Free Will, Does it Exist? The question of free will has been hotly debated for centuries. Some people believe humans have the capacity for free will – the ability to choose their actions without being forced to follow a certain course by either by the influence of others or by natural laws. For many theists, free will is regarded as a special gift from God. The notion of human free will is also an important premise for a lot of what happens in human society.

Is free will is necessary for the notion of personal responsibility? Does free will exist? If people do not have free will, then it is difficult to argue that they are personally and morally responsible for their actions – and if that is the case, how can they be punished for their misdeeds? On the other hand, how can they be praised for the good things they do, if those actions were not also freely chosen? Does a person really have free will or does a person’s environment, experiences and so forth mask a person’s real ability to have free will? Members and visitors are encouraged to join the conversation on what constitutes free will.

The Magic Valley Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship meets every Sunday beginning at 10:30 AM at the Twin Falls Senior Center, 530 Shoshone Street West in Twin Falls. Newcomers are always welcome. Childcare is available. We are handicapped accessible. For information, please contact Ken Whiting at 734-9161.

Mother’s day has passed and Father’s Day is coming.  What makes a good father? Many think of their own fathers and remember their special qualities.  For others who may not have had a father in their lives or had a less than loving memory- they have had to look elsewhere.   “Atticus Finch” – hero of both Harper Lee’s Pulitzer prize-winning novel “To Kill a Mockingbird,” and in the film adaptation of the same name- has been for many, just such a role model.  

This story- told through the eyes of the child “Scout” – encompasses many other themes of society: racism, social norms and status, religious standards, roles of black and whites, men and women, school teachings, the haves and have nots, and of course- parenting roles.

All of our Unitarian-Universalist’s seven principles can be found at play surrounding Atticus, his children, and the small town in which he practices law; but perhaps none more than our second principle “Justice, equity, and compassion in human relations.”  

Harper Lee published this story over 50 years ago.  Does it have any relevancy to our lives here in southern Idaho in our current times?  What can we take as inspiration from this fictional father and citizen – into modern times?  Please come and share your thoughts.

The Magic Valley Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship meets every Sunday beginning at 10:30 AM at the Twin Falls Senior Center, 530 Shoshone Street West in Twin Falls. Newcomers are always welcome. Child care is available. We are handicapped accessible. For information, please contact Ken Whiting at 734-9161.

The stories we tell define our lives. They give meaning and color and emphasis to our experience; they explain our history; they lead us into our future and a better story can make for a better life.  Join us as we take a look at the stories we tell about God (god/s), family and self; consider their creative aspects; and embrace our freedom to choose what we believe is a better story.

The Magic Valley Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship meets every Sunday beginning at 10:30 AM at the Twin Falls Senior Center, 530 Shoshone Street West in Twin Falls. Newcomers are always welcome. Child care is available. We are handicapped accessible.
For information, please contact Ken Whiting at 734-9161.

A Brief Guide to This Sunday’s Topic http://www.questformeaning.org/page/reflecting/streets-to-dwell-in

Karen Fothergill will present a Unitarian-Universalist church on loan service  titled “Streets to Dwell In” by Rev. Lynn Ungar. The Rev. Lynn Ungar is minister for “Lifespan Learning” and editor of “Quest” for the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Larger Fellowship, an online congregation for isolated religious liberals. Her work is included in the anthology What We Share.

The sermon includes stories of the interconnections we have with our local neighbors, our church family and our global neighbors from notable leaders including Mr. Rogers, Wendell Berry and Rev. Martin Luther King. The Rev. Lynn Ungar is minister for lifespan learning and editor of Quest for the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Larger Fellowship, an online congregation for isolated religious liberals. Her work is included in the anthology What We Share.

Music will be provided by Collete Hoglund. Our hymns will be “From You I Receive” and “This is My Song (Finlandia)”The Magic Valley Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship meets every Sunday beginning at 10:30 AM at the Twin Falls Senior Center, 530 Shoshone Street West in Twin Falls. Newcomers are always welcome. Child care is available. We are handicapped accessible. For information, please contact Ken Whiting at 734-9161.

