Back to Baltimore - 200 years of the American Unitarian Association

 

Back to Baltimore - 200 years of the American Unitarian Association

By Beth Anz

 

Thanks to uua.org and uuworld.org and other sources for all this information and credit to all their authors.

https://www.uuworld.org/articles/baltimore-william-ellery-channing-sermon-unitarian-universalism-history-general-assembly

https://www.uua.org/beliefs/who-we-are/history/aua-200th-anniversary 

Beth Anz is the Director and Service Leader at UUCB. She enjoys juggling her many hats. 

 

 

This year’s UU GA (General Assembly) happened in the 

great city of Baltimore to celebrate the 200th anniversary 

of the American Unitarian Association.  

It is in Baltimore where we American Unitarians trace 

our origins from the famed “Baltimore Sermon” of 

William Ellery Channing which led to the formation of the AUA.  

But before we dive into the American Unitarian “mic drop”of its time, 

let’s go back in time, and start with the basics.

First thanks to uua.org and uuworld.org and other sources 

for all this information and credit to all their authors.  

You may already know that we as Unitarian Universalists 

come from two distinct religious traditions, the Unitarians 

and the Universalists.  Here is a very condensed history 

of how we started and became Unitarian Universalists.  

Unitarian Universalism is a liberal religious tradition formed 
in the consolidation of these two traditions. In America, 
the Universalist Church of America was founded in 1793, 
and the American Unitarian Association (AUA) in 1825. 
In May 2025, we celebrated the 200th anniversary 
of the founding of the AUA.

First a simplified overview of our other tradition, 
Universalism, which is defined by a belief in universal 
salvation (that we are all worthy and all saved by God).  
Universalists believe that the God of love would 
not create a person knowing that person would be 
destined for eternal damnation. 

They concluded that all people must be destined 
for salvation. This was a reaction to some 
beliefs of the time that humans were 
inherently sinful and damned.  
Unitarians rejected the idea that our 
lives are already predestined and that a 
loving god would cause eternal damnation.   
They believed that everyone would eventually 
be saved as a loving God shows mercy and compassion 
(and so should we).  

Our other legacy tradition, Unitarianism, 
which we are talking about today, traditionally 
focuses on reason, social justice, and personal experience.  
Jesus as a (possibly) divinely inspired teacher 
to humanity, is shown as an example for his life 
and good deeds more than his divinity and resurrection.   
Good examples of Unitarian worldviews 
include A Christmas Carol and Little Women. 

Unitarian Universalism later named direct experience 
as an important Source of religious and spiritual 
understanding, an idea that originated with 
nineteenth-century Transcendentalism and Universalism.  
Unitarians explored the religious meaning of the 
experiences of their lives through sharing of personal 
stories and reflection, often in small groups, 
just as we do in service today. 

 These two American traditions merged in 1961 
to create a new religion "Unitarian Universalism"  
that took aspects of both faiths.  
We believe as a living tradition that 
we should review our guiding values frequently 
(which we did just last year), 
so that we continue to grow and evolve with 
a changing world.  One of the taglines of the UU 
faith is "deeds not creeds".  

 We talk to each other about how to live our 
values in the world and encourage a freedom 
of religious thought. 

 Both religions have long histories and have 
contributed important theological concepts 
that remain central to Unitarian Universalism.  
Since 1961, Unitarian Universalism has nurtured 
its Unitarian and Universalist heritages to 
provide a strong voice for social justice 
and liberal religion.  In fact, Unitarians were 
known as the “liberal church” before Channing 
owned his critic’s insult and claimed the word 
“Unitarian” for this liberal faith.

 The UU commitment to building Beloved Community 
has roots on both the Unitarian and Universalist 
sides of our tradition. 

 Beginning with the 1648 Cambridge Platform 
signed by English settlers in Dedham, Massachusetts, 
our self-governing congregations have gathered 
in the spirit of mutual love. In the late nineteenth 
century, Universalism’s core message that all 
are saved through God’s love had expanded to 
embrace the idea that the kingdom of Heaven 
is reflected in love for one another.

Both Universalists and Unitarians were involved 
in the Social Gospel movement, in which Christianity 
is practiced by serving those on the margins of society. 
Today’s UUs build community within congregations and 
also work for the liberation of all people.

