Sixth UU Principle
"Will We Ever Live In a World That Provides Peace, Liberty, and Justice For All?"

Margo McKenna - November 25, 2001

This is the weekend of Thanksgiving, one of America's most beloved holidays.  It is uniquely American, and it is a time for each person to offer thanks for the blessings of his or her life.  It is time for families, or communities, or congregations, to come together, and feast bountifully.  It is the time of year that lays the groundwork for our discussion this afternoon. 

We move into the 6th principle of Unitarian Universalism, which states: The goal of a world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all.  During this season of bounty and celebration, we need to ask ourselves if we have yet achieved this goal of the founding fathers, or even the goal we have as UU's who are even more broadly committed to the principle of peace, liberty, and justice for all.  As we realize that there were people this past Thursday who did not eat bountifully, who did not have family, friends or community with whom to sit at table, and who did not have a bed to sleep in when the day was done, we need to ask ourselves, "can we really believe that we can achieve the ideal of peace, liberty, and justice for all?"

What do we mean when we say that we believe in peace, liberty, and justice for all?  If we look at the ideals of the founding fathers, the principle was very advanced for its day, but it was limited to peace, liberty, and justice for the voting citizens of the newly established republic.  This did not include slaves, women, or children.  Thus, even the ideal of peace, liberty, and justice for all, was limited from the time of its inception.  We like to think that we have moved to a broader definition in this country than was understood by these founders.  We have broadened our definition of "all" to include women, we allow people from almost every country on earth to become citizens, and we outlawed slavery. 

But, even with this broadening during the past two centuries, we have to face the fact that there is not presently "peace, justice and liberty for all" in this country, much less in the world community.

So, the question arises, "Do we really believe in this principle?"  Is this an outdated, and unrealistic principle?  Has world history shown us that humans are incapable of living peacefully with one another?  Are the problems of the world, with its cultural differences, its long history of ethnic rivalries and cleansings, its gap between rich and poor, east and west, its religious diversity which has led to horrible atrocities in the name of god(s), its varying value on women and/or children, and the greed or anger of so many individuals, groups and countries, led us to feel over-whelmed at the prospect of making any impact on attaining world peace, liberty, and justice for all?

As I have looked at the overwhelming prospect of attaining this goal, I have also become curious to know how this ideal became one of our principles.  Was there a time when UU's believed that there could really be peace, justice, and liberty for all?  Well, the answer appears to be "yes."  Not only the Unitarians, with their strong humanist thought, but the Universalists, taught and preached that all humanity, with the right education, with a nurturing environment, with enough money to feed and clothe themselves, and with exposure to culture such as music, art, dance, etc., humanity would live a peaceful, liberal, and just, existence.

Though neither Universalists, nor Unitarians, wanted to mix church and state; and certainly never desired to have legislated religious requirements in order to achieve the goals of peace, justice, and liberty, they felt the founding fathers had laid a strong foundation with the Declaration of Independence.  Both strands of our religious history wanted to implement, in a practical manner, the goals of both the Declaration of Independence and our current principle.  This has led to a long history of activists in our concurrent movements.  Our forebears were determined to, either collectively, or individually, work toward achieving the goals of peace, justice and liberty for all. 

It was this commitment that led many Unitarians and Universalists into the Abolitionist Movement to overthrow slavery.  It was this commitment that led Horace Mann to organize our public school system (though I also learned from Victoria Cagle this week that he was also trying to encourage youth to adopt Unitarianism).  It was this commitment that led Clara Barton to organize the Red Cross.  It was this commitment that led Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes to a much more inclusive interpretation of the law.  It was this commitment that led Thomas Starr King to fight the California legislature for continued land rights of Mexicans (though he lost).  It was this commitment that led Universalists to ordain women into ministry, beginning in 1863.  It was this commitment that led Jane Hull to begin Hull House in Chicago, and begin to professionalize social workers; thus, moving caring for the poor from religious institutions that often attached conversion to providing care, to non-religiously affiliated individuals.  It was this commitment that led many Massachusetts Unitarians to band together against child labor in factories.  It was this commitment that led Hugh Cabot, a surgeon, to fight for medical reform in order to provide equal care to every patient. It was this commitment that led Roger Baldwin to establish the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).  It was this commitment that led May Sarton to write poetry challenging Americans to practice peace, liberty and justice for all..And this list could go on and on..

