Thomas asked me to help with the conversation that most needs to happen this month, an examination of the true position of women in our society. I answered, truthfully, that I didn’t know if I could put words to the visceral feelings I am having. I wasn’t even sure that these were culturally shared feelings […]
Roughly 100 years ago, in his book “Which way? A study of Universalists and Universalism”, Rev. Lewis B. Fisher tried to answer the question “What do Universalists stand for?” in a clever way. The only true answer to give to this question is that we do not stand at all, we move… We are not […]
After giving whatever your elevator speech, anyone with time and interest still remaining is very likely to ask you, How do you have a church where people have different religions? Firstly, while we may have different beliefs and practices, we have one religion. It is a religion that allows us to worship together as well […]
Unitarian Universalism has no creed. We don’t have an oath to an outside power. There is no pledge to a single entity, concept, or ideal. What then does it mean to be a Unitarian Universalist? We do have Principles. But those still aren’t really what defines us as a movement. Our Principles are all phrased […]
Agnostic comes from the Greek ágnōstos “unknown, unknowable”. Merriam-Webster defines the word as “a person who holds the view that any ultimate reality (such as God) is unknown and probably unknowable“. They even include a section on the page explaining the difference between Agnostic and Atheist. The word “agnostic”, despite how many use it, is […]
I have so much worry. I have so much trepidation and anxiety. I have so much hope. I have so much love. I have no idea how to turn those feelings, that energy, into solutions to the problems that we face. I know where I want us all to get to, but I have no […]
Unitarian Universalism is sometimes portrayed, even by UUs, as a religion for individuals. You are responsible for your own theology. You have to develop your own relationship with the divine. You have to choose your level of commitment and involvement. Those things are all true. But, Unitarian Universalism is a covenantal religion. It is made […]
Unitarian Universalism is a liberal religion, meaning that we do not claim absolute truth or authority and admit that we are still learning things that we need to know about the universe. The word “liberal” means “not bound by authoritarianism, orthodoxy, or traditional forms” according the Merriam-Webster, and shares its root with Liberty, a Latin […]
Church can be people who trust one another. Church can be people who accept and encourage each other. Church can be a place where it’s ok to be imperfect, and the effort counts for something. Church can be a place where we ask the important questions and admit to one another that we don’t know. […]
Most of the people who will read this were born with some blessings; health, access to education, access to technology, and the mental capability to put them all to use are all blessings; many people lack one or more in their lives. Some of us have been given blessings we don’t even know to count. […]