Wayside Chapel

Forums for January

2011-12-29T13:19:00.000-08:00

January 1--Taking Stock. New Year’s Day is a time for taking stock of oneself. The Catholic Church has the sacrament of confession to accomplish this. Does UU have anything similar? Do you regularly take stock of your own life? What does taking stock accomplish?

January 8--Communication. President Peter Morales of the UUA says “In our congregations and in our movement, relationships are sacred and essential. Our relationships are created and sustained by our communication. Our movement is only as strong and vital as our relationships. When communication breaks down, the results are not merely annoying. When communication breaks down, we falter and “One thing has become increasingly clear to me as your president: If we are to make real the awesome potential of our religion, we simply must get better at communicating among ourselves. Everything we care about depends on it.” Does UUFS do an adequate job of communicating?

January 15--Religious Freedom. What is religious freedom? Does it entitle some people to special protection under the law, and if so, which people?

January 22--Compassion. What have been your most profound experiences of compassion and what does compassion mean to you? What is the role of sympathy and compassion in how social justice is understood at UUFS and by you personally? In what ways do you see sympathy and compassion as either motivating or replacing work for social justice?

January 29--UU Characters on the Screen. Which character in a film or TV show best demonstrates UU values and why? by Sonja L. Cohen. 9.19.11 (Fall 2011) http://www.uuworld.org/ideas/articles/186038.shtml?utm_source=n

Forums for December

2011-12-04T11:14:00.000-08:00

December 4--Zealous Atheism. From A Chosen Faith, p. 103 (Buehrens): “Looking at the religious aspects of many intergroup conflicts, at the violence carried out by zealots in the name of religion, some people conclude that the world would be safer “religion-free.” They may even try living this way themselves. But too often they only practice a form of self-delusion. Nature abhors a vacuum and so does the human spirit. As C.S. Lewis said, the opposite of a belief in God is not a belief in nothing; it is a belief in anything. Sweep the demon of religion out the door and, like the story in the Gospels, you may only succeed in making room for an evil spirit worse than the first -- this one accompanied by seven friends (Luke 11:24-26; Matt. 12:43-45). Zealous atheism can perform this role of demonic pseudoreligion.” Is “zealous atheism” a demonic pseudoreligion? Is Buehrens making a fair description of UU for the seekers who read his book? Does it make any sense to quote the Bible to prove the depravity of atheists?

December 11--Change. President Peter Morales says “We cause ourselves so much suffering when we resist the passage of time, when we try to hold onto a past that is gone. Resisting change brings suffering. Embracing possibilities together brings joy, meaning, and fulfillment.” (“Everything Changes,” UU World, Summer 2011, p. 5). What are you hanging onto personally? What are we holding onto as a Fellowship? As a UUA?

December 18--Social Justice. In 2000, during a conference on the Commitment to Justice in Catholic Higher Education, Rev. Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, then Superior General of the Jesuits, spoke of the "promotion of justice" as a specifically faith-based notion. Do you identify with the idea of justice as deeply intertwined with faith? If so, how do you understand the two as relating? If not, in what do you root your work for social justice?

December 25--Spirituality of Humanism. Doug Muder defines spirituality as “...an awareness of the gap between what you can experience and what you can describe.” (“The Spirituality of Humanism,” UU World, Summer 2011, p. 14). What do you think of this definition? Does it square with your experience?

Forums for November

2011-11-10T11:58:00.000-08:00

I'm running a little late. Sorry about that.

November 6--Immortality I recently read that there are several forms of immortality that people strive for:
- Genetic immortality through procreation (Genghis Khan)
- Causal immortality by making a difference (the person who invented the wheel)
- Cultural immortality via remembrance by ensuing ages (poets, novelists, painters)
- Ideological immortality in passing on values and ideas (any number of philosophers and theologians)
What do you think of this concept? Are you interested in pursuing any of these types of immortality?

November 13--After World War II, Dr. Willem van Eelen studied medicine at the University of Amsterdam. A professor showed the students how he had been able to get a piece of muscle tissue to grow in the laboratory. This demonstration inspired van Eelen to consider the possibility of growing edible meat without having to raise or slaughter animals. Imagine, he thought, protein-rich food that could be grown like crops, no matter what the climate or other environmental conditions, without killing any living creatures. If anything, the idea is more potent now. The world population was just more than two billion in 1940, and global warming was not a concern. Today the planet is home to three times as many people. According to a 2006 report by the Food and Agriculture Organization, the livestock business accounts for about 18% of all anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions - an even larger contribution than the global transportation sector. -- Jeffrey Bartholet; “Inside the Meat Lab”, Scientific American, June 2011, pp. 66-69. Would you eat this meat or synthetic food in general?

November 20--Beginning With Grace Kate Braestrup made up a prayer at the beginning of a Thanksgiving meal:

We are thankful for the food
And for the hands that prepared it
And for our family and for our friends. Amen.
(“Beginning with Grace,” UU World, Spring 2011)

Why do we say grace before meals? Do you say grace before every meal? Special meals?

November 27--Social Justice What do you think the common understanding of "social justice" is at UUFS? (NOTE: Not what should be the common understanding but rather, as a matter of your experience, what is this understanding?)

Services for October 2011

2011-09-30T11:02:00.000-07:00

Just in case the web site doesn't get updated. Same drill as last month:

October 2--Visual Voices gallery artist, Debbie Wagner, whose work is currently showing at the Fellowship, will share the ‘layers’ of being an artist and her life’s journey, including the recovery from several brain tumor surgeries.

October 9--Dianne Neustrom will share with us this morning about what “you shall know the truth, and the truth will set you free” means to her.

October 16--Stephanie Mott, the executive director of the Kansas Statewide Transgender Education Project, state vice chair for the Kansas Equality Coalition, volunteer with the Topeka/Shawnee County Homeless Task Force and member of the Board of Directors at Metropolitan Community Church of Topeka, as well as a student working towards a bachelor of science in social work at Washburn University will speak this morning about her “long walk home” from being born Stephen Michael Mott and becoming Stephanie Michele Mott.

October 23--Rev. Thea Nietfeld speaks about how conflict generally brings out the worst in us – our inclinations to avoid or appease, hurt or blame... It takes maturity and skill to consider our assumptions, broaden our views of reality, and to reach compassionately toward those we are separated from. Often, it takes an uninvolved person and/or new ideas to invite us to risk being our best selves for the greater good. In anticipation of this afternoon's community workshop on conflict resolution possibilities in Salina, we'll consider assumptions and theologies, structures and hope for more peace in our place.

October 30--This year's celebration includes sharing a traditional circle with ribbon braiding, chants, and a conversation between a Witch, Celt, Druid, and Pomona that tells about customs and meanings for the holiday that has come to us as Halloween. Congregation members are invited to bring a photo or other memory item for a loved one who has died. Team members are Eva Slechta, Donna Rowe, RJ Green, Jani White, Krys Kershaw, Farrah Hastings, and Jim English.

Forums for October

2011-09-30T10:58:00.000-07:00

October 2--Banned in Boston. UUA’s Beacon Press is housed in the building that was home to Boston’s Watch and Ward Society for many years. This is the organization that policed the city’s theaters and bookstores and gave the world the phrase “banned in Boston.” Ironically, many prominent Unitarians were active in the formation and operation of this organization during its lifetime. What do you suppose their reasoning was?

October 9--Grace vs. Karma. Chance Hunter says that “...in the end grace will free us from the trap of karma…” (UU World, Spring 2011) Have you experienced karma? Have you experienced grace? How are they different?

October 16--Civil Disobedience. Tim DeChristopher, a member of First Unitarian Church of Salt Lake City, UT, was convicted on March 3, 2011, of two felony counts of disrupting a federal auction of oil and gas leases. He faces up to ten years in prison for this act of civil disobedience. Is his action justified? Is the conviction just? What if a protester’s view represents that of only a tiny minority of all those affected?

October 23--Congregational Conscience. The First Unitarian Church of Providence, Rhode Island recently took a public stand in favor of marriage equality in the name of the church. (UU World, Spring 2011, “A Report from the Front Lines of the Culture Wars”) Their process for making this decision was as follows: “First, a vote is taken at a called meeting of the congregation, which must decide whether to forward the proposal as a mail ballot to the entire congregation. If a majority agrees, then the ballot is mailed. One third of the entire membership must respond for the votes to be counted. Then two thirds of the ballots must vote in the affirmative.” The entire process is deliberately somewhat cumbersome. Should UUFS adopt a similar policy?

October 30--Nuclear Meltdown. All things considered, was the 1979 meltdown at the nuclear plant at Three Mile Island a good thing to have happened or a bad thing? (from Daniel Dennett)

Services for September 2011

2011-09-05T11:41:00.000-07:00

Since the web site hasn't been updated, I'm copying and pasting the services for the month of September from the newsletter, minus Willow's lovely graphics and with some minor editing (i.e. The bold and italics in this post are mine). The forums are available in a previous post at this blog. For the rest of the information in the newsletter, refer to your e-mailed or snail-mailed copy.

Sunday Service September 4th 10:30am Fellowship Building 901 Beatrice
Lessons from Just Walkin’ Barb Gutsch will present the story of New Yorker Matt Green’s five-month walk across the United States, from Rockaway Beach, New York to Rockaway Beach, Oregon, as presented to the First Unitarian Church of Des Moines, Iowa.

Sunday Service September 11th 10:30am Fellowship Building 901 Beatrice
Ingathering or Water Communion Water symbolizes our birth waters, the cycles of the moon and the tides and all the places on our small blue planet where water resides. Bring a small amount of water from your summer adventures whether from the house of family members or friends, a stream, the ocean, a lake or the backyard pool, the garden hose or the kitchen sink. Let the water tell the story. A time to settle in and reflect on our past, present, and future, and what it means to bring these parts of our collective lives to our fellowship.

Sunday Service September 18th 10:30am Fellowship Building 901 Beatrice
Justice, Character and Care will be shared this morning by Rev. Thea Nietfeld and Charles Livingston exploring the philosophical approach to justice offers ideal definitions and concepts. Recent research on "character" reminds us of the array of variables in choices, and an ethic of care is what many of us apply in daily life. These background ideas support engaging in the October 23 Community Alternative Dispute Resolution Workshop.

Sunday Service September 25th 10:30am Fellowship Building 901 Beatrice
Prairie Poetry On the weekend of the Land Institute's Prairie Festival, Rev. Thea Nietfeld and Jackie Ash invite nature images to feed our spirits. Local poets' nature-related works are featured. Meditative silence will allow integration with each listener's spiritual stage and concerns. This service will include a new member welcome.

Forums for September

2011-08-31T20:03:00.000-07:00

September 4--Who do you think you are? Freddie ponders the possible answers to the question, “Who do you think you are?” at this morning’s forum.

September 11--Do trees have rights? Should inanimate objects (like trees) have rights? We have gradually expanded our perceptions to include other marginalized classes, including women, minorities, gays, endangered species, etc.

September 18--Banning circumcision. The City of San Francisco is considering an ordinance to ban circumcision. Is this within the City’s rights? Does it infringe on religious liberties? How does it compare to banning female circumcision?

September 25--The Wisdom of the Wild. Dan Schatz says “There is wisdom in the wildness of the wolf, whose rhythms are completely attuned to the truth of the earth.” Is this true wisdom? He also says, “in the wild, nature out of balance is nature dying.” This is a profoundly conservative statement. Do you agree? (UU World, Spring 2011)

Forums for August

2011-08-09T15:12:00.000-07:00

Even though the full names of the facilitators were given in the newsletter, I put down only their first names to protect their privacy.

August 7--Fred leads this morning’s Forum topic on “Distractions”.

August 14--Janice leads this morning’s Forum topic discussing “Gender Rather Than Sex”.

August 21--What is the story of your food? Mark will give a preview of the upcoming interfaith Cool Potluck and Cool Harvest program which examines the food/ faith/ climate connection. What are some ways that a healthy food system can build community, promote social equality and environmental justice? How should faith communities respond to climate change?

August 28--Jim facilitates a discussion on the question, “What does Equality mean for the LGBT community?

The subject of the service on August 21 (which would have been a fantastic forum topic)--Are myths still needed now that we no longer require them to explain natural phenomena? What is the value of traditional stories in the iPad era?

Forums for July

2011-07-03T18:24:00.000-07:00

July 3--Inherent worth. Glen Lakes leads the Forum this morning on a part of the UU Statement of Principles which says: We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person. In A New Guide to Rational Living, Albert Ellis states “that calling oneself good because one had aliveness merely amounted to a tautology: it remained true by definition but could not be confirmed empirically.” So what evidence is there that we are good just because we have aliveness; could we not say just as well that we are bad because we have aliveness? Do agree with our UU principle? What evidence do you see in your personal life that it is true -- or not?

July 10--Pets & Spirituality. Led by Anita Huntley & Sara Banner. Pets play an important role in our lives. Have you ever wondered about their spirituality & their effect on ours? Come share your thoughts on this topic. Below are two links to short articles to get your thinking about this topic started.

* Animals Teach Us Spirituality
http://innerself.com/content/articles/leisure-and-creativity/pets/5790-animals-teach-us-spirituality.html
* What Pets Can Teach Us About Spirituality
http://thepetwiki.com/wiki/What_Pets_Can_Teach_Us_about_Spirituality

July 17--Abortion. Rod Franz leads a Forum on this typically controversial subject. Full and open access to women's health care services has fallen under attack in recent years, with Kansas, as well as other states restricting access; and in some cases, effectively prohibiting access to abortion services in almost any circumstances. Access to abortion services has been one of the most divisive issues in our society, with apparently no room for common ground or compromise among the groups. Consider these facts.

* Roe vs. Wade was predicated on a woman's right to privacy in making her health care decisions -- not on the moral or ethical issues surrounding whether or not an abortion take a human life.
* 90% of all abortions occur within the first trimester. This is a relatively low risk procedure for the woman.
* 9% of all abortions occur within the second trimester. The risk at this time is somewhat higher, but still low.
* 1% (or less) of all abortions occur in the third trimester, and are limited to cases where the woman's health is severely compromised by the pregnancy, or where the fetus is so seriously deformed as to make survival beyond a few hours or days after birth improbable. The risks of these procedures are somewhat higher still.

What are the moral, ethical and legal issues involved? Does the woman’s right to privacy, her right to choose; trump the "right to life"? In all cases? If not, then what are the exceptions? Who should decide? Is abortion equivalent to the taking of a human life? If so, when does “human life” begin? Is there a neutral way of making this determination? What about the case of minors? Should parental notification be required? The Ontario Consultants on Religious Toleration have collected a set of essays addressing various aspects of the topic.

July 24--Art/Religion. Freddie Elliot’s plans are to deal with: definitions, history, politics, controversies and anything else that might come up spontaneously.

July 31--What Do You Do? This is the phrase often used when people are introduced to each other. Glen Lakes says, “As a fairly recently retired person I wonder how much of my self-worth still depends on jobs I had and degrees I earned. Would others (and me!) feel that I had just as much value if I had made my living harvesting garlic in a California field? It has always amused me to hear ex-governors addressed as governor years after they held the position. Is that how they view themselves or is it a simple show of respect?” How much does your self-esteem depend on your job or your position in the community?

Forums for June

2011-06-04T12:10:00.000-07:00

June 5--mmigration. Rodney Franz shares in this forum on immigration as one of the significant divisive issues we face today. Many people have very strong emotional reactions the issue. The article by UU President Rev. Peter Morales reflects one point of view.
Another decidedly different point of view is reflected a facebook exchange which I will share at the forum. My initial comment was in reaction to several choice statements made by Kansas legislators during this past session. “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free… Unless, of course, you have "olive" skin, and speak Spanish. Then we will hunt you for sport from helicopters.” Somewhere, we have lost our direction. It clearly touched a nerve with some of my Facebook "friends." What kinds of merits does each point of view have? What sort of considerations and values might be brought to bear to help resolve this issue? Is a balance between the conflicting views possible? Or even desirable?

June 12--No forum. Smoky Hill River Festival. http://www.riverfestival.com/salina/

June 19--Justice. C. L. writes “My dictionary has several definitions; 1. Just conduct, fair dealing 2. Fairness, rightness, correctness 3. Well founded reason, rightfulness, lawfulness 4. Just treatment, deserved reward or punishment 5. Trial and judgment by process of law 6. The exercise of power and authority to maintain what is just and right.” Michael J. Sandel, a philosophy professor at Harvard, has written a book on justice which is essentially derived from his lectures to students. We hope to examine some of his principles and if time allows, show a small portion of one of his DVDs of lectures to students.

June 26--Viewpoints and Beliefs. No matter how free of dogma we imagine ourselves to be as independent, thinking people, I, at least, constantly search for that one viewpoint, person, or group I think will finally provide certainty for my "belief" or understanding of life. However, as Sharon Salzberg says in her book Faith: Trusting our own Deepest Experience, "It is a common assumption that faith deepens as we are taught more about what to believe; in Buddhism, on the contrary, faith grows only as we question what we are told, as we try teachings out by putting them into practice to see if they really make a difference in our own lives. The Buddha himself insisted, 'Don't believe anything just because I have said it. Put it into practice. See for yourself if it is true.'"

Our search for a safe harbor of a belief or world-view may yield one, or several, that seem impregnable or "solid as a rock." The rub is that "Placing ourselves in a position of privilege--beliefs are treasured commodities and we are the proud owners -- implies that we alone possess the earth, the Truth." Others who don't share our views, even if we look kindly on them, remain "the other." To transcend this difficulty, when we find common cause with some leader, be it Jung, Obama, Rep. Marcy Kaptur of Ohio, Ken Kesey, Eliot Spitzer, a keenly insightful psychic, (name your own here), their vision and ours must be constantly tested.

Please come to the forum with at least one example of a viewpoint, person, or group with whom you have been (or are) in great solidarity, but found it/they didn't "test out." Given that, how do you maintain your own center, day to day, on an ongoing basis? What practice do you employ to keep yourself on track? What experiences have you had with feeling unable to cope, and what gurus or ideas have pulled you from the flames--if only for today? Since it's story-telling time, we will make a special effort to make sure everyone is heard, if they so desire.

