It's a bit easier, generally, to explain what we don't believe in: we don't believe in setting apart any one particular set of holy scriptures or in limiting ourselves to any one particular definition of "God," for example, and we heartily disapprove of all five points of Calvinism. But these do not get me any closer to answering the question.
Our district executive, Susan Smith, likes holding up James Luther Adams' "Five Smooth Stones" of liberal religion, but they are somewhat hard to make sense of unless you already have some background in theology to compare them with, so that generally doesn't help me in those conversations, either.
But after writing a couple of term papers and listening to a few podcast sermons, I think I have an answer that might do. I'm sure I will keep revising it, of course, but here's a start:
"We believe in the incredible potential of fully realized human persons, the ability of unbridled spirits to go forth and change the world. We believe that a world full of people who are true to their best selves and actively working to do what they know to be right cannot help but be a better world to live in, because those people will accept nothing less than a world where every person--and every other partner in the web of life--is honored and accepted and cared for and given a voice. We believe that we can talk to each other, work with each other, learn from each other, and love one another without having to share a common statement of faith. We believe that the biggest lie that has ever been told is that one person cannot make a difference. We believe that people who bring their great passions to bear on the world's great needs can heal a broken planet. We believe that if enough of us give of the sparks of the divine that glow within each of us, we can kindle a flame that will set the world on fire."
How's that for some Good News?
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