Life: Looking Back, Looking Forward

Thank you--the three of you.

Noddy, I was just getting ready to comment to you on daniellejean's thread. Several of your comments have started standing out to me--even though they're addressed to different people.

I don't think I've expressed adequate appreciation to you.

You are so valuable and helpful.

Thank you.

Thank you for letting us hear it.

Lash--

Thanks for the kind words.

I read this the other day but didn't have time to post a proper response. I think what you write casts him in a human light, both of you in a human light. If the telling of this story depicted him negatively, the depiction of his reaction to the affair changed that. Obviously, any man who can respond in such a forgiving (self and other) manner is worth loving.

And thank you. I always look forward to reading what you've written.

Yes, I agree with Freeduck...I didn't realy get a negative picture of your husband. Just comes across as human..and lovable. As do you.

You are so sweet, dear.

I'm enjoying the looping back/ layered aspect of this -- you've told the same basic story several ways now, each add a new facet.

I will say that this one is a little more -- soft? It doesn't feel quite as brutally honest, and it's the brutally honest ones (or at least the ones that seem brutally honest -- literary paradox, I guess) that really grab me.

I hadn't thought it may seem like the same story, told different ways. It is in time intervals. But, I'm glad you said that. While I was writing, I was practicing cohesion, and I must have done it too much. I have a tendency to use shorthand, imagining everyone knows what I mean.

But, I'm done now.

It helped immensely. I feel freed from something. It still plagues me a bit--there are some things I won't be able to speak to anyone, but everyone has things like that, I'm sure. This has made a noticable difference for me. It's like changing places with something that was controlling you. It's still there, but I have the upper hand.

That's very cool!

I have gradumacated from my little two year school.

They said I was Cum Laude. I didn't know quite how to take it. I was pining for another laude, but I took it anyway.

I am liking the piece of paper with the calliography, though.

Yea and verily.

<nods>

I'll give you a laude, doll.

You're the laudiest!

Congratulations.

Good going, cookie.

You deserve the upper hand, or at least I'm glad that you have it.

A catharsis? Maybe simply, finally, acceptance. What a powerful thing, acceptance.

I appreciate the telling.





















AHHH! That's great! A gradchewit! Congratulations!

Tanks, goils!!

I feel a little silly making all these proclamations, but I'm sort of keeping a diary of sorts on this thread, and today was a weirdly, surprizingly unexpectedly neat day. I run the transcripts at the school and when I ran mine, I sort of looked at it to see the mayhem I perpetrated on my GPA with that friggin class I hated (my only C--I so fuckin hated it), and I saw that it had my Degree listed, my grad GPA and other stuff it hadn't had before--and I thought. ****. It's real. I'm really done here.

So. Chalk up one for the chickies.

Thanks.

Heeeeyyyy! Good goin'!

Congrats, Lash. Enjoy the accomplishment, you deserve it.

Lash--

May all your new realities from here on be pleasant realities.

Wow.

A UU church with a civil rights mission.

Heaven.

I'll report after I've checked it out. Looks like a great group with a fabulous missions.

UU Church

Hugs and thoughts for you...

you know, for when you come back to this thread.

Frequently Asked Questions about Unitarian Universalism

>> Who are Unitarian Universalists?

>> What do Unitarian Universalists Believe about God?

>> What ceremonies are observed, what holidays celebrated?

>> Are Unitarian Universalists Christian?

>> How is religious education conducted?

>> How can I become part of a Unitarian Universalist congregation?

Who are Unitarian Universalists?

We are a religious people who have woven strands of a rich past into a tapestry of the present.

In the first centuries of the Christian era, Christians held a variety of beliefs concerning the nature of Jesus. In 325 CE, however, the Council of Nicea promulgated the doctrine of the Trinity-God as Father, Son, and Holy Ghost-and denounced all those who believed differently as heretics.

In the sixteenth century, Christian humanists in Central Europe-in Poland and Transylvania-studied the Bible closely. They could ould not find the orthodox dogma of the Trinity in the texts. Therefore, they affirmed-as did Jesus, according to the Gospels-the unity, or oneness, of God. Hence they acquired the name Unitarian.

