Faith Reduced to Three  Questions

by Judith A. Frediani

Director of Lifespan Faith Development 

UUA, Boston 

      Theologian Paul Tillich wrote, "There is hardly a word in the religious language – both theological and popular – which is subject to more misunderstandings, distortions, and questionable definitions than the word, faith."

       Faith is one of those religious terms that not all UUs can use  comfortably in daily discourse. This is unfortunate, because Unitarian  Universalism has always used faith language.

       One problem is that "faith" is confused with the word, "creed" – a set of specific, often unchanging, even mandatory, beliefs. Faith and creed are not synonyms.......                         

To read the entire article, please click below:

http://www.uua.org/re/faithworks/fall05/admin_essay.html

     

Families and Faith: What Does a  Unitarian Universalist Home Look  Like?

by Reverend Phillip Lund

Lifespan Program Director

Prairie Star  District, UUA

       Keeping a majority of the children who are currently in our congregations  as  lifelong Unitarian Universalists is an explicit goal of the Prairie Star District. I've looked into what it takes to keep children and youth in a denomination and found that the family is the place to start if we want to keep  more of our children in our tradition. So, how is faith integrated into a family's identity and practice? What does a Unitarian Universalist home look like?                         

To read the entire article, please click below:

http://www.uua.org/re/faithworks/fall05/comm_families.html

     

The Red and Yellow Stones: An Original Story in a  Buddhist Tradition,  with discussion  questions

by Karol Crosbie

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship

Ames, IA

       Two boys, Ramid and Anwar, from the Indian village of Punjabi, sat  playing together. They were both eight years old and best friends. On this particular hot summer afternoon, they had a new game. Before them in the dust  they had drawn two large circles. And between the boys were piled two heaps of pebbles – a pile of yellow pebbles and a pile of red pebbles. "The yellow pebbles," said Ramid, "represent the good people in our town  of Punjabi. We will name them, and put them in our good  circle."

To read the entire article please click below:

http://www.uua.org/re/faithworks/fall05/sj_stones.html

     

     

Pop Quiz

by Donna Gloff

Coordinator of Membership Involvements

Birmingham Unitarian Church, Bloomfield Hills, MI

     

1.  Universal Unitarianism is organized around

       A. a set of shared beliefs.

       B. a covenant or "contract" among equals.

       C. a rich heritage and  traditions.

       D. the teachings of revered elders.

     

2.  Unitarian Universalists believe that Jesus was

       A. in a miraculous way  the son of God.

       B. a caring man who lived an extraordinary life.

       C. an  itinerant rabbi who preached that the world was coming to an end.

       D. any  of the above, and/or other things.

     

3.  The most sacred book(s) to UUs are

       A. the Torah and the Christian  Bible.

       B. The Origin of Species.

       C. Their datebooks and checkbooks.

       D. The Unitarian Universalist Pocket Guide.

     

4.  Ralph Waldo Emerson

       A. brought an increased emphasis of spirituality  to Unitarianism.

       B. resigned from the Unitarian ministry because he was  required to serve communion. 

       C. had an interest in Eastern religions.

       D.  all of the above.

    

5.  Unitarian Universalists believe

       A. that people are inherently good.

       B. in science.

       C. that people have dominion over all the creatures of  the earth.

       D. that because of Adam we must strive to overcome our flawed  nature.

For answers, please click below:

http://www.uua.org/re/reach/fall01/curriculum/pop_quiz.html