided by individual reason and conscience, and influenced by different factors, should often reach differing conclusions, and it is natural that having reached them they should conflict with each other... Now there are but two ways in which such conflicts may be resolved. The parties may abandon the hope of mental freedom and submit to the judgment of another, or else they may waive the effort to think alike as futile, or at all events incidental, while they agree nevertheless in working for the ends they have in common. [page 487]
Pauling and Hartshorne had common ends and ethical goals originating with their use of reason and conscience as guides. Ask participants to raise their hands if they want their lives and work to contribute to a more loving, fair, and peaceful world. Explain that this is the two men's common end.
Say to participants:
Sometimes we encounter people with religious beliefs different from ours and we may ask ourselves, "How can any sane person believe that?" Our use of reason may not bring us to the same conclusion, but that does not mean that the other person does not have reasonable explanations for believing as they do. As Unitarian Universalist, we use reason as a tool for shaping our own religious beliefs—not as a weapon to destroy the beliefs of others. Francis David, 16th century founder of the Unitarian church in Transylvania, famously said, "We need not think alike to love alike." Four hundred years later, Pauling and Hartshorne remind us of the truth of this statement.
ACTIVITY 3: HOT CHOCOLATE RIVER (25 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Gather the group on one side of a rope. Explain that in front of them is a hot chocolate river that is too hot to swim across, too deep to walk across, and too wide to jump across. The challenge is to get everyone across the river by using the marshmallows that you provide for them. Give the group two "marshmallows" to begin with. Tell them that the other challenge is that the river's current is so strong that the marshmallows will float away if someone is not holding them down with a hand, foot, or other part of their body. If anyone touches or falls into the hot chocolate river, they have to start over. Tell them that every time they get another person across the river, you will give them another marshmallow.
Leave the group to work and reason together to get everyone across the river, keeping an eye on them to make sure that they remember the rules—marshmallows must have a hand/foot/body part on them at all times, and anyone who touches the hot chocolate must go back.
When everyone has made it across the river, congratulate them on overcoming the challenge. Lead a discussion using the following reflection questions:
Including All Participants
This activity may be difficult for participants with limited mobility. Consider adapting it so that there are bigger "marshmallows" or choose not to use this activity if all participants cannot participate.
ACTIVITY 4: RESPONDING TO INJUSTICE (20 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
This activity pairs reason with faith as a catalyst for creating justice and gives participants a tool for responding to injustice with reason. Begin by sharing the following words by Melissa Harris-Lacewell from her 2009 General Assembly Ware Lecture:
We [Unitarian Universalists] are determined to use the power of reason to identify the inequalities and injustices in our world. We are determined to marshal evidence as a tool in our work for fairness. But we must be equally determined to stamp out cynicism with hope, to fight hate with love, and to refuse to lose our faith.
Tell the group that reason is a powerful tool for social justice work. As Harris-Lacewell points out, reason helps us identify injustices and gather evidence that points us in a direction toward justice. But with the overwhelming evidence of injustice in the world, hope, love, and faith are important motivators to keep us moving. Without hope, love, and faith we have little reason to think that a just world is possible. This is why James Luther Adams' fifth smooth stone of religious liberalism affirms that there is reason for hope because the human and divine resources to achieve change are available.
Ask the group to brainstorm injustices. Encourage them to be specific—e.g. instead of "racism," write "white students being treated better than students of color at school;" or instead of "heterosexism," write "laws that define marriage as being between one man and one woman." Write their ideas on newsprint.
Ask participants to choose a couple of these injustices that they encounter most often and think about how they might use reason to respond to them. Distribute paper and pens so that they can write notes. Discuss the following reflection questions:
After five minutes, tell the group that they have the opportunity to create Reason Wallet Cards. Ask, "Have you ever encountered a situation of injustice and, in the moment, were too emotional to offer a response?" Explain that the wallet cards are something that they can carry with them to remind them of the rational arguments they would make to support their beliefs about situations of injustice.
