Repudiate the Doctrine
Grants available for local action to repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery At Justice GA 2012 in Phoenix, delegates voted to repudiate the doctrine that Europeans used as legal justification for conquest and colonization of the Americas. The GA resolution encourages Unitarian Universalists to identify traces of the Doctrine of Discovery that linger in our movement and in our lives as UUs, and work to eliminate them. Now the UUA is offering seed grants of $500 to $1,000 to Unitarian Universalist congregations, groups, and organizations for projects that teach about, repudiate, and mitigate the current-day effects of the Doctrine of Discovery. Successful proposals will describe plans for education, reflection, and action opportunities; outreach to partners in…
Strawberries for the Soul
Meditations by and for Unitarian Universalists Citing a Zen parable Abhimanyu Janamanchi, former Youth Observer to the UUA Board of Trustees, and the Rev. Abhi Janamanchi, Minister at Unitarian Universalists of Clearwater, Florida, write that as Unitarian Universalsits it is when the tigers are circling that we mustn’t forget to savor the present moment, and “taste the strawberries”. With Falling Into the Sky, the new meditation anthology from Skinner House Books, Janamanchi son and father have callected 43 meditations by Unitarian Universalists to, “appreciate and savor the preciousness of each moment as if it were our last,” providing, “a sanctuary of the spirit where we can find strength and hope to face the daily challenge…
Violence Against Women Act Renewed
Protections extended to Native American, LGBT and immigrant women. Re-authorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which expired in October, 2011, passed after a lengthy political fight over protecting more women in cases of domestic abuse or rape. Read the full story here (including why it took nearly 18 months to reinstate VAWA.)
UU Military: Equality Under Fire
“The military is widely understood to be the most racially, ethnically, and religiously diverse institution in the U.S.”, notes The Rev. Sarah Lammert, director of Ministries and Faith Development for the Unitarian Universalist Association, and president-elect of the National Conference of Ministry to the Armed Forces. The relationship between the United States military and Unitarian Universalism has not always been an easy one, and continues to evolve. Lammert believes there’s a direct connection between the lack of UU chaplains and the lack of support that people in uniform felt during and after the Vietnam War, but she adds that, “People began to understand that you could be for or against a war without being against the people…
Defying Unreason of Westboro Baptist
Westboro Baptist Church plans to picket Vassar College on Thursday, February 28. Students at Vassar are mounting a response (read how you can help them here). – Ed. Illogic of Westboro Church Teachings provokes defections Earlier this month, Megan Phelps-Roper, grand-daughter of WBC founder Fred Phelps explained in an interview why she and her sister Grace left the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC homepage, WBC on Wikipedia) congregation in November, 2012, declaring, “The idea that only WBC had the right answer seemed crazy. It just seemed impossible.” (Read the full interview here.) At WBC Megan Phelps-Roper managed the protest schedule and pioneered the use of social media to get their message out, but states, “I definitely…
30 Days of Love: 22/30
On Sunday, February 3, I attended the First Parish in Cambridge, in Cambridge, MA, to hear Intern Minister Kenny Wiley preach a sermon titled “Two Black Kids: A Unitarian Universalist Story.” I went primarily because I know both of the “Black Kids” in the sermon. I knew Raziq Brown from my time in Dallas, Texas, and he was a prominent UU young adult in nearby Ft. Worth. I was a recent convert to Unitarian Universalism, while Raziq had been a longtime UU, and was full of perspective and wisdom at any event we attended together. I know Kenny from attending The Sanctuary-Boston, a young adult oriented worship service which Kenny helps to organize. I was completely blown…
Roe v Wade: Primer
On January 22, 1973 the U.S. Supreme Court issued an opinion on Roe v Wade establishing the link between a woman’s fundamental right to privacy and her ability to obtain a safe and legal abortion. In a subsequent decision the Court determined that a woman has the right to an abortion until viability. While the Supreme Court’s decisions disallowed many state and federal restrictions on abortion, they neither ended the debate nor efforts to limit access to abortion in the United States. Blue Boat has compiled a primer on the history, effects and current opinion of this landmark decision. – Ed. Recalling the world before Roe v Wade (The Herald Sun, Jan. 16, 2013)…
Alternative Fair Food Spring Break
Consciousness + Commitment = Change The MidAmerica Region of the UUA invites you to a unique alternative spring break experience in South West Florida. Unitarian Universalist youth, young adults, adults, clergy, religious educators, youth advisors, and social justice leaders are all welcome to join in a unique alternative spring break in SW Florida. Come and take part in a learning/service/action/reflection immersion experience in the heart of the “Fair Food Movement” with leaders from the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, Interfaith Action of SW Florida, and the UU Church of Ft. Myers. This event is sponsored by the MidAmerica Region of the UUA, and is open to all! Stand with other UU’s as we learn, reflect,…
What Presenting as Gay Taught a Straight Man
Self-admittedly Bigoted Man Presents as Gay, Learns Empathy After experiencing the pain of a friend’s coming out as a lesbian, Timothy Kurek decided to find out for himself what it is like when a person affirms a sexual or gender identity that is considered different from the norm. As a social experiment, Kurek – a straight christian man – came out as gay one year ago. He chronicled his experience in “The Cross in the Closet.” Learn more about Timothy’s experience: In the Guardian UK(“Why a Bible belt conservative spent a year pretending to be gay. Timothy Kurek, a graduate of the evangelical Liberty University, decided to ‘walk in the shoes’ of a gay…
Life, Sex, and Other Daily Queries
At this year’s General Assembly in Phoenix, we Unitarian Universalists voted to consider the profound issue of reproductive justice over the next three years. Chosen as our Congregational Study Action Issue, reproductive justice incorporates reproductive choice, parenting, sexual health and other issues into a single framework. The idea of “reproductive choice” is, and has been, an important battle over the privacy of women’s bodies, but the “reproductive justice” movement expands the framework to four goals: 1) help people (not just women) have the children they want to have; 2) help people to not have the children they don’t want to have; 3) allow people to raise their children in save and healthy environments; and 4)…
