The Earth Community – an exploration of what life might be like if we thought of ourselves as earthlings first. Rev. Dr. Mark Y. A. Davies is the Wimberly Professor of Social and Ecological Ethics, Director of the World House Institute for Social and Ecological Responsibility, and Executive Director of the Leadership. Education, and … Continue reading The Earth Community
In his 1863 booklet Utilitarianism, British philosopher John Stuart Mill wrote that he would “rather be Socrates unsatisfied than a pig satisfied.” What would you rather be, and why? We will look at his reasoning on this and explore other thought experiments in values. William Lloyd Fridley is a professor of Education at Southeastern Oklahoma … Continue reading J.S. Mill’s Satisfied Pig: Thought Experiments in Values
Political theorist and philosopher Edmund Burke wrote, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Much is currently being written about standing up against and rallying against evil in our world and country. But well-meaning people sometimes hold very different views of what actually is evil. UUs … Continue reading That Other Four-Letter Word
It was the youngest parent in our community who suggested we devote a Sunday morning to an exploration of parents, children and liberal religion. Parenting is a lifelong commitment, filled with promises to keep and miles to go. Parents, it seems, have rather strong opinions about parenting and often are not shy about telling others the … Continue reading Promises to Keep, and Miles to Go
Throughout the history of religious experience, there has been a tension between the prophetic and priestly functions of religion. Religion sometimes challenges the norms and practices of society and culture, and at times it reinforces the norms and practices of society and culture. What is the appropriate balance in this tension between calling for change … Continue reading Prophets and Priests
Child abuse comes in different forms: neglect; physical/emotional/sexual abuse; childhood experiences; shaken baby syndrome; domestic violence; trafficking & exploitation. On Sunday, our speaker will explain the depth of the epidemic that is currently effecting Grayson county, but it is no different in Bryan County. What our children are facing and how we can be part … Continue reading You Took My Childhood Away: Child Abuse and the Grayson County Epidemic
Stephen Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park with George is a musical inspired by Seurat’s painting A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. In the second act, an elderly character, Marie, makes the observation, “There are only two worthwhile things to leave behind when you depart this world of ours: children and art.” Perhaps those valuables are … Continue reading Children and Art
There are more displaced people worldwide today than ever before, with the most current number at 70.8 million people. Simultaneously, the number of refugees permitted into the United States is a record low, leaving millions of individuals in life-threatening situations, unable to return to their homes and seeking safety. You have the ability to help. … Continue reading Salaam Supper: The Refugee Journey
Note Time Change: Because we will live stream the largest gathering of UUs as together we worship; we in our chapel, they at the General Assembly in Spokane, Washington, OUR ASSEMBLY WILL BEGAN AT 12:00 PM AND CONCLUDE AT 1:30 PM. The Adult Forum will start at 10:45, and end at 11:45. After exploring el … Continue reading In This Delicate Turning
In our culture, it always feels like Father’s Day is an afterthought of Mother’s Day. No tents in Kroger’s parking lot filled with tools, gadgets or ties; it isn’t the busiest day for restaurants. Yet fathers comprise 50% of our existence. This year a morning for dads, living or not. Mark Twain once wrote, “When … Continue reading From Ignorance to Astonishment: Schoolings from Our Fathers
