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BY OLIVIA MARBLE ’21
I used to refer to myself as both a religious person and an atheist, rightfully causing confusion among the people I talked to about religion. For context, I am a Unitarian Universalist. Unitarian Universalism does not have a creed, which is a common set of beliefs that characterize most religions. For example, saying that you are Christian implies that you believe in God, heaven and hell in some capacity.
I do not believe in any of those things. In fact, I do not believe in anything that science cannot explain. And yet I consider myself a religious person simply because I have found that spirituality is separate from sharing a creed. Instead of a shared creed, Unitarian Universalists share seven principles: a belief in the inherent worth and dignity of every person; justice, equity and compassion in human relations; acceptance of one another and encouragement of spiritual growth in our congregations; a free and responsible search for truth and meaning; the right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large; the goal of world community with peace, liberty and justice for all; and respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.
I have a framed plaque of these principles on my desk that acts as a private reminder. They have guided my actions and my worldview. My church back home strives to uphold these tenets in a variety of ways, and taught me to value them, too. Because I have been an active member from a young age, I was taught to advocate for those whose voices are not heard. I barely remember my first protest because I was so young when I went, and instead of learning about our religion in youth group, we discussed social issues and what we could do to change them.
To me, this is what it means to be religious: to be part of a community that holds common beliefs that you can carry with you throughout your life, a community that supports each other and is bound together by the beliefs they share.
I have noticed that religiousness is perceived as a negative attribute in many liberal circles. I understand this, since I have seen firsthand how religion can divide people. People outside of my church have used their religion to justify their hatred of me because of my sexuality, a painful experience but a sadly common one. Experiences like these can cause people to hold preconceived biases against religious people. I am not denying those experiences, but in my case, religion has made me less inclined to hate people on the basis of identity, since one of our principles declares that every person has inherent worth and dignity.
This concept of inherent worth and dignity is not unique to my religion either: in Judaism and Christianity, the Bible says that God created everyone in His image. Similarly, Islamic beliefs assert that every person has value and is worthy of great respect because Allah created them as His earthly representatives. I know I am not the only one who has been taught tolerance by my religion. Regardless of whether or not a religion has a creed, I know that for me and for many others, it has always been a source of community and a guide to a more virtuous life. This is why, despite the negative connotations and my identity as an atheist, I will always proudly call myself religious.