Our Unitarian and Universalist strands both point out the firm belief our religious forbears held about transforming society into the ideal stated in the Declaration of Independence.  It is out of this history that the 6th principle has been incorporated into our UU tradition.  It is out of a historical belief that we can transform our society into a place of peace, justice, and liberty for all.

Yet, with all these famous names in our history, and these have only been a few, have we really become a society of peace, justice, and liberty for all?  As I look around right here in America, in California, in San Diego County, and into the communities of Poway and Rancho Bernardo, I ask myself, "Are we really a place of peace, justice, and liberty for all?"  I believe that my own answer comes up as a clear "no."  We have problems of violence, both in our homes and on the streets, gangs and gang wars, racial profiling, cop shootings, racially motivated shootings, drugs, poverty, overcrowded schools, underpaid teachers, and etc.  And each of you could probably come up with your own list. 

So I ask, "Did these Unitarian and Universalist activists fight in vain for their vision?"  I believe the answer is "no,"  I believe they did not fight in vain.  Though our world is not a place of peace, justice, and liberty for all, it is a better place because of the contributions of these people.  Each one of these famous Universalist or Unitarian forebears I have mentioned, were individuals who firmly believed that with the right education, the right cultural exposure, enough money, and the ability to exercise political will, that humans would choose to be peaceful and just.  We today know better.  Yet, we also today need to set aside our cynicism, at lease a little of our wisdom, and try to retrieve a piece of that optimism held by these forebears.  I believe there are those who, with education, with right to exercise political will, and with a nurturing environment, will choose to live a life that seeks to honor peace, justice, and liberty for all.  I believe we should never give up hope,  I believe we should continue striving for the conditions that are optimal for such goals to be achieved; at the same time, I believe we should never be naïve about our collective, and individual, ability to provide ultimate world peace, liberty, and justice for all.

The reality of a fragmented world, diverse societies, a human tendency to hold grudges, and widely differing forms of government, are a reminder that we will probably never hold, as naively as our UU forebears, the conviction of world transformation.  But, their commitment is something I hope we never lose.  We have a rich history upon which to build our practices, we have the lens of learning from past mistakes, and we have people today as gifted as those in our history.  The current President of Amnesty International is our former UUA President, Bill Schultz.  This is an organization that is recognized and feared the world over for its fight against human rights violations.  Bill Schultz has no illusions that Amnesty International will ever transform the world, but as he said last year in a speech at San Diego First UU Church, "I can assist the transformation from human rights violations to freedom for one individual at a time; and even, sometimes, I can assist a government to move from human rights violations to freedom."  This is part of the large picture we can fill as people of principle, as people who believe in carrying the Declaration of Independence even further than was imagined by our Founding Fathers. 

But most of us are not Bill Schultz, and most of us get discouraged at the ability to make changes in our society at large, it is discouraging to even make a dent in our local community at times, and the prospect of peace, justice, and liberty for all, may seem hopeless.  As, I said at the beginning of this sermon, our 6th principle may seem outdated, out of touch with reality, and beyond the scope of our abilities.So, do we really believe that we can, or even should, work toward peace, justice, and liberty for all?       

I cannot answer that question for you.  But, I can for myself.  I do believe that I should continue to work toward these goals.First, by getting out and voting every chance I get, and by contacting my congressional and legislative delegates as needed.  I have, however, come to realize that I can do this most effectively by practicing peace, justice, and liberty, toward those I come in contact with on a daily basis.  I am not Clara Barton, I am not Bill Schultz, I am Margo McKenna.  I probably will not found, or head, an organization that will assist in transforming societies, governments, or even large masses of people.  But, I can live in peace with each one of you.  I can practice justice in my interactions with each one of you.  And, I can support liberty within this congregation for each one of you.  I desire to work toward peace, justice, and liberty for all.  I can start right here.

So, I ask you the question, "Do you believe in working for peace, justice, and liberty for all?"  If so, how will you practice this principle in your life?

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "To leave the world a little bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you live - that is to have succeeded in life."

May we succeed in living out our 6th principle as we live with family, interact with friends, and work with co-workers.