If McCain compares Obama to Britney ...

... then this "viral video" response is probably the funniest response to McCain's ad:

Candace Chellew-Hodge's Open Letter to Sean Hannity

Rev. Candace Chellew-Hodge has written a response to the right-wing pundit incitement to violence connected to the recent Knoxville Unitarian Universalist church shooting.

Candace is the founder/editor of Whosoever: An Online Magazine for GLBT Christians and currently serves as associate pastor at Garden of Grace United Church of Christ in Columbia, S.C.

Here's a short quote from her open letter to Sean Hannity (who used to be a former co-worker when she worked in the news media business before entering the ministry):

Sean, you occupy a position of power. All words have power, but some words are more powerful than others simply because they are amplified from a larger stage. With power comes responsibility. If there is any of that old Sean left—the one before the big office, the popular TV and radio show and best selling books—I appeal to that man. Understand the power of your words. I know that words of division are profit-making words for you. We human beings apparently love to see a good fight, or feel our views justified by a good argument. But I hope this incident will give you pause and help you begin to choose your words more wisely. I hope, in choosing future words, you’ll consider not what’s best for the Hannity bank account, but what’s best for humanity.

I long for the day when profitable words are words that uplift, encourage, and inspire people. The strength of this nation has always been our unity in diversity and our unity in the face of adversity. By using your words to create a world of “us” and “them” you only perpetuate violence and discord in our society. I am asking you, Sean, to examine yourself and your words. You don’t have to agree with liberals and their views, but you can oppose liberal ideas without painting those who hold those beliefs as enemies who need to be stopped or defeated. If conservative ideas are truly superior, then a compelling case can be made for them without resorting to the politics of personal destruction.

Sean, your words have the power to heal and the power to destroy. The choice is yours.

The rest of the letter can be read here.

Her new book, Bulletproof Faith: A Spiritual Survival Guide for Gay and Lesbian Christians, will be published in September 2008 by Jossey-Bass.

Dan Dennett: Ants, terrorism, and the awesome power of memes (TED Talk Video Clip)

Bloggingheads Video Clip -- "Science Saturday: The Young and the Restless"

Check out the Blogginghead online conversation between Abigail Smith (University of Oklahoma grad student and blog author of erv) and PZ Myers (University of Minnesota - Morris professor and blog author of Pharyngula).

An excellent explanation of the importance of Richard Lenski's research on evolutionary biology of bacteria during this discussion can be found here.

The portion of this discussion related to recent Bill Donohue-PZ Myers dispute can be found here.

Background info on the Donohue-Myers dispute can be found here and here.

More Outrage and Death Threats Over "Religious Insult" - Round Two

After the initial "cracker kidnapping" incident, the Minnesota biology professor PZ Myers has commented on the over-reaction on the Pharyngula science blog:

IT'S A FRACKIN’ CRACKER!

PZ Myers blog was noticed by Bill Donohue and the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights:

MINNESOTA PROF PLEDGES TO DESECRATE EUCHARIST

Bill Donohue has asked his followers to harass Myers and the University of Minnesota President. Myers' reaction to this harassment can be found here:

Now I've got Bill Donohue's attention

Earlier today, Myers reported the following response to his criticism of the religious over-reaction from Donohue and the Catholic League:

Fight back against Bill Donohue!

Instead of "turning the other cheek," Myers blog commentary on the "cracker" incident has earned the following reaction:

So far today, I have received 39 pieces of personal hate mail of varying degrees of literacy, all because I was rude to a cracker. Four of them have included death threats, a personal one day record. Thirty-four of them have demanded that I be fired. Twenty-five of them have told me to desecrate a copy of the Koran, instead, or in some similar way offend Muslims, because — in a multiplicity of ironic cluelessness — apparently only some religious icons must be protected, and I would only offend Catholics because they are all so nice that none of them would wish me harm. I even have one email that says I should be fired, that the author would like to kill me, and that I only criticize because Catholics are so gentle and kind.

Myers has also received death threats in the comments on his blog:

If God doesn't get you, I will

You're a fucking giant sized scumbag. I hope you die slowly and painfully. Cunt.

And it's starting to get noticed outside the blogosphere and in the mainstream media:

Communion wafer held 'hostage' raises holy heck

And we're still waiting for the moderate religious voices to condemn threats of violence and economic harm over a cracker that wasn't eaten and the subsequent commentary about this uneaten cracker.

Death Threats Over "Religious Insult" in the US??

Remember the Danish Muhammad cartoon controversy where a perceived religious insult led to death threats for those doing the insulting?

Apparently something very similar happened in Florida on a college campus after a student "kidnapped" the "body of Christ":

• Student Who Took Religious Icon Getting Death Threats
• 'Body Of Christ' Snatched From Church, Held Hostage By UCF Student

So far, I have seen no press coverage of moderate or liberal Christian voices speaking out against this religious extremism happening within Christianity.

This is no different from the relative lack of moderate or liberal Islamic voices speaking out against religious extremism happening within Islam.

Apparently, the safety of a human is less important to some Christians than the safety of a cracker.

Does this describe a "typical" Unitarian Universalist?

I ran across this web site after reading an interview with the author.

Much of this list describes a very common demographic group in Unitarian Universalist congregations. Much of this list would describe (in biting satirical accuracy) a "stereotypical" Unitarian Universalist.

Check out the complete list here.

Given the population demographic trends presented in Rev. Peter Morales' opening speech at the 2008 General Assembly candidates forum, this is an area for future work.

Congregations, Ministers, and the New "Incompetence" Rule

There has been some concern in the Unitarian Universalist blogosphere over the new rule concerning ministerial incompetence that was approved at the 2008 UUA General Assembly. You can read about it here, here, and here.

See the UU World online article titled "Ministers can be terminated for incompetence" for more details. Here's a summary of the new rule change:

"The fellowship of a minister may be terminated by the Ministerial Fellowship Committee for unbecoming conduct, incompetence, or other specified cause."

First, it seems funny to me that any professionals should be this concerned about protecting colleagues who are incompetent in their profession.

A minister who demonstrates serial incompetence through several congregational postings does impact the public perception of ministry throughout the UUA. This requirement to be professionally competent is just as "vague" as the requirement to not engage in "unbecoming conduct."

This is especially important in light of the fact that our denomination considers ordained clergy to be an option for congregational formation and sustainment within the UUA. Ordained clergy are not a requirement for a congregation to be in the UUA and many congregations exist and even thrive without ordained clergy.

However, payment of pro-rated fair share contribution to the UUA Annual Program Fund and 30 members at the time of application are requirements to be a UUA member congregation -- check out Article III and Rule III in the UUA Bylaws for what it takes to create a new UUA member congregation.