So when do we get to Baltimore?

Six years before the AUA was chartered, the 
Rev. William Ellery Channing turned the term "Unitarian," 
until then used pejoratively by religious 
conservatives in New England, on its head, 
and as we would say today, it went viral. 

His sermon “Unitarian Christianity,” 
given at First Unitarian Church of Baltimore, 
MD in May of 1819, used the word to name a 
liberal faith that rejected the commanding 
trinitarian God of Calvinism in favor of 
an understanding of Jesus as human, not God, 
among many other radical and deeply influential 
ideas and embracing the name Unitarian.  

It was the mic drop of its time.  
And it brought together a movement.

In the ninety minutes of what’s commonly 
called the “Baltimore Sermon,” Channing 
laid out tenets of the new faith: 
the unity of God in contrast to the idea 
of a Trinity; the use of reason in 
understanding religion and interpreting 
the Bible; a concept of Jesus as human 
rather than human and divine; a rejection 
of Calvinism’s idea of depraved humanity 
where salvation was reserved for a select few.  

Channing preached about a benevolent, 
loving God who had endowed humanity with 
innate goodness, rationality, and the wisdom 
to discern between good and evil. 

In the hour-and-a-half-long address, 
Channing took on several arguments. 
First, he established reason as valid and 
necessary for the interpretation of 
scripture—not as the only basis for religious 
belief, but as an aid to revelation, for reading 
and understanding the meaning of the Bible.  

 He said “Our leading principle in interpreting Scripture 
is this, that the Bible is a book written for men, 
in the language of men, and that its meaning is to 
be sought in the same manner as that of other books... 
With these views of the Bible, we feel it our 
bounden duty to exercise our reason upon 
it perpetually; to compare, to infer, 
to look beyond the letter to the spirit.”

Next, he laid out four reason-based conclusions 
of Unitarian Christians. He began with the 
unity of God, as opposed to the doctrine of 
the Trinity. Next, he postulated Christ as 
fully human, as opposed to having two natures, 
human and divine. Then he spoke of the moral 
perfection of God, which negated such doctrines 
as Original Sin and the eternal suffering of 
some while others were elected to salvation.

Finally, he talked about the purpose of Jesus' 
mission on earth. He rejected the idea that Jesus' 
death atoned for human sin, allowing God to forgive 
humanity. Channing admitted Unitarians differed 
on Jesus' role in human salvation. Some, he said, 
saw Jesus' life as a moral example. Others 
understood Jesus' death leading humans to 
repentance and virtue. 

Yet, he said, Unitarians did not consider Christ 
and his death as a blood atonement for human sin.  
Christian virtue had its foundation in the moral 
nature or conscience of humans, defined by love of God, 
love of Christ, and moral living.

The wealthy men who a year earlier had established 
what’s now called First Unitarian Church of 
Baltimore knew exactly what they were doing when 
they invited Channing to preach at the ordination 
of its first minister, Rev. Jared Sparks. 
They made sure Channing’s seminal message would 
reach as many people as possible, inviting many 
leading liberal clergy and arranging for the 
sermon to be quickly printed and disseminated 
around the country and in Europe.

He was a sensation, drawing large crowds 
and creating buzz.  So much so, that six years 
later, it led to the formation of the 
American Unitarian Association.

On May 25, 1825, the idea of creating the 
American Unitarian Association was presented 
to the Berry Street Conference. The next day, 
May 26th, the AUA was officially formed with 
the approval of bylaws. (In a fine coincidence, 
the British and Foreign Unitarian Association 
was also formed on May 25, 1825!)

In the beginning, only individuals could join the AUA.  
In fact, William Ellery Channing was asked to serve as 
the AUA’s first President — and Channing refused, 
because he felt that by accruing power, 
the institution would take power away from individuals.  
American Unitarians also did not evangelize their faith 
in the traditional ways, although they did share pamphlets 
and print outs of sermons with others.  
Which meant they only reached literate populations 
and therefore grew mainly in cities and not in rural areas.

But the legacy of William Ellery Channing and 
Unitarianism continues in our faith today.

