Slavery, voting, diversity, and other matters
Questions for spiritual reflection
and adult group discussion.
by Jane Greer
addresses Americans’ failure to take the responsibilities of citizenship
seriously. “If ordinary people don’t get involved in the day-to-day
business of our government, if we don’t learn the issues in depth
. . . our democracy will not survive.” (“Don’t
hand over democracy to computers”)
How would you evaluate Hommel’s position? If you agree with her,
what steps would need to be taken to revitalize American democracy? In
looking over America’s history of participatory government, how
would you describe its current phase? How is it different from earlier
Donald E. Skinner writes about the Commission on Appraisal’s
upcoming report on theological diversity in Unitarian Universalism. (“Searching
for unity in theological diversity”)
How would you describe your congregation’s theological orientation?
If there are diverse theological outlooks, how does your congregation
manage this diversity? What theological issues draw people together despite
Peg Duthie is critical
of the need to categorize people, whether by ethnicity or religion. “The
words ‘Unitarian’ and ‘Universalist’ are no more
adequate than ‘Asian’ and ‘American’ when it comes
to describing you, me, each other, or our ancestors. At best, the words
are hints; they are not definitions.” (“Was
Thomas Jefferson really one of us?”)
Why do people need to categorize others? Can categorizing others serve
a useful purpose? What are its dangers? Have you felt yourself stereotyped
In her cover story
on modern-day slavery, Kimberly French writes, “The truth is that
slavery exists in virtually every country of the world and in almost every
U.S. state, according to human rights organizations, scholars, government
agencies, and journalists.” (“Bitter
Were you surprised to learn that slavery still exists and is so widespread?
How do slavery’s modern forms compare to your own images of slavery?
Why has this issue not received greater publicity?
Don’t Always Help—But You Can,” French advises readers
to be cautious when they come across really inexpensive products because
they may have been made with slave labor.
If an extremely low price puts a previously unaffordable item within
your financial reach, would you go ahead and buy it? How would you justify
Poet Ric Masten, who has
incurable prostate cancer, is profiled by Frances Cerra Whittelsey. In
one of his poems he talks about how much better it is to see death coming
rather than be taken by surprise. In fact, Masten tells her, “his
life ‘really began’ when his oncologist promised him a ‘graceful
end.’” (“Dancing through Life”)
In contemplating your own death, which of the two options would you
Entomologist Jeffrey Lockwood
attends meetings in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and finds that locusts,
which threaten crops in neighboring countries that distrust each other,
draw people together. “In a world so full of tension, unrest, and
misunderstanding, the grasshoppers and locusts have provided a desperately
needed element. These insects have served as our ‘common enemy.’”
Since most of us will never attend meetings in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan,
is there an issue closer to home you think could draw people together?
Think of people with whom you or your congregation might want to form
a closer relationship. What common problems do you have that might bring
William F. Woo reviews
We the Media by Dan Gillmor, a journalist who believes that new
technologies are eroding the boundaries between the producers and consumers
of news, creating a new category of “citizen journalist.”
(“The free press and free people”)
What advantages and disadvantages are there to the unregulated presence
of citizen journalists? Among these citizen journalists, how do you decide
whom you can trust?