If we want to see lay-led congregations grow to the size where professional leadership is needed for further growth, then these lay-led congregations should be satisfied that ministry as a profession is generally competent. A few negative examples will be enough to convince these smaller congregations to forgo hiring a minister.

Second, in spite of the language we use to describe ministers as "called," what we're really doing is "hiring" a religious professional through a formal congregational vote. I'm not a big fan of high-falutin' language. Ministers are employed by congregations (even if they are treated as "self-employed" for IRS purposes).

Third, Scott Wells is right that the UUA does very little to require competency in the various local "franchises" that carry out the local business of this association of congregations.

For example, my local congregation did a horrendous job with the Welcoming Congregation program a few years ago -- you can read about my congregation's "incompetence" here.

The local congregation's decisions have impacted our growth and outreach efforts to folks in the bisexual, gay, lesbian, and transgender communities. Our decisions have also affected outreach to allies (e.g. families who have BGLT relatives). We have lost members over our Welcoming Congregation decisions and many in the BGLT communities perceive us as unwelcoming.

The really strange thing about the Welcoming Congregation issue for our congregation is that one of our board members sent an email out to our minister and 31 of his closest friends where he wrote that our minister was "incompetent" for speaking in favor of the Welcoming Congregation program in our pulpit back in the fall of 2007 (we all know that email is always the best way to communicate in a congregation where there is a disagreement).

The sermon podcast audio where our minister spoke in favor of the Welcoming Congregation can be listened to here ... judge for yourself if this is "ministerial incompetence" or simply a sermon that made one board member uncomfortable.

Ubuntu "Hardy Heron" -- Observations After Upgrading

Yes -- I know that Ubuntu Linux 8.04 ("Hardy Heron") has been available for free downloading since 21 April 2008.

I just don't like being an "early adopter" for a new operating system because this role can morph into being a "beta tester."

As much as I enjoy trouble-shooting computer software and hardware problems, my laptop is something that I want to "just work" and not be an experimental project most of the time.

Last night work life, church life, and home life all allowed me to upgrade my laptop to the latest Ubuntu release.

I have been using Ubuntu Linux on my laptop full-time since June 2007 -- having gone from version 7.04 ("Feisty Fawn) to 7.10 ("Gutsy Gibbon") to 8.04 ("Hardy Heron").

Ubuntu's philosophy is to provide a totally free and open-source computer when installed with the default selections.

However, there are multimedia resources (sound and video) and data file formats that many computer users outside the open-source community use daily. Philosophical purity may conflict with real-world interoperability.

For these practical considerations, one needs to be able to use the wide range of multimedia data available online even if it involves proprietary software.

The "Ubuntu restricted extras" package will allow you to play most common multimedia formats, including MP3, DVD, Flash, Quicktime, WMA and WMV, including both standalone files and multimedia content embedded in web pages.

Any other multimedia content requirements can be satisfied through the Medibuntu Project web site. The "how-to" instructions on this page will walk you through the steps needed to play commercial encrypted DVDs on your Ubuntu Linux computer. I've also installed the VLC video player for use with DVDs. I watched a few minutes of Battlestar Galactica Razor DVD last night to confirm commercial encrypted DVD operation.

These multimedia resources take care of nearly every multimedia requirement that was formerly provided to me through Automatix -- Automatix and EasyUbuntu were automated install tools for these multimedia options for earlier versions of Ubuntu Linux.

Both Automatix and EasyUbuntu are now unsupported orphan software or "abandonware" at this time. However, their ease-of-use multimedia features have now been replaced by the incorporation of the restricted extras and Medibuntu resources available to all Ubuntu users.

To ensure that I can open any Microsoft Office 2007 documents sent to me, I installed the "odf-converter-integrator" package -- this allows me to open any Microsoft Office 2007 file (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) using OpenOffice. Instructions for installing these Office 2007 converters can be found here.

For those who are not familiar with Ubuntu Linux, here's a brief description adapted from the Wikipedia article text on Ubuntu Linux:

Ubuntu is a computer operating system. It has consistently been rated among the most popular of the many Linux distributions. Ubuntu's goals include providing an up-to-date yet stable Linux distribution for the average user and having a strong focus on usability and ease of installation. Ubuntu is a derivative of Debian, another free operating system.

Ubuntu also emphasizes accessibility and internationalization, to reach as many people as possible.

The most recent version of Ubuntu comes installed with a wide range of software including: the OpenOffice.org productivity suite, the internet browser Firefox, the instant messenger Pidgin, and the raster graphics editor GIMP.

The amazing thing about Ubuntu Linux is that one can take an older computer that would be considered "obsolete" for Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office use and keep it useful through more efficient and leaner software. This is an advantage for churches and other non-profit organizations that depend on cash and used property donations to meet their needs.

When a church member or community non-profit supporter gets a new computer, he/she should consider asking if the church or non-profit can use the older hardware as a potential Ubuntu Linux workstation.

The gift of an "old computer" may mean the difference between a volunteer or staff person having or not having a computer in some cash-strapped churches or non-profits.

Ubuntu Linux provides the same functionality that Microsoft Windows XP and Microsoft Office provides (web surfing, email, word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, etc) on older hardware that would not support or would poorly support Windows XP or Microsoft Office (not to mention the resource hogs Microsoft Windows Vista or Microsoft Office 2007).

Ubuntu Linux is available for PC, 64-Bit and Mac architectures. The alternate installation CDs require at least 256 MB of RAM (the standard installation CD requires 384MB of RAM). Install requires at least 3 GB of disk space.

For example, my son's homework/web surfing computer is a used Compaq Pentium III (800 Mhz) with just 256 megabytes of RAM and 20 gigabytes of hard drive storage. It provides enough power for light word processing and web surfing. All of this is done with a "free" operating system that isn't susceptable to the many computer virus and spyware threats that plague Microsoft Windows.

Tonight, I updated my congregation's web site to reflect next Sunday's worship service info and I also prepared last Sunday's sermon podcast audio using Audacity and the LAME mp3 encoder on my laptop's new "Hardy Heron" setup -- so far everything is working as advertised.

My next two "Hardy Heron" installs will happen in the next few weeks -- updating the sermon podcast digital recorder computer and a spare loaner Pentium III computer that we provide to congregation members or staff who need a computer for home use (this loaner computer is identical to my son's computer).

Then I'll update my congregation's part-time chaplain's computer (yet another Pentium III identical to my son's computer).

Trailer for "Suspended: No Astrology Allowed"

A Question For Rev. Dr. Laurel Hallman

Rev. Dr. Laurel Hallman made the following comment on her UUA Presidential Candidate web site in answering a question:

"Thanks for the website of the Freedom of Religion Foundation. If you had said Freedom from Religion I would have been concerned."

The person with the question had typed "Freedom of Religion Foundation" but provided the URL for the "Freedom from Religion Foundation" in her question.