According to the Unitarian-Universalist Association of Congregations, “Unitarian Universalism is a religion that celebrates diversity of belief and is guided by seven principles:

• The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
• Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
• Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
• A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
• The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;
• The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;
• Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

Our congregations are places where we gather to nurture our spirits and put our faith into action through social justice work in our communities and the wider world. Newcomers are always welcome. There is no formal conversion process, so becoming a Unitarian Universalist is simply a matter of self-identification. Membership is voluntary and does not require renouncing other religious affiliations or practices. This Sunday, members will briefly speak how they discovered the Unitarian-Universalist religion and why they stayed. In addition, a brief discussion of Unitarian-Universalism will ensue.

We invite you to explore our website, https://magicvalleyuu.org/  to learn about the Unitarian-Universalist faith in the Magic Valley. The Magic Valley Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship meets every Sunday beginning at 10:30 AM at the Twin Falls Senior Center, 530 Shoshone Street West in Twin Falls. Newcomers are always welcome. Child care is available. For information, please contact Ken Whiting at 734-9161.

The service this Sunday titled “How to Begin Making Changes in Your Life” will examine the writings of the late Rev. Forrest Church. We will discuss Rev. Church’s hints on how to re-boot our spiritual lives when they have become automatic and stale. If you need to get your soul back in shape Rev. Church has great ideas on how to begin again.

The Magic Valley Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship meets every Sunday beginning at 10:30 AM at the Twin Falls Senior Center, 530 Shoshone Street West in Twin Falls. Newcomers are always welcome. Childcare is available. For information, please contact Ken Whiting at 734-9161.

Join us Sunday, April 7th, for a service of poetry! Life is full of enlightening experiences and powerful emotions. Through the art of poetry we can connect with the world around us and come to a greater understanding of one another. Please bring a favorite poem to share. It can be something old or new, famous or not, something you wrote or just really enjoy and think others will too. There may be a few children present, so remember to keep the content family friendly. Thank you: we hope to see you!

The Magic Valley Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship meets every Sunday beginning at 10:30 AM at the Twin Falls Senior Center, 530 Shoshone Street West in Twin Falls. Newcomers are always welcome. Childcare is available.

Happiness!! I stand between myself and happiness. What to do? Trudge on through another day, another week another month… spending my whole life wanting to be happy? Hmmm, what can I do to avoid laying on my death bed saying over and over, “If only, if only,” IF ONLY? Join us this Sunday for a lively discussion of this topic.

The Magic Valley Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship meets every Sunday beginning at 10:30 AM at the Twin Falls Senior Center, 530 Shoshone Street West in Twin Falls. Newcomers are always welcome. Child care is available. For information, please contact Ken Whiting at 734-9161.

Animals have always been regarded in Buddhist thought as sentient beings, different in their intellectual ability than humans but no less capable of feeling suffering. Furthermore, animals possess Buddha nature and therefore an equal potential to become enlightened. Moreover, the doctrine of rebirth held that any human could be reborn as an animal, and any animal could be reborn as a human. An animal might be a reborn dead relative, and anybody who looked far enough back through his or her infinite series of lives would eventually perceive every animal to be a distant relative.

The Buddha expounded that sentient beings currently living in the animal realm have been our mothers, brothers, sisters, fathers, children, friends in past rebirths. One cannot, therefore, make a hard distinction between moral rules applicable to animals and those applicable to humans; ultimately humans and animals were [once] part of a single family. They [and we] are all interconnected. We will also discuss other religious beliefs and our own beliefs regarding animals as well as how the “human animal” fits into this interconnected web of life.

We will discuss the following videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4bEEHDrN1g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHNZYyvBCLQ&feature=player_detailpage

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVi89gg3Whg&feature=endscreen&NR=1

The Magic Valley Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship meets every Sunday beginning at 10:30 AM at the Twin Falls Senior Center, 530 Shoshone Street West in Twin Falls. Newcomers are always welcome. Child care is available. For information, please contact Ken Whiting at 734-9161.