Keith Olbermann's Unitarian roots, the gospel of Springsteen, and more
'Countdown' host's Unitarian roots
Keith Olbermann, the host of MSNBC's "Countdown," exposed his Unitarian roots during an interview with actors Jason Bateman and David Cross. At about the 4:19 mark the two actors joked that they were planning to wed at a Unitarian church in California, and Olbermann, long rumored to be a UU, replied: "Oh, good! I was raised in that faith. So there's just a lot of political talk, there's no actual religion involved. OK, that's going to get me in trouble with my ancestors." (Countdown - 6.24.08)
The gospel of Bruce
The Rev. Jeffrey Symynkywicz, a Bruce Sprinsteen fan and minister of the First Parish Universalist Church in Stoughton, Mass., has written a new book, The Gospel According to Bruce Springsteen. Symynkywicz says of Sprinsteen: "His music helps us to make sense of the sometimes tangled, often disparate threads of our lives." (LA Times - 7.1.08)
General Assembly in the news
Local news coverage of the UUA General Assembly in Fort Lauderdale included an article about the Rev. William F. Schulz, the former president of the UUA who then served 12 years as executive director of Amnesty International USA. (Sun-Sentinel - FL 6.26.08)
Read a profile of Schulz: "High-profile advocate for human rights" (UU World - Winter 2006)
The Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel focused on youth antiracism workshops at the 2008 General Assembly, but mistakenly described the 3,000 GA-goers as "clergy"—including the teenagers interviewed for the piece. (Sun Sentinel - FL 6.29.08)
The Religion News Service reported on resolutions passed by the General Assembly in support of gay marriage and immigrant rights. (Religion News: The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life - 7.1.08.)
Wayne Dawkins wrote from Fort Lauderdale, where he was a GA delegate, on his reaction to the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life's recent study that found that Americans are more religiously tolerant than some might have us believe. (Politics In Color - Atlanta, GA 6.27.08)
UU conference center receives sizable grant
The Star Island conference center in New Hampshire has received a $100,000 grant from the UU Congregation at Shelter Rock in Manhasset, N.Y., to make necessary safety upgrades to its grounds and buildings that will allow it to stay open. (Boston Globe - 6.30.08)
See also: Long Island congregation donates $100000 to Star Island (Foster's Daily Democrat - Dover, NH 6.29.08)
Also in the media:
The UU Fellowship of Santa Cruz County in Aptos, Calif., is one of several UU congregations in the state that has started performing free wedding ceremonies for same-sex couples. (Register Pajaronian - Watsonville, CA 7.2.08)
More than 25 members of the Countryside Church UU in Palatine, Ill., marched in the 39th annual Chicago Pride Parade. (Chicago Daily Herald - Chicago, IL 6.30.08)
The UU Church on Nantucket Island, Mass., is hosting a public reading of the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights on the Fourth of July. (Nantucket Independent - MA 7.2.08)
Thousands of people from various Christian denominations, including members of the local Unitarian community, took part in the town of Chorley’s annual walking day parade in Northern England. (Lancashire Telegraph - Blackburn, England, UK 7.1.08)
Chris Walton contributed to this week's blog.
Keith Olbermann, the host of MSNBC's "Countdown," exposed his Unitarian roots during an interview with actors Jason Bateman and David Cross. At about the 4:19 mark the two actors joked that they were planning to wed at a Unitarian church in California, and Olbermann, long rumored to be a UU, replied: "Oh, good! I was raised in that faith. So there's just a lot of political talk, there's no actual religion involved. OK, that's going to get me in trouble with my ancestors." (Countdown - 6.24.08)
The gospel of Bruce
The Rev. Jeffrey Symynkywicz, a Bruce Sprinsteen fan and minister of the First Parish Universalist Church in Stoughton, Mass., has written a new book, The Gospel According to Bruce Springsteen. Symynkywicz says of Sprinsteen: "His music helps us to make sense of the sometimes tangled, often disparate threads of our lives." (LA Times - 7.1.08)
General Assembly in the news
Local news coverage of the UUA General Assembly in Fort Lauderdale included an article about the Rev. William F. Schulz, the former president of the UUA who then served 12 years as executive director of Amnesty International USA. (Sun-Sentinel - FL 6.26.08)
Read a profile of Schulz: "High-profile advocate for human rights" (UU World - Winter 2006)
The Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel focused on youth antiracism workshops at the 2008 General Assembly, but mistakenly described the 3,000 GA-goers as "clergy"—including the teenagers interviewed for the piece. (Sun Sentinel - FL 6.29.08)
The Religion News Service reported on resolutions passed by the General Assembly in support of gay marriage and immigrant rights. (Religion News: The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life - 7.1.08.)
Wayne Dawkins wrote from Fort Lauderdale, where he was a GA delegate, on his reaction to the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life's recent study that found that Americans are more religiously tolerant than some might have us believe. (Politics In Color - Atlanta, GA 6.27.08)
UU conference center receives sizable grant
The Star Island conference center in New Hampshire has received a $100,000 grant from the UU Congregation at Shelter Rock in Manhasset, N.Y., to make necessary safety upgrades to its grounds and buildings that will allow it to stay open. (Boston Globe - 6.30.08)
See also: Long Island congregation donates $100000 to Star Island (Foster's Daily Democrat - Dover, NH 6.29.08)
Also in the media:
The UU Fellowship of Santa Cruz County in Aptos, Calif., is one of several UU congregations in the state that has started performing free wedding ceremonies for same-sex couples. (Register Pajaronian - Watsonville, CA 7.2.08)
More than 25 members of the Countryside Church UU in Palatine, Ill., marched in the 39th annual Chicago Pride Parade. (Chicago Daily Herald - Chicago, IL 6.30.08)
The UU Church on Nantucket Island, Mass., is hosting a public reading of the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights on the Fourth of July. (Nantucket Independent - MA 7.2.08)
Thousands of people from various Christian denominations, including members of the local Unitarian community, took part in the town of Chorley’s annual walking day parade in Northern England. (Lancashire Telegraph - Blackburn, England, UK 7.1.08)
Chris Walton contributed to this week's blog.
posted by Sonja L. Cohen at
12:20 PM
