They’ve been hung from the rafters of a 19^th Century barn hosting a progressive dinner dance in rural Michigan, paraded by youth for the plenary delegates at General Assembly in Providence, held by parishioners as a “living ribbon” at the close of several UU Sunday services around the country, and have welcomed customers from the walls of a neighborhood Starbucks as part of a local art walk on the south side of Chicago.   As this is written, the twenty six fabric art panels that comprise Ribbons Not Walls, a UU Humanist sponsored project on immigrant rights and culture, grace the walls at the UU Congregation of Las Vegas, for a month long program titled “Borders and Boundaries.”  It is the 50^th venue for “Ribbons” since the spring of 2012, and will raise the number of viewers who have directly interacted with the art to over 8,000. Read more about Ribbons Not Walls Reaches Fifty! »

The sermon was delivered on Sunday, October 19, 2014, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by James Croft, Guest Speaker.

What is the point of Humanism?

"To safeguard human dignity while maintaining intellectual integrity. To put people first."

How can UU congregations and ministers make their non-theist members feel welcome and included? The UU Humanist Association sponsored a panel discussion at the 2014 UUA General Assembly in Providence, RI to consider a number of different ways.

We discussed three main approaches to providing a comfortable environment: Read more about GA Program: Reaching Out to the Nonreligious »

We hope we will see you at the UUA GA next month. We have a big presence planned:

• Come visit us in the Exhibit Hall, booth 416.
• Attend our program, "Reaching Out to the Nonreligious" and find out how to make your congregation welcoming to non-theists.
• Join us at our Annual Meeting for some brief but important business items, including:
  • officially changing our name to the Unitarian Universalist Humanist Association,
  • adopting new bylaws that allow for more modern forms of voting in the future.
    
    Make sure your UU Humanist membership is up-to-date so you will be included in the quorum.
• Express your support for the Separation of Church & State at the "Schempp Schindigg".

Booth 416

Drink deep from the latest books by our own Humanist Press authors and other Humanist writers; dive into a pool of nationwide social justice opportunities - immigration reform and opposition to censorship; quench your thirst for updates on cooperative projects on leadership training and humanist community. 

All this and the latest info on local Humanist groups and programs in the UU universe; engagement with representatives of local and regional secular organizations; the latest copy of the Journal of Religious Humanism and a collection of freethought wit and wisdom on stickers, pins and magnets.

Plus the chance to meet and greet HUU Board members and booth volunteers - experts tell us they are the liveliest folks at the General Assembly!

Stop by - refresh yourself, ask a question, give your opinion, renew your membership, get a UU Humanist namebadge ribbon to show your Humanist pride, peruse the displays, purchase a pin-on, stick-on slogan or some more substantial reading, make a new commitment to humanist values, make a new friend, make your day at GA! Read more about Humanist Oasis in the GA Exhibit Hall »

Friday, June 27, 5:00 -- 6:15 pm, RICC -- Hall D

People (especially young people) who profess no formal religious affiliation make up one of the fastest growing segments of our population. Three approaches to carrying our message to a large fraction of these so-called "NONEs" will be described and celebrated: The Humanist Congregation, The Humanist Service, and the Humanist Community. Read more about Our GA Program: "Reaching Out to the Nonreligious" »

Friday, June 27, 7:00 – 9:00 pm, RICC – Hall D

Come celebrate the lifetime achievements of UU Humanist Ellery Schempp during the "Schempp Schindigg" immediately following our Annual Business Meeting. We will honor Ellery with our 2014 Religious Humanist of the Year Award, hear from prominent leaders in the secular movement who are fighting to maintain the wall of separation between church and state, then hear from the man himself.

This meeting will be open to the public and invitations are being sent to secular local groups throughout the New England area. The evening will include light food and much laughter as we celebrate past Supreme Court victories, like Abington v. Schempp, that determined that school prayer was unconstitutional, while we network with each other to increase our resolve to continue the fight! Read more about Ellery Schempp Accepts the "Religious Humanist of the Year" Award »

John Hooper and Pat Mohr, president and vice president of the UU Humanist Association, attended the Moral March on Raleigh event on February 8, 2014. In the picture on the right, they are standing with Mike and Susanne Werner, fellow UU Humanists and secular activists. The march brought together approximately 80,000 people from around the country, including UUA president Peter Morales and over 1,500 other UUs, many wearing their bright yellow "Standing On the Side of Love" t-shirts. They came to Raleigh to protest regressive North Carolina GOP policies around health care, education, the criminal justice system and voter suppression that especially disenfranchise the poor and people of color.

Read more about The Moral March on Raleigh »

UUHA president John Hooper recently participated in the Secular Leadership Summit, on January 25, 2014. The event was held in Columbus, OH and was sponsored by the Secular Student Alliance. This meeting, formerly known as the Heads Meeting, brings together the leaders from all of the major non-theistic organizations to discuss strategy and to coordinate activities.

John described the event as, "a very positive meeting" and the people as, "a really cool bunch of folks".  Read more about Secular Leadership Summit 2014 »

Before I tell you about the important progress we are making in both reinforcing the Humanist core of Unitarian Universalism and acting as a bridge between Unitarian Universalism and the secular/non-theist community, I have an exciting announcement to make:

On November 18, 2013, your Board of Directors unanimously approved the appointment of Maria Greene to the part-time position of Development and Communications Director of the Unitarian Universalist Humanist Association (HUUmanists).  Maria will guide our efforts in three areas: Membership Development/Fundraising; Local Group identification, formation and affiliation; and Communications. Please join me in thanking Maria for taking on this critical job in our movement and in giving her our enthusiastic support.  In a related action, the Board has appointed Rev. Dr. Neil Gerdes to the position of Secretary of the Association, replacing Maria.

Let me tell you about just a few of the exciting "happenings" involving your UU Humanist Association. Read more about President's Corner »