The Freedom from Religion Foundation is a non-profit group dedicated to promoting church-state separation and educating the public on matters related to non-theism. This group's social justice work sounds like something that many Unitarian Universalists would support and affirm.

Are you suggesting that Unitarian Universalists should reverse their past social justice positions affirming church-state separation?

Are you suggesting that we should not support non-theism education when we know that non-theists are marginalized in our culture?

A 2006 University of Minnesota study reported that atheists are perceived as a group worthy of marginalization and exclusion by many Americans. They are viewed as the least-trustworthy group according to this survey.

I know the disputes within Unitarian Universalism over "language of reverence" and theological diversity can and often do get heated.

However, we do need to remember that our churches have a duty to "comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable" -- part of this duty may include finding a way to be welcoming to all and not excluding the non-theists in our congregations in order to improve our "marketability" in the religious marketplace.

Not just "better living through chemistry" ...

... all living happened through chemistry and time:



There may be very little need for the supernatural in creating life on Earth.

Pale Blue Dot

A video on the folly of expecting an external source for our salvation:

"Fundamentalist Atheists," Godwin's Law, and Blake's Law

Godwin's Law (or Godwin's Rule of Nazi Analogies) is a descriptive adage first proposed by Mike Godwin in 1990:

"As a Usenet discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one."

Now that Usenet newsgroup discussions have been superseded by blogs, wiki talk pages, and other discussion areas, this would probably be updated:

"As an internet discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one."

Godwin's Law is often invoked in online discussions to caution us against the use of exaggerated comparisons and is often conflated with fallacious arguments of the "reductio ad Hitlerum" type.

Some would suggest that anyone who invokes a Nazi analogy has "lost" the online debate.

For discussions involving atheism and skepticism, a similar adage is Blake's Law:

"In any discussion of atheism (skepticism, etc.), the probability that someone will compare a vocal atheist to religious fundamentalists increases to one."

Or in simple terms, most comparisons to Nazis or fundamentalists are not true attempts at dialog but rather rhetorical devices intended to shut down discussion through name-calling.

And once a person has invoked a "fundamentalist = atheist" comparison, it's pretty apparent that an honest discussion is over.

We're lucky that YouTube and the Internet were not around in 1968 ...

The following quote is from a Newsweek special feature on Martin Luther King's legacy.

It mentions the title of his final (and undelivered) sermon:

On Thursday, April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. had retreated to room 306 of the Lorraine Motel, worrying about a sanitation strike in Memphis and working on his sermon for Sunday. Its title: "Why America May Go to Hell."

This sermon title was for the sermon he would have preached if he had not been assassinated.

In case anyone is curious, the first ARPAnet network (the grandparent of the modern internet) didn't come online until November 1969.

Theology vs. Politics in Response to Rev. Wright

Joan Walsh and many other political pundits are on-target for the political impact of Rev. Jeremiah Wright's public comments on Senator Obama's Presidential campaign.

But the political analysis of Rev. Wright's comments show a gaping hole in religious literacy when it comes to liberation theology and its roots within the teachings of Jesus.

Most folks have heard the beatitude "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God" in Luke 6:20 so long that they don't see the harsh politically-tinged social justice message in this Bible verse.

John Dominic Crossan (the former Catholic priest and co-founder of the Jesus Seminar) writes about this in his book Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography. Crossan's exegesis of this verse takes us to a very uncomfortable place. The following quote is from Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography, page 62:

Now what on earth does that mean, especially if one does not spiritualize it away, as Matthew immediately did, into "poor in spirit" -- that is, spiritually humble or religiously obediant? Did Jesus really think that bums and beggers were actually blessed by God, as if all destitute were nice people and all the aristocrats were correspondingly evil?
...

If, however, we think not just of personal or individual evil but of social, structural, or systemic injustice -- that is, of precisely the imperial situation in which Jesus and his fellow peasants found themselves -- then the saying becomes literally, terribly, and permanently true. In any situation of oppression, especially in those oblique, indirect, and systemic ones where injustice wears a mask of normalcy or even of necessity, the only ones who are innocent or blessed are those squeezed out deliberately as human junk from the system's own evil operation. A contemporary equivalent: only the homeless are innocent. That is a terrifying aphorism against society because, like the aphorisms against the family, it focuses on not just on personal or individual abuse of power but on such abuse in its systemic or structural possibilities -- and there, in contrast to the former level, none of our hands are innocent or our consciences are particularly clear.

Now in terms of a modern-day preacher saying "God damn America" like Rev. Wright did, it does not make sense from a personal or individual point of view.

But it does make sense when viewed an anti-oppressive liberation theology lens when applied to the very real and very ordinary systemic injustices our country has committed and continues to commit today.

It's probably fortunate for John McCain, Hillary Clinton, or Barack Obama that Jesus isn't alive today to be a personal friend.

Otherwise, they would have to explain their connection to this crazy preacher who is so anti-American in his sermons.

Bill Moyers Interviews Rev. Jeremiah Wright

Here's an hour-long interview of Rev. Jeremiah Wright by Bill Moyers -- worth checking out to understand the context of the YouTube soundbites from his sermons (and the web broadcast on one's computer doesn't interfere with Battlestar Galactica on Friday nights).

"Brick Testament" -- Bible Stories Told Through Legos

2 Samuel 11:2 -- "And from the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful."

The Brick Testament is worth checking out -- here's a brief explanation from the web site:

The Brick Testament is the largest, most comprehensive illustrated Bible in the world with over 3,600 illustrations that retell more than 300 stories from The Bible.

Launched first as a website in 2001, then as a published book series in 2003, The Brick Testament project is an ongoing one-man labor of love, constructed and photographed entirely by The Rev. Brendan Powell Smith.

Honesty, Ethics, and "Expelled"?

It's really puzzling to watch the efforts of some people to promote Expelled, a movie about "intelligent design" that is tainted with dishonesty in its production and marketing.

[The next paragraph has a correction that is printed in bold italic text. The correction comes from off-blog email between myself and Shawn Anthony.]

Shawn Anthony, a Brethren in Christ blogger who examined for one year Unitarian Universalism as a possible faith community during his M.Div. studies, has commented on Expelled on his blog. You can read Shawn's original post and the reader comments about this here.

My final comment on Shawn's blog (which may not make it through if he deletes it) is quoted here:

My concerns were not over the intelligence of those promoting Intelligent Design in the movie "Expelled" -- my concerns were with their honesty.

Is supporting dishonesty OK if it supports a cause one believes in?

Here are a few examples of the dishonesty behind this movie:

Richard Sternberg -- "Expelled claims that Sternberg was 'terrorized' and that 'his life was nearly ruined' when, in 2004, as editor of Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, he published a pro-intelligent design article by Stephen C. Meyer. However, there is no evidence of either terrorism or ruination."