Distribute the pieces of card stock you have prepared and give participants time to write the situation of injustice on one side and their reasoned response on the other. The reasoned response does not need to be a "speech" of full sentences, but could be a few notes or bullet points that they would want to include in a response. If there is time, invite a few volunteers to share their wallet cards.
Thank the participants for bringing their faith and reason to bear on these issues of injustice, and encourage them to use the wallet cards in their day-to-day lives.
ACTIVITY 5: I BELIEVE, I FEEL, I ACT (5 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Explain that participants will now have the opportunity to reflect and write or draw on what they have learned and discussed in the workshop. The following is a framework for reflecting, but they are free to reflect in any way that is helpful for them.
Ask them to make three columns in their journals:
I BELIEVE I FEEL I ACT
(world view) (loyalty of my heart) (way of life)
Invite them to consider their faith in these terms.
An example might be:
1) I believe that reason is one tool for faith development.
2) I feel confident in my faith perspectives when I use reason to reach them.
3) I act on my beliefs and feelings by questioning what I am told and using reason and experience to develop my own perspectives.
Explain that they can make as many statements as they have time for now and they can always continue during the reflection time in future workshops. Invite them to draw or represent their reflections visually, if they prefer.
Also offer the following reflection questions related to the theme of the day: What role does reason play in your day-to-day life? How might its role change after participating in this workshop?
CLOSING (10 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Ask for volunteers to share brief reflections from the journaling exercise about their beliefs, feelings, and actions in response to today's workshop.
Introduce "Praise the Source of Faith and Learning" by Thomas Troeger and William Albright with the following background from Between the Lines, edited by Jacqui James (Boston: Skinner House, 1998):
This song was written by Thomas Troeger, a professor at Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colorado. The music was written by William Albright, a Unitarian Universalist, who was commissioned by the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Ann Arbor, Michigan for their 125th anniversary. This song weaves together science and faith, reason and wonder, emphasizing that it is possible and even necessary for religion to have all of these.
Invite participants to rise in body or spirit and sing "Praise the Source of Faith and Learning" by Thomas Troeger and William Albright, Hymn 158 in Singing the Living Tradition.
Invite a participant to extinguish the chalice and distribute Taking It Home.
Including All Participants
An invitation to "rise in body or spirit" accommodates participants of all physical abilities.
FAITH IN ACTION: REASONED DEBATE
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
One definition of reason is "the faculty or power of acquiring intellectual knowledge... by argument" (Dictionary.com). Therefore, one way of putting faith in action is by acquiring knowledge and engaging in reasoned debate. Explain that participants will practice using their reason to reach a conclusion and then put it into practice through debate. Remind them that this practice requires keeping an open mind to listen and learn, as well as bringing their own knowledge and experiences to bear.
The issue to be debated is: the death penalty.
Divide participants into two teams, and assign debate arguments to each team: the first argues for the death penalty in some situations and the second argues against the death penalty in all situations. Remind everyone that they may need to put their personal opinions aside and argue as strongly as possible for their team's position.
Distribute Handout 2, Debate Preparation Steps. Ask for volunteers to read the steps aloud.
Then give the teams 30 minutes to prepare for the debate if only using the resources on hand. If you wish to give participants longer to prepare their case, encourage youth to take the materials home, confer with their teammates, and be ready to debate during your next meeting.
After 30 minutes, gather the teams back together and ask each team spokesperson to share their three-minute argument.
After each team has had a chance to speak, ask for clarifying questions. Make sure that participants understand that this is not a time to offer responses.
After clarifying questions, give the teams 15 minutes to meet again to develop responses to the other team. Then do a go-around again, giving each team a chance to offer their response. After this round is over, thank everyone for engaging in reasoned debate.
Lead a short discussion with the following reflection questions:
LEADER REFLECTION AND PLANNING
Talk with your co-leader about the workshop. What do you think went well? What might you have done differently? Did you learn anything about your working relationship or how you lead an activity that would be important to note for future workshops?
Thinking about the content of the workshop, what did you find most surprising about what you learned? Did participants have any interesting reactions to the content? What would you like to learn more about?
