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John Gibb Millspaugh’s article “Dinner Dilemmas” (Winter 2008) drew angry responses from some readers. Jess Cullinan at “Jess’s Journal” wrote: “The framing of this issue . . . is yet another example of the assumption that to be a Unitarian Universalist one has to be a rich, Prius-driving vegan who shops only at farmers’ markets and Whole Foods. And I am so tired of it.” (November 13)
Plaidshoes at “Everyday Unitarian” begged to differ: “I certainly do not look down at people if they are not eating local, organic food. But I do think it is reasonable to know the full (environmental, social) cost of that food.” (November 17)
Ricë Freeman-Zachery at “Notes from the Voodoo Cafe” was inspired by Robert W. Fuller and Pamela A. Gerloff’s article “Be a Dignitarian.” Reflecting on people who pick up trash, a “vital job,” she decided to pick up everything she could on her evening walk. (November 19)
Smijer at “Tête-à-Tête-Tête” liked William F. Schulz’s essay “Hold On”: “It reads a bit like corny self-help psychology, but the more I read, the more I realized the thoughts are on the money, and useful to people like me and mine” (November 18).
Lisa Belkin, the New York Times parenting blogger, wrote about frightening advice many people seem to give expectant parents—and cited Meg Barnhouse’s June 2008 uuworld.org column “Letter to a New Parent” as a hopeful alternative (January 13).
Several bloggers commented on the second draft of a new UUA Principles and Purposes statement, which the Commission on Appraisal presented to the Board of Trustees in January. The Rev. Thomas Perchlik wrote: “I really miss the dynamic theological language of the older statement including [. . .] the entire ‘transcending mystery and wonder’ section. . . . I would have liked new poetry.” (January 8)
The Rev. James Ishmael Ford at “Monkey Mind” urged the board to modify language in the Commission’s draft about cultural misappropriation (January 12). The board did in fact revise that section at their January meeting; see page 52.
Elsewhere in the UU blogosphere:
A UUA delegation including President William G. Sinkford traveled to Africa in November, meeting Archbishop Desmond Tutu and local UU groups. They blogged the trip at uupilgrimage.blogspot.com. (See “Our Calling,” page 7.)
The Rev. Christine Robinson of “iMinister” was the official blogger at the UUA’s Summit on Excellence in Ministry in Seattle, December 10-12.
UUA trustee Linda Laskowski at “UUA View from Berkeley” reported that a commission charged with reexamining how the UUA is governed (the “Fifth Principle Task Force”) is recommending replacing the current General Assembly with two alternating annual meetings. “[A] General Assembly, with today’s workshops, exhibit hall, and UU University,”would alternate with “a Delegates Assembly, a shorter version focusing on governance of the Association.” (November 22)
UU World now has a Facebook page. So does the UUA.
Related Resources
- The Interdependent Web. A weekly roundup of blogs and other user-generated web content about Unitarian Universalism, collected by uuworld.org.