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Archived Drop-in Discussions
April 27, 2008 - Columbus the Slaver. Talva Chapin will tell the story of how Columbus introduced slavery into the New World and lead a discussion on how its consequences affect us today. This discussion was rescheduled from March 9.
April 20, 2008 - Preparing for Hard Times. Experts warn of possible further oil price rises, fresh water shortages, threats to food supply, economic troubles and social disruption. What preparations are reasonable? How about Mormon-style food storage? Hank Stone will help us explore our options.
April 13, 2008 - How to Change. Nothing is more difficult than for individuals to change themselves and their societies. We'll ask how people choose a direction of change and how they keep themselves on course for change.
April 6, 2008 - The Case for Optimism. The nightly news and conventional wisdom tell us that things are bad and getting worse. Yet despite dire predictions scientists see many good things on the horizon. Bill Elwell helped us examine a number of these things and might possibly change participants perception of humanity's future. For some optimistic thoughts, click on http://www.edge.org/q2007/q07_index.html.
March 30, 2008 - Good Vs. Evil. We discussed an article by Patrick O'Neill in the Winter UU World on liberal ideas of good, evil and the sacred.
March 23, 2008 - Overcoming Torture. We discussed an article in the Winter UU World profiling UU minister Karen Tse and her anti-torture organization, International Bridges to Justice. The article is available at http://www.uuworld.org/life/articles/50610.shtml. Background information can be found at http://www.ibj.org.
March 16, 2008 - Drug War. We discussed an article by Melissa Mummert in the Winter UU World calling for for an end to mandatory minimum sentences in drug cases. For background, visit http://uudpr.org and http://famm.org.
March 2, 2008 - Mobilizing to Save Civilization. Hal Bauer and Hank Stone led a discussion of Lester Brown's Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization on how to address the global resource and ecological crisis. For background on Lester Brown and his Earth Policy Institute, click on http://www.earth-policy.org.
February 24, 2008 - White Suburbs. Phil Ebersole reviewed and led a discussion of Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism by James W. Loewen (see book review in UUWorld) and White Flight: Atlanta and the Making of Modern Conservatism by Kevin M. Kruse (see book review in Smithsonian Magazine).
February 17, 2008 - Joys and Sorrows. We shared our reactions to the decision to change the Sharing of Joys and Sorrows part of the Sunday service.
February 10, 2008 - Here If You Need Me. Theo Munson drew on her experience in bereavement care to review Here If You Need Me, by Kate Braestrup, a UU Maine Forest Service chaplain, who tells of her grief journey following her husband's death, of giving comfort to people whose loved ones are missing in the Maine woods and to wardens who have to deal with dreadful outcomes, and of her ideas about prayer, suicide, heaven and the problem of evil.
February 3, 2008 - Primary 2008. We discussed the New York presidential primary election on Feb. 5.
January 27, 2008 - The Dark and Demonic. A propensity for murder, rape and organized violence is a trait human males share with other primates. Hal Bauer presented the ideas of Richard Wrangham, co-author of Demonic Males: Apes and the Origins of Human Violence, and Michael P. Ghiglieri, author of The Dark Side of Man: Tracing the Origins of Male Violence, along with the results of his own chimpanzee research, on primate violence and human evolution.
Sunday, January 20, 2008 - Peacemaking. The UUA between now and 2010 will consider a Statement of Conscience to reject the use of violence and war to settle disputes among peoples and nations. We discussed peacemaking and nonviolence.
Sunday, January 13, 2008 - Evaluating Schools. Are students graduating from school prepared to earn a living, lead a meaningful life and participate in democracy? How do we evaluate whether they are? Alden Thomas Poehner helped us explore these questions.
Sunday, January 6, 2008 - Process Theology. There are other ways to think of God besides eternal, unchanging and all-powerful. Phil Ebersole led a discussion of one such way, process theology, and review Reality As Social Process by Charles Hartshorne.
Sunday, December 30, 2007 - Takeover. Phil Ebersole reviewed Takeover: The Return of the Imperial Presidency and the Subversion of American Democracy by Charlie Savage.
Sunday, December 16, 2007 - Good and Evil. Patrick O'Neill writes in the Winter 2007 UU World that people are capable of evil, but most of the time choose good. We shared our concepts of good and evil. and how they relate to human nature.
Sunday, December 9, 2007 - Race Manners. Phil Ebersole reviewed Bruce Jacobs' Race Manners for the 21st Century: Navigating the Minefield Between Black and White Americans in an Age of Fear.
Sunday, December 2, 2007 - Founding Faiths. Forrest Church writes in the Winter 2007 UU World of the views of the first five Presidents about religion, church and state. We discussed how religion relates to politics.
Sunday, November 25, 2007 - Love and Respect. Kurt Vonnegut Jr. once told the UUA we should respect our neighbor because "love is too strong a word." We explored the meanings of love and respect.
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