October 4: “The 8th Principle Project” (Online Service)

Posted on October 2, 2020 by magicvalleyuu

Presenter: Rev. Monica Dobbins

Unitarian Universalism is a faith in which, it is said, “revelation is not sealed”. Our faith tradition evolves as we learn more about the world and our sense of justice expands. Now, our faith has an opportunity to grow once more, as some Unitarian Universalists propose adding an 8th principle to the seven we have now.

What’s the process for adopting an 8th principle, and what will Unitarian Universalism look like if we do?

The proposed 8th principle: “We covenant to affirm and promote – Journeying toward spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions.”

Zoom Meeting Details:

Time: Oct 4, 2020 10:30 AM Mountain Time (US and Canada)
Every week on Sun, until Oct 25, 2020, 4 occurrence(s)
Oct 4, 2020 10:30 AM

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Unitarian Universalists covenant to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person; justice, equality and compassion in human relations; and acceptance of one another. Our congregations are places where people from different religious paths or none at all are always welcome.

August 18, 2019: “Will I Stand Up?”

Posted on August 14, 2019 by magicvalleyuu

Presenter: Don Morishita

Among the seven principles Unitarian Universalism teaches, four are related to social activism, which is an important part of what Unitarian Universalists stand for.
Those four principles are to affirm and promote: 1) the inherent worth and dignity of every person; 2) justice, equity and compassion in human relations; 3) the goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all; and 4) respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

These principles are not exclusive to Unitarian Universalism and are practiced by many non-secular and secular organizations. In today’s political climate, racism and white nationalism is a charge that has surfaced with our country’s leadership. Racial and ethnic minorities who have been the target of tweets, statements, and comments feel the burn from these published words. Sadly, there are people who support these hateful words. Most Americans however, are embarrassed and ashamed by these words. When these hateful actions are seen firsthand, how many of us will stand up for what is right?

Unitarian-Universalism honors the differing paths we each travel. Our congregations are places where we celebrate, support, and challenge one another as we continue on our spiritual journeys. As Unitarian-Universalists, we covenant to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person; justice, equality and compassion in human relations; and acceptance of one another.

Newcomers of all religious paths or none at all are always welcome. We are working on becoming handicapped-accessible but are not fully there yet. To avoid steps into the sanctuary please enter through the rear entrance to access a sloping hallway to the sanctuary. Please park in the rear of the building or on the street, in front or the side of the building. Child care is available during the adult portion of the service.

October 14: The Eighth Principle- What Does it Mean?

Posted on October 12, 2018 by magicvalleyuu

Presenter: Don Morishita

Unitarian-Universalist beliefs are diverse and inclusive. We have no shared creed, but do have a shared covenant of Seven Principles that support our free and responsible search for truth and meaning. Our liberal traditions have led us to embrace diverse teachings from Eastern and Western religions and philosophies. More recently, a movement has begun to explore the need for an eighth principle.

Although our first principle is to respect the inherent worth and dignity of every human. However, the eighth principle came from a feeling among our members that we need something to renew our commitment to fighting racism, to hold ourselves accountable, and to fulfill the potential of our existing principles. Join us to explore the topic of racism in today’s world and what we can do about it.

Unitarian-Universalism honors the differing paths we each travel. Our congregations are places where we celebrate, support, and challenge one another as we continue on our spiritual journeys.

Unitarian-Universalists covenant to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person; justice, equality and compassion in human relations; and acceptance of one another.

Newcomers of all religious paths or none at all are always welcome. We are handicapped accessible. Please park in the rear of the building. Child care is available.

October 8: What is White Privilege?

Posted on October 5, 2017 by magicvalleyuu

Guest Speaker, Candise Ramsey from the Southern Idaho Humanist Alliance

inherent worth We hear terms like ‘white privilege’, ‘inclusion’, and ‘unconscious bias’ a lot these days in the ongoing struggle for racial equality in this country. What do you think and feel when you hear those terms?

Whatever our reaction to the terms or to the endless discussions and debates about anthem protests, Charlottesville, or the acquittal of yet another white policeman in the killing of a black man in St. Louis, it is a fact that racial oppression exists in this country. White privilege is a fact. Our own awareness of what it is and what we can do about it is another matter altogether. It may come in stages, it may come slowly, and when it does we may want to distance ourselves from it, deny it, or explain it away.

How can we confront our own denial and responsibility? How can we turn our awareness into concrete and constructive action rather than let it degenerate into white guilt or white fragility?

These are hard questions for hard times. You may be thinking “we don’t have that problem here.” It’s true we don’t have a large black population here in Southern Idaho. But our communities include a large number of Hispanic brothers and sisters, and many refugees and immigrants from all over the world. For those of us that are white, our awareness of white privilege and how it affects everyone in our community is an important first step.

We will have a guest speaker this week, Candise Ramsey from the Southern Idaho Humanist Alliance. Join us as we explore these questions together.

As Unitarian Universalists, we have a proud tradition of responding to the imperatives of love and justice to work with those of us who are marginalized and oppresses in society and the world.

Unitarian Universalism honors the differing paths we each travel. Our congregations are places where we celebrate, support, and challenge one another as we continue on our spiritual journeys.

Unitarian Universalists covenant to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person; justice, equality and compassion in human relations; and acceptance of one another.

Newcomers of all religious paths or none at all are always welcome. We are handicapped accessible. Please park in the rear of the building. Child care is usually available.

September 17: The Hope at the Heart of Our Faith

Posted on September 15, 2017 by magicvalleyuu

Presented by: Rev. Greene

EGreene

This Sunday, Rev. Elizabeth Greene will approach the difficult topic of race, in our society and in the Unitarian Universalist Association. She will reflect on how the issue has developed over time, and how it seems currently.

Rev. Greene will also bring perspective and hopefully some optimism to the situation most of us find ourselves in: mostly white folks in a mostly white area, concerned about justice, equity and compassion.

(9-23 2017) Here is the text from this sermon Rev, Greene has shared with the fellowship, in PDF format: 20170917 Hope at heart of faith (race)