In his second-most-famous sermon, “Likeness to God,” 
Channing in 1838 argued that humans are made in 
the image of God, which later led him to the idea 
of the divine spark in each of us, Kirk explains. 
That “later leads us to the inherent worth and 
dignity of everyone”— one of the Seven Principles 
of Unitarian Universalism that were adopted in 
1984—which, in turn, “leads us to Love at the Center,” 
a core tenet of the statement of UU Values 
adopted at general assembly in 2024.  

Early Unitarians like Channing helped to 
shape our core values today, and ground us 
in our values, especially when we see them 
under attack in the world today. 
 
The first principle adopted by the Unitarians 
in 1887 was “We believe that to love the 
Good and to live the Good is the supreme 
thing in religion”.  
Today we share that value with our statement a
dopted last year.  “Love is the power that 
holds us together and is at the center 
of our shared values. We are accountable 
to one another for doing the work of 
living our shared values through the 
spiritual discipline of Love.”

As we do the good work of this world, 
let us remember our heritage and our 
obligation to put love at the center 
in all things.  And in this timely quote, 
from Channing The great hope of society 
is in individual character.  
May we remember his courage to live 
his truth and so may we. 

 

 

 

Stories of Pride 2025 - The Orange Juice Boycott of 1977

 

Stories of Pride 2025 - The Orange Juice Boycott of 1977 

By Beth Anz

 

 

 

Like our Florida Sunshine, sometimes it’s the stormy days 

that bring us the rainbows.  And for our inaugural Story of Pride, 

we are going to share a tale of Sunshine, Orange Juice, 

Milk and Rainbows.  We are of course talking about the 

Orange Juice Boycott of 1977, and how the LGBTQ 

movement found their political power over oppression.

Now as fabulous as it would be, we can not cover every 

aspect of the LGBTQ movement in the 60’s and 70’s here.  

We have all heard the story of the Stonewall Inn, 

which is widely seen as the birth of the Modern Gay 

Liberation Movement.  Notice we said modern, because 

gay, transgender, non binary and the larger 

spectrum of self expressions of love and identity 

have always been here and have been fighting 

for their rightful and equal place in society.  

But Stonewall was a catalyst for a modern 

movement of resistance.  

June 28, 1969 at the Stonewall Inn was not the 

first time or place there was resistance, and it 

was not the first time the bar was raided.  

Those who did not conform to the gender 

or sexual stereotypes of the time were regularly 

arrested at the establishment and that night, 

some of the young and marginalized people 

in particular had enough.  Riots started that night, 

lasted for 6 days, and caught the attention of the nation. 

And the LGBTQ community, in an era of pro civil 

rights movements and anti war demonstrations 

tapped into the unrest of the 1960s and inspired 

the creation of organizations like GLAAD, PFLAG 

and the Human Rights Campaign.  One year later, 

June 28th, 1970 thousands of people marched in the 

streets of Manhattan from the Stonewall Inn to 

Central Park in what was then called 

“Christopher Street Liberation Day.”

What has come to be known as the 

first pride parade. 

Now fast forward to 1977, and how Christian 

crusader Anita Bryant helped spawn Florida's 

LGBTQ culture war. Bryant was a former 

Miss Oklahoma beauty queen and pop singer.  

She found fame in music and television at an early age, 

and travelled with the USO on Bob Hope’s Holiday tours.

But it wasn’t until she moved to South Florida that 

the trouble began. In 1969, Bryant became a 

spokeswoman for the Florida Citrus Commission, 

and nationally televised commercials featured her 

singing "Come to the Florida Sunshine Tree" 

and stating the commercials' tagline: "

Breakfast without orange juice is like a day without sunshine."  

She was a household name at this point, 

voted most admired woman in America three 

years in a row by Good Housekeeping Magazine 

and was named one of the most 

influential women in America.

In the wake of the Stonewall Riots, several states 

started enacting legislation protecting the rights of 

LGBTQ people.  And in 1977, Dade County FL 

followed suit, and passed an ordinance prohibiting 

discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.  

Bryant led a movement to repeal the ordinance, 

forming the first national Anti-Gay group called 

“Save Our Children” (later named Protect America’s Children).  

She claimed that allowing gay people to be around 

children would lead to recruitment and child abuse.  

She was joined by mega church Pastor Jerry Falwell 

and others in spreading this hateful rhetoric,

amplifying a moral majority movement forming in the south.  

