The Thoreauic Universalist

God is the source of all of life – of its spontaneities; of its joy, its music, its song; of its wisdom, its patience, its tenderness…God is also the God of tragedy, of pain, of anguish, of bereavement, of grief and tears. The God of all within us and about us and beyond us. To the free soul…God is an endless pilgrimage of possibility

The theology of doubt is the underlying theology of Unitarian Universalism…it’s a theology which keeps us from self-righteousness, but not action. So let’s cherish our doubts. They not only lead to larger truth, but they make us wise, keep us humble, and allow us to live together in love.

And sin, young man, is when you treat people like things.

It is the habit of our thinking to assume we earn our way in life, and are given measures of possessions according as we deserve them. But we are pensioners of the universe and receive far, far more than ever we return.

A. Hijab for women is not about Men. When Muslim women are asked why do they wear hijab, the simple answer is, “Because God asked me to” not “Because men asked me to.” Hijab is about Allah (swt) and submitting to His will and trusting His way. It’s an incredibly spiritual act especially today because you must strive to remove the desire for human approval completely in order to practice it well. Allah (swt) says, “that is purer for you.” Hijab is a purification. For some, hijab may help purify the tendency towards vanity. For others, it is simply a constant physical reminder that our goal in life is to please our Creator. The experience of hijab for many is described as “liberating” and “a divine gift” as it encourages us to recognize our own spiritual and intellectual center, and compels us to honor, even celebrate this most sacred part of ourselves as we deal with the world. B. Hijab is not meant to erase physical beauty, but honor it. What happens if a woman covers herself appropriately, and people still feel tempted by her or are attracted to her? Beauty is not a woman’s ‘fault’, and she is not asked to hide because others can’t control their feelings. Rather, they must lower their gaze and purify their thoughts. Ibn Abbas said: “A beautiful woman, from among the most beautiful of women, used to pray behind the Prophet ﷺ. Some of the people used to go to pray in the first row to ensure they would not be able to see her. Others would pray in the last row of the men, and they would look from underneath their armpits to see her. Because of this act, in regard to her, Allah revealed, “And We have already known the preceding [generations] among you, and We have already known the later [ones to come],” (Qu’ran, 15:24). In this incident, Allah (swt) does not reveal that a barrier be put up to block off the view of the women’s side. He does not ask the woman to not come to the masjid. She is not told to wear niqab. She is not asked to pray in the last lines. Allah is addressing the men and these are verses revealed after the command of hijab was in place. Allah is telling them that He knows what is in their hearts. Hijab is not to remove all beauty from a woman. Rather, it is to let her define her sense of beauty by donning the dress and character that pleases God.

"The great end in religious instruction is not to stamp our minds upon the young, but to stir up their own; not to make them see with our eyes, but to look inquiringly and steadily with their own; not to give them a definite amount of knowledge, but to inspire a fervent love of truth... In a word, the great end in religious instruction is to awaken the soul, to excite and cherish spiritual life."