Perhaps commitment to the Truth is best expressed in a realization that we as individuals, communities, cultures, political groups, and religions will never fully possess the Truth and therefore ought to proceed with great humility about truth claims concerning the what, how, and why of Reality and that which is Ultimate. This is not equivalent to moral relativism as we have significant consensus that we should do no harm to others and help each other flourish as persons. It is an attitude of humility that allows us to appreciate truth, goodness, and beauty in our own perspectives without absolutizing them in ways that diminish the perspectives of others.

As we learn more about the world, ourselves, and the cosmos as a whole; our understanding of what is true changes. This is a good thing because a lot of the things we used to think were true were really wrong! We no longer think that the earth is flat. We no longer think that the world is less than 10,000 years old or that dinosaurs went extinct because there was no room on the ark. We no longer think that the earth or the sun is the center of the universe. We no longer think that animals are simply natural machines without thoughts or feelings or that they should be treated merely as objects rather than as subjects of a life.

Our knowledge evolves over time. We are beginning to understand that we should not treat nature simply as a storehouse of natural resources or solely as a commodity to be bought and sold and consumed. We are beginning to understand that the earth is finite and that it has a finite carrying capacity that we must respect in order to sustain ourselves and the rest of life. We are beginning to understand that economic systems that only focus on growth without more equitable distribution or ecological sustainability are doomed to fail at great human and environmental cost. We are beginning to understand that we cannot radically change the chemistry of our atmosphere without there being serious consequences. In a humble quest for the truth, it is inevitable that new understandings of our reality will emerge, and this is a good thing.

Embracing new, more plausible, and better understandings of reality is a good thing, but it is not necessarily an easy thing to do. Change can be difficult, especially when it involves changes in our worldview and changes in the interpretive lenses through which we see the world and each other. It is often difficult to give up the feeling of security and stability that old ideas and interpretive frameworks give us, even when it becomes more and more obvious that they are no longer adequate and are no longer contributing to our well-being.

We humans have a tendency to cling to ways of being and doing in the world that are no longer working for us in the present, even when they pose a significant threat to a flourishing future. One of the greatest barriers to wisdom is when we listen only to authorities from the past without looking at the world for ourselves with an open mind and without hearing from other persons’ experience in the present.

There is perhaps no other area in our lives where changing our perspective is more difficult than when it comes to our religious beliefs. As the 20th century theologian Paul Tillich describes it, our religious beliefs focus on our understanding of our ultimate concern, and it is difficult to change our views about that which concerns us in an ultimate sense. A humble quest for the truth, however, requires that we also subject our religious beliefs to scrutiny and critical analysis.

Within Christianity, religious beliefs have been primarily based on interpretation of the Bible and Christian tradition, but it is very apparent that many historical interpretations of the Bible and Christian tradition have been wrong and have even led to extremely evil actions and consequences.

Christians have perpetuated gender inequality based on their interpretations of the Bible and tradition. Christians have justified inquisitions, torture, and executions based on their interpretations of the Bible and tradition. Christians have justified conquests, colonialism, and genocide based on their interpretations of the Bible and tradition. Christians have justified crusades and religious wars based on their interpretations of the Bible and tradition. Christians have justified racism and slavery based on their interpretations of the Bible and tradition. Christians have justified inequality for persons who are LGBTQ2S+ based on their interpretations of the Bible and tradition. Christians have justified dominating nature and non-human life based on their interpretations of the Bible and tradition.

One might simply say that these are all incorrect interpretations, and an extremely strong case could be made for that view; but that being said we need to proceed with tremendous caution when basing our actions in the world on our interpretations of the Bible and tradition even when we think we are certain we are right in our interpretations. It is likely the case that many of the Christians who have done harm to others in the past based upon their interpretations of the Bible and tradition thought their views were right too.

Great humility and care are needed when attempting to apply our interpretations of our religious traditions in practice within our religious communities and within the larger pluralistic human community of which we are all a part. Theological certainty has more often than not been a very dangerous and often deadly stance from which to engage the world. A stance of humility in relation to our theological perspectives that recognizes the fallibility of the entire human enterprise, including our religious and theological views, could go a long way towards preventing the misuse of religion to oppress and commit violence against other persons and the community of all creation.

Many of the problematic interpretations of the Bible and Christian tradition have been perpetuated by empires for political and economic purposes. Theological ideas that are supported by empires are not supported by empires because they are necessarily true, but because they benefit the empire in one or more ways. A humble quest for the truth requires that we ask ourselves, “Who is benefiting from a particular interpretation of religious views?” If the ones benefiting are the most powerful rather than the most vulnerable, then that is a problem.

Our ideas about reality are hypotheses and should always be open to correction or improvement, including our theological ideas. This realization is one of the strengths of Unitarian Universalism and is affirmed In the 4th Principle of Unitarian Universalism, which is “A Free and Responsible Search for Truth and Meaning.”

In her reflections on the 4th Principle, Rev. Paige Getty, from the UU Congregation of Columbia, Maryland provides these words of insight and wisdom. She writes:

“As responsible religious seekers, we recognize that we are privileged to be free, to have resources to pursue life beyond mere survival, to continually search for truth and meaning, to exist beyond bonds of dogma and oppression, and to wrestle freely with truth and meaning as they evolve.

“This privilege calls us not to be isolated and self-centered, believing that our single perspective trumps all others, but rather to be humble, to be open to the great mysteries of truth and meaning that life offers. And those mysteries may speak to us through our own intuition and experience—but also through tradition, community, conflict, nature, and relationships.

“As a faith tradition, Unitarian Universalism makes sacred the right and responsibility to engage in this free and responsible quest as an act of religious devotion. Institutionally, we have left open the questions of what truth and meaning are, acknowledging that mindful people will, in every age, discover new insights.”

https://www.uua.org/beliefs/what-we-believe/principles/4th

In response to Rev. Getty’s reflections, I would simply say that for such a time as this in which we face ongoing wars, economic injustice, a climate crisis, a global biodiversity crisis, and continued racism, sexism and attacks on the rights of persons who are LGBTQ2S+; the world needs a humble and open pursuit of truth and meaning for the well-being of all persons and the planet because so many of the things we think are true are no longer working for humanity and the well-being of all life. A humble pursuit of the truth wherever it may be found might be the leaven needed to help the rise of wisdom required to forge a more just and sustainable path forward. In this pursuit of wisdom and in this humble quest for truth, may we together express unrelenting grace, responsible freedom, boundless love, and justice for all.