Forums for May

2011-05-03T18:20:00.000-07:00

May 1--Work. Did you choose your work, or are you doing your work under compulsion as the way to earn money? How much of your intelligence, your affection, your skill and your pride is employed in your work? Do you respect the product or the service that is a result of your work?

May 8--Sharing and cooperation. Sometimes it feels a little devastating, the sweetness we cultivate in our children, our insistence that they share their ZhuZhu Pets and Laffy Taffy. Why even bother teaching them the values of sharing and cooperation, when our national ethos is the hoarding of food and medicine, land and resources, like the good capitalists that we are? Congratulations! we will say when they turn twenty-one. Now you can start drinking legally and stop behaving ethically! Maybe we're just helping them get all that pesky sharing out of the way so it doesn't burden them later, when they're clambering over each other towards the teetering heights of personal wealth.

May 15--The joys and responsibilities of stewardship. One UU congregation in Quincy, Massachusetts, recently put its heirloom silver on the auction block. The sale netted some $3 million to pay for building repairs. "It was a bittersweet moment," says the Rev. Sheldon Bennett. "We were letting go of something that's been a part of our story as a church, but we felt an enormous sense of relief and gratitude.” Are there material things that are intrinsic to your congregation's historic identity, to the UUA? What would it mean if these items were sold, taken away, or lost? How can we preserve our heritage while also being responsible stewards of wealth?

May 22--Spiritual lessons from those good-for-nothing grasshoppers. Other than "digesting, breathing, and being incidentally warmed or cooled," what are grasshoppers good for? We wonder. Entomologist J. Lockwood ponders grasshoppers' value to humanity or to the earth. "Our struggle to understand their languor arises from our approaching these creatures with the same question with which we approach one another: What do you do?" How have you measured the value of non-human earthly creatures as compared to human? Can you think of incidents when you have measured the value of plants or animals based on what they can do for you? What spiritual lessons can grasshoppers teach us?

May 29--Losing one’s faith. In his eulogy, following the brutal death of Unitarian Universalist minister, James Reeb, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said that the "haunting, poignant, desperate question" we must ask is not who, but what killed James Reeb . Reflecting on the murders of Reeb; Matthew Shephard, a gay man killed in Wyoming in 1998; James Byrd, an African American dragged to death in Texas the same year; and other such crimes, what do you think was responsible for these violent deaths? In the eulogy, King said that "unmerited suffering is redemptive." Do you agree? Why or why not?

Forums for April

2011-04-07T17:26:00.000-07:00

April 3--Corporate responsibility. The Rev. Nate Walker has challenged Monsanto, the world’s largest producer of genetically engineered seeds and a leading manufacturer of agricultural chemicals, to adopt a sort of Hippocratic Oath in which the company pledges, in part, to use its expertise “to help and not harm people, animals, and the environment.” (UU World, Winter 2010, “Dinner with Monsanto,” page 38) How could such an oath be used most effectively? How could it best be enforced? What other means could be used to ensure corporate responsibility? Does your profession have its own ethical code?

April 10--Lying About Santa. “Santa is one of the few things that we actively lie about to our children,” he said. When the time of his refutation finally comes, “Santa is frequently the first domino” in a process that can continue all the way up to God. The result? “We, here in this room, are in a world that lacks belief profoundly.” -- “Beyond Belief: A Philosophical Proof of Santa Claus” --Lecture by Jamie Hook, December, 2009. Is Santa the first step in a slippery slope? Why do we lie about Santa in the first place?

April 17--Losing religion. In her book review essay examining a memoir written by a woman who renounced her Southern Baptist past and a man who eschews much of Catholic dogma while still choosing to remain Catholic, Kimberly French discusses the process of “losing” and “finding” one’s faith. “Losing your religion,” she writes, “is lonely and, usually, lifelong work.” (UU World, Winter 2010, “Bookshelf,” page 57)
What is your relationship to your childhood faith? If you changed faiths along the way, why? What impact have those changes had on your personal relationships?

April 24--On Forgiveness. Without a constructive answer to toxic anger, addictive cycles of revenge, and immobilizing guilt, we seem doomed to despair about chances for renewal. One answer to this despair lies in forgiveness. What is forgiveness? When is it appropriate? Why is it considered to be commendable? Some claim that forgiveness is merely about ridding oneself of vengeful anger; do that, and you have forgiven. But if you were able to banish anger from your soul simply by taking a pill, would the result really be forgiveness?

Forums for March

2011-03-17T19:09:00.000-07:00

Very late! Sorry!

March 6--Power Consumption.The average human body uses about 100 watts of power just to maintain metabolic processes. The average hunter-gatherer at the equator, not needing to consume power for body heat, consumes about 250 watts total in all daily activities. The average American uses about 11,000 watts. Is this fair? Is this even a meaningful comparison?

March 13--Superheroes. Doug Muder, thinking about how the mythology of comic book superheroes shaped him and his generation, writes, “The whole planet of Krypton blew up behind [Superman’s] escaping rocket, and its shards became the deadly kryptonite.” The lesson? “Watch out for the past. It can kill you.” He found the same lesson in the culture of the Unitarian Universalist congregation he joined in the 1980s: “We framed our history as a series of exploded birth-planets: UU Buddhists and Pagans had escaped from Humanism, Humanists from liberal Christianity, liberal Christians from Calvinism. . . .” But young adults today have grown up with different superheroes and different expectations, and they are looking for a tradition to pass on to their children. (UU World, Winter 2010, “Reclaiming Krypton,” page 28) How is the mythology surrounding the life of your favorite heroes reflected in Unitarian Universalism or in society at large?

March 20--'Blended’ religions. In “The Christmas Tallis” (page 32), Diane Cadrain describes the way her family has blended traditions from her and her husband’s different religious backgrounds. The daughter of a Protestant-Catholic union, Cadrain married a Jewish man and raised their three daughters as Unitarian Universalists. Their oldest daughter is studying to become a Jewish cantor, and Cadrain is making her a tallis, or prayer shawl, to give her as a Christmas gift. Does your family blend traditions from different religions? Which traditions have you retained from your past? Which have you adopted?

March 27--Bought and Sold. Are there some things that just shouldn’t be bought and sold? If so, why? Kidneys? Sex? Horsemeat? Brides? Ecclesiastical offices? Votes?

Forums for February

2011-02-15T16:01:00.000-08:00

February 6--Polyamory. Unitarian Universalists for Polyamory Awareness (UUPA) is an organization for UUs with an interest in polyamory. UUPA defines polyamory as the philosophy and practice of loving or relating intimately to more than one other person at a time with honesty and integrity. What do you think of this approach?

February 13--Mourning PTSD. In “Surviving,” (UU World, Winter 2010, “Reflections,” page 21), Cynthia Orange describes her feelings of loss at the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C. She also describes the loss she has experienced through her veteran husband’s post-traumatic stress disorder. At least the deaths have a tangible memorial, she writes. “Physical deaths can be mourned through ritual and in community, and the grief of those who mourn runs deep as family and friends gather to shed tears and memorialize their lost loved one. But Michael and millions of other trauma survivors did not die.” How have you or people close to you acknowledged traumatic experiences? Can you imagine ritual or communal settings that would help you grieve? Are there things you wish society did to acknowledge these losses?

February 20--Nationalism. Several hundred years ago most people would have described themselves as subjects of some king or chief or warlord. Now most would instead say they are citizens of some country. In fact, a strong case can be made that nationalism is the real religion of the world; far more widespread and stronger than Christianity or Islam or any of the others. Do you agree? If you do, is this a good thing or a bad thing?

February 27--Immigration tragedy. Margaret Regan’s book The Death of Josseline tells the story of a 14-year-old Mexican girl who dies crossing the desert on the U.S.-Mexican border. Regan shares the story of her own great-grandparents, who emigrated from Ireland in 1872 only to die penniless in Philadelphia at the ages of 36 and 34. “We sometimes forget,” she writes, “that the American immigration saga, cheerfully celebrated every Thanksgiving, does not always have a happy ending for those who risk everything to cross the sea or desert, though it may have for their descendants.” (UU World, Winter 2010, “A Nation of Immigrants,” page 21) What is your family’s immigration story? When did your immigrant ancestors’ descendants begin to enjoy a better life?

Forums for January

2011-01-10T15:01:00.000-08:00

January 2--You don’t think that. Barnhouse criticizes a “particularly crappy combination of sweetness and meanness [that has] been coming at me from church people since I was eight years old. There was a line to toe; there was a circle of approved thoughts and behaviors within which to stay if you were to be a member of the group in good standing. If it looked as though you were about to stray, the enforcers descended with that exact tone: ‘Oh, you don’t think that,’ they would say with a tinkling laugh.” (UU World, Fall 2010, page 19) What experiences have you had with “enforcers” of approved thinking and behavior in religious communities? Do you ever find yourself tempted to become an enforcer in your UU community?

January 9--The Spoils of Happiness. In 1974, Robert Nozick, a precocious young philosopher at Harvard, scooped “The Matrix”: Suppose there were an experience machine that would give you any experience you desired. Super-duper neuropsychologists could stimulate your brain so that you would think and feel you were writing a great novel, or making a friend, or reading an interesting book. All the time you would be floating in a tank, with electrodes attached to your brain. Should you plug into this machine for life, preprogramming your life experiences? [...] Of course, while in the tank you won’t know that you’re there; you’ll think that it’s all actually happening [...] Would you plug in?

January 16--Playing God. Barnaby Feder describes an emergency room encounter during his hospital chaplaincy training. “He’s on life support, but I’m not sure exactly what that means,” the daughter of an elderly patient tells him. “I feel like I’m being asked to play God.” Feder responds, “Maybe it would help if you can think of this as being given the gift of playing God. Is there anyone who loves him more, who cares more about doing the best thing for him, than you?” Would you find this a helpful response if you were in a similar position? (“The Gift of Playing God,” page 14)

January 23--Home. Religions’ common ground? Dan Harper reviews three books that ask whether all religions have something in common at their core. He argues that it may be more productive to recognize the essential differences between religions. “With a deeper understanding of our differences, we can begin to understand how to coexist peacefully, and then figure out how to work with other religions to make the world a better place. In short, we can start with religious education and head straight to social justice, without getting bogged down in the bottomless swamp of metaphysical speculation.” (“Do All Religions Share a Common Thread?” UU World, Fall 2010, page 60) Does interfaith work depend on finding a shared kernel in the different religions, or can we find common ground in other ways? Does Unitarian Universalism depend on the idea that all religions are fundamentally the same?

January 30--Comes down to money. At a recent Forum, the comment was made that “it always comes down to money.” Is money a means to transcend everyday suffering and despair? Yet we’ve also observed that people in poor parts of the world are as happy as anywhere else. Why can’t it “come down to something else?” Perhaps the UU values of love, compassion, tolerance, and respect?

Forums for November

2010-11-09T16:22:00.000-08:00

November 7--Crusades and Temple. On Nicholas Kristof’s recent family trip to Israel, one of the topics they were debating was whether the loss of the Crusades was ultimately a good thing for Christianity and the loss of the Second Temple ultimately a good thing for Judaism. What do you think?

November 14--Definition of Religion. Kile Jones, at religioustolerance.org, defines religion in two ways. As a theological definition it appears that religion has to do with the beliefs of individuals that there is some meaning and purpose for their lives. This meaning and purpose may be found from outside of themselves (Theism and Polytheism) or from within themselves (Atheism and Buddhism). Similarly, this meaning and purpose can be discovered spiritually, intellectually, and/or morally and is that worldview by which people gather and interpret phenomena, make judgments, and live ethically. As a behavioral definition it seems that religion has to do with the actions, patterns, and practices that are done as a result of individual’s beliefs about what is most crucial in life. This could be actions done for Jesus Christ, Allah, Buddha, Zarathustra, or for the self. Yet these action are more than normal, they are religious. They are done frequently with distinguishable characteristics from and for a set of beliefs. What do you think of his definition?

November 21--Imperfect enlightenment. In “Broken Buddha,” Meg Barnhouse describes the comfort she finds in an image of a Buddha with a broken hand. “The enlightened one as imperfect, cracked, and chipped—maybe that is how my enlightenment feels.” She writes, “Sometimes I feel like I understand so much, that I can be a lot of help to people. Other times my mind is blank and there is nothing in my mind or heart to say but ‘I’m so sorry.’ When have you been able to help someone in spite of your own inadequacies and uncertainties? When you think of enlightenment or spiritual maturity, do you call to mind images of perfection?

November 28--Bill of Rights. We recently decided in the Forum that the Bill of Rights ought to be balanced with a Bill of Responsibilities. In your opinion, what should be in the Bill of Responsibilities? Does your UU understanding of the world contribute to your opinion?

Forums for October

2010-10-05T16:38:00.000-07:00

Running late again. This is getting to be a habit.

October 3--Saint Margaret? Kimberly French claims that it is time to admit the early American feminist and Transcendentalist Margaret Fuller into the pantheon of Unitarian ‘saints’. “Fuller’s visionary ideas—on the need for both social and personal transformation, rationalism and mysticism, intellectual freedom and religious plurality, and democracy and human rights outside our borders—resonate with modern UUism, arguably more so than her better-known contemporaries.(Radiant Genius and Fiery Heart, UU World, Summer 2010, page 25) Whom do you regard as a Unitarian or Universalist saint? Are you inspired by historic figures who embraced Unitarianism or Universalism?

October 10--Afterlife? Doug Muder reviews three books with different views of the afterlife. One, a work of fiction, imaginatively explores the different possibilities of an afterlife in a series of short tales; the second, a memoir, looks at the possibility that death is simply extinction; the third discusses premonitions, visions, and unseen presences that have been associated with death. (What Dreams May Come? UU World, Summer 2010, page 56). What do you think happens at death? Do you think an afterlife exists? Have you ever experienced anything out of the ordinary around the death of a loved one?

October 17--From Davidson Lohr: What cause am I serving that will outlive me and carry my love and my work forward?

October 24--Adam and Eve For years, I have had my own version of the story of the expulsion from the Garden of Eden. In my version, God appears before Adam and Eve, and tells them that they have disobeyed Him. He admonishes them, and they will have to leave immediately. Everything will be completely grotesque, grim, ghastly and gruesome outside of Eden. God spares them no detail. Adam and Eve, both crestfallen and fearful, prepare to leave, but God, feeling perhaps a little guilty for the severity of his decision, looks at them and says, “Yes, things will be bad out there, but I’m giving you self-deception so you’ll never notice.” -- Errol Morris. What are we deceiving ourselves about? What don't we know that we don't know?

October 31--From Davidson Lohr: How should I live so that when I look back on my life, whether a year or decades from now, I can honestly be glad I’ve lived the way I did?

Forums for September

2010-09-14T19:17:00.000-07:00

I'm running a little late due to computer problems at home. Sorry!

September 5--Religious truths. Three baseball umpires are discussing the way they name the pitches. The first says, "I call them like they are." The second says, "I call them like I see them." The third says, "They aren't anything until I call them." How could these three views be applied to religious truths?

September 12--Offering forgiveness. John Buehrens writes about the link between hospitality and forgiveness in progressive churches. He tells the story of the Tennessee Valley UU Church, which had its windows shot out in the 1970s for its liberal positions, and thirty years later was targeted by a shooter, who killed two and injured six. Throughout it all, the church vowed to stay open and welcoming. (“The Welcome Table,” UU World, Summer 2010, page 24) “There is much to forgive in this world,” Buehrens writes. “Those who have been hurt often know that best. But hospitality, rightly practiced, can be a powerful source of healing.” Has offering hospitality helped you recover from harm or forgive others?

September 19--Is believing in God evolutionarily advantageous?

September 26--All about you. Buehrens also discusses the sense of entitlement that many Americans have. “Its message is embedded in every ad we hear or see,” he writes. “What matters is you; what you feel, what you want, and above all, what you deserve.” (page 28)(UU World, Summer 2010) “How can we denounce every public effort to help the poor and vulnerable of our society as an ‘entitlement,’” he asks, “while simultaneously maintaining a culture that seems shot through with entitlement?”

Forums for August

2010-08-02T16:32:00.001-07:00

August 1--Plant a Tree. James Luther Adams liked to tell the story of Martin Luther, who replied when asked what he would do if he knew the world would end the next day, "I would go out and plant a tree." What do you suppose Luther meant?

August 8-- Defining paradise. Rebecca Ann Parker describes three progressive alternatives to popular “end times” theology, which predicts a return to paradise only in the afterlife: “We are here to build the kingdom of God on earth” (Social Gospel Christianity), “God intends all souls to be saved” (Universalist Christianity), and “We are already standing on holy ground” (radically realized eschatology). (“We Are Already in Paradise,” UU World, Summer 2010, page 18) How would you define paradise? What strengths or drawbacks do you see in each of these views?

August 15--Contradiction? On the one hand, we're urged to seek contentment, acceptance, non-desire. If, however, we only sit cross-legged on our beds, content with what is, nothing would ever change. Power never concedes its territory without a fight. So, how do we handle this contradiction? Or is there a contradiction at all? How do you handle this dilemma in your own life?

August 22--Breaking down barriers. Bossen describes his own experiences at techno and house music parties in Detroit where racial, class, and gender differences were often put aside in the dancing. “Music and dance created a space where social norms were ignored.” (“Black Humanism,” UU World, Summer 2010, page 23) Have you experienced occasions when racial, class, and gender differences were overcome?

August 29--Consider this African proverb: "The whole body must bend down to remove a thorn from the foot." What does this mean?

Forums for July

2010-07-04T06:21:00.001-07:00

July 4--Partners? In his “Forum” article “Religion and Science Can Be Partners,” Bruce Sheiman argues that religion and science are actually compatible in that they “arise from the same urge toward progress, transcendence, and salvation found within the human spirit.” (UU World, Winter 2009, page 14) If Sheiman’s partnership model were accepted, how might it change religious and scientific institutions? How might atheism be accommodated in this model?

July 11--Childhood symbols. In Geoffrey Koetsch and Jeremy Chu’s art work (“In/Between,” UU World, Summer 2010, page 20); two seated figures hold objects in their laps that symbolize childhood memories. What objects would you choose to symbolize your childhood?