She expanded her crusade beyond Florida, 

and tried to repeal ordinances all over the country with her celebrity.    

But the LGBTQ community answered back by forming 

the Coalition for Human Rights and the Miami Victory 

Campaign, who organized a boycott of orange juice, 

hitting Anita Bryant in her corporate livelihood.  

Apple Juice was substituted for Orange Juice at bars.  

Merchandise like buttons, stickers and t-shirts were 

made to support the campaign, with slogans like 

"A day without human rights is like a day without sunshine".  

Sales and proceeds went to gay rights activists 

to help fund their fight against Bryant and her campaign.  

In October of 1977, Anita Bryant famously was one of 

the first celebrities to get “pied” by one of the LGBTQ activists 

on TV.  She joked “at least it’s a fruit pie”.  That moment 

helped to gain National Attention for the Orange Juice 

Boycott and several celebrities like Vincent Price, 

Jane Fonda and Johnny Carson joined the cause.  

Gay bars across the country were boycotting 

Orange Juice from the sunshine state.  

This was not the first time this tactic was used. 

In 1966 labor organizers boycotted California grapes 

and Coors beer in 1977 to protest unfair labor practices.  

But this was the first boycott (or as they called it “gaycott”) 

spearheaded by gay and lesbian activists.  

And “gaycott” they did.  Bars put out signs saying 

“TO PROMOTE HUMAN RIGHTS this establishment 

DOES NOT SERVE FLORIDA ORANGE JUICE”.  

And if you brought your own, they were known 

to pour it down the drain.  

In his April 14 column for the Bay Area Reporter, 

a weekly gay newspaper, Harvey Milk urged readers 

to switch to pineapple juice for breakfast. “Some say 

that ONE can of OJ won’t make any difference,” 

he wrote. “Before Bryant becomes more powerful, 

remember that your ONE can adds up to millions 

of ONE cans throughout the nation. 

The only way to stop this bigot is to have 

a fully effective economic boycott.”

The movement faced a strong smear campaign 

that produced a devastating ad, contrasting the 

wholesomeness of Miami’s annual Orange Bowl 

Parade with the debauchery of the San Francisco 

Pride march.   And with that smear campaign 

the ordinance for LGBTQ rights was repealed 

later that year, a setback that was not corrected 

until decades later, but this is not a story about 

a single battle, it is about a movement.

This was one of the first cases of LGBTQ organizations 

using their political power collectively towards a cause.  

And they inspired others, including Harvey Milk who

after the boycott ran for office and defiantly introduced 

San Francisco’s first gay rights ordinance in 1978 

as a member of San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors.  

He successfully defended against the “Briggs Initiative” 

protecting the rights of gay teachers and opposing

the movement spearheaded by Anita Bryant.   

The LGBTQ movement was learning their collective power, 

and Anita Bryant was learning it too. Bob Kunst, 

Bryant’s opponent on the ground in Miami, 

said the ordinance fight had galvanized world opinion. 

“She gave us every access to world media.”  

Bryant faced protest at every public appearance.  

At the end of 1978, in the same month Milk 

was assassinated, Bryant was fired as the Florida Citrus 

spokesperson.  After that she experienced bankruptcy 

and divorce, but never regretted her actions.  

Anita Bryant may be gone, but the fight continues.  

Much of the rhetoric used by her “Save Our Children” 

campaign has been reused and repackaged in the years since.  

Here in Florida, we see it in our state's 

Parental Rights in Education, better known as the 

“Don’t Say Gay” bill, which prohibits teaching about 

sexual orientation or gender identity, and this 

is just one example of many throughout the country. 

Whether they are like Anita Bryant, removing LGBTQ 

teachers from classrooms or now removing the 

conversation about LGBTQ people, 

the tactic is the same with the hateful lies about the 

community harming children and the fight continues. 

We affirm as Unitarian Universalists that LGBTQ people 

are sacred and beloved. In the words of our President  

Rev Sofía Betancourt for LGBTQ people, 

“Transgender and Nonbinary beloveds – my family and yours – 

are not only real, but sacred…each and all of us is 

in fact a vital part of the fabric of this nation, 

deeply beloved and deserving of protection, safety, and belonging.”  