These sixteenth-century Unitarians preached and organized churches according to their own rational convictions in the face of overwhelming orthodox opposition and persecution. They also advocated religious freedom for others. In Transylvania, now part of Romania, Unitarians persuaded the Diet (legislature) to pass the Edict of Toleration. In 1568 the law declared that, since "faith is the gift of God," people would not be forced to adhere to a faith they did not choose.

In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, radical reformers in Europe and America also studied the Bible closely. They found only a few references to hell, which they believed orthodox Christians had grossly misinterpreted. They found, both in the Bible and in their own hearts, an unconditionally loving God. They believed that God would not deem any human being unworthy of divine love, and that salvation was for all. Because of this emphasis on universal salvation, they called themselves Universalists.

In the eighteenth century, a dogmatic Calvinist insistence on predestination and human depravity seemed to liberal Christians irrational, perverse, and contrary to both biblical tradition and immediate experience. Liberal Christians believe that human beings are free to heed an inner summons of conscience and character. To deny human freedom is to make God a tyrant and to undermine God-given human dignity.

In continuity with our sixteenth-century Unitarian forebears, today we Unitarian Universalists are determined to follow our own reasoned convictions, no matter what others may say, and we embrace tolerance as a central principle, inside and outside our own churches.

Also during the seventeenth century, reformers in several European countries, especially in England, could not find a biblical basis for the authority and power of ecclesiastical bishops. They affirmed, therefore, the authority and power of the Holy Spirit to guide the local members. These reformers on the radical left wing of the Reformation, seeking to "purify" the church of its "corruptions," reclaimed what they believed to be ancient church practice and named it congregational polity.

These same seventeenth-century radicals did away with creeds, that is, with precisely phrased statements of belief to which members had to subscribe. Members joining their churches signed a simple and broadly phrased covenant, or agreement, such as this one: "We pledge to walk together in the ways of the Lord as it pleaseth Him to make them known to us, now and in days to come."

Some of these reformers, the Pilgrims and the Puritans, crossed the Atlantic and braved the North American wilderness to establish covenanted congregations whose direction belonged to the local members. Some of these original congregational churches developed increasingly liberal theological beliefs after 1750, and in the early nineteenth century, many of them added the word Unitarian to their names. Thus, some of the oldest churches in the United States, including the First Parish of Plymouth, Massachusetts, became Unitarian. In the late eighteenth century, other radicals who believed in religious liberty and universal salvation organized separate Universalist congregations.

In continuity with our independent forebears, today Unitarian Universalist congregations are covenanted, not creedal. Congregational polity is a basic doctrine. In the spirit of freedom, we cherish honest dialogue and persuasion, not coercion. We embrace democratic method as a central principle. Our local members unite to engage in and to support ministries of their own choosing.

The seventeenth-century scientific revolution began a great shift in Western thinking. In the eighteenth century, the Enlightenment brought an increased willingness to look critically and analytically at all human institutions, without presupposing the sanctity or privilege of any.

Many religious groups fiercely resisted these scientific analytical ideas. Some still do. In the churches of our forebears, new scientific and social ideas-from Newtonian physics, to evolution, to psychology, to relativity-found ready acceptance. Indeed, some of the greatest scientists and social theorists of the age were either privately or publicly Unitarian or Universalist: Joseph Priestley, Charles Darwin, Maria Mitchell, and Benjamin Rush, for example.

In the nineteenth century, increased travel and translation of Eastern religious texts brought greater awareness of different religions. Again, many of our forebears were uncommonly open to new ideas from Eastern cultures. Ralph Waldo Emerson was deeply influenced by Hinduism, and James Freeman Clarke was among the first in the world to urge and teach the study of comparative religion.

In continuity with our forebears, today Unitarian Universalists expect new scientific disclosures to cohere, not conflict, with our religious faith. We embrace the challenge and the joy of intercultural religious fellowship.



What do UUs believe about God?

Some Unitarian Universalists are nontheists and do not find language about God useful. The faith of other Unitarian Universalists in God may be profound, though among these, too, talk of God may be restrained. Why?