July 18--Does humanity have a Collective Place or Purpose? Does each of us need to find our part in a collective purpose? Or are we each on our own, seeking our own individual place and purpose?

July 25--Comedy Central recently censored an episode of "South Park" which attempted to depict the Prophet Mohammed. It’s been a few years since the Danish comic scandal sparked interest in this issue. But now it appears to be back. Is there a double standard on depictions of religious figures? Should there be one? Does satire help or hinder religion?

Forums for June

2010-06-13T17:12:00.000-07:00

June 6--Religion, Spirituality and Faith" Do you make a distinction between religion, spirituality and faith? What do each of these words mean to you? How are they related?

June 13--Smoky Hill River Festival. No forum. http://www.riverfestival.com/salina/

June 20--"UU Organization builders and thinkers in the 20th Century" led by Reverend Thea Nietfeld.

June 27--"Big Question" Does religion provide you with answers to any of life's Big Questions? Does it provide any answers to questions and problems that arise in everyday life?

Forums for May

2010-05-02T05:37:00.000-07:00

May 2-"Saving" Utes. In "Unitarians Worked to ‘Save’ Ute Indians", Sonja L. Cohen describes the failed attempts by nineteenth-century Unitarian ministers to civilize and manage the Ute Indian tribe, which had been assigned to them by President Ulysses S. Grant’s administration. At the 2009 UUA General Assembly, UUA President William G. Sinkford offered an apology to the Utes on the UUA’s behalf. “We participated, however ineptly, in a process that stole your land and forced a foreign way of life on you,” he said. “We ask for your forgiveness.” (UU World, Winter 2009, page 64) What effect might an apology offered 150 years after an event have?

May 9-One light. Forrest Church describes the world as being like a giant cathedral in which we all live in different parts. We are all illuminated by the same light, although it comes through different windows. “A twenty-first century theology based on the concept of one Light and many windows offers to its adherents both breadth and focus,” he writes. “Honoring many different religious approaches, it only excludes the truth-claims of absolutists. That is because fundamentalists claim that the Light shines through their window only.” ("The Cathedral of the World,” UU World, Winter 2009, page 19) How would you compare your theology with this concept of “one Light and many windows”?

May 16-Place in the universe. Have you found your place in the universe? If not, what will help you find your place? Do you find the answer, or the question, scary?

May 23-The religious left. Daniel McKanan identifies four clusters that comprise today’s religious left: religiously motivated groups of grassroots activists, such as the Catholic Worker movement; groups formed around denominational bureaucracies, such as the UUA’s Washington Office for Advocacy and Witness, which focus on legislation; groups based on liberation theology; and the broad group of “spiritual but not religious” people whose social activism is spiritually based. ("The Religious Left," UU World, Winter 2009, page 32) What prevents these four groups from working together? What could make them into a more powerful and cohesive force?

May 30-A child’s murder. Kimberly French profiles UU poet Kathleen Sheeder Bonanno, whose 21-year-old daughter was murdered by a former boyfriend. Unitarian Universalism played an important role in Bonanno’s recovery. “Being Unitarian Universalist, I don’t want to live in hatred,” Bonanno says. “I do believe men in prison have the possibility of redemption here on earth. And I do feel peace and comfort in the fact that [the former boyfriend] was arrested and found guilty.” ("A Poet’s Grief," UU World, Winter 2009, page 41) Unitarian Universalism’s First Principle affirms the inherent worth and dignity of every individual. How can we affirm the worth and dignity of victims of violent crimes as well as the perpetrators of those crimes? Has forgiveness been an important part of your life?

Forums for April

2010-04-20T15:43:00.000-07:00

Oops, forgot to post this month's forums!

April 4--Leadership. If Unitarian Universalists had a pope, whom would you nominate? How well would your nominee function as an administrator? An inspirational leader? An ambassador to the rest of the world? A theological leader?

April 11--Love and hate. What do you love? What do you hate? Has your list changed over the years?

April 18--No Forum. UU History with Rev. Thea.

April 25--Sacred stories. How do sacred stories differ, if they do, from fairy tales, or from novels?

Forums for March

2010-03-03T14:51:00.000-08:00

March 7--"One can justify literally any action using the Bible." True or False?

March 14--Paying attention. In “Be Present,” Mary Pipher describes different kinds of time, distinguishing chronological time from the transcendent time she calls “moments.” In these moments we are fully present to our own experiences, which can range from the experience of childbirth to seeing a beautiful sunset. The number of “moments” during a lifetime makes us truly rich or poor. (UU World, Fall 2009, page 33) What are some of the “moments” in your life? Do you consider yourself rich or poor?

March 21--Would you donate a kidney to a stranger? How is this act different than pulling a stranger from a burning wreck?

Marcyh 28-"The Master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his education and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence in whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he is always doing both." --Zen Buddhist Text. What do you think of this statement? How about when work is just pure drudgery?

Forums for February

2010-02-06T19:40:00.000-08:00

February 7--What's still on your "bucket" list?

February 14--Multiculturalism. Newly elected UUA President Peter Morales told UU World just after his election at the General Assembly in June, “The breadth of our message is very appealing, but we need to become more culturally diverse in our forms of expression in order to reach the millions of people who share our theology and values.” (“A Multicultural Future,” UU World, Fall 2009, page 38) Do you know people who share your UU beliefs and values, but who may not feel welcome in your congregation? Can you imagine things your congregation might do that would help them feel at home?

February 21--No Forum. Adult RE class.

February 28--Merger doubts. Kimberly French describes the reservations that some Unitarians and some Universalists had when their denominations voted to unite in 1959. (“Fifty Years After the Vote to Form the UUA,” UU World, Fall 2009, page 64) What have been the advantages and disadvantages of the merger?

Forums for January

2010-01-02T11:02:00.000-08:00

January 3--Should all street drugs be legalized?

January 10--Racial awareness. Kimberly French describes a meeting that the Rev. Mark Morrison-Reed had with a group in Kansas City, in which he asked participants to recall times they had encountered race. “For an hour stories poured forth: of a chance meeting with the descendants of a great-grandfather’s slaves, of being beaten up at an integrated high school, of the church’s own leadership in welcoming Afro-Americans,” she writes. (“True to My Lineage,” UU World, Spring 2009, page 38) How have you encountered race?

January 17--Adult RE. No forum

January 24--God talk. The Rev. Marlin Lavanhar, senior minister at All Souls, acknowledges that his church was using a lot of “God language” in its services and that it was using Biblical stories as monthly themes before Pearson’s New Dimensions congregation joined them. New Dimensions introduced other forms of “God talk” to All Souls. (UU World, Fall, 2009) How might our fellowship respond to such a change?

January 31--Focusing. Mary Pipher describes some techniques that she uses to make herself pay attention: looking into the faces of people she meets while running errands, breathing deeply at stop signs, and challenging a friend to a “happiness contest.” (UU World, Fall 2009, page 34) What techniques do you use to make yourself pay attention?

Forums for December

2009-12-03T12:57:00.000-08:00

December 6--What did you think would bring happiness when you were a younger person? What do you find brings happiness now?

December 13--Conversion. Bernadette Sigel writes about an encounter with a Unitarian woman in 1945 that so affected her that she later became a Unitarian herself. (“A Spark of Understanding,” UU World, Fall 2009, page 22) If you were not born UU, how did you choose to become one? What is your conversion story? If you grew up UU, how have you introduced your Unitarian Universalism to others?

December 20--Adult RE. No forum.

December 27--Diversity. Kimberly French describes the transformation that is taking place at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, which has welcomed former Pentecostal Bishop Carlton Pearson, who lost his megachurch when he embraced Universalism, and many of his followers. One of the morning services now includes “praise music” and upraised hands, which has brought back traumatic memories for some UUs who fled the churches of their youth. “I came to All Souls to get away from all that,” they’ve said, but others have joined the church because the new music speaks to them. (“The Gospel of Inclusion,” UU World, Fall 2009, page 26) When people share the same theology and values, but prefer different styles of music and worship, what can a congregation do to meet everyone’s needs? What could your congregation do?

Forums for November

2009-11-01T06:06:00.000-08:00

November 1--Pastoral or prophetic? Michael Durall urges congregations to focus more on public service than on personal spirituality. “Our primary concern,” he writes, “should lie… away from the private sphere and toward becoming a public church, one that reaches out to create a more just and humane world” (“Reach Out to Become a ‘Public’ Church,” UU World, Fall 2009, page 15). What role should public and private spirituality play in congregational life?

November 8--When creating an avatar in Second Life, you have the opportunity to invent the appearance that you present to the other avatars. What would your avatar look like?

November 15--You have advanced kidney cancer. It will kill you, probably in the next year or two. A drug called Sutent slows the spread of the cancer and may give you an extra six months, but at a cost of $54,000. Are a few more months worth that much? If you can afford it, you probably would pay that much, or more, to live longer, even if your quality of life lessened. But suppose it’s not you with the cancer but a stranger covered by your health-insurance fund. If the insurer provides this man, and everyone else like him, with Sutent, your premiums will increase. Do you still think the drug is a good value? Suppose the treatment cost a million dollars. Would it be worth it then? Ten million? Is there any limit to how much you would want your insurer to pay for a drug that adds six months to someone’s life? If there is any point at which you say, “No, an extra six months isn’t worth that much,” then you think that health care should be rationed. The life of one teenager is worth how many 85-year-olds?

November 22--Adult Religious Education class (no Forum)

November 29--Christine Robinson and Alicia Hawkins discuss the importance of practicing gratitude. “A musician practices scales for many lonely hours so that when it comes time to perform the music will flow naturally from the fingers. Likewise, we can make a practice of our gratitude that will sustain us in the wonderful and difficult times of our lives.” (“Practice Gratitude,” UU World, Fall 2009, page 19) What are you grateful for?

I am an American conservative

2009-09-30T20:54:00.000-07:00

The original can be found at http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3154974&userid=0&perpage=40&pagenumber=40#post363694598 Randomnoise's title was much saltier. ;)

This morning I was awoken by my alarm clock powered by electricity generated by the public power monopoly regulated by the US Department of Energy. I then took a shower in the clean water provided by the municipal water utility.

After that, I turned on the TV to one of the FCC regulated channels to see what the National Weather Service of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration determined the weather was going to be like using satellites designed, built, and launched by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. I watched this while eating my breakfast of US Department of Agriculture inspected food and taking the drugs which have been determined as safe by the Food and Drug Administration.

At the appropriate time as regulated by the US Congress and kept accurate by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the US Naval Observatory, I get into my National Highway Traffic Safety Administration approved automobile and set out to work on the roads built by the local, state, and federal departments of transportation, possibly stopping to purchase additional fuel of a quality level determined by the Environmental Protection Agency, using legal tender issued by the Federal Reserve Bank. On the way out the door I deposit any mail I have to be sent out via the US Postal Service and drop the kids off at the public school.

Then, after spending another day not being maimed or killed at work thanks to the workplace regulations imposed by the Department of Labor and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, I drive back to my house which has not burned down in my absence because of the state and local building codes and the fire marshall's inspection, and which has not been plundered of all its valuables thanks to the local police department.

I then log onto the internet which was developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Administration and post on Free Republic and Fox News forums about how SOCIALISM in medicine is BAD because the government can't do anything right.

Forums for October

2009-09-30T10:55:00.000-07:00

October 4--Community theatre. In “Serving Dionysus," Victoria Weinstein describes the physical and spiritual intimacy that results when a group of people puts on a play. "I was pulled, grabbed, shoved, fake-hit, caressed, embraced, caught in a faux faint, and in countless other ways brought into proximity with the bodies of other actors throughout the run," she writes. "In the theatre, community is created not just by good spiritual feelings and experiences, but by raw animal trust." (UU World, Spring 2009, page 20)
Have you participated in activities that have created this physical and spiritual community? What setting is necessary to remove some of the inhibitions that usually hold people back?

October 11--Recognizing the spiritual. Christine Robinson describes the embarrassment and discomfort many UUs feel about being openly spiritual in "Imagineers of Soul."
One of the problems, she says, is that some people believe they aren't spiritual because they haven't had any "soul-shaking" spiritual experiences. "They need ways to discover the more subtle movings of the Spirit of Life," she writes. (UU World, Spring 2009, page 36) She also writes that "very few people are willing to talk about their spiritual lives if they think they will be ridiculed or misunderstood."
Have you had experiences that you would call spiritual? How could your congregation help people talk more openly about their spiritual lives?

October 18--Adult RE. No forum.

October 25--Inner ape. Anthony David explores different ideas of human nature by looking at our closest animal cousins: gorillas, chimpanzees, and bonobos. He rejects the "killer ape" theory, which looks at violent behavior in some species of apes and says that human evolution was driven by aggression. Instead, he looks at a broader range of ape behaviors that point to kindness and empathy, too. "Our job as humans is . . . to draw on the positive aspects of our inner ape so as to make a better world," he writes in "Our Inner Ape," (UU World, Spring 2009, page 30)
Do our religious and ethical ideals need to be rooted in our biology? What can we learn about human nature by looking at other animals?

Forums for September

2009-09-03T16:03:00.000-07:00

September 6--Presidential retrospective. UU World’s Christopher L. Walton interviewed outgoing UUA President William G. Sinkford, whose term ends in June. Sinkford says he is especially proud of elevating the Association’s public witness work, encouraging more spirituality in UU worship, introducing the Tapestry of Faith religious education curriculum, promoting the Diversity of Ministry initiative, which supports ministers of color, and launching national advertising campaigns. (“A Public Witness,” UU World, Summer 2009, page 33).. How has your congregation changed over the past eight years? Was this change associated with UUA presidential leadership? What advice would you give to the next UUA president?

September 13--Liberal saints. Donald E. Skinner describes tile portraits of twenty-four liberal religious heroes that surround the sanctuary at Third Unitarian Church in Chicago, “their painted images gazing down on the gathered congregation.” (“The Liberal Saints,” UU World, Summer 2009, page 36). Who would you include among the “saints of liberalism”?

September 20--Natural god. In “Natural Faith,” William R. Murry writes that Darwinian evolution has made it “more difficult to think of God as a personal supernatural being.” He adds that Unitarian Universalism is unique among Western religions because most UUs, even those who believe in God, do not believe in a supernatural realm. (UU World, Spring 2009, page 29) Murry writes that evolution “is a religious story because it calls us . . . to see ourselves as part of a great living system.” What place does nature have in your religious life?

September 27--What do you think of the theory below? Can you see it operating in yourself?

"Kant and his followers thought the rational brain acted like a scientist: we used reason to arrive at an accurate view of the world. This meant that morality was based on objective values; moral judgments described moral facts. But the mind doesn't work this way. When you are confronted with an ethical dilemma, the unconscious automatically generates an emotional reaction. (This is what psychopaths can't do.) Within a few milliseconds, the brain has made up its mind; you know what is right and what is wrong. These moral instincts aren't rational. ...
"It's only after the emotions have already made the moral decision that those rational circuits in the prefrontal cortex are activated. People come up with persuasive reasons to justify their moral intuition. When it comes to making ethical decisions, human rationality isn't a scientist, it's a lawyer. This inner attorney gathers bits of evidence, post hoc justifications, and pithy rhetoric in order to make the automatic reaction seem reasonable. But this reasonableness is just a facade, an elaborate self- delusion. In other words, our standard view of morality - the philosophical consensus for thousands of years - has been exactly backward."
Jonah Lehrer, How We Decide, Houghton, Mifflin, Harcourt, Copyright 2009 by Jonah Lehrer, Kindle Loc. 1922-79.

Two Choices

2009-08-09T06:27:00.000-07:00

I received this in my e-mail. I don't know if it's a true tale or not, but, then, does it really matter? It's a great story.

Two Choices

What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line; there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the same choice?

At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves children with learning disabilities, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question:

'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does, is done with perfection.

Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do.

Where is the natural order of things in my son?'

The audience was stilled by the query.

The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, who was mentally and physically disabled comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.

Then he told the following story:

Shay and I had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?' I knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but as a father I also understood that if my son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.

I approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, 'We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning.'

Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. I watched with a small tear in my eye and warmth in my heart. The boys saw my joy at my son being accepted.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three.

In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as I waved to him from the stands.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again.

Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.

At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game?

Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.

However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact.

The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed.

The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay.

As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.

The game would now be over.

The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman.

Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game.

Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out of reach of all team mates.

Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, 'Shay, run to first! Run to first!'

Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base.

He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.

Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!'

Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base.

By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball, the smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team.

He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag , but he understood the pitcher's intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's head.

Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home.

All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'

Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third!

Shay, run to third!'

As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, 'Shay, run home! Run home!'

Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team

'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world'.

Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making me so happy, and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!

AND NOW A LITTLE FOOT NOTE TO THIS STORY:

We all send thousands of jokes through the e-mail without a second thought, but when it comes to sending messages about life choices, people hesitate.

The crude, vulgar, and often obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.

If you're thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that you're probably sorting out the people in your address book who aren't the 'appropriate' ones to receive this type of message Well, the person who sent you this believes that we all can make a difference.

We all have thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the 'natural order of things.'

So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people present us with a choice:

Do we pass along a little spark of love and humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little bit colder in the process?

A wise man once said every society is judged by how it treats its least fortunate amongst them.

You now have two choices:

1. Delete

2. Forward

May your day be a Shay Day.

Forums for August

2009-08-02T06:20:00.000-07:00

August 2 -- Rolling stones. Michael Schuler cites novelist Wallace Stegner when describing Americans’ nomadic lifestyle that results in a move every seven years, on average. “[Stegner] once observed that people in this country can generally be assigned to one of two categories: ‘boomers’ or ‘stickers.’ He lamented that the former—folks who with very little forethought will pull up stakes and head for the latest boomtown—were becoming increasingly dominant.” (“The Promised Land Is Under Your Feet,” UU World, Summer 2009, page 14) Are you a boomer or sticker? How many times have you moved in your life? Describe the best place you’ve lived. What distinguished it from the others?