May we always remember in our Florida Sunshine 

that on those rainy days of hate, it is up to us, 

the allies and members of the LGBTQ  community, 

to bring the rainbows.  To speak out and use our 

collective power against the powerful, because 

"A day without human rights is like a day without sunshine". 

May the 4th be with you

 

May the 4th be with you

Beth Anz 

May 4th, 2025

at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Brevard 

 

 

 

May the 4th be with you….or May the force be with you. 

Today is considered “International Star Wars Day” 

because of this fun play on words.

A long time ago, in 1977, we were first introduced 

to a galaxy far far away, when “Star Wars” 

premiered on May 25, 1977.  This movie 

(later referred to as “A New Hope), was written 

by George Lucas as an epic flash gordon style space opera.

Unless you are actually from a galaxy far far away, 

you already know that Star Wars, is

Set in a fictional galaxy under the rule 

of the tyrannical Galactic Empire, the film follows 

a group of freedom fighters known as the Rebel Alliance, 

who aim to destroy the Empire's newest weapon, the Death Star. 

When the Rebel leader Princess Leia is captured 

by the Empire, Luke Skywalker acquires stolen 

architectural plans of the Death Star and sets out 

to rescue her while learning the ways of a 

metaphysical power known as 

"the Force" from the Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. 

Star Wars was a surprise hit and quickly grew to be 

a cultural phenomenon, spawning an original trilogy of movies, 

followed by more movies, 

tv series, specials, books, merchandise, parodies and 

a special effects company. 

And George Lucas had faith in its potential.  

He took a huge gamble by trading some of his movie 

salary to retain his rights to 

all merchandising and subsequent sequels.  

He also created an entire visual effects company 

(industrial light and magic), to invent new techniques 

to bring his space epic to life.  

These leaps of faith revolutionized the entire movie industry.    

And not just the movie industry, It has found its way 

into our political discourse with its stories of political 

upheaval and the fight for democracy. 

And this was intentional by George Lucas.  

It is at its core a story about the power 

of the people over oppression.  From left 

to right and everywhere in between, 

many politicians have claimed to be the rebel alliance, 

fighting the empire. And as May 1st is 

International Workers day, here are some motivational 

Star Wars quotes, for each of our own resistances.

"The day we stop believing democracy can 

work is the day we lose it." - Queen Amidala

“We have hope. Rebellions are built on hope.” — Jyn Erso

“A tyrant can make anything seem to be 

‘the will of the people.’ ” — Senator Leia Organa

“That’s how we’re gonna win. Not fighting what we hate, 

saving what we love.” — Rose Tico

And it is that love that gives us a deeper level of spirituality, 

with the concept of the force that connects us all together.  

Clearly, there is no aspect of our modern world 

Star Wars has not influenced.  

But being a UU Multi Faith service, 

spirituality is what we are going to talk about today.    

So, is Star Wars Religious?  That’s a big question that even

its creator George Lucas was unsure of.  

He has said it is not inherently religious, 

but his concept of “the force” was created to 

awaken a sense of spirituality.  

And while the spirituality of the Star Wars Universe 

is fictionalized, it does draw influences from many sources.  

The Star Wars saga is a classic hero’s journey, 

taking on an epic adventure through many trials and tribulations, 

tests and triumphs. 

It is a journey of self discovery and transformation, 

elements which are found in both 

Star Wars and many mythic and religious texts. 

He was inspired by the work of Joseph Campbell 

in comparative religion and mythology, and drew 

on a number of religions 

in the real world to inspire the Jedi religion.

He has described himself and his influences as 

“Methodist Buddhists.” Some have called it “Zen with lightsabers”.  

Notable influences 

include Taoism, Zen Buddhism, Christianity, Mysticism, 

 and a touch of general new age 

‘spiritual but not religious’ness, as well as a combination 

of different martial arts and 

the code of chivalry, in order to create the Jedi and 

the philosophies behind the Force.  

He is quoted as saying:

(GEORGE LUCAS)  when I was very young, 

I can distinctly remember asking my mother 

“If there is one God, why are there so many religions?” 

And obviously she couldn’t answer that, but 

I think that question has always 

been very relevant to my life, because, obviously, 

if there’s one God, then everybody is 

worshipping the same God, then everybody should be sort of… 

the Word of God, if there is a Word of God, would be the same. 

