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U.S. Army military chaplain and minister of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Rock Tavern, New York, the Rev. Christopher Antal has submitted his resignation from the U.S. Army Reserves in protest over the military’s use of drone warfare. Antal, who is also the founder of Hudson Valley, New York, chapter of Veterans for Peace, has been an outspoken opponent of the Obama Administration military policy for years. (Military.com -5.12.16)
UU religious welcome of LGBTQ people makes news
The mother of an 11-year-old who has recently come out as a lesbian describes their journey in search of a church they could attend where her daughter would feel welcome. After trying a number of different Christian denominations, they found their spiritual home in their local Unitarian Universalist church. (sheknows.com – 5.9.16)
After discovering cards with anti-gay messages covering the cars in the parking lot of the Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Unitarian Universalist Church, the church’s minister wrote an open letter to those who left the cards. The Rev. Jake Morrill affirmed that the church would continue to minister to the LGBTQ community and continue to clean up the mess that anti-gay religious sentiment makes of peoples’ lives—just as they cleaned up the litter covering the cars in their parking lot. (The Oak Ridger – 5.11.16)
Interfaith events for inclusive communities
The Rev. Scott Aaseng of the First Unitarian Church of Hobart, Indiana, moderated a community discussion with participants including faith leaders, community leaders, and the local police captain. The guiding message of the event was that one-on-one conversations are necessary to begin to eliminate systemic racism and re-vision racial justice in Northwest Indiana. (The Times – 5.11.16)
The Rev. Jay Wolin of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Quad Cities in Davenport, Iowa, joined other local faith leaders to issue a statement denouncing the rhetoric of fear and intolerance that is reaching epidemic proportions in recent months. The statement was read aloud at a recent interfaith event to memorialize Holocaust victims. (Dispatch-Argus – 5.6.16)