The UU Humanists' Blog is a curated blog -- this means we highly encourage members and those with an interest in Humanism within the Unitarian Universalist tradition to submit articles for publication. The blog is curated so we may negotiate edits for clarity or length and we reserve the right to not publish every submitted article.
This means that the blog's content reflects the diversity of the opinions of the authors and is not just the "official party line" of the Association. As Humanists, we welcome diversity of opinion and encourage civil discourse through comments on these posts and on our social media pages.
We are very pleased to congratulate the Reverend Susan Frederick-Gray who was elected president of the Unitarian Universalist Association at General Assembly in New Orleans, LA. We look forward to your presidency and to working together to bring Unitarian Universalism to ever increasing heights of inclusion and impact. Read more about Congratulations to Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray, 9th President of the UUA »
Learn more about Alison Miller at the Alison Miller for UUA President website and Facebook page.
Question 1. How do you think UU congregations can reach those who identify as “nones,” including nones who wouldn’t identify themselves as spiritual? One idea the UU Humanist Association has launched is a “Freethinker Friendly” designation, specifying that individual UU congregations welcome those who identify themselves outside of traditional religions. How would you imagine that working? What other ideas do you have that tie UUism’s humanist roots with the growing number of people who identify as secular in America? Read more about Alison Miller’s Responses to Questions from the UU Humanist Association »
I write this four days after the March for Science, and three days after Yameen Rasheed, a human rights focused secular blogger in the Maldives, was murdered.
What to make of all this.
I happily participated in the March for Science with my local Sunday Assembly community, and was heartened to see several, well worn, yellow "Standing on the Side of Love" t-shirts throughout the crowd. The East Bay Atheists, the Kol Hadash Humanistic Jewish Community, the Center for Inquiry, and the Bay Area Humanists were also proud and present, as was a big contingent from San Francisco's Grace Cathedral - with big "Grace for All" signs.
While "listening" to speakers before the March (Can you ever really hear them?), one of our Sunday Assembly members recounted a story from the novel Catch 22- a bit macabre - involving the mix up of a catheter and an IV. "It's crazy!" he recounted, "and when I see what's going on, I just want to shout "This is crazy!" Read more about Keep the Resilience »
The UU Humanist Association is very proud that the Unitarian Universalist Association has signed on as a March for Science partner, and is also mobilizing UUs to participate in the People's Climate March which will be held a week later, on April 29. The March for Science is a international movement, planning the main march in Washington DC, for Earth Day, April 22, 2017, as well as over 300 satellite marches around the world. As the March for Science website states,
The March for Science demonstrates our passion for science and sounds a call to support and safeguard the scientific community.
It is time for people who support scientific research and evidence-based policies to take a public stand and be counted.
One of the six sources for Unitarian Universalism is, "Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science," and the UUA has never wavered in its support. Read more about The Unitarian Universalist Association Becomes a March for Science Partner »
“Ribbons” consists of twenty four fabric art panels from over 40 artists around the country. Some are based on themes or cover art from books by Hispanic authors; others directly represent aspects of the immigrant experience. “Ribbons” was displayed at the UUA General Assemblies in Louisville, KY (2013), Providence, RI (2014), Portland, OR (2015) and Columbus, OH (2016). In between, panels have traveled to over 60 venues (UU congregations, Humanist meetings, art galleries, etc), and have been viewed by over 14,000 people. More than 200 individuals (mostly UUs and humanists) have been involved in the fabrication, curation, display and financial sponsorship of the exhibit.
Following four years on the road, and the wear and tear of being repeatedly set up and taken down, “Ribbons” is transitioning to permanent sites around the country. These four panels are now on display at the Brevard UU Church, 2185 Meadowlane Ave, West Melbourne, FL 32904:
Read more about Dedication of “Ribbons Not Walls” display at Brevard UU Church, April 2, 2017 »