But if you find there’s hundreds of different 

interpretations of everything which obviously means that - 

in my mind - is not really the Word of God, that’s the word of man. 

And if you go beyond all the religions - because they’re similar…

I like to think of them as the blind men and the elephant. 

Blind men goes up to the elephant, 

one grabs the leg and says "it’s a tree” the other grabs the ear, he says 

“it’s a leaf” and the other one says “it’s a trunk” and “it’s a snake” 

But they’re all describing the same things. What you do is try to look 

for the unifying factors in all religions….

but if there is only one God, then you realize that the 

religions are the manifestation of man, or woman, humans, 

but the God is still there. 

It’s just we don’t know what it is, how it looks like, what it is, but one thing 

it has constantly done in all religions, is that God is love.

As Unitarian Universalists, with our Multi-Faith traditions, 

we have embraced this concept of “Love” 

at the center of our shared values.  

And there are countless faiths that share the core values of love, 

compassion and care 

for one another.  Whether religious or secular, 

many share the concept of interconnectedness.  

The idea that we exist in a sacred web and we all play our part within it. 

As Obi-Wan Kenobi says of “The Force” -  

It's an energy field created by all living things. 

It surrounds us and penetrates us. 

It binds the galaxy together.

Or as Master Yoda says in “The Empire Strikes Back”

“My ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is. 

Life creates it, makes it grow.

Its energy surrounds us and binds us.

Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter. 

You must feel the Force around you;

here, between you, me, the tree, the rock, everywhere, yes."

Perhaps that is why Star Wars' most well known spiritual concept 

of “The Force” rings true for many of us.  

And in Star Wars, some see it as a 

guiding force like the Jedi, or as a means to power 

like the Sith, Some see it as magic, 

like the nightsisters of Dathomir, 

and some see it like Han Solo, who says to Luke Skywalker:

"Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match 

for a good blaster at your side, kid."

  

The force is a mysterious metaphysical power in the universe, 

wielded by the Jedi and Sith orders.  Those who are 

deemed “Force Sensitive” 

have the ability through training to have greater 

access and control to these supernatural powers, 

allowing them to move objects and influence 

thoughts, among other things.  

Who among us has not held out their hand and tried 

to move something with “The Force”.  I admit I have, 

and I bet you have too.   

The force itself is not passive, it is a power that speaks and 

has a “will.” It is not only a source of power the 

Jedi can harness but a spiritual essence 

to which they can relate.  In The Phantom Menace, 

Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn tells 

Anakin Skywalker, “Midi-chlorians are a microscopic 

lifeform that reside within 

all living cells and communicate with the Force.” 

In other words, the more midi-chlorians 

you possess, the greater your ability to commune with The Force.

The midi-chlorians however, are not The Force itself. 

They are merely a biological entity that acts as 

a connection point with that power. 

Qui-Gon explains further, “Without the midi-chlorians, 

life could not exist, and 

we would have no knowledge of the Force. 

They continually speak to you, telling you 

the will of the Force. When you learn to quiet your mind, 

you will hear them speaking to you.”

Perhaps if we all quiet our minds more often, 

we too can hear the force.  But what will you hear?

But the Force in Star Wars is shown to have two paths, 

the light side and the dark side.

George Lucas is quoted as saying:

He wanted to "awaken a certain kind of spirituality" 

in young audiences, suggesting a belief in God 

without endorsing any specific religion.[2] 

He developed the Force as a nondenominational 

religious concept, "distill[ed from] 

the essence of all religions", premised on the 

existence of God and distinct ideas 

of good and evil.[1] Lucas said there is a conscious 

choice between good and bad, 

and "the world works better if you're on the good side. 

These Jedi “warrior monks” who are modern versions of the 

Shao Lin Monk, the European Knight, and the Samurai 

warrior all mixed together, 

and both the Jedi and Sith orders follow a code and foundational texts 

like many established religions.     

Our Heroes, The Jedi, are a peacekeeping group 

of warrior-monks, largely seeking to "become one 

with the Force", matching their personal wills 

with the will of the Force.  

The Villains of the Saga are the Sith, who try to 

bend the additional abilities gained through the 

 

Force toward their own selfish and destructive desires. 

