From CWalton at uua.org Wed Dec 10 11:12:28 2003 From: CWalton at uua.org (Chris Walton) Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2003 16:12:28 -0000 Subject: [UUWorld] What in the World? January/February 2004 Message-ID: <9B511FA7465ED411862700A0C9E1C51C030EFBA4@mail.uua.org> UU WORLD * January/February 2004 * Vol XVIII No 1 ============================== IN THIS MESSAGE: Newsletter Announcement -- for use in your congregation What in the World? -- discussion questions Instructions -- for these e-mail announcements ------------------------------ NEWSLETTER ANNOUNCEMENT: In the cover story of the January/February issue of "UU World" magazine, which will arrive in mailboxes soon, Erik Walker Wikstrom describes his own spiritual journey as a Unitarian Universalist minister who thought he had put Christianity behind him, but then decided to try encountering Jesus with fresh and modern eyes. Kimberly French profiles former Maine Rep. Tom Andrews, a Unitarian Universalist who helped start the Win Without War coalition. And in "The Fundamentalist Agenda," Davidson Loehr argues that while fundamentalism may be natural, liberal impulses make us humane. Also in the January/February issue, Judith Samuelson describes new approaches to business ethics, William F. Schulz examines the connection between human rights violations and the rise of terrorism, and John Buehrens introduces a long-forgotten minister who left Unitarianism when his congregation discovered he had "crossed the race line." See your copy of the magazine for more inspiring stories from the world of Unitarian Universalism. Many articles are also on-line; visit www.uuworld.org. A subscription to the magazine is a benefit of membership in a UUA congregation. Talk to your minister or congregational secretary if you are not receiving a copy. ------------------------------ WHAT IN THE WORLD? Jesus, fundamentalism, and other matters by Jane Greer BUSINESS RULES. In "Business Ethics beyond the Classroom," Judith Samuelson writes: "Given the extraordinary scale and reach of global companies and service firms, business now competes with government as the most important actor in societies around the globe." She argues that business leaders need more than an ethics class or two; they need to know how to assess factors like a business's environmental impact and effects on the local economy, too. (Page 12) What kind of role should international business play in developing countries? Should international business people be expected to have such a broad portfolio as Samuelson suggests? What role should government play in regulating international business? RELIGIOUS ROOTS. In "Jesus and the Modern Seeker," Erik Walker Wikstrom describes his rediscovery of Christianity, a religion he had rejected. He relates a story in which a Japanese Buddhist asks an American aspirant why Americans are increasingly attracted to Buddhism. "If your roots are in Christianity," the Buddhist says, "develop your understanding of that tradition; don't seek your religious nourishment from distant lands." (Page 30) If you were raised in a religious tradition other than Unitarian Universalism, why did you leave it? Have you ever thought about re-exploring it? How has the religion of your childhood shaped you? SOUL SATISFACTION. Erik Walker Wikstrom notes a distinction that has been increasingly made between religion and spirituality. "People go to church seeking community, or because they feel they 'should.' But when it comes to feeding their souls, many Americans go to retreat centers, into the woods, or almost anywhere but to the churches and synagogues in which they were raised." ("Jesus and the Modern Seeker," page 28) Do you find spiritual satisfaction in your church, or do you seek it elsewhere? Can you expect to find both community and spiritual satisfaction in the same place? INERT MEANING. In "The Fundamentalist Agenda," Davidson Loehr describes the human resistance to change as instinctual. "Fundamentalism's conservative impulse wants stability in societies," he writes. But "the essential job of liberals in human societies is to enlarge our understanding of who belongs in our in-group." (Page 37) If humans are instinctively conservative, what conditions are necessary to promote liberal growth? In what kinds of societies is liberalism most prevalent? INTERDEPENDENT WEB. Davidson Loehr asserts that to succeed, liberalism needs to honor the conservative impulse. "When liberal visions work," he writes, "it's because they have kept one foot solidly in our deep territorial impulses with the other foot free to push the margin, to expand the definition of those who belong in 'our' territory." This often means packaging liberal advances in conservative terms. ("The Fundamentalist Agenda," page 38) Does the liberal agenda need to be wrapped in conservative packaging to succeed? If so, does this compromise liberalism? Can you see examples of the blending of liberal and conservative impulses in current political campaigns? CLEAN ELECTION. Tom Andrews has tried to live out his values and beliefs as a politician. "I was in office for twelve years," he tells Kimberly French. "I never compromised on principle, I was able to sleep at night, and I lost only one election in six. So I'm not discouraged. It can be done." ("A Life Committed to Justice," page 44) What enables an elected official to maintain his or her principles? Do you agree with Andrews when he says that in politics, "The biggest problem is money"? Can you identify other problems? SAME-SEX MARRIAGE. On November 18, 2003, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that same-sex couples cannot be denied the right to marry. Seven of the fourteen plaintiffs in the highly publicized case are Unitarian Universalists. ("UUs celebrate marriage decision," page 45) How has your congregation dealt with same-sex marriage? Which social and religious institutions would be impacted if same-sex marriage were legalized? ------------------------------ INSTRUCTIONS: To subscribe to, unsubscribe from, or modify your preferences for these e-mail announcements, visit http://www.uua.org/mailman/listinfo/uuworld and follow the instructions at the bottom of the page. We welcome your letters and comments. Write to world at uua.org. UU World - http://www.uuworld.org Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations 25 Beacon Street, Boston MA 02108 Phone 617.948.6518, Fax 617.742.7025