Guillermo Gonzalez -- "Expelled claims that Iowa State University astronomy professor Guillermo Gonzalez was denied tenure because of his views on intelligent design. However, this shows a naïve and distorted understanding of the tenure process at a major research university. The tenure process involves intense scrutiny of a candidate’s accomplishments in order to assess his future potential; the beliefs or extra-academic opinions held by the candidate are not a factor. Gonzalez’s academic record is not as golden as Expelled would have you believe, and due process was rendered at every level of appeal. ISU was justified in rejecting his application for tenure."

Caroline Crocker -- "Expelled claims that Caroline Crocker was fired because she mentioned Intelligent Design in a class she was teaching. However, the evidence says otherwise. While there may have been grounds to fire her with cause, Crocker was not fired and continued to teach her course after student complaints; in addition, she did not just 'mention' intelligent design, but rather was teaching demonstrably false creationist material. We do not know for certain why Crocker was not re-hired for her non-tenure track job. Such positions carry no promise that contracts will be renewed. Only tenure-track jobs come with such an expectation, and only tenured professors have a guarantee of employment."

Biology professor PZ Myers was "expelled" from a private screening of the movie -- you can read the account of this incident here. For all of the moviemakers' claims about about intellectual inquiry and academic freedom, this action speaks much louder than their words. However, you may want to read Richard Dawkins commentary on this incident ("Lying for Jesus"). Here's a brief quote from his article:

"Now, to the Good Friday Fiasco itself, Mathis' extraordinary and costly lapse of judgment. Just think about it. His entire film is devoted to the notion that American scientists are being hounded and expelled from their jobs because of opinions that they hold. The film works hard at pressing (no, belabouring with a sledgehammer) all the favourite hot buttons of free speech, freedom of thought, the right of dissent, the right to be heard, the right to discuss issues rather than suppress argument. These are the topics that the film sets out to raise, with particular reference to evolution and 'intelligent design' (wittily described by someone as creationism in a cheap tuxedo). In the course of this film, Mathis tricked a number of scientists, including PZ Myers and me, into taking prominent parts in the film, and both of us are handsomely thanked in the closing credits.

Seemingly oblivious to the irony, Mathis instructed some uniformed goon to evict Myers while he was standing in line with his family to enter the theatre, and threaten him with arrest if he didn't immediately leave the premises. Did it not occur to Mathis -- what would occur any normally polite and reasonable person -- that Myers, having played a leading role in the film, might have been welcomed as an honoured guest to watch it? Or, more cynically, did he not know that PZ is one of the country's most popular bloggers, with a notoriously caustic wit, perfectly placed to set the whole internet roaring with delighted and mocking laughter? I long ago realised that Mathis was deceitful. I didn't know he was a bungling incompetent."

All of this gives creationism and intelligent design a patina of dishonesty. Unfortunately, this reputation for dishonesty can taint Christianity if they don't do anything about it.

This Intelligent Design Satire Is Probably Too Subtle

Renewal or Ruin: The IRD's Attack on the United Methodist Church

Here is Renewal or Ruin? The Institute on Religion and Democracy's Attack on the United Methodist Church:



The Institute on Religion and Democracy is a conservative political group which seeks to reduce the public influence of the mainline Protestant Christian churches in the United States and their joint ministry, the National Council of Churches.

A study guide for this movie can be downloaded here.

Sexpelled: No Intercourse Allowed (Expelled parody)

Here's the description of the "controvery" surrounding this alternative reproduction theory from the RichardDawkins.net web site:

Anticipating success with their feature film Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, Producers Mark Mathis, Logan Craft and Walt Ruloff have already leaked a teaser trailer for the film's sequel. Their "teach the controversy" slogan seemed to work well in getting the general public to believe that Intelligent Design is a viable alternative scientific theory to Evolution, so the team has moved on to promoting other theories that they feel are being suppressed by the scientific community. Sexpelled: No Intercourse Allowed tells of how Sex Theory has thrived unchallenged in the ivory towers of academia, as the explanation for how new babies are created. Proponents of Stork Theory claim that "Big Sex" has been suppressing their claim that babies are delivered by storks. Furthermore, Stork Theory proponents warn of the serious moral dangers posed by teaching children that sex has a function. They point out that evil dictators such as Hitler, Stalin and Mao all believed in Sex Theory, and they may have even had sex themselves.

There is also a late-breaking new development in the controversy, a new theory called Avian Transportation Theory.

Unlike the original Stork Theory, the modern, sophisticated "Avian Transportation Theory" (ATT) merely points out that there are gaps in the orthodox Sex Theory, and that current sonogram imaging is unreliable. Moreover ATT does not specify that babies are necessarily brought by storks but by "large birds unspecified" (although many individual ATT theorists PRIVATELY believe it is a stork).

Science Teacher Fired For Not Teaching "Intelligent Design"

Hat tip to Expelled Exposed web site for pointing out this YouTube video clip:



Description from YouTube: "Chris Comer, a Science Teacher in Texas was Expelled for not teaching Intelligent Design in her science class. It's a scary day indeed when our science teachers get fired for recognizing that creationism is not science."

Countering Ben Stein's Propaganda Film

Here's a suggestion from PZ Myers (the author of the Pharyngula science blog) about what we can do to counter the deceptive propaganda message in the Ben Stein's new movie - Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed:

We need to get the NCSE's (National Center for Science Education) counter-site to the hideous little propaganda film, Expelled, to rank higher in the search engines. The way to do this is for lots and lots of you to link to the Expelled Exposed site with the word Expelled. It's not hard: just copy this code into a blog post.

<a href="http://expelledexposed.com/"><i>Expelled</i></a>

Whenever you write about the movie, use that link. Do it a bunch of times, if you want. It's more effective if many people use the same link every time, though, than for one person to be repetitive.

Response to Steve Casey's "Darwin's evolution also supports racism"

Here's my response to Steve Casey's op-ed column in the Shreveport Times ("Darwin's evolution also supports racism," 29 February 2008):

Dear Editors,

I'm responding to the mistaken interpretation of evolutionary biology presented by Steve Casey ("Darwin's evolution also supports racism," 29 February 2008).

Yes -- it's true that some bigots have misunderstood Darwin's theories and the later refinement of these theories.

Yes -- it's true that these misunderstandings were used to support racism, sexism, economic classism, and other types of unjust oppression.

However, we need to keep in mind that this is simply a reflection of a flawed humanity using any available intellectual framework to support injustice and evil in the world.

People have used in the past and still use the Bible and religion to promote injustice.

For example, Exodus 21:20-21 does not condemn slavery but does regulate the severity of whippings. Ephesians 6:5-6 does not condemn slavery but tells slaves to obey their masters.