Characters' actions are often described as either 

helping to bring balance to the Force or, its opposite, 

causing a disturbance in the Force. 

This concept of light and dark, good and evil is found 

in many religions.  Some religions see this as a rigid concept, 

something as either 

all good or all evil.  In the biblical monotheistic religions, 

we find a duality of good 

and evil, with God and an adversarial influence.  

People in their faith are 

encouraged to turn to what is good (or God) and 

away from evil, which may be an entity such as 

the devil or a separation from God.

For some of the polytheistic or agnostic paths, such 

as Buddhism and pagan traditions, the concept 

is more fluid.  The magic of the “Forces” 

of the universe are themselves neutral, is it our intent, 

our actions, our thoughts that 

influence how they are used.  These may be 

interpreted as “good” or “evil” actions.  

Of course, these are very simplified explanations of complex 

concepts, but the idea of “The Force” in Star Wars is 

that it is a simplistic concept that is easy to relate to.  

So much so that some have brought it from the screen 

to their real religious practices.  

The Temple of the Jedi Order are real people who live 

their lives according to the principles of Jediism: 

the real-life Jedi religion and philosophy. Is it a “real” religion?  

Well what is a “real” religion, and who are we to judge?    

In their Tenants, they state:

We Believe:

In the Force, and in the inherent worth of all life within it.

In the sanctity of the human person. We oppose the use 

of torture and cruel or unusual punishment, 

including the death penalty.

In a society governed by laws grounded in reason 

and compassion, not in fear or prejudice.

In a society that does not discriminate on the basis 

of sexual orientation or circumstances of birth such as 

gender, ethnicity and national origin.

In the ethic of reciprocity, and how moral concepts are 

not absolute but vary by culture, religion, and over time.

In the positive influence of spiritual growth and 

awareness on society.

In the importance of freedom of conscience and 

self-determination 

within religious, political and other structures.

In the separation of religion and government 

and the freedoms of speech, association, 

and expression.

That whole statement of belief sounds similar to the 

stated Values of Unitarian Universalism, 

with love at the center, and our values of Justice, 

Equity, Transformation, Pluralism, Interdependence and Generosity. 

There is a universal feeling of the principles of the Jedi Order, 

that rings true for both religious and secular beliefs.  

The concept of the golden rule, 

"do unto others as you would have them do unto you." 

Of loving your neighbor, 

caring for one another. Basically, be a decent person.  

Feel the force.

And many in the Star Wars universe “feel” the force.  

And they follow the values of this interconnected force, 

even if they have not learned 

to wield it.  For example,  The Guardians of the Whills, 

seen in Rogue One, 

were guardians of sacred Jedi sites, who believed 

in the Force and attempted to sense its will, 

despite not necessarily being able to use it (like a Jedi).  

We learn that the force is a part of us, even 

if we do not study and harness its power.  

In Ashoka, she explains to her apprentice 

Sabine the power of the force is in everyone.

Sabine: “I can’t use the force. I don’t feel it. Not like you do.”  

Ashoka: “The Force resides in all living things. Even you.”  

Sabine: “If that’s true, then why doesn’t everyone use it?”  

Ashoka: “Talent is a factor. But training 

and focus are what truly defines someone’s success. 

Not everyone can handle the type of discipline 

it takes to master the ways of the Force.”

While Ashoka’s words are not wholly 

inconsistent with how Obi-Wan Kenobi 

taught Luke Skywalker in the original film, 

there is a different emphasis. Then, 

it was about “reaching out” to something “beyond.” 

In Ashoka, at least in this scene, it is about 

“reaching within” to something “inside.” 

Gone is the exclusivity of the Force or strength 

of family bloodlines. Everyone has access 

to the Force inside themselves. Anyone can be 

a Jedi if they find the power within.

Anyone can be a Jedi, if they find the power within.

So can we be a Jedi? Is the force real? Perhaps

And we can embrace just being together in this sacred web.  

Together.  For as we have learned, today, 

there is more that unites us than divides us.

Take a deep breath, …… and just feel the force around us, 

connecting us all.  

(pause)

(Breathe in) "I am one with the Force, 

(Breathe Out) and the Force is with me." 

(repeat as needed)

Be one with the Force

‘Do, or do not. There is no try.’ 

and "May the Force (and 4th), be with you, always"