Cultivating the Ethical Life

MSNBC - We count, therefore we are: "Roman Catholics had the largest reported religious membership, with 66.4 million Americans, followed by the Southern Baptist Convention, with 16.2 million members (and over 94,000 pastors). Utah had the most self-identified Christian residents -- over 74 percent -- while Nevada and Oregon hovered at just 30 percent. On the more modest side, 11,000 Americans identified themselves as Rastafarians; 4,000 as devotees of Ethical Culture."

Thanks to Emil Volcheck, of the Baltimore Society, for pointing out the URL of the Census Bureau's 2001 stats from which this is drawn -- showing EC as, indeed, the smallest religion that they track.

I am often asked how I can have faith in the inherent worth and dignity of every human being. If someone abuses you or others repeatedly, seriously, are they still persons of worth?

Here's my quick summary of conclusions I've come to, over many years of thinking about these questions.

Songs on Felix Adler's "Ethical Manifold": Just wanted to point to this resource, not easily otherwise found: Dick Reichart of the Princeton Ethical Society -- and active in various ways over the years in the American Ethical Union including being a key advisor on the early AEU website -- put these four songs together as one way to represent, musically, the Ethical Manifold.

Mo Udall - 1970 Felix Adler Address

Differences between UU and Ethical Culture

Wisdom

Let Us Carry the Torch of Goodwill

Turning of the Year

Religious positions on the U.S. threats to wage war against Iraq

Holidays at the Turning of the Year

More Leadership Resources

Steps to Seeking Forgiveness

Marriage from the Heart