If you are doing this program as a series, go over the plan for the next workshop with your co-leader. Who will do what preparatory tasks? Is there any research you will need to do? If you have more or less time than the 90 minutes planned in the workshop outline, which activities will you add or cut?
TAKING IT HOME
My religious superstitions gave place to rational ideas based on scientific facts, and in proportion, as I looked at everything from a new standpoint, I grew more and more happy, day by day. — Elizabeth Cady Stanton, 19th century Unitarian suffragist and author of The Woman's Bible
In Today's Workshop...
We explored the meaning of reason and its importance for Unitarian Universalists. We participated in a fictitious forum between Linus Pauling and Charles Hartshorne to demonstrate how reason and science can be used to reach very different perspectives. We applied this to our own lives and social justice work by practicing the use of reason. We also acknowledged the many sources of wisdom that work with reason in the process of developing beliefs and making decisions.
Explore the topic further...
ALTERNATE ACTIVITY 1: USING REASON (25 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
This activity explores how to use reason when approaching religious and theological issues.
Explain that when using reason to reach conclusions or make decisions, one draws (consciously or unconsciously) from various sources of knowledge.
Draw the group's attention to the sheet of newsprint with Scripture, Tradition, Reason, and Experience listed on it. Tell the group that these are the four sources and lenses through which to interpret truth according to John Wesley, the founder of Methodism. Albert Outler, who did research on Wesley in the 1960s, named these the "Wesleyan Quadrilateral." For Wesley, Scripture or the Christian Bible was the sole source of truth. Tradition was a lens through which to view the Bible, Reason was the way to evaluate and interpret Tradition, and Experience was the way to apply and test truths in practice. Wesley believed that none of these sources could be used independently, but instead must be used together with Scripture as the primary authority.
Remove the top sheet of newsprint and move it to the side so that the group can see the second sheet with Reason, Experience, Tradition, and Scripture listed. Explain that Unitarian Universalists do not use the Wesleyan Quadrilateral for guidance in the same way that Wesley did. We are more likely to emphasize Reason and Experience, though all four can be found in our Sources. Point out that we do not share one scripture, but rather draw from many Sources. Draw the group's attention to the sheet of newsprint with Reason, Experience, Tradition, and Scripture listed next to the corresponding Sources. Ask for volunteers to read each source aloud.
Then ask the group: What other sources of knowledge do you draw from when reasoning? Write their responses on the second sheet of newsprint under the four already listed. Examples might include: science, family, friends, a minister, emotions, intuition, politics, and specific scriptures or writings.
Invite participants to take out their journals. Ask them to identify three of their most deeply held religious beliefs and to list them each on a separate page in their journals. After two minutes, ask them to apply the following three questions to their three beliefs. Give them 10 minutes to write.
After 10 minutes, conclude the journaling and tell the group that if they did not finish or want more time to work on this they can do so during the journal reflection time at the end of the workshop, or sometime after the workshop is over.
Close by saying that Unitarian Universalism is a non-creedal religion, meaning that we do not have a creedal statement from a higher authority telling us what to believe. Instead, we engage in a process that uses reason as a tool to develop our own beliefs and faith, and that we covenant to walk this journey together. Tell the group that they have just engaged in part of this lifelong journey.
ALTERNATE ACTIVITY 2: THE DANCE OF REASON AND SPIRIT (15 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
This activity builds on a metaphor about the "dance" between reason and spirit, and explores it through dance and movement.
Begin by sharing the following quote from Reverend Sarah Lammert, a Unitarian Universalist minister:
Perhaps it is this tension between reason and intuitive or spiritual expression that will forever play its way through the dance of [Unitarianism Universalism]. How do we use the power of reason—including all that science and philosophy have to offer—alongside the "AHA" of our experiences of beauty, of love, and of mystery? This is the dance we are privileged to sway to, and I encourage us all to step lively, and embrace this free religious journey.
Explain that for many Unitarian Universalists, there is a tension between the use of reason and the intuitive or spiritual aspects of religion. Reverend Lammert describes this tension as a dance. Break participants into groups of four or five and tell them they have the opportunity to express this tension through dramatic movement or dance. Ask: What does the dance between reason and spirit look like? How can Unitarian Universalists "step lively"? Give the group(s) 10 minutes to work together to create a dance piece. After 10 minutes, have the group(s) present.
