Context for Comments on Adler's "Religion"

I should have written a context post to explain my commentary on Felix Adler's statements in "Religion," a collection of bon mots from his various lectures published in Life and Destiny in 1908.  Ethical Culture Leader Randy Best is now (December 2020) leading a seminar (Fundamentals of Ethical Culture) focusing on Life and Destiny.  I joined with 20-odd others to participate in the first session this week, and "Religion" was one of the two collections of quotations that we discussed.

The quotations collected are from Adler's early career as an Ethical Culture Leader and do not necessarily reflect his views as he developed as a Leader and philosopher.  These early thoughts were, nonetheless, sufficient to spark a movement that grew both in the US and abroad.  Reading them, I found much to inspire--and some to argue with.  

As a comparative neophyte in Ethical Culture, I have developed some understanding of what EC is about at the same time I recognize that my own experiences and personal history affect and inform that understanding.  I have, while neglecting this blog in the busy-ness of working within my own Society and the American Ethical Union, continued to read and study various writings that reflect the history and development of EC.  

Two things have now converged to inspire me to write again:  This seminar and the resurrection of the Ethical Humanist Study Group.  The seminar has been a pleasure, allowing for discussion among several individuals dedicated to learning more about its topic.  The stimulus of Adler's writing could happily lead us into hours of discussion.  Unfortunately, after two hours, we must part ways and go back to our lives. I found myself reluctant to do so.  I wasn't through thinking about these quotations.  Lacking the opportunity for further discussion in the seminar, I felt a strong pressure to begin writing about what I was thinking.  I publish my thoughts here in the hope of some further dialogue.  

I can't honestly say that I will return to regular blogging now or that I will "respond" to each and every one of Adler's statements in Life and Destiny or even in this particular section on Religion.  I do, however, think that I will try to write as many responses as I can because it helps me clarify my thoughts and is, above all, a means to learn more about Ethical Culture.

EHSG starts on December 20.  I have "challenged" my partner in this work, Jasmine Morris, to write complementary essays on what we learn/discover/think as we go through our syllabus.  She's a fine writer and a keen thinker, so that will be an interesting complement to our study.

Oh, and one more thing.  After four years in Ethical Culture, I look back at this blog, as brief as its existence has been, with some pride.  I am not so thrilled with the title.  I cannot without a great deal of effort change the URL, so I am stuck with "hoedown" for the foreseeable future.  I did change the title to be more reflective of present circumstances:  I am even more of a happy human than ever; I hope I am more Ethical.