The word God is much abused. Far too often, the word seems to refer to a kind of granddaddy in the sky or a super magician. To avoid confusion, many Unitarian Universalists are more apt to speak of "reverence for life" (in the words of Albert Schweitzer, a Unitarian), the spirit of love or truth, the holy, or the gracious. Many also prefer such language because it is inclusive; it is used with integrity by theist and nontheist members.

Whatever our theological persuasion, Unitarian Universalists generally agree that the fruits of religious belief matter more than beliefs about religion-even about God. So we usually speak more of the fruits: gratitude for blessings, worthy aspirations, the renewal of hope, and service on behalf of justice.



What ceremonies are observed, what holidays celebrated?

Our ceremonies-of marriage and starting a new family, naming or dedicating our children, and memorializing our dead-are phrased in simple, contemporary language. We observe these rites in community, not because they are required by some rule or dogma, but because in them we may voice our affection, hopes, and dedication.

Though practices vary in our congregations and change over time, UUs celebrate many of the great religious holidays with enthusiasm. Whether we gather to celebrate Christmas, Passover, or the Hindu holiday Divali, we do so in a universal context, recognizing and honoring religious observances and festivals as innate and needful in all human cultures.



Are Unitarian Universalists Christian?

Yes and no.

Yes, some Unitarian Universalists are Christian. Personal encounter with the spirit of Jesus as the christ richly informs their religious lives.

No, Unitarian Universalists are not Christian, if by Christian you mean those who think that acceptance of any creedal belief whatsoever is necessary for salvation. Unitarian Universalist Christians are considered heretics by those orthodox Christians who claim none but Christians are "saved." (Fortunately, not all the orthodox make that claim.)

Yes, Unitarian Universalists are Christian in the sense that both Unitarian and Universalist history are part of Christian history. Our core principles and practices were first articulated and established by liberal Christians.

Some Unitarian Universalists are not Christian. For though they may acknowledge the Christian history of our faith, Christian stories and symbols are no longer primary for them. They draw their personal faith from many sources: nature, intuition, other cultures, science, civil liberation movements, and so on.



How is religious education conducted?

The program of religious education is determined, as are all other programs, by members of the local congregation. A wide range of courses is available through our Association. These are adapted by members as they choose. Courses appropriate for children may be offered in subjects as varied as interpersonal relations, ethical questions, the Bible, world religions, nature and ecology, heroes and heroines of social reform, Unitarian Universalist history, and holy days around the world. The same is true of adult religious education.

In most of our congregations, regular children's worship-often held during a portion of the adult service-is part of the program. We seek to teach our children to be responsible for their own thinking and to nurture their own impulses of reverence, morality, respect for others, and self-respect.



How can I become part of a Unitarian Universalist congregation?

Many of our societies offer introductory sessions, study groups, videotapes, and increasingly, a World Wide Web homepage to acquaint those interested in membership with our history, Principles, and programs. Individual appointments with ministers and members are encouraged. Many pamphlets are available through the UUA Bookstore. Usually, these are readily accessible in a church's foyer, and even small fellowships may have a good library of Unitarian Universalist writings. The UUA website is another good source of information about Unitarian Universalism.

All of these, along with your presence with us at worship and in our many other activities, provide the means for learning more about who Unitarian Universalists are, and whether you want to become one of us.

The last act of joining the congregation is simple, but significant: You write your name on a membership card or in the membership book or parish register.

We have no creedal requirements. With your signature you affirm your pledge to enter and to remain in a continuing and tolerant dialogue concerning the ways of truth and love, a dialogue within which free persuasion may occur; to share in our fellowship and in our corporate decision making; and to support with your gifts of energy and money our common work.

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I copied this because the D and D have piqued me again about joining with a civic minded group of tolerant people who are asking and trying to answer questions in a friendly environment. (See how I got that all in there?)

Anyway, if anyone gets bored and looks at this and has any thoughts--positive or negative-- and they'd like to jot down--twood be welcome.

<nods>

I see from the text that I'd finally be joining myself with a group that aspires to "heretic". Mom will be so proud!

Signed,

Your favorite Yank Heretic,

Lash


Thanks, flushd

<<<<<<<<<<flushd>>>>>>>>>>

<silly grin>