Including All Participants
This activity may be more challenging for people with limited mobility. If there are participants who are not able to move around freely, make sure that the group(s) include roles for everyone in their dance piece.
A PLACE OF WHOLENESS: WORKSHOP 7:
STORY: REASON, SCIENCE, AND THE QUESTION OF GOD
Sources used: Encognitive.com on YouTube. "Linus Pauling: Nature of the Universe."
Marshall Klarfeld. "Linus Pauling speaks." on YouTube.
Charles Hartshorne. Man's Vision of God and the Logic of Theism. Hamden, CT: Archon Books, 1964.
Unitarian Universalist Historical Society. "Charles Hartshorne."
Unitarian Universalist Historical Society. "Linus Pauling."Online.
The following script has three characters—the moderator (a workshop leader), Linus Pauling and Charles Hartshorne (participant volunteers). Imagine yourself in the 1970s, being filmed for a televised forum on "Reason, Science, and the Question of God." Get into character as much as you can. The more dramatic, the better!
MODERATOR: Good morning and welcome to the forum entitled "Reason, Science, and the Question of God." Our distinguished panelists are Linus Pauling, the Nobel Prize-winning chemist and peace activist, and Charles Hartshorne [pronounced harts-horne], a philosopher and theologian. Our forum today will explore the lives, work, and activism of Pauling and Hartshorne and the ways in which science and reason inform their religious and theological perspectives. Linus and Charles, thank you for being here. The first question is, "What is your religious background and how does it inform your current work?" Linus, we'll begin with you.
PAULING: Thank you for having me here today. I come from a German Lutheran background, though my parents were never very active church people so I didn't have a strong affiliation. Rather than becoming a machinist as my parents wanted me to, I was intent on becoming a research chemist, so that is exactly what I did. I have been doing research in chemistry and molecular biology and writing books about my work for decades. I also taught at Caltech for more than 30 years. My more recent work, however, is antiwar activism. I have found strong support among the Unitarians in Los Angeles. In fact, in 1954 I addressed a crowd of over 1,000 people at the Los Angeles Unitarian Church about the dangers of nuclear bombs. My wife Ava Helen and I eventually joined the Los Angeles Unitarian Church "because it accepts as members people who believe in trying to make the world a better place."
MODERATOR: Charles?
HARTSHORNE: It is a pleasure to be here today. Thank you for inviting me. I grew up with liberal Christianity, which taught me that Scripture is inspired but not flawless, that evolution and belief in God do not contradict each other, and that God's love is more important than God's power. My father refused to believe that God had control over every detail of the universe. These beliefs all inform my work in the area of process philosophy/theology today. I am suspicious of anyone who gives authority to any one book, church, or person. I believe that freedom and reason must be the tools of religious people. While I study the nature of God, I'm not very active in church these days. My daughter attends the Unitarian church in Chicago, but I have better things to do. At my wife's urging, I have attended Unitarian churches, and have become quite fond of the minister in Austin, Texas. Unitarian churches are the only ones I will support financially.
MODERATOR: What role does science play in your religious perspective? Charles, it's your turn to begin.
HARTSHORNE: Reason and logic, which are both scientific tools, are the foundation of my philosophy of the existence of God, which I believe is both sensitive to values and aligned with the sciences. I believe that the relationship of God to the cosmos is like the relation of a person to the cells of their body—"the world is God's body."
MODERATOR: Linus?
PAULING: I like to understand the world. I like to learn about new ideas. I like to think about problems, look at them in different ways, and finally get an answer to them. Chemistry is an experimental science. I deal with the world as I perceive it, and approach both science and religion from an experimental perspective.
MODERATOR: Is there an ethical component to your work? Linus, we'll begin with you.