Because of this lack of scriptural support for abolishing slavery, Christian politicians like Jefferson Davis wrote that slavery was " ... established by decree of Almighty God ... it is sanctioned in the Bible, in both Testaments, from Genesis to Revelation."

The Christian minister Rev. Alexander Campbell wrote "There is not one verse in the Bible inhibiting slavery, but many regulating it. It is not then, we conclude, immoral."

These examples are not intended to condemn Christianity or the Bible but rather to point out how nearly any collection of ideas (religious or scientific) can be misused to support injustice.

It would be intellectually dishonest to quote evolutionary biologists from the mid to late 1800s or a school biology textbook from 1930 to defend the assertion that evolutionary biology is racist today. To do so would be the same as quoting Christians from the mid-1800s to defend the assertion that Christianity and the Bible are pro-slavery today.

One of the most successful ways to eliminate those things that harm us in the world is through the scientific methods that has brought us evolutionary biology. Through the imperfectly-human but eventually self-correcting methods of science, we know today that the "science" behind Victorian-era racism and sexism quoted by Steve Casey was flawed (I would recommend "The Mismeasure of Man" by Stephen Jay Gould for an excellent introduction to this history of racism and science).

Some religious leaders use the findings of science to change how they read the Bible. This is one way that religion can reject racism, sexism, bigotry, and superstition.

We are seeing this reformation of religion through science happening today in the changing views on homosexuality in Christianity. The current anti-gay doctrines promoted by some Christians today will be rejected in time through the same process that Christianity used to become anti-slavery and anti-racist.

Sincerely,
Steve Caldwell

I submitted this as a letter to the editor and it wasn't published. I'm now recycling this as a blog post.

Thanks.

Funny Unitarian Universalist Quote ...

This isn't a quote from a Unitarian Universalist but a quote about Unitarians from a reader of the Pharyngula science blog responding to PZ Meyers' response on the recent Pew Report on American Religion ("America: slouching towards the Enlightenment"):

"I'm still not getting up early on Sunday to hear crappy music with a bunch of touchy-feely neckbeards, but let's give the Unitarians their props for an interesting history."

I guess we could add this to various reasons for not attending church currently in the UU blogosphere.

Charles Barkley on Moral Theology and "Fake Christians"

This video clip is pretty cool (hat tip to the Friendly Atheist blog)

fake christians
by luvnews

"Color Me Blind"

Description from YouTube -- "While planning a diversity rally a misguided group of activists fail to see eye to eye with their newest member."

"Avant Garde Performance Art and Children's Theater Meet ... "

Enjoy this clip from A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant (a satirical musical about Scientology and L. Ron Hubbard, written by Kyle Jarrow from a concept by Alex Timbers, the show's original director).

Making Ubuntu Linux Easier to Use

If Ubuntu Linux wants to be a serious contender for use on desktop and laptop computers, then it needs to improve wireless networking support, DVD playback support, and proprietary multimedia playback support.

For example, the "native" audio format for Ubuntu is the "ogg" open-source format. Yes -- I've been told that the ogg format technically superior to the "mp3" format that is commonly used for internet audio. However, ogg's use is limited mostly to the open-source Linux community. Yes -- it's technically true that the mp3 format is a proprietary format.

However, most Windows and Mac OS users are expecting mp3 audio for podcasts and other online audio recordings. If a church wants to publish sermon podcasts that can be used by a majority of computer users, support for proprietary formats like mp3 is essential.

Automatix is a system utility that automates the setup of these proprietary multimedia formats on Ubuntu Linux.

And the Automatix and Ubuntu teams are starting to work together in order to improve the ease of use for future Ubuntu Linux users (target release for this is Ubuntu Linux 8.04 due to be released on 24 April 2008).

2007 UU Blog Award Nominations

Here are the four blog entries from my blog that I'm nominating for the 2007 blog awards:

• How Do Our Churches Survive in a Non-Religious World? (11 September 2007)
• Pornography and Liberal Religion (23 June 2007)
• Do We Really Talk Too Much About Sex? (5 May 2007)
• "What about those who have never heard about Christ? Is is fair they be 'damned' just because they were never exposed to Christianity?" (24 February 2007)

Thanks for your consideration.

Unitarian Universalism Being Noticed Outside the UU Blogosphere

Unitarian Universalism gets some positive press on Greta Christina's Blog (described as "Sex, atheism, politics, dreams, and whatever"). Greta's latest blog article is about the importance of good sexuality education and how commercial erotica does a very bad job at filling in for the current lack of factually-based and sexuality affirming sexuality education in the US.

The article is titled "All I Really Need To Know I Learned From Porn -- Or Not."

Here's the "money quote":

"If you think your kids aren't seeing porn, think again. Even before the Internet, kids and teenagers were looking at porn. (How many of us swiped our dad's Playboys for a peek? I sure did.) And with the Internet, the horse is definitely out of the barn

So do something. If you're not comfortable talking frankly with your kids about sex yourself -- and I have more sympathy for that position than you might imagine, I sure didn't want to talk with my parents about sex -- you need to make sure they have a way to get the information they want and need. Get them books. Point them at the Scarleteen or San Francisco Sex Information websites. Send them to the sex education programs offered by the Unitarians. Make sure there's an adult in their life they can talk about sex with. Or suck it up, get over your discomfort, and talk to them yourself."

And Hemant Mehta's "Friendly Atheist" blog noticed the UU-themed discussion questions on my blog for his book I Sold My Soul on eBay: Viewing Faith through an Atheist's Eyes:

Unitarian Universalist Discussion Questions For I Sold My Soul on eBay

UU Discussion Questions For "I Sold My Soul on eBay" (Complete PDF Download)

I just finished reading Hemant Mehta's I Sold My Soul on eBay: Viewing Faith through an Atheist's Eyes. Hemant is also the author of the Friendly Atheist blog.

Writing as an atheist who was raised as a Jain in an Indian-American household, Hemant's observations in his book allow us to ask what our congregations look like to newcomers.

At the end of the book, Ron Lee has provided discussion questions for individual reflection and small group discussion of the issues raised in the book.

The discussion questions provided by Ron Lee assume a more traditional Christian point of view and are not applicable for most Unitarian Univeralists. Many of these discussion questions are not applicable for Unitarian Universalist Christians as well.

What follows is my attempt to re-frame these discussion questions for use in Unitarian Universalist faith communities.

The entire collection of study questions can be downloaded as an Adobe Acrobat PDF document.

UU Discussion Questions For "I Sold My Soul on eBay" (Part X)

This post is a continuation of the Unitarian Universalist re-framing of the discussion questions at the end of Hemant Mehta's I Sold My Soul on eBay: Viewing Faith through an Atheist's Eyes. Hemant is also the author of the Friendly Atheist blog.