August 9 -- Learning from animals. Rain T. Van Den Berg describes the spiritual lesson she learned from working with an elephant in Thailand. “I had to pay attention beyond where my feet were placed, beyond force or frustration, finding my center. Touching that place both calm and deep, more real than any of the noise or the worries.” (“Lessons from an Elephant Sage,” UU World, Summer 2009, page 19) What activity or spiritual practice do you have for grounding and centering yourself, absent the elephant? What lessons have you learned from animals?

August 16 -- Forgiveness. Have you forgiven someone? How did it turn out? Do you have someone you need to forgive?

August 23 -- Religious truths. In “The Human Condition,” Kenneth W. Collier writes that no one religious system has a monopoly on truth, and that religion functions within a cultural context. “It is just not a question of who has the right religion,” he writes. “It is a question of which religious system works in this cultural context, with these people, for this person, at this time.” ( UU World, Summer 2009, page 23) How is Unitarian Universalism an expression of our culture? Are there any absolute religious truths or is it all culturally driven?

August 30 -- Right relationship. Kraft writes that when he visited several of the Kisii congregations, he was presented with “detailed written proposals requesting donations of hundreds of dollars to pay for new churches, medical clinics, schools, grain mills, and orphanges.” The Rev. Eric Cherry, director of the UUA’s Office of International Resources, said that the UUA is working on ways to develop relationships with African congregations that do not involve direct subsidies. “Traditional missionary work is not something that the UUA wants to do,” he said. “We operate more on a partnership model.” (UU World, Summer 2009, page 27) What is the best way for American UUs to support their African co-religionists? Should this be an individual, congregational, and/or institutional responsibility?

Forums for July

2009-07-07T16:41:00.000-07:00

July 5--Would money spent on space exploration and development be better spent for other uses?

July 12--Second Life is a virtual reality world in which you create a digital version of yourself, called an avatar, and interact with other avatars. Users have created many institutions, including art museums and a UU church with regular services. What moral rules, if any, should govern the interactions between avatars?

July 19--Let’s say you're in a social situation and you hear an intolerant/racist/objectionable remark. How do you respond?

July 26--What is an experience you’ve had in which you most deeply and vividly felt that the interests of yourself and another were truly aligned?

Forums for June

2009-06-04T19:25:00.000-07:00

June 7--Imagine you are starting your own company. What ethical values would you put in place in your dealings with your customers? Your stockholders? Your suppliers? Your employees?

June 14--Smoky Hill River Festival Sunday -- no forum or service.

June 21--Belief and mystery. In “Holding the Center” (UU World, Spring 2009, page 57), Doug Muder reviews two books that maintain a middle ground between fundamentalism and secularism. In "The Religious Case Against Belief," James P. Carse argues that one thing binds religious and antireligious zealots: They are believers. “The greatest threat to the believer... is not the unbeliever, but the religious,” Muder writes: “the person whose appreciation of mystery causes him or her to see a world larger than the one that the believer has cleaved neatly in half.” Believers, Carse says, are focused on boundaries and opponents, but the truly religious are focused on mystery. Have you been focused on one more than the other at one point in your life?

June 28--What kind of moral obligations might we have to people we do not know or specially care about? Are they different from moral obligations we have to family and friends?

Forums for May

2009-05-07T17:03:00.000-07:00

May 3--What does it mean to be an educated person?

May 10--Has the current economic recession had any benefit for the USA or its people?

May 17--Here’s a quote from page 7 of Study Guide for Ethics for the New Millenium by His Holiness the Dalai Lama: “We find modern living organized so that it demands the least possible direct dependence on others.” Name three ways this is true for you. Name three dependencies that do exist in your life. Reflecting on what you’ve shared, what do you make of this statement and how your dependence/independence impacts your life?

May 24--The Dalai Lama suggests the ethics of an act (deeds, thoughts, words, desires, omissions) can be judged by reviewing the impact on others’ experience/expectation of happiness, the intent, the nature of the act itself and the motivation. An act which does harm or violence is potentially an unethical act based on the review of the other two criteria. Can you think of some of your actions that do harm or violence to people’s happiness that you consider ethical? Unethical? Actions that impacted you?

May 31--Sociologists have determined that women think less of their accomplishments than men, among many other differences. Sociologists could as easily have said that men overvalue their accomplishments. What other things could science say if it looked at gender differences from a woman's perspective?

Forums for April

2009-03-24T19:32:00.000-07:00

April 5--Safety in numbers. In “Working Together to Create Common Security,” Chuck Collins describes the danger of isolationism during difficult economic times. “Even those connected to religious congregations, unions, or civic groups may be embarrassed or ashamed to reach out for help,” he writes. What can your congregation do to prevent people from “falling through the cracks?” How might you extend yourself to a friend or neighbor who needs help? (UU World, Spring 2009, page 14)

April 12--Hanging on. William F. Schulz describes the panic that suffering can bring in “Hold On.” But this panic doesn’t last, he says. He cites the example of people thwarted from jumping off of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. “Only 6 percent of those who tried but were stopped went on to complete the deed later,” he writes, the trick is to hang on. Which situations have you been in that were so painful you might have despaired? How did that situation end? What helped you get through it? (UU World, Winter 2008, page 28)

April 19--Is there evidence in your life of past lives you personally have lived?

April 26--"Free speech is the privilege of the dead, the monopoly of the dead. They can speak their honest minds without offending. We have charity for what the dead say. We may disapprove of what they say, but we do not insult them, we do not revile them, as knowing they cannot now defend themselves." --Mark Twain. Twain is speaking of unpopular opinions and the high social cost of uttering them. He thinks that the resulting lack of open, honest, and wide-ranging discourse reinforces conformity at the cost of thought. What do you think? Do we see this today in "politically correct" speech?

Forums for March

2009-03-02T15:15:00.000-08:00

March 1--Worship's power. In his essay, "Assembly of a Lesser God," Doug Muder talks about the power of worship and belief. Muder created a successful ritual dedicated to the "spirit of inquiry," to help him get through the day at work. His wife had a totem-a dragonfly-that helped get her through a serious illness. "The conclusion I've drawn over the years," Muder writes, "is that evolution, for whatever reason, has made us a believing, worshiping species. And whether we approve of that decision or not, we're stuck working with the mind we have." (UU World, Winter 2008, page 23) What rituals do you have? What area of your life might deserve to have its own ritual?

March 8--Do you believe in karma? Do you, in some way, think we have to "go around again" until we get it right?

March 15--Ethical eating. John Gibb Millspaugh, author of "Dinner Dilemmas: Trying to Eat Ethically" analyzes the ethical issues involved in producing a Thanksgiving dinner, by tracing the path of turkey, potatoes, and cranberries as they make their way from their places of origin to the table. Some of the factors he uses in his analysis include: environmental impact, worker justice, and animal welfare. (UU World, Winter 2008, page 30) With all of the competing factors to consider, which are the most important to you: environmental impact, worker justice, animal welfare, cost, taste, tradition? And in what order?

March 22--Change in fortune. Fuller and Gerloff talk about how rank can change from one situation to another. "We may be a somebody at work but a nobody at home, or vice versa." (UU World, Winter 2008, page 35) How would you assess your rank in the various settings of your life: home, church, work, or recreation? How might these ranks change over the course of a lifetime?

March 29--Dumbing down? In his "Bookshelf" essay "Reason for Alarm," Edd Doerr reviews Susan Jacoby's book The Age of American Unreason in which Jacoby bemoans the "dumbing down" of American public discourse. She describes "a new species of semi-conscious anti-rationalism, feeding on and fed by an ignorant popular culture of video images and unremitting noise." We live, she says, in a "culture of distraction." (UU World, Winter 2008, page 58) What can we do, as individuals or as a society, to counter this "culture of distraction"? Is there a way to responsibly control some of the distractions?

Forums for February

2009-02-02T11:21:00.000-08:00

February 1--Interfaith partnering: The Rev. William G. Sinkford talks about the need for UUs to work with those of other faiths. “What I believe is that we can reach across the divides of religious language and belief,” he writes, “that we can partner with Baptists as well as Buddhists.” (UU World, Winter 2008, “Our Calling,” page 7). How has your congregation worked in partnership with other religious groups in your community? What points of commonality did you have?

February 8--"A troop of porcupines is milling about on a cold winter's day. In order to keep from freezing, the animals move closer together. Just as they are close enough to huddle, however, they start to poke each other with their quills. In order to stop the pain, they spread out, lose the advantage of commingling, and begin to shiver. This sends them back in search of each other, and the cycle repeats as they struggle to find a comfortable distance between entanglement and freezing." --Deborah Anna Luepnitz, Schopenhauer's Porcupines, Basic Books, 2002, pp. 2-3. What do you think of this story? Do you have such experiences in your life? How have you resolved the contradiction?

February 15--What commandments, if any, should be added to the original ten?

February 22--Turning points. Christine Nielsen describes the childhood event that led her to choose a career in international business: a summer spent visiting relatives in Denmark. The significance of this event didn’t strike her until much later. “Events that transform our lives often pass unnoticed at first,” she writes. “They occur within the flurry of our daily lives while we’re focusing on other things.” (UU World, Winter 2008, “Women Crafting a Better World,” page 14). Which events in your life, which may have seemed unimportant at the time, have actually been pivotal?

Forums for January

2009-01-03T12:37:00.000-08:00

January 4--Robert H Rosen meditates on the subject of anxiety in his “Forum” piece. “We associate anxiety with fear, stress, and instability. We are afraid we can’t understand or manage our anxiety, so we avoid, deny, or medicate it,” he writes. But, he says, just enough anxiety makes us creative and productive. (“Do You Have Just Enough Anxiety?” UU World, Fall 2008, page 14)

January 11--Are there universal human values? These values would be shared by human cultures in all places at all times--by the Aztecs and the Spartans and the Babylonians and the Inuit and the Vikings. What would these values be?

January 18--Genetic engineering of food crops and livestock. It appears to offer increased production to feed the world's hungry. Does it have a down side as well? What safeguards should be put in place, if any?

January 25--William F Schultz says, "Anyone who has ever felt as if they were playacting at being an adult, as if they were an imposter of some kind, may find some reassurance, as I do, that being mighty is no salve for insecurity." ("Hold On to the Wisdom of Endurance" UU World, Winter 2008). Do you ever act like you know what you're doing when inside you really feel scared and insecure? What has the outcome been?

Forums for December

2008-11-29T12:55:00.000-08:00

December 7--Do you practice some form of ethical eating? What are the moral restrictions you place on the food you are willing to eat?

December 14--Our First Principle states that we "covenant to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person." Yet we've all experiences people whose inherent worth and dignity are not at all obvious. Are we being unrealistic in assigning inherent worth to each and every human?

December 21--Someone recently told me that, given a choice now, she would hesitate to bring a child into the world because of the uncertain future she saw for that child. She cited ecological problems (shortages of clean water and air), shortages of energy, and widening income disparities. Do you agree with this idea? Why or why not?

December 28--Well, we blew through another perfectly good year. What was good about it? What was bad? What do you plan to do differently next year?

Forums for November

2008-10-27T16:31:00.000-07:00

November 2--Workplace spirituality: In “Can Spirituality Help at Work?” Stephanie Anagnoson refers to Religion and the Workplace by Douglas Hicks, who recommends “respectful pluralism” for the variety of ways people bring religion and spirituality to work. But he also observes that bringing religion and spirituality into the workplace can cause conflict, including wearing religious symbols, displaying religious or spiritual symbols, and religious invitations, proselityzation, and solicitation. (UU World, Fall 2008, page 57)

In what sense is spirituality relevant to your worklife? How would you handle a coworker’s wearing of religious symbols that you objected to? Where would you draw the line in terms of allowing certain religious practices to happen in the workplace?

November 9--"To provide a place for personal spiritual growth within an open and affirming community." This is our mission statement. Does it accurately reflect our sense of what our mission is? Does it need to be reworked?

November 16--I've heard that marriage is like a monastery in some ways. It is usually entered at a relatively young age, it is relatively hard to get out of, it is a commitment for life, and so it forces those involved to change and grow. If you've been in a marriage or a long-term relationship, what have you learned from it?

November 23--One of my cats is dying tonight and I have vowed never to let someone else "put to sleep" an animal of mine. Consequently, I have a question that I think needs addressing, which is: What would it take for you to kill someone you loved?

November 30--New parent: In “Letter to a New Parent,” Meg Barnhouse writes that it’s important not to heed those who issue dire warnings about parenthood. “Enjoy this baby and enjoy your newly expanded heart,” she counsels. (UU World, Fall 2008, page 18)

If you are a parent, how has parenthood changed you? What advice do you wish someone had given you? What would you like to tell new parents? Someone recently told me that, given a choice now, she would hesitate to bring a child into the world because of the uncertain future she saw for that child. She cited ecological problems (shortages of clean water and air), shortages of energy, and widening income disparities. Do you agree with this idea? Why or why not?

Forums for October

2008-10-02T17:38:00.000-07:00

October 5 -- Promise-makers: In “The Tyger and the Lamb,” Dennis McCarty discusses the importance of covenants. He quotes UU theologian James Luther Adams, who called human beings “promise-making, promise-keeping, promise-breaking, promise-renewing cretures.” (UU World, Fall 2008, page 30) Victoria Safford’s “Opening Words” asks, “To whom are you accountable? . . . With whose life, whose lives, is your own all bound up, inextricably, in obvious or invisible ways?” What kind of promises bind you with family members, coworkers, coreligionists, neighbors? Are any of these promises explicit as covenants?

October 12 -- Could there be a Peace Army, an Army of Nonviolence? Discussion will include how some of the most violent people on earth experimented with this, and their witness to a different kind of power. Do we think something like this is possible today? And how effective might it be? For discussion preparation, go to http://www.calpeacepower.org/0101/muslim_ghandi.htm For more reading, do an internet search on Network of Spiritual Progressives, "Global Marshall Plan."

October 19 -- At a recent Forum we had some controversy about missionaries. Is it legitimate to spread your faith and convictions? The UUA asks us to be missionaries, in a sense, by preparing our "elevator speeches." Would some good UU missionaries be an effective way to counter the violent Islamist culture in parts of the Middle East?

October 26 -- Western ethical tradition has been based largely on a struggle between good and evil, black and white, all or nothing. What would our situation be now if it had been based on shades of gray instead?

The real elitists

2008-10-02T16:46:00.000-07:00

"Oh, I think they're just not used to someone coming in from the outside saying you know what? It's time that a normal Joe Six-pack American is finally represented in the position of vice presidency, and I think that that's kind of taken some people off guard, and they're out of sorts, and they're ticked off about it."

So, didn't George Bush bill himself as a good old boy? (As if, with that silver spoon in his mouth!) We all know how well that one went.

Spare me the good old boys and girls! I'm working class. I'm a food handler at Burger King and a paraprofessional at a junior college library. My mom raised us three kids on her own after my parents' divorce working as a nurse's aide, then as a maid. I'm insulted by the insinuation that to be working class is to be ignorant. I got the nightly news before cable with the big three--CBS, ABC and NBC. PBS arrived on our local scene a little later. Now there's the cable news networks as well, including the conservatives' beloved FOX. I'd bet even the Internet is available to the good old boys and girls, if not at home, then through their public library.

Maybe in her little town there was no public library, although there was one in Sterling, Kansas--where I went to college back in the 1970s--which wasn't any bigger than Wasilla was; no doubt Sterling still has one. There is no law against us blue-collar types reading a book or two. I practically lived at the Salina Public Library before I got my home computer. (Now I spend too much time on the Internet. I really should get back to reading books instead of just newsletters, blogs and fan fiction).

If anyone is ignorant, it's their choice to be. It's their choice not to exercise their curiosity and to not explore the world around them. It's their choice not to go beyond the surface of things and ask the deeper questions. It's their choice to automatically accept everything they've been told and to never question it. It's their choice!

Just because I'm blue-collar doesn't mean I can't think and I'm insulted that anyone who does, that anyone who uses their brains, that anyone with an iota of desire to learn and to experience the world around them, is somehow an elitist. Give me a friggin' break! Knowledge and culture aren't just for the "elites" and those who think they are are themselves the elitists.

I have nothing against Joe Six Pack or rednecks. I am, after all, a Kansas girl and proud of it. I just don't see NASCAR and Shakespeare, country music and classical music, or lattes and beer as mutually exclusive. (I prefer wine from the Smoky Hills Vineyards to beer, though, on the rare occasion that I drink. I guess that makes me an elitist).

However, I expect someone to have the qualifications for whatever job they're undertaking, whether that job is auto mechanics or the Vice-Presidency of the United States. I also expect them to be willing to learn and not to revel in their lack of appropriate knowledge. I would never take my car to a white-collar guy who knew nothing about repairing cars; I'd go to an auto mechanic. I will not trust my country's leadership to someone lacking the knowledge to fulfill their responsibilities. It's not about six packs. It's about knowing what the heck you're talking about.

Forums for September

2008-09-06T16:42:00.000-07:00

September 7--Heroes all. In his Forum essay, “The Avatar’s Advantage,” Tad Waddington encourages readers to “mythologize” their actions. By making simple actions more heroic, Waddington is convinced that we gain momentum. “See yourself as a hero in a story and every obstacle, rather than setting you back, can draw out greater qualities of your character as you rise to their challenges. A final cause of mythic stature gives you the moxie, the chutzpah, the pluck you need to achieve your lofty goal.” Which lofty goals do you have, and which actions do you need to take? How can you imbue these actions with heroic meaning?

September 14--Dying well. In “Love and Death,” Forrest Church describes some of the positive aspects of being present at a loved one’s death: “The act of releasing a loved one from all further obligations as he lies dying—to tell him it’s all right, that he is safe, that we love him and he can go now—is life’s most perfect gift, the final expression of unconditional love.” How would you describe a good death? When someone dies tragically or unexpectedly, have you found ways to say farewell? How would you like to die?

September 21--Last month a gunman entered a UU church in Tennessee and shot several members. He stated that he hated liberals and gays. Many people hate liberals and gays, but most don't shoot up a church to prove it. What made this man act as he did? Could this happen here? What, if any, precautions should we take?

September 28--Do you keep a record of your dreams? Do you feel they offer insights into everyday life and problems?

"Love can't fix everything."

