Blog

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. 

Video: Listening to Humanist Voices

Posted on August 30, 2016 by Maria Greene

There is a new book on UU Humanism to be published by the UUA's Skinner House press this Fall, Humanist Voices in Unitarian Universalism. At General Assembly in Columbus, on Saturday, June 25th, there was a panel discussion about topics from the book. On the panel, seated left to right, were David Breeden, John Hooper, Maria Greene, Amanda Poppei, Kendyl Gibbons, and T. K.Barger.

This is the description of the session from the GA Program Book:

Authors from the new book, Humanist Voices in Unitarian Universalism (Skinner House, Ed. Kendyl Gibbons and Bill Murry), share their hopes for humanism. Can our humanist ancestry reach today’s “unaffiliated” and “spiritual but not religious?” What is the future of humanism in a spiritually pluralistic Unitarian Universalism?

Read more about Video: Listening to Humanist Voices »

Video: Religious Humanists of the Year, Michael Dowd and Connie Barlow

Posted on August 30, 2016 by Maria Greene

Outgoing UU Humanist Association president John Hooper had the pleasure of awarding the 2016 Religious Humanists of the Year award to Michael Dowd and Connie Barlow at this year's UUHA Annual Meeting. The meeting was held at the UUA General Assembly, Friday, June 24, 2016. Below is the video of their address, titled "Evolutionary Eco-Humanism".

Read more about Video: Religious Humanists of the Year, Michael Dowd and Connie Barlow »

Applying The Scientific Method To Charity

Posted on August 9, 2016 by Gleb Tsipursky

[Editor's Note: If you are interested in the topic of Effective Altruism, there is a Coursera course by that name being taught right now by the well-known philosopher Peter Singer of Princeton University! Coursera courses are free and there is an entire week devoted to the Giving Game including an opportunity to play online as part of the course.]

 

“Thank you. I never thought of applying the scientific method to charity. My giving will never be the same.”

I was delighted to hear this feedback from a participant in a workshop I ran for my local Unitarian Universalist Humanist group at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Columbus in late July 2016. The workshop, called a Giving Game, aimed to help facilitate rational thinking about our positive impact on the world through applying the scientific method to charity. Read more about Applying The Scientific Method To Charity »

Fake Fights

Posted on July 7, 2016 by Amanda Poppei

Oooh, fights. We either run from them, run toward them, or pretend they’re not there (haven’t we all just smiled while passing the sweet potatoes at Thanksgiving?). And many of we Unitarian Universalists have been thinking a lot about fights, since hearing the Rev. Nancy McDonald Ladd’s sermon on “Fake Fights” at this year’s General Assembly.

As blogger (and fellow UU Humanist Association Board member) Adam Gonnerman noted in his great post about the sermon, some humanists have been nervous that Rev. Ladd was pointing to the ongoing humanist-theist conversation within Unitarian Universalism as one of those fake fights. Those folks are likely remembering Ladd’s mention of how we are “still fighting about who’s a humanist and who’s a theist--as though those two terms are mutually exclusive in the first place.” Read more about Fake Fights »

Not Just Mourners

Posted on July 5, 2016 by Daniel Braga-Lawlor

Last summer, there was terrible violence in South Carolina. 9 individuals, 9 black Americans, were shot dead by a deranged terrorist in their church. There was outcry. Preachers and leaders promised change - or, at least, held up the communities of concern that formed out of pain.

Now, a year later, across the country there are communities of concern that have gathered in response to pain. This time, 49 individuals, LGBT Americans, many Latino, were shot dead by a deranged terrorist in an LGBT Club. 49 murdered, 53 wounded. 

Just a few days ago, here in Oakland, a young girl was shot dead after leaving a funeral. 

What do we do in response to these murders? What does our movement, religious and secular, do in response?

Some people, when pain happens, need to be alone, or with one person. 

When I heard the news, I craved community. I wanted to be around others, I wanted to see and contribute and be with other people trying to do something- even if initially it was only a witness.  Read more about Not Just Mourners »

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