The discussion questions for the book's Introduction can be found here:

UU Discussion Questions For "I Sold My Soul on eBay" (Part I)

The discussion questions for Chapter 1 can be found here:

UU Discussion Questions For "I Sold My Soul on eBay" (Part II)

The discussion questions for Chapter 2 can be found here:

UU Discussion Questions For "I Sold My Soul on eBay" (Part III)

The discussion questions for Chapter 3 can be found here:

UU Discussion Questions For "I Sold My Soul on eBay" (Part IV)

The discussion questions for Chapter 4 can be found here:

UU Discussion Questions For "I Sold My Soul on eBay" (Part V)

The discussion questions for Chapter 5 can be found here:

UU Discussion Questions For "I Sold My Soul on eBay" (Part VI)

The discussion questions for Chapter 6 can be found here:

UU Discussion Questions For "I Sold My Soul on eBay" (Part VII)

The discussion questions for Chapter 7 can be found here:

UU Discussion Questions For "I Sold My Soul on eBay" (Part VIII)

The discussion questions for Chapter 8 can be found here:

UU Discussion Questions For "I Sold My Soul on eBay" (Part IX)

Chapter 9: What Works on Sunday Morning and What Doesn't
(1) Is there anything in the author's overview that gave new insight or a new perspective on how your Unitarian Universalist congregation comes across to newcomers? If so, what were the insights?

(2) Does the author include any critiques of the churches in this chapter that you feel are unfair or clearly based on a misunderstanding? How would you clarify those issues for the author? Do you think some aspects of your Unitarian Universalist congregation might lead to similar criticisms? If so, would these criticisms be unfair or based on a misunderstanding? Why or why not?

(3) The author is pointed in his criticism of boring preachers, pointing out that regular church attendees seemed to be as bored as he was. Then he praises skilled speakers: "Imagine the best and worst teachers you had in college. The best ones made you want to listen ... They ignited a passion inside you. The best teachers (and the best preachers) connect with something inside you that makes you not just listen, but moves you to act." Are you surprised that an atheist who repeatedly appeals to reason and logic is so attracted to communicators who generate passion? How can Unitarian Universalist ministers and speakers -- in personal interactions and in group settings -- communicate the way he is describing?

(4) Hemant recommends that pastors videotape their sermons, but to turn the cameras toward the congregation to record audience's response and level of engagement. Is this a good idea? Do you think this would be useful in your Unitarian Universalist congregation?

(5) In suggesting that churches sponsor debates between Christians and nonbelievers, Hemant argues that it would show outsiders "that Christians are confident in their beliefs, so much so that they're willing to present their teachings in a setting where the other side of the argument is also presented." Do you think this suggestion could be applied to Unitarian Universalist congregations as well? Why or why not?

(6) The author is sensitive to the frequently expressed attitude among Christians that nonbelievers are "them" and not "us." He writes, "I found that because I was an atheist, I was seen as the enemy." Are there ways that Unitarian Universalists also divide into "us" and "them" groups? Is this done intentionally or unintentionally? Is this done as an adversarial act or as an establishment of theological boundaries for the congregation?

(7) The author recommends that churches provide regular opportunities for people to ask questions of the pastor. "Wouldn't it be great if immediately after the sermon there was a room I could go to where I could have my questions answered?" he proposes. In his church research, he found only one church that schedules regular question-and-answer sessions (this was Ted Haggard's church). Why do you think more congregations don't provide regular opportunities like this interaction for visitors, seekers, and long-term members where they can raise questions? In Unitarian Universalist settings, this often referred to as "talkback." Many Unitarian Universalist growth consultants advise against "talkback" after the worship service. Why do think they do this? What do you feel about this recommendation?

Two Online Quizzes on God and Philosophy

Hat tip to the Friendly Atheist blog for these online quizzes from The Philosophers Magazine.

Here's a brief description of these two quizzes:

Do-It-Yourself Deity (What is God?)
In an attempt to resolve any disagreement surrounding the meaning of the word "God", TPM has assembled a crack team of "metaphysical engineers" who have devised a new computer-modelling virtual environment in which to test the plausibility of different conceptions of God.

Here's how it works. You are invited to select from the list below the attributes which you believe God must have (or the attributes that a being deserving of the name God must have). Metaphysical engineers will then model this conception of God to check out its plausibility.

Battleground God
Can your beliefs about religion make it across our intellectual battleground?

In this activity you’ll be asked a series of 17 questions about God and religion. In each case, apart from Question 1, you need to answer True or False. The aim of the activity is not to judge whether these answers are correct or not. Our battleground is that of rational consistency. This means to get across without taking any hits, you’ll need to answer in a way which is rationally consistent. What this means is you need to avoid choosing answers which contradict each other. If you answer in a way which is rationally consistent but which has strange or unpalatable implications, you’ll be forced to bite a bullet.


Of course, you may go along with thinkers such as Kierkegaard and believe that religious belief does not need to be rationally consistent. But that takes us beyond the scope of this activity, which is about the extent to which your beliefs are rationally consistent, not whether this is a good or a bad thing.

No online quiz (even the Belief-O-Matic quiz) is the last word on any religious conversation. But these are good conversation starters.

UU Discussion Questions For "I Sold My Soul on eBay" (Part IX)

This post is a continuation of the Unitarian Universalist re-framing of the discussion questions at the end of Hemant Mehta's I Sold My Soul on eBay: Viewing Faith through an Atheist's Eyes. Hemant is also the author of the Friendly Atheist blog.

The discussion questions for the book's Introduction can be found here:

UU Discussion Questions For "I Sold My Soul on eBay" (Part I)

The discussion questions for Chapter 1 can be found here:

UU Discussion Questions For "I Sold My Soul on eBay" (Part II)

The discussion questions for Chapter 2 can be found here:

UU Discussion Questions For "I Sold My Soul on eBay" (Part III)

The discussion questions for Chapter 3 can be found here:

UU Discussion Questions For "I Sold My Soul on eBay" (Part IV)

The discussion questions for Chapter 4 can be found here:

UU Discussion Questions For "I Sold My Soul on eBay" (Part V)

The discussion questions for Chapter 5 can be found here:

UU Discussion Questions For "I Sold My Soul on eBay" (Part VI)

The discussion questions for Chapter 6 can be found here:

UU Discussion Questions For "I Sold My Soul on eBay" (Part VII)

The discussion questions for Chapter 7 can be found here:

UU Discussion Questions For "I Sold My Soul on eBay" (Part VIII)

Chapter 8: Churches That Deserve Special Mention
(1) Did the author point out anything about these megachurches that surprised you, challenged you, or raised concerns? If so, which observations elicited such a response -- and why? Can you imagine seeing these things in a Unitarian Universalist megachurch or a smaller Unitarian Universalist congregation?

