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Spirituality
Universalist Religions
Universalists respect the truths at the heart of every faith
Posted May 3, 2011
I met a delightful person last week who described herself as both a "Stay-at-home Mum" (with a husband and three daughters) and a "Zen Christian". What a fine juxtaposition of religions! Zen is, of course, a form of Buddhism. A follower of possibly the greatest American spiritual writer of the twentieth century, Thomas Merton, I felt an immediate connection.
We had been discussing Merton because, a group of aficionados, we were all there to explore ‘Merton's New York', having taken the Long Island Railroad to Douglaston. We were in Zion Church situated near the home of Merton's maternal grandparents, a church in which his father Owen once played the organ.
Zion Church, Douglaston, NY.
A friend back in England, an Anglican priest, also fond of Merton's writing, once said he thought everyone should have two religions. To find your true, spiritual self and pinpoint where you lie on the great map of world religions requires at least two angles - a longitude and a latitude reading - to avoid drifting from the hot tropics of faith into colder polar regions. Have knowledge of and show devotion to more than one tradition and you will be better equipped spiritually. So, Zen Christianity... Why not?
You will need the impetus, the potent desire for personal spiritual growth, to overcome the initial confusion you may encounter at apparent contradictions. You will also need some degree of faith that the same great truths lie at the heart of all major religious traditions (as well, no doubt, as enlightened humanism); and then you will have a greater range of scripture from which to draw wisdom and inspiration, and a wider set of beliefs and practices from which to choose and engage. You will also belong to a much larger faith community, from which to obtain guidance and support.
Wagon Wheel
Think of the different religions as the spokes of a wagon wheel, at the centre of which lies God, sacred unity, divine power and truth, whatever it is that's central to life's meaning. All are necessary for the wheel's strength and balance, and as people move forward towards the centre along any one or another religious or spiritual path, so each grows closer to each other seeker, from whichever direction - or along whichever spoke of the wheel - they are travelling.
These ideas are upsetting to some people, particularly to anyone who only feels comfortable when holding to a religion or ideology they consider ‘right' while the others are all somehow ‘wrong'... or at least, ‘not as good'. Thomas Merton, writing extensively and sympathetically about Buddhism (including Zen), Taoism, Islam (notably Sufism), Judaism and Hinduism, while remaining vigorously true to his own Roman Catholic Christianity, makes it clear that ‘either/or' thinking like this has destructive limitations. A less partisan, more inclusive, ‘both/and' style of thinking is much more constructive, and therefore more mature. Religious people from all faith traditions, together with spiritually-minded people following no set religion, can all, through this, eventually feel bonded warmly together in a brotherhood and sisterhood of love.
On a personal note, I sometimes tell people I am a ‘Universalist' Christian. By this I mean that Christianity is my parent faith; which I continue to practice, attend services regularly and so on; also that I am open to the teachings and practices of other world religions. I respect the spiritual truths and religious practices at the heart of each faith and feel great kinship with their devotees. I enjoy harmonious religious discussion, love sacred music from many sources, and similarly love going to synagogues, mosques, temples, monasteries, cathedrals, churches and all manner of places of both worship and pilgrimage.
I also consider myself sensitive to the spirituality of morally minded non-believers, agnostics and atheists. What is shared between us vastly outweighs whatever may seem to separate us. We have the same needs, and are engaged in the same struggles, not only to survive and thrive, but also to find meaning and a sense of purpose in our lives.
I usually therefore try and encourage people to accept this label - ‘universalist' - using it solely as an adjective, and wearing it lightly. This will give us ‘Universalist' Jews and ‘Universalist' Muslims, as well as ‘Universalist' Christians. It means other styles of ‘Universalist' faiths too: ‘Universalist' Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs, for example.
It is true that Hinduism and Buddhism can already, in their unique ways, be considered universalist belief systems. Both tend to be inclusive, either absorbing other faiths or accepting parity with them. Although rivalries in their name sometimes surface, they are at heart, essentially non-oppositional traditions. Sikhism was similarly founded by Guru Nanak specifically to bring harmony between Muslim and Hindu. The Baha'i tradition is also already openly universalist, emphasizing the unity of humankind and its religions, seeking world peace.
Widespread adoption of this unifying philosophy seems appropriate at this conflict-ridden time in world history, when mistrust frequently prevails between citizens, communities, countries and cultures. Agnostics and atheists might also realistically consider describing themselves as ‘universalist'. Meeting each other, universalist people from all faiths and none will have much to share and much to rejoice about. When trust is established between them, wisdom, peace and happiness will flourish.
As the great English 14th century mystic, Mother Julian of Norwich, has it, "All will be well... All will be well... All manner of things will be well".