2008-08-25T10:41:00.000-07:00

Meg Barnhouse knew the gunman responsible for killing two at the Tennessee Valley UU Church. One of Jim David Adkisson's ex-wives used to attend the church. She writes about him and her reflections on the killings in the following article:

http://www.uuworld.org/spirit/articles/118660.shtml?n

Forums for August

2008-08-08T15:14:00.000-07:00

August 3--Some pharmacists refuse to dispense drugs they find morally objectionable, such as birth control pills or the "morning after" pill. Is this reasonable in light of society's diverse beliefs on reproductive ethics, or do consumers have a right to access to legal health care products? What if a "pro-life pharmacy" is the only one reasonably available in a community?

August 10--Looking back: Manish Mishra describes his life as a young adult and how convinced he was, early on, of the correctness of some of his choices. “At the tender age of twenty-two,” he writes, “I thought I had solved the major life quests—work and human connection”—only to rethink those choices later. (“The Call of Self,” page 23) What choices did you make in young adulthood that you later rethought? What choices did you make when you were younger that have stood the test of time?

August 17--Crucifixion or paradise: Theologians Rita Nakashima Brock and Rebecca Ann Parker were surprised to discover that many early Christian images show an earthly paradise, while scenes of Jesus suffering and the Crucifixion do not make an appearance in church art until the tenth and eleventh centuries. In “This Present Paradise,” they begin to answer the question, “Why did Christians turn from a vision of paradise in this life to a focus on the Crucifixion and final judgment?” (page 26) Are you surprised to learn about a Christianity that didn’t emphasize the Crucifixion and Jesus’ suffering? Brock and Parker write that Universalism helped to reclaim a theology of this-worldly paradise. Are there ways in which paradise is part of your own theology?

August 24--Contemplation vs. activism: In his review of Philip Gura’s book American Transcendentalism, Jeff Wilson highlights the historic split “between those for whom Transcendentalism was a philosophy of personal introspection and self-reliance, and those for whom it was an ethic of universal brotherhood and active work to improve society.” (“The Self-Reliant and the Social Reformers,” page 57)
This split persists in contemporary Unitarian Universalism. “Both the self-culture and social-reform versions of Transcendentalism have been bequeathed to modern Unitarian Universalism,” Wilson writes. “But we have also inherited the tension between them.” Where do you see this tension in contemporary Unitarian Universalism? Where would you fall on the continuum between introspection and activism?

August 31--Roots music: In “The Sources Sing," Kimberly French describes a new cantata composed by the Rev. Jason Shelton with lyrics by the Rev. Kendyl Gibbons. Each movement of the cantata is inspired by one of the UUA’s Six Sources. Looking at Unitarian Universalism’s Six Sources, what music best expresses each Source for you? Does your congregation use music that relies on some Sources more than others?

No words

2008-07-28T09:54:00.000-07:00

I have no words to express my feelings about this. Rest in peace, Greg McKendry and Linda Kraeger.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080728/ap_on_re_us/church_shooting

Forums for July

2008-07-08T15:18:00.000-07:00

July 6 -- Fundamental prejudice. Esther Hurlburt writes about her experience co-officiating at a funeral with a fundamentalist preacher who seems disappointed when he finds out she is UU (“Universal Love,” page 23, Spring 2008). What have you said when people have either challenged you -- or said nothing -- about being a Unitarian Universalist?

July 13 -- Should we be supporting increased nuclear power generation as a partial answer to our long-term baseload needs?

July 20 -- We're now officially a Welcoming Congregation. Most of us have signed on, at least to the "tolerant" level of the continuum. Could you march in a Gay Pride parade? If you were dating, would you date a transgender person?

July 27 -- The classics. W. Frederick Wooden takes refuge in the classics because he can’t keep up with the flood of newly published books. “As I get older and the time I have gets smaller, it seems obvious that spending time on a book that is new and uncertain, when I could spend it with one that is undeniably good even if it is old or well known, is by far the best choice” (“Why I’m Sticking with Classics,” page 64, Spring 2008). Why are the classics so frequently avoided when they have so much to offer? What books are on your night table and why? What classics do you hope to read someday?

Forums for June

2008-06-11T16:16:00.000-07:00

Better late than never, I reckon.

June 1 -- Bringing religion home: William Doherty looks at ways that Unitarian Universalism could better ground itself in home teaching and practice, drawing upon the support of the larger UU community ("Home Grown Unitarian Universalism," page 39, Spring 2008). Doherty describes new traditions such as “Source Suppers” that might give children and adults a sense of history and connection to the UU community. What other home-based practices or rituals can you think of that would give UUs this sense of connection?

June 8 -- In fellowship: Holley Ulbrich discusses the history of the UU fellowship movement, in which 600 to 800 lay-led fellowships were founded all across the country between 1948 and 1967. Although these groups were sometimes controversial, Ulbrich describes some of the changes they brought to the rest of the Association, such as shared ministry, women’s leadership, and (in time) a collaborative approach between laity and clergy (“The Fellowship Movement,” page 40, Spring 2008). How is the fellowship movement’s legacy reflected in the life of your congregation?

June 15 -- No forum. No service. It's Smoky Hill River Festival time! However, as our newsletter says:

"The Salina Unitarian Universalist Fellowship will be collecting recyclable plastic bottles at this year's Smoky Hill River Festival. Look for bright green pennants flying above collection barrels as the place to deposit empty water and soda bottles. UU members, in bright green shirts, can be seen throughout the Festival tending to the project.

UU member Jackie Ash, along with other members of The Original Prairie Poets & Writers, will be reading poetry and prose Sunday morning at 11:00 a.m. at the Bravo Salina! Stage.

These special River Festival activities take the place of the usual Sunday morning forum and service."

Anyone who is going to the Festival be sure to check out the local talent at the Bravo Salina stage. The link to all things Festival is http://www.riverfestival.com/2008/

June 22 -- What should happen at your funeral to best reflect your life?

June 29 -- How can we know anything not brought to us by our five senses? How do we arrive at spiritual or moral truths?

Forums for May

2008-04-30T15:52:00.000-07:00

May 4 -- Welcoming congregation topic.

May 11 -- Walt Whitman maintained that Jesus, Mohammed, and Abraham were tribal prophets, speaking truth to the people in their time, place, and culture. He felt that, in light of a shrinking world, we now need a global prophet. What do you think of this idea? What would a global prophet have to say to us?

May 18 -- Just war? Paul Rasor looks at the common ground between pacifism and just war theory in light of the UUA’s study/action process, which asks whether the UUA should “reject the use of any and all kinds of violence and war to resolve disputes between peoples and nations and adopt a principle of seeking just peace through nonviolent means.” Rasor calls his proposal “prophetic nonviolence,” which he tries to root in Unitarian Universalist theological principles (“Prophetic Nonviolence,” page 27, Spring 2008). How has your congregation responded to the UUA’s peacemaking study/action issue? What values do you hope to see reflected in the answer the UUA develops?

May 25 -- Sundown towns. James W. Loewen describes the phenomenon of “sundown towns,” communities that intentionally excluded people of color. He gives suggestions for investigating whether your town was one of them (“Was Your Town a Sundown Town?” page 13, Spring 2008). How do towns that no longer have a specific policy of being sundown towns still manage to exclude people of color and other minorities? Was Salina a Sundown Town? Do you know of sundown towns in this area of Kansas? How would you approach the process of reconciliation if your town was a sundown town?

Forums for April

2008-03-31T15:56:00.000-07:00

April 6--"I'd rather see a sermon than hear one any day; I'd rather one should walk with me than merely tell the way." - quote of Edgar Guest, poet (1881-1959) Come this morning to share of times you’ve “seen” a sermon that has affected you more than something that you’ve “heard” in church.

April 13--Sharia law -- Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams sparked off a storm by suggesting Britain adopt some sharia law. Williams apparently had in mind a modern school of Muslim thinking that sees sharia as a system of essential Islamic values rather than a fixed code of harsh punishments. In contrast to this traditional jurisdiction, modern Muslim scholars such as Swiss-born Tariq Ramadan interpret sharia more broadly as "the expression of the universal principles of Islam" and a way of thinking that helps express them in daily life. This approach can accept secular laws as "sharia-compliant" if they reflect Islamic values. "Even simply by trying to respect Muslim ethics, one is already in the process of applying the sharia," Ramadan has written. Thus Williams, who cited Ramadan in his speech, said Britain already had sharia in its legal system through laws that allowed Islamic no-interest mortgages and contracts. Should Western countries adopt some parts of sharia law?

April 20--Praying with UUs -- The Revs. Wayne Arnason and Kathleen Rolenz offer suggestions for leading prayer with UU congregations, including the use of different invocations, allowing time for silence, and the importance of sincerity. They also stress the need for a personal practice of prayer. “The single most effective thing a person can do to create meaningful prayers is to have a rich private prayer life oneself.” (“Praying as Unitarian Universalists,” page 18, Spring 2008) What kind of prayer life do you have? How might personal prayer complement communal prayer?

April 27--Talking money -- In his column, UUA President William G. Sinkford reflects on the way that our use of money reflects our values. “For many of us the subject of money can sound unpalatable, uninteresting, or maybe even offensive, but if ‘money talks,’ as they say, what does it sound like in public? Do you ‘put your money where your mouth is’?” (“Our Calling,” page 7, Spring 2008) If your “money talks,” what does it say about you and your values? Where do you put your money?

Goodbye, Jim

2008-03-17T09:24:00.001-07:00

The last nine days (since 4:00 AM March 8) have been hell. I was already up, getting ready for work, when I received a phone call from my older brother's nursing home that he had died that morning. Jim had been in the hospital the month before for heart irregularities, but was doing well earlier that week when my aunt visited him on his birthday, which was the 3rd.

The doctors, incidentally, never did determine whether or not he had had a heart attack in February and when I received the news of his death, all I was told was that he had suffered "respiratory distress," a fancy way of saying he couldn't breathe. Yeah, I suppose not breathing would kill you, huh? Big help. We still don't know the cause of the "respiratory distress." Jim had a "do not resuscitate" order, so they didn't, although the hospital certainly did last month in spite of his wishes. His heart had actually stopped; he was revived via CPR.

Jim had already made funeral arrangements nearly two years ago because he had Social Security funds he needed to disburse. The only expense to his family were for flowers. Just like Jim--to be thoughtful and do what he could to make things easier for others. He had gone into the nursing home due to a major stroke he suffered in November 2005. He was affected physically, especially his right side, but his mind was still good. I visited him regularly, nearly every week, but I didn't get a chance to see him before his birthday. I was planning on visiting him the following Sunday. I won't ever see him again now. Too late.

What ticks me off more than anything is that I haven't really cried. What kind of a sister doesn't cry when her brother dies? Yeah, I mist up from time to time--like now while writing this--but I still haven't grieved. I'm very angry at myself for being so self-involved. Here I am, worrying about my lack of reaction instead of thinking about him. I've been a bit short-tempered the last few days, but, heck, that's a normal stress reaction for me. Is it unexpressed grief or my normal grumpiness, particularly my grouchiness on dreary, overcast days of which we've been having far too many? I don't know.

I did notice that I was the only one who touched him when he was in his casket. Everyone else shied away. Even so, I didn't touch his skin; I only placed a hand on his chest and told him I loved him. Still didn't cry, though. I didn't cry when Mom died, either, although I did have the comfort of having nightmares, mostly of burying her alive. I haven't even had nightmares from Jim's death. Maybe, on a subconscious level, I was already prepared for his death. Mom's illness came on quickly and she died within a couple of months from the time she was diagnosed. Jim was in that nursing home for two years.

Still, while he was never going to be able to leave the home, he was holding steady and had a farily decent life there, according to him. He made friends with his fellow patients and with the staff, and he had a friend who came by on a regular basis to play chess with him. I never knew Jim could play chess until I met Alan at the visitation. Checkers, yes--he kicked my butt regularly as kids--but chess? Apparently, he was a really good player, too. Jim never fails to impress me.

Goodbye, Jim, I love you.

Forums for March

2008-02-27T16:07:00.000-08:00

March 2--Church-state divide: In America’s Founding Faiths, Forrest Church describes the way the first five U.S. presidents negotiated the division between church and state. The fifth, James Monroe, established a longlasting model in this respect. “Monroe’s balancing act—keeping God out of the White House without offending the churches—would be passed along to his presidential successors. They would adapt his model of a religiously neutral and disengaged White House . . . throughout ten succeeding administrations.” What kinds of roles do you think your congregation and other religious groups should take in public life?

March 9--The fright way: In Twilight Zone writer challenged prejudice, Kimberly French asserts that Rod Serling, creator of the TV show The Twilight Zone, explored a lot of controversial issues through the horror genre. “He confronted capital punishment in an episode called ‘The Execution,’ fear of atomic war in ‘The Shelter,’ and prejudice in ‘Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.’” What other forms of imaginative entertainment raise issues or ideas important to you?

March 16--Sharing books: In his From the Editor column, Christopher L. Walton writes, “If Unitarian Universalists have a distinctive way of sharing their worldview with others, it’s probably captured in the gesture of handing a book to a friend and saying, ‘Read this!’” Which books would you recommend to a friend that convey your worldview?

March 23--Is lying ever justified? What about little white lies? What about a lie to avoid a catastrophe?

March 30--Welcoming Congregation topic. (It most likely will be related to the subject of the service: How Homophobia Hurts Us All. In this presentation, we will gain a greater understanding that homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, and heterosexism hurt everyone, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identification).

Forums for February

2008-01-27T17:26:00.000-08:00

February 3--What does it mean to be tolerant? Is tolerance enough?

February 10--Good vs. evil: Patrick O’Neill writes in Views of the Sacred and Evil that “people are almost equally capable of both good and evil, but most of the time—say, three times out of five—people choose the good.” When have you had a chance to choose between good and evil? What swayed your decision? (This article is divided into two parts online, http://www.uuworld.org/ideas/articles/50588.shtml and http://www.uuworld.org/ideas/articles/56531.shtml)

February 17--Shared forgetting: In a review of a book about racial expulsions in U.S. history, Dan Carter quotes the French historian Ernest Renan, “Every nation is a community both of shared memory and of shared forgetting.” (“Forgotten story of America's whites-only towns,” page 59, http://www.uuworld.org/ideas/articles/50594.shtml) What movements or historical events are among the memories that Americans of your generation share, and what are the things they’d rather forget?

February 24--Ancestral debts? Dan Carter writes, “None of us should feel personal responsibility for what our parents or grandparents did or did not do.” (“Forgotten story of America's whites-only towns,” page 59, http://www.uuworld.org/ideas/articles/50594.shtml) Do you agree with Carter’s statement? How does this statement correspond with the idea of historical reparations?

Forums for January

2008-01-19T20:24:00.000-08:00

January 6 -- Volunteer burnout: Elizabeth Weber writes about burning out as a UU volunteer in “Confessions of a Prodigal Volunteer” (UU World, Fall 2007, page 24). “Weary and protective of my fragmented free time, I avoided the very groups and gatherings that might have nourished my spirit and balanced my involvement.” Have you ever felt tempted to take on too much? How did you find the right balance between commitment and self care?

January 13 -- Joy of singing: "Spirit of Life" (UU World, Fall 2007, page 32) Carolyn McDade’s songs are intimately connected with community, usually women’s community, where the experience of singing together can be transformative. Said Susanne Norman about the first time she sang with McDade: “All these feelings were coming up from the bottom of my toes . . . pain, anger, sadness about injustice on a personal level, and also a global level. I had a feeling of wanting to take action, and also of hope and joy.” How do you feel when singing in a group? When have you felt most bound to community through singing? What songs do you associate with powerful experiences in your life? Which songs have acquired new meaning as you’ve grown and changed?

January 20 -- Open space: "Open Space Process Informs UU Goals” (UU World, Fall 2007, page 42) A new decision-making process was introduced at this year’s General Assembly, called “Open Space Technology.” Groups were tasked with creating a list of issues they thought the Association should be focusing on. What are your top three goals for the denomination? How do these differ from the goals your congregation might have?

January 27 -- Welcoming Congregation topic. The topics for this particular segment of the process are bisexuality and transgender. At the time of the newsletter from which these topics have been cross-posted, it hadn't yet been decided which was going to be the forum and which the was going to be in the service. (The forum will be about bisexuality). Never let someone who is likely ADD--me--be in charge of a service. Why did I volunteer? I feel like I'm letting everyone down. I have just one week to get my act together.

And so it goes

2007-11-27T17:20:00.000-08:00

My Aunt Lillian, my mom's sister, died the day after Thanksgiving, due to complications from diabetes. There's a history of it in my family. Both my brothers are insulin dependent, while my mom, who died from bone cancer in 1991, had to carefully watch her diet to control her glucose levels. The last time my level was checked, I was well within the healthy range, but that was at least 60 pounds ago. I need to have my glucose and cholesterol tested and stop taking my basic sound health for granted. I'm obese and middle-aged. I can't dodge the bullet forever.

I started thinking about how we Baby Boomers, who thought we'd be young forever, are now becoming the elders. Many of our parents' generation are still around, but they're leaving too soon. I continue to be surprised -- and why should I be, given it is in the nature of humans to be mortal? -- at how many of the writers, actors and other celebrities I knew about as a child are now passing away.

I'm 50. That was the age my mom was when she had the wonderful picture taken of her sitting on Santa's lap. She kept a youthful spirit until the end of her life at age 58. I meant to send that picture to Aunt Lillian years ago, since she had no recent photos of my mom, but never did it. Now, I will never have the opportunity. My reclusiveness and dislike of writing letters kept me from getting to know my aunt better and from enriching her life with knowledge of her sister and her niece and nephews. Now it's too late.

I'm an idiot.

Forums for December

2007-11-27T17:14:00.000-08:00

December 2 -- How do you adjust your thinking when one of your heroes turns out to be a fallible human being?

December 9 -- Now is the time. UUA President William G. Sinkford cites W.E.B. Du Bois in his column: “Now is the accepted time, not tomorrow, not some more convenient time . . . that we fit ourselves for the greater usefulness of tomorrow.” (UU World, Fall 2007, page 7) Looking at the Du Bois quote in a personal way, what do you feel is your most important cause? What are your justice priorities?