(2) Is there anything in these critiques that gave you a new perspective on how your congregation and Unitarian Universalism comes across to newcomers? If so, what were those insights?

(3) At Mars Hill Bible Church, one of the pastors pointed out that the local newspaper had reported that the population of those living in poverty in Grand Rapids numbers one in five. "However," Hemant says, "he didn't say anything at that time about actions the church would take to help remedy the situation, which was disappointing." Do you understand the author's disappointment? Why do you think Hemant keeps returning to the idea that churches should do more to meet the physical needs of people in the community? Does your Unitarian Universalist congregation do anything to meet the physical needs of others in the community?

(4) As Pastor Rob Bell read from John 20, the author reports that Rob "reminded us as we read that we must constantly ask: can we see ourselves in these stories?" Do you think this method for examing the Bible would be useful for non-Christian and non-Jewish Unitarian Universalists in engaging the Jewish and Christian Bible heritage that gave rise to modern-day Unitarian Universalism?

(5) Hemant comments, "[Rob Bell's] quirks make him a compelling person to watch. It's the way he talks to everyone as if he were face to face with you in a coffee shop, not as if he's delivering a lecture." This is the second time the author has commented favorably on a pastor who speaks to a huge congregation as if he's carrying on a personal conversation. Why do you feel this stood out to Hemant? How else can speakers convey this sense of intimacy? Have you ever experienced this intimacy in Unitarian Universalist worship?

(6) Hemant acknowledges that his favorite preacher is Joel Osteen. "I can't recall hearing any other pastor talk so much about his or her private life," Hemant writes, "As Joel spoke in front of an arena full of people, I felt like I knew him, at least a little bit." Does it surprise you that a speaker's vulnerability stands out so powerfully? Why or why not? Do you think a Unitarian Universalist congregation could model this type of ministry? Why or why not?

(7) Hemant says he left Lakewood Church in Houston knowing that "thousands of people were going to have a better day, and maybe even a better life, after hearing [Osteen] speak ... Everyone is looking for a better life, whether they believe in God or not." The author says addressing this felt need could be a key to attracting nonbelievers to the church. How do you respond to his observation? Do you think Unitarian Universalist congregations could adapt this suggestion?

(8) Hemant suggests that churches would provide a tremendous public service if they hosted debates between a Christian spokesperson and a recognized spokesperson presenting a secular view on the same topic. If churches sponsored such debates, what might they gain and what might they stand to lose? What sorts of debates should Unitarian Universalist congregations host? What would Unitarian Universalist congregations gain or lose from these debates?

(9) The author concludes, "If any church were to convert me, I felt it would be a place such as Willow Creek [Community Church]. It wasn't a fire-and-brimstone service. It wasn't a worship-God-out-of-fear-of-hell service. It was a place where I could think about the message after I left." What do you think of his assessment? What can Unitarian Universalist congregations do to give our potential members something to think about after they leave the service?

(10) What do you think of the idea of Unitarian Universalist megachurches? What are the pluses and minuses of megachurches for Unitarian Universalists?

More Tidbits From Free Computer Trade Publications

Here's some useful tidbits for the volunteer website and computer support person working in a small congregation ...

Useful information on Facebook apps for congregational social networking
Review: The good, the bad and the ugly of Facebook apps
Today's hottest social networking site includes thousands of free applications. Here are the best and worst for business, blogging and more.

People-management skills for the often-volunteer IT and website person a small congregation
The 5 users you meet in hell (and one you'll find in heaven)
Recognize any of these people -- the Know-It-All? The Finger-Pointer? The Whiz Kid? We thought so ...

Generational differences that will affect congregational governance and how one works with volunteers
IT Faces Stiff Challenge From Emerging Workforce
The children of baby boomers will expect collaboration tools and less-structured processes.

UU Discussion Questions For "I Sold My Soul on eBay" (Part VIII)

This post is a continuation of the Unitarian Universalist re-framing of the discussion questions at the end of Hemant Mehta's I Sold My Soul on eBay: Viewing Faith through an Atheist's Eyes. Hemant is also the author of the Friendly Atheist blog.

The discussion questions for the book's Introduction can be found here:

UU Discussion Questions For "I Sold My Soul on eBay" (Part I)

The discussion questions for Chapter 1 can be found here:

UU Discussion Questions For "I Sold My Soul on eBay" (Part II)

The discussion questions for Chapter 2 can be found here:

UU Discussion Questions For "I Sold My Soul on eBay" (Part III)

The discussion questions for Chapter 3 can be found here:

UU Discussion Questions For "I Sold My Soul on eBay" (Part IV)

The discussion questions for Chapter 4 can be found here:

UU Discussion Questions For "I Sold My Soul on eBay" (Part V)

The discussion questions for Chapter 5 can be found here:

UU Discussion Questions For "I Sold My Soul on eBay" (Part VI)

The discussion questions for Chapter 6 can be found here:

UU Discussion Questions For "I Sold My Soul on eBay" (Part VII)

Chapter 7: The View From a Larger Pew
(1) Is there anything in these critiques that gave you insight or a new perspective on how Christianity comes across to non-believers? If so, what were those insights? How do you think your Unitarian Universalist congregation comes across to newcomers?

(2) Did you think any of the author's criticisms were unwarranted? If so, which ones and why?

(3) Hemant noticed that on Sundays, Second Baptist Church in Houston has as a service geared to young adults geared to young adults and it begins "precisely at 11:11 AM, a time that holds a superstitious significance for some young people." Were you aware of this superstition? How do you feel about a church starting a service at a time that has a superstitious meaning? Do you think a superstition would work with Unitarian Universalist young adults? Why or why not?

(4) Hemant was curious about one church's twenty-four-hour prayer hotline, so he called the number late at night and got an answering machine. He wasn't experiencing a crisis and he doesn't believe in prayer, but still he was concerned about getting an answering machine and not a human being. How do you feel about a hotline that is manned by a machine? Do you think that Hemant was taking this too seriously? Why or why not? Do you think that your Unitarian Universalist congregation should have a prayer or crisis hotline? Why or why not?

(5) When Hemant took note of the worship team at a church in Houston, he realized that "it was apparent that the younger, more attractive singers stood front and center. This was a technique more appropriate for an advertising campaign than a place of worship." How would you respond to the author's observation? Are marketing concerns compatible with faith? Why or why not? What would you think if your Unitarian Universalist congregation did this?

(6) Hemant read on a church web site that "' ... after meeting at Rolling Meadows High School for seven years, God supernaturally provided our current church home ... in Rolling Meadows.' Unless the building suddenly appeared out of nowhere, I figured there had to be a better word to describe how the congregation came to occupy its current building." How do you feel about the word choice on the church web site? Does the word supernaturally throw you? Have you seen similar examples in Unitarian Universalist congregations ("Miracle Sunday" fundraisers, etc)? Can you see how it might confuse someone who is not familiar with church jargon?