PAULING: During the Second World War, I used my scientific expertise for military research and development, but following the war, I became increasingly concerned about the further development and possible use of atomic weapons. My wife is a pacifist and has influenced me in that direction. I began to realize the great dangers confronting us — that the atomic bomb could end the world as we know it. Therefore, I began traveling around giving speeches, circulating petitions, and protesting (along with Albert Einstein and Bertrand Russell) the testing of nuclear weapons. I was honored in 1962 to receive a second Nobel Prize — the first one was for chemistry, and this one was for peace. My basic philosophy is oriented to the diminution of suffering in the world. My basic ethical principle... [is] that decisions be made that will increase happiness.
MODERATOR: Charles?
HARTSHORNE: To me, ethical means being motivated by concern for the interests of others. I believe that love is a measure of ethics because love is "action from social awareness." Therefore, God is absolutely ethical because God is perfectly loving, and we humans must try to be nearly as ethical and loving.
MODERATOR: Now, the last question of the forum: Do you believe in God? Charles?
HARTSHORNE: Absolutely. I believe in a God that is a creative and moving power open to human influence. I come from the perspective of panentheism — God is not identical with the world, but God is also not completely separate from the world. God transcends the earth, but the world is also contained within God. From a scientific perspective, this makes sense to me.
MODERATOR: Linus?
PAULING: No, I do not. I have no interest in the mystical aspects of religion. My discipline is to explain everything back to the beginning of the universe. If you ask me what there was just before the Big Bang, I cannot explain that to you. If you wish to believe in a God as the creator, please do, as we cannot explain what there was just a millisecond before the Big Bang.
MODERATOR: Linus and Charles, thank you for joining us today for this forum on "Reason, Science, and the Question of God." We appreciate your taking the time to share with us your reasoned perspectives and work on these critical issues for our time.
PAULING and HARTSHORNE: Thank you.
A PLACE OF WHOLENESS: WORKSHOP 7:
HANDOUT 1: VOCABULARY OF REASON
The source of these definitions is Dictionary.com
With a partner, match the following words and definitions by writing the number of the definition next to the corresponding word.
Analysis _____ | 1. The science that investigates the principles governing correct or reliable inference. |
Inquiry _____ | 2. This process is a method of studying the nature of something or of determining its essential features and their relations. |
Logic _____ | 3. The mental powers concerned with forming conclusions, judgments, or inferences. People do this by direct understanding, predicting, generalizing, comparing, and arguing. |
Rationality _____ | 4. The exercise of reason. |
Rationalization _____ | 5. The process of forming conclusions, judgments, or inferences from facts or premises. |
Reason _____ | 6. A seeking or request for truth, information, or knowledge.. |
Reasoning _____ | 7. To invent plausible explanations for acts, opinions, etc., that are actually based on other causes. |
A PLACE OF WHOLENESS: WORKSHOP 7:
HANDOUT 2: DEBATE PREPARATION STEPS
Follow these steps to prepare for a reasoned debate.
Debate Issue: the death penalty
Step 1: Identify sources of knowledge on this issue. You might want to refer to the brainstorm developed earlier in the workshop.
Step 2: Reflect on what you know about this issue and what you have experienced related to this issue. What knowledge comes out of that experience?
Step 3: Gather information! Use whatever resources are available to you.
Step 4: Seek input. What do others think about this issue?
Step 5: Weigh the information you have gathered. What makes sense to you? What does not?
Step 6: Piece together, through discussion, what you know, what you have experienced, and the information you have gathered to come to a conclusion.
Step 7: Write a statement to share in the debate that argues the conclusion you have reached. Make sure that the statement includes some information about your sources and the process of reason you went through. Keep the statement to three minutes or less.
A PLACE OF WHOLENESS: WORKSHOP 7:
LEADER RESOURCE 1: VOCABULARY OF REASON DEFINITIONS
The source of these definitions is Dictionary.com.
This list of definitions is a guide for the workshop leader to use during Activity 1, What is Reason?, exploring the meaning of reason as opposed to similar concepts.
Analysis (2): This process is a method of studying the nature of something or of determining its essential features and their relations.
Inquiry (6): A seeking or request for truth, information, or knowledge.
Logic (1): The science that investigates the principles governing correct or reliable inference.
Rationality (4): The exercise of reason.
