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?