(7) "One of the main problems I had with larger churches is the lack of intimacy between the pastor and ... what's the word ... pastees?" Hemant writes. "Here, though, that problem was eliminated by the pastor approaching us, being one of us." The author is referring to pastor James MacDonald, who walked down among the people in the congregation as he was preaching. Does it surprise you that the connection made by a pastor's simple act was so impressive to a newcomer? What does this say about the need for congregations to do more to establish a connection and to create a sense of intimacy during worship services? Would this simple act happen in your Unitarian Universalist congregation?

(8) At a church in the Chicago suburbs, Hemant was distracted by frequent quotes from the Bible. "It was as if the pastor felt we wouldn't believe forgiveness was mentioned in the Bible unless we heard it repeated, verbatim, from the Bible." How would you respond to that observation? Have you ever experienced anything similar in your Unitarian Universalist congregation with the Bible or other references cited in the pulpit?

(9) To some Christians, Hemant observes, "Preachers such as Joel Osteen may appear 'watered down' due to the fact that he doesn't mention Bible verses as frequently as other pastors." This criticism would rarely be directed at most Unitarian Universalist ministers. Are there religious writings that Unitarian Universalist ministers "over-quote" or "under-quote"?

(10) Hemant refers to an anecdote one pastor told and claimed was true. Later, the author was unable to find the story on the internet, but he located a similar story which was said to be a legend. Hemant comments, "I would expect a pastor to do more thorough research ... His claim that the story was true without giving reference caused this pastor to lose credibility in my eyes." Would such an incident cause a pastor to lose credibility in your eyes? Why or why not? Given the ready availability of internet fact-checking sources like snopes.com and even the possibility that a congregant might even research this in mid-worship with a PDA or iPhone, should a pastor carefully research any "urban legends" mentioned in a sermon?

(11) During a service at a Colorado church, Hemant comments, "For several minutes at a time it was hard to see past the man in front of me whose arm was raised in praise and blocking my line of vision." Have you ever been distracted in church by the worship habits of others? If so, what was distracting about the situation? What would you recommend as a solution to such distractions?

(12) The author was impressed by the ethnic diversity of the group that attended a Sunday-night service at The Moody Church in Chicago. Segregation is common in many churches. Have you ever thought that segregation a damaging testimony to those outside the church. Does your Unitarian Universalist congregation have de-facto segregation in worship and other activities?

UU Discussion Questions For "I Sold My Soul on eBay" (Part VII)

This post is a continuation of the Unitarian Universalist re-framing of the discussion questions at the end of Hemant Mehta's I Sold My Soul on eBay: Viewing Faith through an Atheist's Eyes. Hemant is also the author of the Friendly Atheist blog.

The discussion questions for the book's Introduction can be found here:

UU Discussion Questions For "I Sold My Soul on eBay" (Part I)

The discussion questions for Chapter 1 can be found here:

UU Discussion Questions For "I Sold My Soul on eBay" (Part II)

The discussion questions for Chapter 2 can be found here:

UU Discussion Questions For "I Sold My Soul on eBay" (Part III)

The discussion questions for Chapter 3 can be found here:

UU Discussion Questions For "I Sold My Soul on eBay" (Part IV)

The discussion questions for Chapter 4 can be found here:

UU Discussion Questions For "I Sold My Soul on eBay" (Part V)

The discussion questions for Chapter 5 can be found here:

UU Discussion Questions For "I Sold My Soul on eBay" (Part VI)

Chapter 6: The View From a Midsized Pew
(1) Did the author point out anything about these churches that surprised you, concerned you, or challenged you? If so, which observations elicited such a response -- and why? The churches described in this chapter are comparable with the largest churches in the Unitarian Universalist Association.

(2) Is there anything in these church critiques that gave you insight or a new perspective in how your Unitarian Universalist congregation might come across to newcomers and visitors? If so, what were those insights?

(3) Did you feel any of his criticisms were unwarranted? If so, which ones and why?

(4) "It seems that pastors in general just assume that everyone in the audience agrees with them," Hemant writes. "They don't often provide reasons or explanations to back up what they say." Do you agree that pastors should do more to give a larger context and to explain the reasons behind their assertions for the benefit of those visiting the worship service. Why or why not?

(5) Hemant objects to using the word "lost" to describe those outside the kingdom of God. "I don't feel lost," he writes. "In fact I've felt found ever since I've become an atheist. So I'd like to hear a pastor tell me why he's convinced I am lost." Why do you think such terminology feels problematic to non-believers? Unitarian Universalists probably wouldn't call someone "lost"; however, what words do you think we use that our newcomers and visitors would find problematic?

(6) At a church in Chicago, the pastor admitted "that even he had doubts about God sometimes," Hemant reports. "It was humbling and important to hear that." It's clear that Hemant was impressed by Pastor Clarence's honesty and transparency. Do you hear this candor and transparency in your Unitarian Universalist congregation? Why or why not? Do you think that doubt is an important part of one's faith journey?

(7) Pastor Clarence tells the story of Doubting Thomas from John 20. Here is how Hemant reflects on this story: "Thomas said he wouldn't believe in the resurrection of Christ unless he saw and touched Jesus' hands where the nails had been driven in at the crucifixion ... He was asking for the same thing I was looking for: evidence ... Why are atheists so despised for thinking like Thomas did?" Do you understand Hemant's desire for tangible proof in a religious search? Do you think that Unitarian Universalism offers enough "tangible proof" for any claims that it makes? Why or why not?

(8) At a church in Houston, an announcement was made that a member of the congregation had died. Hemant comments "The people had prayed that he would get better ... How was it possible to keep praying for other things when it was clear in this instance prayer wasn't working?" What do you think is the place for prayer in Unitarian Universalism?

(9) Hemant was frustrated when he heard a speaker say homosexuality was a problem. He continues, "In my view, you are born either heterosexual or homosexual, so why consider an innate predisposition to be a problem?" Do you think that Hemant would be troubled by Unitarian Universalist views on homosexuality that he would hear in most pulpits? Why or why not?

(10) Hemant reports, "The speaker [at a church] asked us to recite the following words to begin the process of forgiveness ... 'God, I love you more than my car, my home, my family ... ' I couldn't imagine a person prioritizing God before his wife or their children or their parents ... Faith might be important, but is it so important that if we had to choose between family and faith, someone would tell her family they came in second place?" How would you respond to the author's questions? Do you think that there are Unitarian Universalists who value their religious faith over their families? If so, how do they show this? Do you think this is a positive, negative, or neutral thing?