December 16 -- What course of action should we urge for our Israeli brothers and sisters? For our Palestinian brothers and sisters?

December 23 -- Would Jesus celebrate Christmas? How?

December 30 -- Religious exposure. Roberta Nelson writes about the importance of exposing children to a broad range of religions so that they can better understand the diversity around them. “If you do not provide the answers, someone else will,” she cautions. (UU World, Fall 2007, page 14) What religious experiences have you exposed your children to? When you were a child how did you find out about other religions?

Forums for November

2007-11-04T15:01:00.000-08:00

November 4 -- What good has come from your bad experiences?

November 11 -- Jon Luoma says there are many things we can do at a personal level to save energy and cut pollution. He offers some suggestions: Buy a high mileage car, buy energy saving appliances and purchase Green Tag energy subsidies (UU World May/June 2005, pg. 28). What would you be willing to give up or change in your life to promote a cleaner environment? How much extra would you be willing to pay for this? What can you do to make controlling global warming a priority? What can your congregation do?

November 18 -- A "Welcoming Congregation" forum with discussion connecting to the service to follow. (The service following the forum is : The Gay Experience. A panel of individuals will tell their stories and answer questions from the fellowship.).

November 25 -- Meister Eckart, the 12th century mystic wrote, "the most important prayer in the world is just two words – thank you." What did he mean?

Forums for October

2007-09-28T18:07:00.000-07:00

October 7 -- Imagine that a soul, before birth, would have no clue where it would be placed in this world. What rules would that soul want, to assure it the best chance of success?

October 14 -- In "Living to End the Death Penalty," (UU World, Fall 2005, page 37) Donald E. Skinner writes about Ken and Lois Robison’s campaign to abolish the death penalty. The Robisons became involved with this issue when their son Larry, a paranoid schizophrenic, was executed in Texas for killing five people. Would you support a universal abolition of the death penalty? Is execution ever justified?

October 21 -- Welcoming Congregation workshop: Religion and Homosexuality

October 28 -- What is your spiritual task at this stage in your life?

Forums for September

2007-09-17T01:39:00.000-07:00

Yes, this is a bit late.

September 2 -- Welcoming Congregation workshop: Gender Socialization and Homophobia. Were you a “good girl/boy” or “bad girl/boy”? What does that mean to you?

September 9 -- Motivation: What is your motivation for doing good deeds, rather than doing selfish or evil ones?

September 16 -- Responsible investments: A news story, “UUA’s Shareholder Activism Pays Off” (UU World, Summer 2007, page 47), highlights how some of the UUA’s investment choices and actions have resulted in corporate change. How does the way you manage your money and investments reflect your social and religious values? Do you plan to make changes?

September 23 -- Contradictions: In “Love the Contradictions,” (UU World, Summer 2007, page 41) Robert Hardies writes that we have to love the imperfect and the complex both in ourselves and in others. He cites the example of liberation theologian Gustavo Gutiérrez, who lectures around the world and is still concerned about his parishioners at home. “I simply try to find a balance between being a theologian and being a pastor,” Gutiérrez said. “And in the midst of all the suffering . . . I try to be happy.” What are some of the contradictions in your life? How do you stay balanced? What do you do when you’ve lost your balance?

September 30 -- Buddhism: In “What Is Unitarian Universalist Buddhism?” (UU World, Summer 2007, page 32) James Ishmael Ford describes how Buddhism has become attractive to many UUs. “The ongoing interest in Buddhism among Unitarian Universalists has not been exclusive to humanists,” he writes. “Pagan, Jewish, and Christian UUs have also been attracted to the practical mysticism of Buddhism. And a number have tried various Buddhist meditation disciplines; some make those practices central to their spiritual lives.” What does Buddhism have to offer Unitarian Universalists, and vice versa? How might the use of certain Buddhist practices seem like cultural misappropriation? What does it take to maintain a dual religious identity?

Forums for August

2007-08-06T13:41:00.000-07:00

August 5 -- It has been said that all religions aren’t really paths up the same mountain. For example, Christianity is mainly about sin and Buddhism is about suffering—two very different things. What would Islam and Judaism be about? What do you think of this idea?

August 12 -- Should the US pass a law prohibiting insurers and employers from using genetic tests as a basis for discrimination?

August 19 -- Welcoming Congregation Workshop -- Questions about Oppression.

As part of our Welcoming Congregation series of workshops we will discuss questions that explore oppression, such as: What is oppression? How are racism, sexism, homophobia, etc. defined? Can blacks be racists, women be sexists, etc? How does racism manifest itself? What is internalized racism? How do we become racists? What can we do? Over achievers can read ahead by clicking here. http://www.american-pictures.com/english/racism/frequent.htm

August 26 -- Rosemary Bray McNatt reviews two books related to Louisa May Alcott, author of Little Women—a book that had a strong impact on McNatt. “The more I think about it, the more it seems that the March family planted the seeds of my liberal faith,” she writes. (UU World, Summer 2007, page 55) Which book characters or books have influenced you religiously?

My favorite joke at Beliefnet

2007-08-06T13:39:00.000-07:00

http://www.beliefnet.com/dailyjoke/dailyjoke.aspx?QID=6233

Whoever wrote this obviously knows cats. LOL

Forums for July

2007-06-27T13:41:00.000-07:00

July 1 -- What are miracles to you?

July 8 -- In a Mel Brooks movie, Moses actually got 15 Commandments from God, but broke one of the tablets on the way down the mountain so he only delivered ten. What do you think would have been the other five?

July 15 -- Welcoming Congregation Workshop on understanding how we have come to know what we know about ourselves and others’ sexual orientation and gender identification.

July 22 -- Complete the sentence: “In my life, I have learned ___________.”

July 29 -- Where do you find hope?

Forums for June

2007-05-31T18:49:00.000-07:00

June 3 -- Is it legitimate to express our religious views in a political/leadership context?

June 10 -- Welcoming Congregation Workshop

June 17 -- In the Winter 2006 issue of UU World, reporting on how UU funds are being used in the Gulf Coast, Michelle Bates Deakin draws a parallel between the racism she saw during her recent visit to the Gulf and the civil rights movement in the 1960s. She quotes the Rev. Dr. Gretchen Woods: “New Orleans is the Selma of our generation.” (Partners in the Gulf, page 50). In what ways does Katrina’s aftermath resemble the civil rights movement? In what ways does it differ? How can the needs of the Gulf Coast be kept alive?

June 24 -- Palmer-Fernandez sees a clear trend toward the displacement of secular forms of social control by a religiosity that asserts itself as the only legitimate basis for social order. Do you see this trend?

Forums for May

2007-05-06T09:01:00.000-07:00

May 6 -- Martin Luther King Jr. said he “had been to the mountaintop.” Rev. Michael talked about a “mountaintop experience” in his January sermon. Have you ever had a mountaintop experience? What was it like?

May 13 -- Originally, the first welcoming congregation workshop was going to be held in May, but we pushed the start date back to June. I have no idea what the forum will be.

Mya 20 -- Reinhold Niebuhr said that what society needs, and what religion alone can provide, is a sense of humility. He cites Abraham Lincoln as a role model. What do you think of this idea?

May 27 -- In his feature story, “What Torture Has Taught Me,” the Rev. Dr. William F. Schulz challenges the Unitarian Universalist affirmation of the inherent worth and dignity of each person, using his experience with torture victims and perpetrators. “Is the worth and dignity of every person inherent? No, inherency is a construct, a useful myth perhaps, but a myth nonetheless.” (page 35) What does the inherent worth and dignity of every person mean to you?

Forums for April

2007-03-26T08:23:00.000-07:00

April 1 -- Schulz describes torture as a means of wielding power, relating a story from his own childhood about taking advantage of a dog’s friendly nature. “It was fascinating to feel this little creature, so much less powerful than I, entirely at my mercy.” (“What Torture Has Taught Me,” page 35). Schulz believes that torturers are average “Joes” and “Janes.” Does everyone have the capacity to become a torturer? Have you ever found yourself treating another cruelly? Did you experience shame, as Schulz did? How was power -- your own or other’s -- involved?

April 8 -- What is the role of charitable giving in your life? How important is it to you?

April 15 -- In her report on how UU funds are being used in the Gulf Coast, Michelle Bates Deakin draws a parallel between the racism she saw during her recent visit to the Gulf and the civil rights movement in the 1960s. She quotes the Rev. Dr. Gretchen Woods: “New Orleans is the Selma of our generation.” (“Partners in the Gulf,” page 50). In what ways does Katrina’s aftermath resemble the civil rights movement? In what ways does it differ? How can the needs of the Gulf Coast be kept alive?

April 22 -- From his experience with torture victims, Schulz cannot accept the belief that God is everywhere. “I would submit that no God worthy of the name is present in a torture chamber... Whatever our conception of God,... it needs to be both complex enough and circumscribed enough to account for the fact that God’s absence... is as real a phenomenon as God’s immanence.” (“What Torture Has Taught Me,” page 33). Is God present in a torture chamber? How do you theologically deal with the reality of torture?

April 29 -- Should the United States be the global policeman?

Forums for March

2007-03-12T19:47:00.000-07:00

March 4 -- Would you eat food produced by cloning or genetic engineering?

March 11 -- French describes how the stress of her medical tests opened her to certain spiritual experiences. “When I became friendly with an Ethiopian Muslim woman, . . . she asked right away, ‘What’s your healing color?’. . . Without hesitating, I told her. The question would have baffled me a year before” (“Lost and Found,” UU World, Winter 2006 page 28). When have you discovered something that a year before you wouldn’t have believed in? What caused this new understanding?

March 18 -- In her meditation “Good Fortunes,” Meg Barnhouse says that she will write down all the messages that she’d like to get in fortune cookies and put them in a bowl. “I’ll draw one out every morning and see what happens to my eyes, to my ears, to my heart and my spirit” (UU World, Winter 2006 page 27). What messages would you write for yourself? For others?

March 25 -- Who bears responsibility for war? From Dave Lewerenz: "Usually leaders are blamed, but I have always been intrigued by the lyrics from the 1960s song 'Universal Soldier,' which blames the soldiers without whom 'Caesar would have stood alone.' On the other hand, we all appreciate those soldiers if our country comes under attack."

Forums for February

2007-02-18T06:09:00.000-08:00

February 4 -- There have been several suggestions for improvements to this forum. Among them are more formal speaking guidelines; an egg timer to limit length of comments; to alternate Sundays with adult R.E. programs; and to break into smaller groups for part of the session. What changes do we need to make to improve our forum?

February 11 -- In her Reflections essay “Lost and Found,” Kimberly French describes a necklace that became a talisman during a difficult time. (UU World, Winter 2006, page 28)

Do you have any objects that have helped you through a difficult time? What made the object meaningful? Do you still have it?

February 18 -- What should this Fellowship be asking of our minister?

February 25 -- In a letter to the editor, the Rev. Victoria Weinstein says that there are so many Unitarian Universalist “calls to arms” for social issues that there isn’t much room for the spiritual goals of church life. “I wonder, where do the quiet, the introverted, the chronically ill, the imprisoned, the emotionally debilitated, and the poor in spirit fit into our eternally save-the-world, activist-oriented vision of Unitarian Universalist life?” (UU World, Winter 2006, “Letters,” page 11)

How does our congregation balance social justice work with meeting pastoral needs? Is one more important than the other?

Forums for January

2007-01-07T06:24:00.000-08:00

January 7 -- How do we square our traditional policies of tolerance with our emphasis on social reform? Shouldn’t the Hindus be able to practice their long-standing ritual of throwing the widow onto the husband’s funeral pyre?

January 14 -- In “Poem for an Inked Daughter” (UU World, Fall 2006, pg 21), Jean Wyrick describes the way younger generations perennially try to shock their elders. Wyrick recalls that when she was young, she pierced her ears and wore dangly earrings. Her daughter now has a tattoo. “No, of course, you know I don’t like it.” This is another gauntlet thrown down in the ongoing Mother-Daughter Wars. What did you do to rebel when young? If you have or had teenage children, what did they do to rebel against you?

January 21 -- Palmer-Fernandez sees a clear trend toward the displacement of secular forms of social control by a religiosity that asserts itself as the only legitimate basis for social order. Do you see this trend?

January 28 -- “Free speech should be moderated by respect for religion.” Yes or no? An example might be the publication in Denmark of the cartoons about Muhammad.

Forums for December

2006-12-03T19:39:00.000-08:00

December 3 -- In the “Wayside Pulpit” (UU World, Fall 2006, page 18), poet Kahlil Gibran writes, “Your daily life is your temple and your religion.” Write down some of the things you did in the last two days. What do these things say about you and your values? Can you align them with “your religion”?

December 10 -- Secularism and tolerance after 9-11 By Doug Muder 9.4.06 (Click to read the article.)

December 17 -- What do you want on your tombstone?

December 24 -- In her Forum article “Hungry for Democracy” (UU World, Fall 2006, page 14), Frances Moore Lappé describes Living Democracy as “a set of system characteristics, ever evolving and driven by human values that span all great wisdom and religious traditions. Among them are inclusion, fairness, and mutual accountability.” As examples of these, she points to “fusion voting”, socially responsible investing, and “democratic schools”. How have you and/or your congregation seen Living Democracy taking root in your life?

December 31 -- Can the UUA legitimately force all member congregations to pay “Fair Share” dues?

Forums for November

2006-11-16T15:47:00.000-08:00

November 5 : One of our principles asserts the “inherent worth and dignity of every person.” We could just as easily have asserted “the inherent degradation and evil of every person.” On what do we base our assertion of the former?

November 12: David Hubner writes about the danger of having overly high standards: “We face very high and constant expectations to be perfect, when in fact all that any of us can really hope for is to be a good human being.” (“Original Perfection?” page 22, UU World, Fall 2006) In which areas of your life do you have the highest standards? How do you feel when those standards aren’t reached? How do these feelings affect the quality of your life?

November 19: Is abuse justified when getting a prisoner to reveal the location of a bomb which would kill many when detonated?

November 26: Wooden talks about the American idea of freedom becoming detached from the idea that freedom is rooted in vast expanses of land. “Now our challenge is to define freedom spiritually, in categories not limited to physical forms but within the complex relationships between people and institutions and ideas.” What does freedom mean to you? Has that meaning changed since the 9/11 attacks? What form should the new freedom take?

Forums for October

2006-10-01T06:42:00.000-07:00

October 1 -- Recently, New Orleans medical personnel were charged with murder for euthanizing terminal patients before leaving a flooded hospital after Hurricane Katrina. What would you have done in the same circumstances?

October 8 -- Should motorcycle and bicycle riders be forced to wear helmets?

October 15 -- “The central conservative truth is that it is culture, not politics that determines the success of a society. The central liberal truth is that politics can change a culture and save it from itself.” --Daniel Patrick Moynihan

Is this observation accurate?

October 22 -- Is rap music encouraging early sexual activity among teens?

October 29 -- Suppose a competent but diseased adult asked you for assistance in putting her living body into cryogenic suspension of life pending some low-probability discovery of a cure for the disease somewhere down the road. Wouldn’t that be assisted suicide?—from Daniel Dennett, Freedom Evolves

Forums for September

2006-09-03T06:06:00.000-07:00

September 3 -- Is capital punishment by definition "cruel and unusual"?

September 10 -- Marilyn Sewell writes about the issues women face as they age. “Growing older is particularly problematic for women: we begin to experience how difficult it is to maintain our equilibrium in a culture that idolizes youth and beauty, and in fact seems unable to conceptualize beauty of a person without youth.” (Midlife Spirituality, page 24)

Why are women socially devalued as they age? What positive images do you have of aging women? Where did they come from?

September 17 -- In his Bookshelf essay Will Shetterly talks about the spiritual impact science fiction and fantasy had on his formation. “My need for revelation was answered in the literature of speculation, fantasy and science fiction, the genres that test unlikely propositions in stories.” (Speculation and Revelation, page 54)

How has your need for revelation been met through literature? Which books have had the greatest impact on your spiritual formation?

September 24 -- Has the US gone past the point of no return with unbridled individualism?

Marilyn

Forums for August

2006-08-07T11:31:00.000-07:00

August 6 -- In "Who's Afraid of Freedom and Tolerance," Doug Muder focuses on the metaphor of the family to understand the difference between religious liberals and conservatives. Religious conservatives, writes Muder, function in a society that emphasizes congenital obligations. By contrast, the liberal worldview puts a much greater emphasis on commitments undertaken by choice, rather than obligations imposed from birth. (UU World, Fall 2005, page 26) In addition to family obligation and roles, what other factors might explain the difference between religious liberals and conservatives? Consider factors of culture, history, economics, politics, etc. How much choice have you been able to exercise with regard to commitments?

August 13 -- Muder identifies some of the ground shared by both religious liberals and conservatives. “Both seek something more substantial than the momentary satisfaction of desire or the endless striving after status.” (UU World, Fall 2005, page 28) What other values and beliefs do religious liberals and conservatives share? How could these values and beliefs be used to bring people together? Do you think religious liberals and conservatives will ever respect one another?

August 20 -- When is anger appropriate? When is it inappropriate?

August 27 -- In “Neighbors in the Urban Wild”, Lisa Couturier writes about her surprise encounter with beavers in the midst of urban life. “I think often there is the tendency to believe that the landscape of the city and suburbs is a rather empty one, to believe that nature exists more fully in the countryside”. (UU World, March-April 2005, page 20) Are you surprised by the natural life around you? Why or why not? How would you describe our relationship to the natural world?

2001 Survey Question

2006-07-02T06:48:00.000-07:00

2001 Survey Question for Sunday Forum discussion. How would you describe your religious orientation?

a. ____ Theological Christianity: Jesus is a unique revelation of the divine.

b. ____ Ethical Christianity: Jesus is a great moral teacher.

c. ____ Some form of Judaism.

d. ____ Humanism: Human nature is the basis of all religion and ethics.

e. ____ Atheism or Non‑theism: The concept of deity is not helpful.

f. ____ Skepticism: There is no way of knowing the truth with regard to theological matters.

g._____ Agnosticism: I simply do not know "the truth" about theological matters.

h. _____ Ethical Religion: The function of religion is to encourage the development of ethical living.

i. ______ Theism: God (Christian or other concepts) is the center of faith.

j. ______ Naturalistic Theism: The powers we have traditionally attributed to a supernatural god are inherent in the natural world. The natural world elicits our respect and devotion.

k. _____ Mysticism: It is possible for humans to have a vital identification with the Cosmos.

l. ______ Earth centered spirituality which celebrates the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.

m. _____ Eclectic: Includes values from many different sources, including world religions.

n. ______ Other: _________________________________________

Forums for July

2006-07-02T06:35:00.000-07:00

July 2 -- How should the

United States

handle immigration from

Mexico

and Central America?

