Today, I took my Kol Hadash Confirmation Class to the Unitarian church as part of our study of comparative religion. The service focused on voting our values. The similarities and connections between their principles and those of Humanistic Judaism became highly apparent when a reading was a quotation from one of the founders of Humanistic Judaism, Rabbi Sherwin Wine.
The selection from Rabbi Wine, although spoken at an Independence Day celebration in 1985, is as relevant and powerful before the election of 2016 as it was in the early years of the Regan presidency:
“There are two visions of America. One precedes our founding fathers and finds its roots in the harshness of our puritan past. It is very suspicious of freedom, uncomfortable with diversity, hostile to science, unfriendly to reason, contemptuous of personal autonomy. It sees America as a religious nation. It views patriotism as allegiance to God. It secretly adores coercion and conformity. Despite our constitution, despite the legacy of the Enlightenment, it appeals to millions of Americans and threatens our freedom.
The other vision finds its roots in the spirit of our founding revolution and in the leaders of this nation who embraced the age of reason. It loves freedom, encourages diversity, embraces science and affirms the dignity and rights of every individual. It sees America as a moral nation, neither completely religious nor completely secular. It defines patriotism as love of country and of the people who make it strong. It defends all citizens against unjust coercion and irrational conformity.
This second vision is our vision. It is the vision of a free society. We must be bold enough to proclaim it and strong enough to defend it against all its enemies.”
As vote on Tuesday, and consider our choices on the ballot, it is imperative that we keep the two visions that Rabbi Wine described in mind. Are we truly voting our values and vision? Are we voting out of fear? Are we voting for hope or hate? Are we voting for the reason, freedom, diversity, science, and dignity?
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