Rationalization (7): To invent plausible explanations for acts, opinions, etc., that are actually based on other causes.
Reason (3): The mental powers concerned with forming conclusions, judgments, or inferences. People do this by direct understanding, predicting, generalizing, comparing, and arguing.
Reasoning (5): The process of forming conclusions, judgments, or inferences from facts or premises.
A PLACE OF WHOLENESS: WORKSHOP 7:
LEADER RESOURCE 2: REASON AND UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM
Material about reason in Unitarian Universalism today comes from "Engaging Our Theological Diversity," the 2005 report of the Unitarian Universalist Association's Commission on Appraisal. Definitions of humanism come from William R. Murry's Reason and Reverence: Religious Humanism for the 21st Century (Boston: Skinner House Books, 2007).
Read or adapt this script for Activity 1, What is Reason?, to explain the importance of reason in Unitarian Universalism past and present.
Reason is a mental capacity that humans use to explore and understand the truth and meaning of the world. It is sometimes contrasted with authority, tradition, intuition, emotion, superstition, and faith. In 2005, the Unitarian Universalist Association's Commission on Appraisal conducted a study of our theological diversity, and found that while we agree that reason is a necessary part of religious exploration, we disagree as to whether reason is enough or whether we need to use other human capacities beyond reason.
Reason emerged as an important component of liberal religion in the 19th century, when scientific developments began playing a larger role in the way people understood the world. Nineteenth century Unitarians believed that God gave humanity reason so that we could understand right and wrong and use it to understand God and the world. In reaction to traditional Christianity, Unitarians said that the use of science and reason to question and theorize was more reliable than what they considered "religious superstitions." They also applied reason to studying the Bible and scriptures.
Today, Unitarian Universalists continue to value reason as a tool for inquiry and decision-making. However, they also value some of the capacities that reason is commonly contrasted with—faith, tradition, emotion, experience, and intuition. In fact, one could argue that reason is a tool used to verify Unitarian Universalist faith, to reflect on intuition and experience, and to act as the "wings" of Unitarian Universalist tradition. There are diverse perspectives within Unitarian Universalism about the importance of each of these concepts in religious life and this diversity is reflected in our Principles and Sources.
One of these Sources is "humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn against idolatries of the mind and spirit." Many Unitarian Universalists identify with humanism. There are many types of humanism—Christian humanism, Jewish humanism, Unitarian Universalist humanism, religious humanism, and secular humanism. Generally, humanism "refers to the affirmation of the worth and dignity of every person, a commitment to human betterment... the necessity for human beings to take responsibility for themselves and the world," and the use of critical thinking and reason for religious exploration (William Murry, Reason and Reverence). Humanists emphasize the importance of human life here and now in this world, rather than looking toward a heavenly realm. Religious humanism operates within a religious community and is "open to mystery and more likely to respond with reverence and gratitude at the wonder of being alive" (Murry, Reason and Reverence). There is a spiritual dimension to religious humanism and there doesn't need to be a conflict between humanism and spirituality. Early Christian liberal William Ellery Channing believed in intellect and reason as means of cultivating human goodness, and Joseph Priestley believed that human progress was made possible through human thinking and human efforts. During the 20th century, Unitarian Universalist humanists were instrumental in the development of three Humanist Manifestos, which articulate the basic humanist perspective. Today there are many Unitarian Universalist humanists, and humanism has deeply influenced Unitarian Universalist Principles, Purposes, and Sources.
A PLACE OF WHOLENESS: WORKSHOP 7:
LEADER RESOURCE 3: SOURCES VISUALS
Use the following guide to prepare two newsprint sheets for Alternate Activity 1, Using Reason.
Newsprint Sheet 1:
Scripture Tradition Reason Experience |
Newsprint Sheet 2:
Reason Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science... Experience Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder... Tradition Words and deeds of prophetic women and men... Scripture Wisdom from the world's religions... |
FIND OUT MORE
Websites
Books
Murry, William R. Reason and Reverence: Religious Humanism for the 21st Century (at www.uuabookstore.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=654) (Boston: Skinner House Books, 2006).