July 9 -- Bernard Lietaer has proposed a system of local currency based on labor. What would be the ramifications of such a currency?

July 16 -- “The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element is a democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. …We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of. This is a logical result of the way in which our democratic society is organized. Vast numbers of human beings must cooperate in this manner if they are to live together as a smoothly functioning society. …In almost every act of our daily lives, whether in the sphere of politics or business, in our social conduct or our ethical thinking, we are dominated by the relatively small number of persons … who understand the mental processes and social patterns of the masses. It is they who pull the wires which control the public mind.”

Is this a “logical result of the way in which our democratic society is organized”?

July 23 -- Our Church’s Search Committee, in 2001, conducted a survey of our membership and posted the Question shown on the next page of this newsletter. Please indicate which of the following, or what combinations, best describes your religious orientation. (If none seems adequate, add your own statement.)

[I'll publish the survey in a follow-up post. I seem to be having some problems with formatting -- Donna].

July 30 -- Cynthia Kuhn champions the UUA’s Our Whole Lives sexuality education program in “Forum”. “The OWL program’s honest approach to sexuality, rooted in both values and science, aligns with my personal ethics and my work on adolescent issues. I was also attracted by its tolerant approach to sexualities of many kinds, irrespective of gender, sexual identity or culture.” (pg. 14, UU World, Fall 2005)

How were you educated about sex? How have you educated others? Have you discussed sex openly in your family?

The Episcopalian Church and GLBT

2006-06-20T10:30:00.000-07:00

Just a really quick comment after reading about the hassles GLBT Christians go through to be included in their churches, even the liberal ones: Damn, but I'm glad I'm UU! This whole issue is a non-issue with us. [OK, my moment of a superiority complex is now over. :D]

Bless the Episcopal church for ordaining openly gay clergy. May they continue in their Christian acceptance of all God's children. I understand this openness is now under discussion. They are discussing whether or not to allow gays and lesbians to be elected as bishops. I hope they continue their enlightened policies in giving GBLT Christians a spiritual home. Guys (and gals), don't back away from the path upon which you have embarked. You're heading in the right direction.

Forums for June

2006-06-05T20:22:00.000-07:00

June 4 -- What are the common traits of our growing UU congregations? What are the common traits of those with stagnant or declining membership?

June 11 -- We often refer to “excellence in ministry”. What is the difference between good ministry and excellent ministry?

June 18 -- Why are many of us unable to tell others about the importance of church in our lives?

June 25 -- Who is your personal hero/role model? Why?

Forums for May

2006-05-07T06:03:00.000-07:00

May 7 -- In “Repression of the Sublime”, (UU World, Fall 2005, p. 20) Marilyn Sewell talks about the decisions not made and the actions not taken. “We’ll be terribly regretful if we get to the end of our lives and realize that we have given in to our fears and have failed to be faithful, to grow toward the sublime.” What things do you wish you had done? What do you still want to do and how can you make it happen?

May 14 -- Does capitalism require democracy? Does democracy require capitalism?

May 21 -- Should juveniles charged with violent crimes be tried as adults?

May 28 -- The Reverend Forrest Church satirizes our inclination to compare ourselves to others: “You have a co-worker who is enormously creative. Overlook the fact that she has just broken up with her fifth husband and has a ‘little’ problem with alcohol. Forget all that. Simply measure your creative capacity against hers and weep.” (Make Yourself Miserable”, page 17, UU World, Nov/Dev 2002) Do Church’s observations strike a chord? Are there any traits or talents you secretly envy in others? Is the process of comparing yourself to others natural? Is it aggravated or shaped by other forces? Is it possible not to do it?

My Spiritual Journey -- Reader's Digest version

2006-04-16T14:48:00.000-07:00

I'm the daughter of a presumably Protestant father who left when I was four and a Jewish mother who sort of converted when she got married. While my dad and I have long since reunited, I still don't know what his religious beliefs are or if he even goes to church. Mom had no problem teaching us the basics of our Christian heritage even while she remained skeptical about some of the tenets, such as the virgin birth. She even gave us some basic information about Catholicism so that we could choose our own faith when we grew up. I wish she had included Judaism in her religious instruction, but what I learned about her original faith I discovered mostly through books. She was proud to claim her heritage; she just didn't do much to pass it on.

I didn't belong to any particular church in my childhood, although when my brothers and I stayed with Uncle John during the summer we went to the United Methodist church. Uncle John and Aunt Ann weren't trying to convert us, though; it was just how their family spent every Sunday morning. I liked the Methodists and still do. I used to identify myself as a Methodist whenever anyone asked what denomination I was. If I wasn't UU I'd probably be Methodist, although there is that sticky little issue about who is saved. (I'm Universalist to the core).

When I was 16 I became a born-again Christian, mostly, I think, because the Christian kids were the only ones who seemed to notice I existed. (I was very shy). I joined the Foursquare Gospel Church at age 17. I spent the next two years trying to believe something I didn't believe and wondering what was wrong with me because I didn't believe it. I got tired of the emotional roller coaster and just walked away. In fairness to the good people of that church, while they certainly believed that Jesus was the only way to God, I never had anyone preach hellfire and damnation to me because of my difficulty in believing. There were gentle attempts to get me onto the "right" path, but I wasn't ever condemned.

I attended a Presbyterian school. I learned that, yes, Virginia, there is such a thing as a thinking Christian. It's not that the Methodists I had met didn't think. It's just that Sterling College was the first time I was exposed to Christian theology instead of weekly sermons and homilies. I still have my textbook from my Major Protestant Thinkers class. I was particularly drawn to Kierkegaard and Bonhoeffer.

After college I explored a variety of other beliefs, such as Zen, New Age, Native American traditions, Paganism (particularly Wicca) and Taoism. I haven't adopted any of these faiths as my own, but my thinking has been influenced by them, particularly by the Earth-based faiths. Nature has always been a source of spiritual inspiration for me, even in my born-again days.

I have a fondness for Wicca, both because of its love of nature and because it confirms the feminine face of God. When I was born-again, I expressed the belief that the Holy Spirit was God the Mother, along with God the Father and God the Child (or Son, in His expression as Jesus). That was my trinity, but I was quickly corrected that God has no gender; therefore the Holy Spirit can never be She. So why did we keeping referring to God as He and Father instead of It? I realize "he" is used when the gender is unknown or either, but why is the male considered the general or “norm”, while the female is particular and "other"? And why can’t God be Mother as well as Father?

I spent many years away from church. I might occasionally attend, especially Christmas Eve services at the First United Methodist Church, but religion became irrelevant to my life. I wasn’t quite an agnostic, but I wasn’t particularly theistic, either. I believed there was some spiritual dimension, but it was indefinable and unknowable. It still is that way for me, and I’m good with that. I enjoy the mystery. Any “God” that can be defined is not “God”.

Then Unitarian Universalism came into my life. I first learned about UU at a diversity fair years ago, but wrote it off then as all head and no heart. While I didn’t want to check my mind at the door, I didn’t want to check my heart, either. In late 2004, I took a quiz at Beliefnet that showed me as 100% Unitarian Universalist. My curiosity impelled me to research the faith on the Internet and the more I read, the more I liked UU. I remembered the UUs I met years before and looked in the phone book to find the address for the fellowship. I attended my first service December 26, 2004. I have been calling myself a Unitarian Universalist for several months now, although I always added I wasn’t officially one. Well, now I am. I signed the book today.

Forums for April

2006-04-07T08:30:00.000-07:00

April 2 -- In his essay “The Sacred in Images” (page 30, UU World, Winter 2005), the Rev. Harold Babcock talks about learning to see the visual beauty in what is already around us. “The good news is that we don’t have to go anywhere special to begin to see anew. We can start where we find ourselves.” What visual beauty do you encounter each day? Is there anything that has become beautiful to you that you might not have liked at first sight?

April 9 -- Should Kansas grant its citizens the right to carry a concealed weapon?

April 16 -- What is your birth order? How has it affected your life?

April 23 -- Self-interest is always present when we seek to help. Too often, our own need to be needed or recognized can do more harm that good to the intended recipients of our help. Is there such a thing as pure altruism? (page 57, UU World, Fall 2005)

April 30 -- Michelle Bates Deakin writes of the heroic efforts being made by hundreds of UU church members to help hurricane survivors in “Katrina’s Aftermath”. (page 50, UU World, Winter 2005) What should be the roles for government and churches in disaster relief? Do you find any conflict between the role of church and state here?

RE : Lifelong UUs

2006-03-27T09:31:00.000-08:00

http://www.uuworld.org/life/articles/learningtoraiselifelonguus2702.shtml?n

In reading this article, two passages stand out:

Passage one speaks about a song that shares its melody with "Onward Christian Soldiers," a song that I dislike because of the militaristic imagery. I much prefer the UU version.

"'Forward through the Ages' is full of images of what our faith is and could be. The song implies that our people have passed on the faith of their forebears through generation after generation. Throughout the ages, the song tells us, our prophets have spoken, our vision has grown wider, and in one living whole we have moved on together toward a shining goal. It is upbeat, triumphant, and speaks of the movement of souls through time, living and enlarging our faith.

It’s a wonderful vision, reflecting the nineteenth-century worldview, when human potential seemed limitless. Singing it now, in the twenty-first century, invites us to reflect on it anew. How are we moving forward through the ages? Are we really moving in an unbroken line?"

Passage two speaks about styles of worship and the alienation that UU youths often feel when they try to participate in the traditional service.

"Or, in churches that have youth worship services, our children may become accustomed to worship that is emotional, participatory, and spiritual. In The Bridging Program, Colin Bossen, a lifelong UU and seminary student at Meadville-Lombard Theological School, says of his experience after YRUU (Young Religious Unitarian Universalists): 'We had always worshiped in circles, and now we were expected to worship in rows. We were not recovering Christians. Our own churches felt like alien cultures to us.'

We can learn a lot about worship from our young people, about diverse forms of music, spirituality, and style. But we must also teach them to appreciate the beauty of traditional UU worship. If we don’t, they will likely leave, instead of bringing their wisdom and energy to our congregations, so we can grow together, forward through the ages."

Okay, as a "friend" of the UU, rather than an actual UU, I am probably out of line in asking this question. After all, the lifelong UUs have more of a right to determine the direction of the UU by the simple fact of their dedication to the faith. But...

Is part of the problem that UU isn't growing much perhaps the same problem the mainstream Protestant churches face, that the lack of an emotional, participatory, and spiritual experience may be what is turning the youth away? To be sure, the intellectual challenge of UU is a great strength and what attracted me to the faith. But, just as I don't want to check my mind at the door, I don't want to check my heart, either. Is it possible to marry the heart and mind into a holistic worship experience, rather than keep them separate?

Emotionalism is too often treated as an enemy, which it can be if not balanced by reason, but, really, would Dr. King's message of brotherhood (and sisterhood) have had as much of an impact if it did not have the power of the heart behind it? He inspired us to follow our higher selves. Where is the inspiration in Unitarian Universalism? UU sermons resemble lectures in a classroom. The mind is fed; the heart is not.

Why did I quote the first passage? It was because of this line: "It’s a wonderful vision, reflecting the nineteenth-century worldview..." Perhaps it's time the UU left the 19th century and entered the 21st.

Forums for March

2006-03-12T12:16:00.000-08:00

March 5 -- Comfort or affliction? The Rev. Henry Brinton, a Presbyterian minister, says that church may be the only place where political opponents can actually talk to one another. Yet Mary Ellen Dundas, a Roman Catholic parishioner, resents hearing political advocacy from the pulpit, “When I go to church, I go to be uplifted.” (“Religious Voice in the News,” page 18) (UU World, Jan-Feb 2005)

What role should social or political advocacy play in church life, especially worship? How can a church help political opponents talk to one another?

March 12 -- Is it good policy for the United States to allow a corporation to be a legal person? What are the pros and cons?

March 19 -- In 1954, when Elizabeth Deutsch Earle was 16, she submitted an essay about her religious beliefs to the “This I Believe” radio contest and won. Fifty years later, she compares her current beliefs to those she had as a teenager. (“Reflections,” page 18) (UU World, Winter 2005)
How have your religious beliefs changed over the years? Which events have caused them to change? How have they stayed the same?

March 26 -- Kent gone – need moderator. If there were a genetic test that could accurately determine whether you would get cancer, would you take it? How about other fatal, incurable diseases? Why or why not?

Forums for February

2006-02-17T06:04:00.000-08:00

February 5 -- Soft and hard power. Joseph Nye Jr., a professor and former dean at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, has developed the concept of soft and hard power in international relations. Soft power is a persuasive power “that can attract other nations through diplomacy, culture, ideals and policies.” Hard power is usually exercised through military might. (“Small Acts of Engagement”)(UU World, Jan-Feb 2005)

According to Nye, “Unitarian Universalism is a denomination where we sometimes fail to realize that we have to combine hard and soft power.” Under what circumstance should hard power be used? Is there a way to reconcile unconditional pacifists with those who believe that military force is sometimes justified?

February 12 -- Should we pay reparations to the descendents of slaves in the United States?

February 19 -- Do animals have rights?

February 26 -- Socrates was condemned to die by the magistrates for “corrupting the morals of the youth in Athens”. His friends had an escape planned for him, but he chose to stay and obey the government, saying that they had made his life possible. What did he mean? Would you have stayed?

NO SPAM

2006-02-12T19:53:00.000-08:00

No spam! Serious as a heart attack. Your message will be deleted immediately. Don't waste your time or mine.

Forums for January

2006-01-19T20:27:00.000-08:00

January 1 -- no forum

January 8 -- When is it legitimate for one person to have power over another?

January 15 -- Michael Berg made a distinction between restorative justice and retributive justice. Are both valid viewpoints? Is one better than the other?

January 22 -- What are the effects of the internet and recent improvements in communication technology on society? Are they all positive?

January 29 -- Everything we do seems to be determined by two factors: 1. Our biological makeup, for which we are not responsible, and 2.) our environment, for which we are not responsible.

How, then, can we be held responsible for the things we do?

"The Grinch Factor" by Rosa Brooks

2005-12-24T13:33:00.000-08:00

This was forwarded to me in an e-mail. Thank you, Ms Brooks, for putting everything into perspective. I know I should have asked permission of the author before posting her poem, but I have no contact information. If anyone knows Rosa Brooks, let me know if she objects and I will delete this post.

O'Reilly has a talk show on Foxn station at 7pm central time. He rants about how all the stores are not saying Merry Christmas and saying Happy Hollidays.

A Wonderful Winter Solstice, a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year to All!

"The Grinch Factor"
by Rosa Brooks

THE WHOS down in Who-ville were a tolerant lot:
Who Christians, Who Muslims - a Who melting pot.

Who Hindus! Who atheists! Who Buddhists, Who Jews!
Who Confucians, Who pagans, and even Who Druze!

The Who 1st Amendment's Establishment Clause
Said, "No creches in courts," and the Whos loved their laws.

Because somehow. ..they worked! The Whos rarely fought,
Mostly, each Who did just what he ought.

Every Who down in Who-ville loved the Consti-Who-tion a lot.
But the O'Reilly, who lived up in Fox-ville, did NOT!

The O'Reilly DETESTED the Who Consti-Who-tion,
He thought it was some sort of liberal pollution.

Now, please don't ask why, for I really don't know.
Perhaps it had something to do with his show.

It could be that his head wasn't screwed on quite right.
Or it could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight.

But I think that the most likely reason of all
May have been that his RATINGS were two sizes too small.

Well, whatever it was, bad ratings or tight shoes,
He stood there one Christmas, just hating the Whos.

"They're so multicultural," he sneered, "and wherever they're from,
They lack the good sense to just launch a pogrom!

There's no Who ethnic cleansing, no Who Inquisition,
If this PEACE can't be stopped, I may lose my position.

Those sensitive, tolerant Whos! It's quite grating.
I must think of something to fix my show's ratings!"

Then he said with a smirk, "I know just what to do
To destroy all the joy in the land of the Who!

I think I can end that 'PC' Who peace.
This year not one Who will enjoy his Roast Beast!

Here's just how I'll do it: I'll tell each Who Christian
That the liberal Whos have devised a new mission

To take away Christmas! To mock and destroy
Till no little Who Christian is left with a toy!

And when secular Whos - most likely Who Jews -
Attempt to deny it? Why, I'll just SPIN THE NEWS!

I'll bluff and I'll lie; I'll sow seeds of mistrust.
Soon they'll form battle lines of Who 'THEM' and Who 'US,'

Based on which Whos prefer to sing out, "Merry Christmas"
And which Whos say, "Kwanzaa!" or "None of your business!"

They'll get so confused and so MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD
That they won't even notice the way they've been HAD!

They'll be so busy squabbling they won't notice the war!
They won't care if Who rich start to trample Who poor!

Forget torture, and terror, and taxes, and health!
They'll waste all their time on some red-hatted elf.

And the Who Consti-Who-tion? They'll stretch it or burn it!
If it came as a gift, they would try to return it!

The Who Christians will think that they fight the good fight,
They won't know that they're puppets of Fox-ville's Far Right.

They'll forget all that DRIVEL about faith, hope and LOVE
And say 'Merry Christmas' with a sneer and a shove.

But I? I will prosper! My ratings will soar,
And maybe at last they'll forget I'm a BOOR.

Then for every Who tree a most fitting adornament:
My O'Reilly MUG on the tackiest ornament!"-.

And what happened then? Well, the rest's up to you...
Some Whos might WANT to be told what to do.

But I know what I'd like this holiday season:
A little less NOISE and a little more reason.

