GA bloggers, Olbermann's roots, Pew report on beliefs, and more

General Assembly kicks off . . .

. . . and Unitarian Universalist bloggers are reporting live!

Jess at "Jess's Journal" notices the UUA presidential election heating up:

I hadn't thought too much about how next year's UUA presidential election will affect this year’s GA, but it’s definitely starting. The Morales and Hallman booths are right next to each other at the front of the hall, both staffed with enthusiastic volunteers and filled with lots of free stuff (and chocolate!); the campaign ads are right next to each other in the program book, and there are several opportunities over the week to hear what they both have to say. (June 25, 2008)

The Rev. Matt Tittle of "Keep the Faith" relays the message of the Rev. Dr. Walter Brueggeman's keynote address at Ministry Days, the annual conference of the UU Ministers Association, which met just before GA:

Too often we find ourselves trapped in the narrative of power and wealth and knowledge, which we are constantly told we need more and more of. We also find it a difficult prospect to embrace others in love, justice, and righteousness.

Brueggeman, a United Church of Christ minister, challenged Unitarian Universalists today by saying that liberation from control is not freedom for the purpose of self and individual rights . . .

He rightly calls Unitarian Universalists out of self-reference, self-reliance, fundamentalist rationalism, and into right relationship with God by whatever definition. (June 24, 2008)

Visit UU World's "General Assembly Blog" for daily coverage of GA business. Among the bloggers writing from General Assembly are the Rev. Dan Harper of "Yet Another Unitarian Universalist," UUA trustees Tom Loughrey and the Rev. Rosemary Bray McNatt, Doug Muder at the UUA's "General Assembly Journal," and David Pyle of "Celestial Lands."

Scan other recent blog posts that mention "General Assembly" or "GA" at the UU blog aggregator "UUpdates.net."

Olbermann's Unitarian roots

MSNBC "Countdown" host Keith Olbermann mentioned his Unitarian upbringing in an interview with actors Jason Bateman and David Cross. When Cross jokes that he and Bateman are getting married in a Unitarian church in California, Olbermann responds: "Oh, good! I was raised in that faith. So there's just a lot of political talk, there's no actual religion involved there. Okay, that's going to get me in trouble with my ancestors."



Lizard Eater at "The Journey" encourages Olbermann to give Unitarian Universalism a second look:

Keith, darling . . . we forgive you. Come back home. You may find us a little changed. Occasionally we'll even say 'God.' And not just when we're cursing! (June 24, 2008)

New Pew findings on American beliefs

The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life recently released a second report from its U.S. Religious Landscape Survey. Jeff at "Transient and Permanent" considers the study's findings about prayer and Unitarian Universalists:

A huge majority–77%–of Unitarian-Universalists answered that they engage in prayer...

What are all these UUs praying for, and what are the effects? Among those who reported praying with some frequency (i.e. the majority), about half reported receiving answers to specific prayers they had made, and about half did not. So many UUs are praying for specific things or about specific issues and having their prayers answered, while other are praying in a more generic fashion, without expectation of specific responses to their prayers. (June 24, 2008)

For links to Jeff's series of posts on both the first and second round of findings from the survey, visit "Transient and Permanent." See also UU World's coverage of the first part of the Pew Forum study, "Three in a Thousand" (Summer 2008).

One of the findings in the Pew survey was that "[m]ost Americans agree with the statement that many religions—not just their own—can lead to eternal life." The Rev. Fred L. Hammond at "A Unitarian Universalist Minister in Mississippi" asks:

The question for me, is what role, if any, did Unitarian Universalists play in this attitude? As a faith, Unitarian Universalists acceptance in right of conscience, in the personal quest for truth and meaning, has meant that we recognize that all faith journeys are valid for salvation, regardless of how we might define the word salvation.

While it may be presumptuous to think that our minority faith has had any impact on the larger whole towards tolerance, does presumption mean it is therefore beyond consideration? Long before I became an official Unitarian Universalist, I was always impressed with the Unitarian Universalists that I knew with their openness and acceptance of other point of views. (June 25, 2008).

At "jUUggernaut," an anonymous blog by an atheist UU, the author speculates on why the survey found a significant number of atheists and agnostics professing belief in God:

[I]s this kind of 'belief' really any different from that about alien civilizations that we'll get to meet as soon as Scotty get that bloody warp drive on the Enterprise fixed? I'm not joking here, thanks to Star Trek vast majorities of boomers have soaked up the general idea that plenty of intelligent life is "out there," not on the basis of a conscious review of arguments and evidence, but through cultural immersion and osmosis. (June 25, 2008)

Transitions

As he sells his home, the Rev. James Ford at "Monkey Mind," reflects on transitions in his life:

The truth is we're all, always standing in doorways. Each breath births a new world. the old dies. Something new is born. We might look back with longing or regret. We might look forward with anxiety or joy. Certainly noticing the richness of a moment can leave one with a wild mix of emotions. (June 26, 2008)

Not to be missed

Chalicechick at "The Chaliceblog" questions whether narrowing our theological focus would help Unitarian Universalism gain more members. The Rev. Kit Ketcham of "Miss Kitty's Saloon and Road Show" describes her congregation's decision to move its worship time from Sunday afternoon to Sunday morning. And Terri Pahucki at "UU Intersections" shares her enthusiasm for religious education and her desire to see her congregation hold intergenerational worship services in the summer.

Chris Walton contributed to this week's roundup.