seeker for truth

Did a little internet research today I thought I'd share. I searched for the full text string of each of the seven UU principles and recorded the number of hits. I think it is an interesting rough estimate of what priority each principle has at this point in history (although a better study would break down the evaluation by posting date, so that the time element contributes to the analysis instead of weakening it). At any rate, here's what I found: [# of Hits - UU Principle] 34.2k -The inherent worth and dignity of every person 22k - A free and responsible search for truth and meaning 21.9k - Justice, equity and compassion in human relations 18k - Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part 17k - The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all 11.6k - Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations 10.7k - The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congrega...

I decided a few days ago to finally visit the MacArthur foundation website. I had been hearing their recognition clip on NPR for years: "The MacArthur Foundation supports creative people and effective institutions committed to building a more just, verdant, and peaceful world." I think it's a great mission statement for a foundation: it is nearly exhaustive without losing focus on the values that it promotes. At any rate, this led me to read more about the programs that they sponsor, and subsequently to realize that I want to be a MacArthur Fellow. Unfortunately you can't apply to be a MacArthur fellow. Which is probably an excellent idea to save your selection volunteers from having to pour over oodles of applications from all over the spectrum (a lot of people would do anything for $500,000 in no-strings-attached funding). But, in deciding what I would do with the funding, I came to a few important realizations: (1) that I am ready to begin work on writing on so...

I was reading an article by Robert Bellah called "Unitarian Universalism in Societal Perspective" delivered at the UU general assembly in 1998. (http://www.robertbellah.com/lectures_7.htm) He places UUism squarely in the mainstream of the American religion tradition, primarily by discussing how it is principally in line with America's cultural bias of individualism. I find this argument compelling and I agree with the analysis, but for me it has highlighted what I believe to the the biggest hurdle standing between where we are and where we are headed (as a species). Before I attempt to articulate the hurdle, another example: in the fouth season of the West Wing. The President is faced with a genocide in the fictional African nation of Kundu and asks one of his staffers, "Why is an American life worth more than a Kundunese one?" The staffer responds, "I don't know sir, it just is." The power of this dialogue, for me, is the clear acknowledgement o...