So Who Christians! Who Buddhists! Who Muslims! Who Jews!
WHOever you are, just say NO to Fox "News!"

If you don't want to lose the whole Who Consti-Who-tion
It's time to reject the Far Right Revolution.

So turn off O'Reilly and everyone shrill,
Let's have some peace and old-fashioned GOODWILL.

Writer's block

2005-12-14T18:41:00.000-08:00

That I often suffer writer's block is probably no surprise given how rarely I update this blog (and then only to publish the forum topics for the local UU fellowship). Unfortunately, I have had a particularly irritating case of it for the past two weeks.

I began writing a poem, beginning with the line "Winter is the naked time," and that is as far as I was able to get. I know where I want to go with this, a comparison between the nakedness of trees at this time of year and our own personal "nakedness" in the metaphoric winters of our lives, but I can't find the words.

Trees in winter particularly fascinate me because, without their leaves, you can see every line, every twist, every injury, they hide during the green times. That's sort of like us, because in our "winter" times, we, too, are most open and vulnerable, with little hidden. Bad times force a certain honesty. We can't cover up. Whether that honesty is brutal or not depends on how we see our vulnerable selves, I suppose. I find naked trees beautiful with their stark and unique lines, but there is also a certain melancholy as trees temporarily put photosynthesis on hold in order to conserve energy and survive the cold winter. They pull in on themselves at the same time they are the most naked to the observer, putting their lives into a state of suspension.

Strange thoughts from a strange woman! :)

Forums for December

2005-12-08T13:48:00.000-08:00

December 4 -- Can someone be “better off dead”? Is suicide ever moral?

December 11 -- Scientists in the field of genetics are now discovering how to manipulate genes that control the aging process. They can already extend the lifespan of worms by six fold. Should this technology be pursued to extend the lifespan for humans?

December 18 -- Two people have precisely the same motives and intentions: to kill someone. One succeeds and is found guilty of murder. The other misses the targeted victim or has a gun that misfires and is found guilty only of attempted murder. Their sentences end up being very different. Can that be just?

December 25 -- No forum

Forums for November

2005-11-08T17:13:00.000-08:00

November 6 -- How should we deal with hunger in sub-Saharan Africa? Matthew Cobb has recommended foreign aid. Is that sufficient?

November 13 -- Are dreams just “random firings of mental synapses” or a valuable window into the unconscious? Are they a personal growth tool?

November 20 -- What would someone have to do, or believe, to get kicked out of a UU church?

November 27 -- Gratitude: (synonym, thanks) A feeling of being thankful to somebody for doing something. (definition from MSN Encarta dictionary) What are you thankful for? And to whom?

Karma

2005-10-03T11:31:00.000-07:00

The forum idea for October 30 came from a stray comment I made when the off-topic subject of universalism was brought up in a forum. The question was how it would be possible for some individuals to achieve salvation given the evil they do. I think it was either the man who was finally convicted of murder for his participation in the murder of a civil rights worker in the 1960s or the BTK killer, I don't remember which, maybe both; we do stray a bit. LOL

Anyway, I suggested the idea of karma and reincarnation as a way for those individuals to learn the value of human life, that the spiritual lessons they failed to learn in this life would be taught in their next one, until they "grow into harmony with the divine," to quote from our fellowship's covenant. I don't like the idea of evil being deemed irrelevant to salvation (it's insulting to the victim), yet I do believe in redemption, since I believe all humans, even evil ones, have inherent worth. It's their deeds that don't. How does the divine hold us accountable for our actions in such a way as to encourage spiritual growth? Eternal torture, as in the concept of hell, is hardly an incentive to emulate the divine. It is, rather, a case of "Do as I say, don't do as I do." I prefer a spiritual reality that is more morally consistent.

I personally don't believe in karma, as least not yet, but I am exploring the possibility. Of course, I'm assuming there is an afterlife. If not, then there is no problem. Of course, if there isn't, then why would universalism be necessary? If there is no "God", then what is the meaning of "Unitarian"?

My biggest problem with karma is that it has been used as an excuse for blaming those who suffer for their position. This isn't consistent with the spirit of Hinduism any more than the belief that someone is poor because one is morally bankrupt (ye olde Protestant work ethic), but mean-spirited people exist in all traditions. If I can get away from that negative interpretation, and view karma instead as a school in which we learn, I can get my head around it a little better.

Forums for October

2005-10-03T10:50:00.000-07:00

October 2--What would the ideal health care system for the US look like?

October 9--See UU World May/June 2005, page 7. National UU membership has grown about 1% over the past year. Many are gratified that our numbers have grown consistently; others see 1% growth rates as tiny and forecast the demise of our faith. What is lost and gained when memberships in congregations grow? How would more people affect our congregation?

October 16--“Viewed historically, Christianity clearly is that from which we have grown. But can a commitment to the humanity of Jesus still be thought of as somehow central to us on an institutional level, ore have we collectively moved so far from our origins that its relevance is limited?” A question from engaging our theological diversity by The Commission On Appraisal of the Unitarian Universalist Association.

October 23--Is there a religious practice or ritual that you believe many members of this community/congregation value?

October 30--Reincarnation: is there anything to it?

Creed

2005-09-21T16:50:00.000-07:00

This sounds like as good a creed as any. These are the opening words at the Salina Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. If I ever do make my participation in Unitarian Universalism official, these words will be the reason. They resonate with me.

Love is the doctrine of this church;
The quest for truth is its sacrament,
And service is its prayer.
To dwell together in peace,
To seek knowledge in freedom,
To serve humanity in fellowship,
To the end that all souls shall grow
into harmony with the divine:
Thus we do covenant with one another.

-L. Griswold Williams

Watch the Hoodlums

2005-09-17T17:18:00.000-07:00

I received this in my e-mail. I think the original source was Mountain.Wings.com. I notice it's making the rounds on blogs. Here's my addition to the glut. :)

Watch the Hoodlums

===================

Many of you have heard newscasters say that Katrina is the worst U.S. disaster since 1906. The San Francisco earthquake and fires were in 1906. The MountainWings issue, "Heroes and Hoodlums" included an excerpt from a Navy Lieutenant detailing the mob that looted saloons and became so drunk and disorderly that many men and women died in the fires that destroyed the city because they were drunk.

They refused to help unless they were paid forty cents an hour.

People may think that when disaster strikes that humans sink to their lowest levels of morality and behavior. Not so. You find both heroes and hoodlums in disaster.

You will notice one common factor in the 1906 San Francisco drunken mobs and the 2005 New Orleans group causing trouble. The New Orleans group has a large percentage of blacks. The San Francisco group was all white.

Race was NOT the common factor.

It was not religion. The dominate religion of both was Christian.

There was no hip-hop music, no TV, no heavy metal music, no crack cocaine or other modern drugs in 1906.

But there was a common factor.

From the Lieutenant's report, "this poor residence district..." "The most heartrending sights were witnessed in this neighborhood."

The common factor was poor neighborhoods.

Both groups felt oppressed, deprived, overlooked, misused, and mostly abandoned by society. You have to be in the situation to really understand the emotions that feeling oppressed can breed.

It doesn't just last for a few days either. Often you are born into it and realize that most likely you will die in it.

Poor

When the earthquake hit San Francisco 99 years ago, some took to the streets and looted saloons and got drunk.

When Katrina hit New Orleans some took to the streets and took items they thought were of material value.

The thing that most don't see and that the news does not emphasize is that it is NOT most of the people, only a minority. Most of the people from the neighborhood in San Francisco did not loot the saloons, only a portion, but it was that portion and minority who got written up and talked about in the Lieutenant's report because they were out front causing trouble.

Some would not help others unless they were paid because they felt society had been robbing them all along and they weren't going to help "those" folks unless someone paid them.

I don't condone what either group did, but I can understand how feeling oppressed, misused, and abandoned can create pent up hostility and resentment.

I sold newspapers when I was a boy in both the rich and poor neighborhoods of Atlanta. I had the ability to feel the spirit in the house the minute the door was opened.

There was joy and depression, good and bad, in both rich and poor areas but economic strife born of oppression and hopelessness adds an extra layer of stress that multiplies problems. Perhaps the real disaster was neither Katrina nor the earthquake. It was the conditions that created such neighborhoods in the first place while all around them was excessive wealth.

Perhaps that is the real disaster, and perhaps the real hoodlums don't live in poor neighborhoods. The real hoodlums don't use ghetto guns. They don't shoot at helicopters; they own them.

There is nothing wrong with being rich. But there is something wrong with getting richer and exploiting others to make yourself wealthier beyond what you will ever need or spend.

Tell me if you don't feel robbed when you fill up your car.

Tell me if you don't feel robbed when you get your heating bill this winter and it is double the high bills of last year.

Tell me if you don't feel robbed when you can't afford the gas to get to work or to take your child to baseball practice.

If you can't afford the gas to get to work, guess which neighborhood you are headed to?

While you were watching people wade down the street with a few purloined items, did you notice that YOUR wallet was much lighter?

A real good pickpocket takes your money, and you don't realize he's got it. It's called the art of distraction.

So sit back in your easy chair, and watch the hoodlums.

WTF?

2005-09-12T15:08:00.000-07:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/11/opinion/11publiceditor.html

In an article complaining about the lack of adequate coverage in the New York Times of New Orleans prior to Katrina was this startling statement. Note the text in bold.

"Poverty's presence was vividly described in a November 2000 feature article in the Weekend section. 'Poverty persists, cheek by jowl with wealth, much of it inherited,' the article said. 'A block or two from mansions with palm-shaded gardens stand crude unpainted bungalows fronting on crumbling streets, more reminiscent of the third world than dot-com America.'"

If the rich lived so close to the poor, why in the hell didn't they think to offer their neighbors, who had no cars, a ride out of the city? What is the purpose of all those SUVs if not to haul large numbers of people? I had assumed that no offer was made by the wealthier citizens of New Orleans to assist the poorer citizens because of the distance involved and the urgency of the situation. They (the wealthy) left their neighbors behind!

Also, if I read one more comment online asking why the poor didn't evacuate when they were supposed to, I am seriously going to go off on someone. They had no transportation. How many times must that statement be repeated by the press before it sinks into some extra-thick skulls? I have been repeating the first principle like a mantra to keep myself from going medieval, figuratively speaking, on their ignorant a****.

Chant with me: Inherent worth and dignity, inherent worth and dignity, inherent worth and dignity, inherent worth and dignity, inherent worth and dignity..."

Nope, still not working.

Forums for September

2005-09-03T17:25:00.000-07:00

September 4--Kent will be gone, so the forum will need a moderator. Suggested topic…Is burning the flag acceptable political speech? Is burning a cross?

September 11--See UU World May/June 2005, page 30. If a wind farm was proposed for a particularly beautiful local spot, how would you react, and why? Under what circumstances does beauty trump need?

September 18--What do we owe our aging parents? Can they ask too much?

September 25--From Rebecca Parker, president of Starr-King Seminary: “What features of Unitarian Universalism, if you took them away, would leave us with something that is no longer Unitarian Universalism?”

The Internet and DIY spirituality/culture

2005-08-28T12:07:00.000-07:00

I ran into an excellent article at the San Francisco Chronicle website.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/gate/archive/2005/08/26/notes082605.DTL&nl=fix

I can't confirm this, because I haven't studied it, but it seems that mass religion came along at the same time as mass communication. There came to be fewer avenues of individual expression as we started adhering to the concept that "biggger is better." Until the advent of cable, three or four networks dominated the airwaves. Radio spread music from one coast to the other; regional differences began to be blurred as a mass popular culture developed.

Cable television began giving Americans more choices, but the Internet completely blew mass popular culture apart. By providing a relatively inexpensive means of communication, the Internet made it possible for the "little guy/gal" to be heard again. There came to be less homogenization. Musical artists could go directly to the listener with their music, bypassing the big record companies altogether. Writers could sell their books directly, either in printed format or CD-ROM. (I know of some Stargate fan fiction magazines that now are using the latter format because it makes production and distribution of the magazines less expensive). And, of course, there is the ubiquitous blog.

The world also opened up. While it was possible to establish pen pal relationships with people in other countries, IM, message boards and chat rooms made the process less complicated. Of course, there is still the problem of time differentials, which is why I prefer message boards and e-mail to chat, but it's still better than waiting 3-7 days between messages. As it became easier to communicate with one another, there was a greater interest in doing so. Different ideas began to brought to the table than those to which we were accustomed by our culture. Some people on the Internet use differences as an excuse for attacking and belittling, to be sure; the anonymity of the medium provides cover for cowards who wouldn't have the guts to say the same stuff to your face. (Or maybe they would. Who knows?). The same anonymity, though, helps those who are shy to come forward to express their views, which in real life they might not dare to do because of their social anxiety. Among the ideas being expressed are religious and spiritual ones, and the free exchange of ideas can help us develop our own theology or deepen our understanding of our chosen faith.

It is amazing to me as a UU that, at a time when the actual church itself is declining in numbers, the UU way of doing religion is catching on like wildfire. It's a good feeling. Well, not the declining numbers part, but you know what I mean. LOL The important thing is respect for the inherent dignity and worth of the individual, and the spiritual/intellectual freedom that follows in the wake of that respect. No one has the right to command another what to believe.

Preach it, sister! Amen!

2005-08-21T16:46:00.000-07:00

From Unitarian Universalist at MSN Groups:

The following is a very strong and moving letter written by the mother of a gay boy in Vermont...

"Many letters have been sent to the Valley News concerning the homosexual menace in Vermont. I am the mother of a gay son and I've taken enough from you good people. I'm tired of your foolish rhetoric about the "homosexual agenda" and your allegations that accepting homosexuality is the same thing as advocating sex with children. You are cruel and ignorant. You have been robbing me of the joys of motherhood ever since my children were tiny.

My firstborn son started suffering at the hands of the moral little thugs from your moral, upright families from the time he was in the first grade. He was physically and verbally abused from first grade straight through high school because he was perceived to be gay.
He never professed to be gay or had any association with anything gay, but he had the misfortune not to walk or have gestures like the other boys. He was called "fag" incessantly, starting when he was 6.

In high school, while your children were doing what kids that age should be doing, mine labored over a suicide note, drafting and redrafting it to be sure his family knew how much he loved them. My sobbing 17-year-old tore the heart out of me as he choked out that he just couldn't bear to continue living any longer, that he didn't want to be gay and that he couldn't face a life without dignity.

You have the audacity to talk about protecting families and children from the homosexual menace, while you yourselves tear apart families and drive children to despair. I don't know why my son is gay, but I do know that God didn't put him, and millions like him, on this Earth to give you someone to abuse. God gave you brains so that you could think, and it's about time you started doing that.

At the core of all your misguided beliefs is the belief that this could never happen to you, that there is some kind of subculture out there that people have chosen to join. The fact is that if it can happen to my family, it can happen to yours, and you won't get to choose. Whether it is genetic or whether something occurs during a critical time of fetal development, I don't know. I can only tell you with an absolute certainty that it is inborn.

If you want to tout your own morality, you'd best come up with something more substantive than your heterosexuality. You did nothing to earn it; it was given to you. If you disagree, I would be interested in hearing your story, because my own heterosexuality was a blessing I received with no effort whatsoever on my part. It is so woven into the very soul of me that nothing could ever change it. For those of you who reduce sexual orientation to a simple choice, a character issue, a bad habit or something that can be changed by a 10-step program, I'm puzzled. Are you saying that your own sexual orientation is nothing more than something you have chosen, that you could change it at will? If that's not the case, then why would you suggest that someone else can?

A popular theme in your letters is that Vermont has been infiltrated by outsiders. Both sides of my family have lived in Vermont for generations. I am heart and soul a Vermonter, so I'll thank you to stop saying that you are speaking for "true Vermonters."

You invoke the memory of the brave people who have fought on the battlefield for this great country, saying that they didn't give their lives so that the "homosexual agenda" could tear down the principles they died defending. My 83-year-old father fought in some of the most horrific battles of World War II, was wounded and awarded the Purple Heart.

He shakes his head in sadness at the life his grandson has had to live. He says he fought alongside homosexuals in those battles, that they did their part and bothered no one. One of his best friends in the service was gay, and he never knew it until the end, and when he did find out, it mattered not at all. That wasn't the measure of the man.

You religious folk just can't bear the thought that as my son emerges from the hell that was his childhood he might like to find a lifelong companion and have a measure of happiness. It offends your sensibilities that he should request the right to visit that companion in the hospital, to make medical decisions for him or to benefit from tax laws governing inheritance.

How dare he? you say. These outrageous requests would threaten the very existence of your family, would undermine the sanctity of marriage. You use religion to abdicate your responsibility to be thinking human beings. There are vast numbers of religious people who find your attitudes repugnant. God is not for the privileged majority, and God knows my son has committed no sin.

The deep-thinking author of a letter to the April 12 Valley News who lectures about homosexual sin and tells us about "those of us who have been blessed with the benefits of a religious upbringing" asks: "What ever happened to the idea of striving . . . to be better human beings than we are?"

Indeed, sir, what ever happened to that? "
__________________________________________________________

If you believe that homosexuals deserve the same rights as everyone else, repost this, and be thankful that there are people like this mother, because without them, where would we be?

Forums for August

2005-08-12T14:25:00.000-07:00

Here are the forums for August:

August 7 -- Why do radical Islamists hate us? Henry Dreher was kind enough to share a book with Kent Johnson (discussion facilitator) on this subject. Kent will read a few short passages to explain the gist of the book and the discussion will be around the ideas presented in these passages. [Note: The book is Occidentalism: The West in the Eyes of Its Enemies by Ian Baruma and Avishai Margalit]

August 14 -- What are the values that most Americans hold in common? Looking for the ones that unite us for this discussion, not the ones that divide us.

August 21 -- What is the cause of the burgeoning prison population? How do you think we, as a society, should deal with the issue of punishment? How does one determine a just punishment for a crime? See UU World May/June 2005, page 37 for information on this discussion topic.

August 28 -- “Kindness and Hope” Has Unitarian Universalism saved you or someone you know? What are your sources of salvation? See UU World May/June 2005, page 21. A short essay will be read and the discussion will center on that piece.