Well...

I'm on a computer with a slightly sketchy network connection. I searched for 'basis of morality' and got a blank results page. I had the Google logo, the search box with my query, and absolutely nothing visible below that. For a moment I thought Google was making a joke, but I reloaded and got the results you might expect.

Still, that moment felt like a very good answer.

POW2

indrax just got thrashed.
I think Robin Edgar has quite un-democratically ruled that I am being disruptive.
I'll post a reply by morning.

"The Power of Faith"

In one of the discussions on improving UUsim, I said that UUism acted like an old religion even though it's size and novelty put it in the situation of a new religion. The habits of an old religion aren't good for fostering growth and adaptation.

This is the kind of thing I meant
(If you want to save time, You can get the feel of the video by jumping in at about 2minutes 50 seconds.)
Now this video is far more anti-faith than anything UUism would/should do, but it's out there, it's well done, and it probably works. It's the kind of thing a new religion does.

I heard about Universism a while ago, I think it attracts a lot of the same people as UUism. I don't think it would even exist if we did a better job of filling our niche.

Universist principles:

• The most important thing is the search for meaning and purpose, as in relationships and love, understanding and knowledge, experiences and emotions, etc.
• There is no absolute truth that applies to all people. Ultimate knowledge of the nature of existence cannot be communicated; it can only be reasoned or experienced personally. The natural state of most individuals is uncertainty. This generates curiosity, open-mindedness and appreciation for the experiences and thoughts of other beings.
• Morality is relative to individual circumstances and relationships. Any action's ultimate rightness or wrongness can only be determined by those involved in the action. Good and evil are ideas that can be useful, but are inaccurate if used to describe the nature of the universe.
• Social structures such as governments and institutions are useful insofar as they help individuals to flourish - that is, become and remain healthy, happy and able to work toward their goals that do not interfere with the rights of other individuals to work toward their own goals.
• All life is free to develop in the universe, limited in potential only by the physical laws of nature.

On the flip side of 'being a new religion', it seems that the founder has abandoned these principles, and is promoting a new universism...