tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647562459433740241.post6220225957394854667..comments2023-08-23T08:27:08.039-04:00Comments on UU A Way Of Life: All that you have is your soulDavid G. Markhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08336565533124142690noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647562459433740241.post-58412349056738256142017-08-24T20:40:24.118-04:002017-08-24T20:40:24.118-04:00The UUs like to point to the transcendentalists li...The UUs like to point to the transcendentalists like Thoreau and Emerson. They also love the poet, Mary Oliver for some reason. Outside of that we could point to some of the modern preachers like Rev. Marlin Lavanhar, Rev. Galen Guengrich, Rev. Michael Schuler, Robert Fulghum, etc. Other favorites would be Martin Luther King, Jr., and many other local heroes who do not have national reputations. One of my prophetic witnesses is my father who had the most integrity of any one I know. He was known as a "straight arrow." Most people loved him, but he intimidated some with his honesty and incorruptibility. It was often said that he could have been a great political leader but he was too honest.Marianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647562459433740241.post-1715023951136943832017-08-24T20:32:50.041-04:002017-08-24T20:32:50.041-04:00The narrator in the story above is a wise person a...The narrator in the story above is a wise person as he draws upon the values and ideas of Dostoyevski and Montaigne. It could be said that we all are liars because almost all of us avoid the truth and struggle to avoid the love of God. We are too ashamed to admit that in our willfullness we have rejected God's authorship preferring to believe that we have the power to author our own truths. This belief, this assumption in our autonomy away from our creator leads to the hell of our own making. Noe one demonstrates this with more drama that Donald Trump and his followers. Humility and a willingness to ask for help from our Higher Power is the path to peace, joy, and bliss. Would that Don and like minded people come to their senses but it seems unlikely in this life time. However, the narrator is hastening the passage of time to the Atonement for which we can be grateful. The narrator is a prophet whom the UUs can admire.Helennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647562459433740241.post-67834861460366715852017-08-24T19:29:36.965-04:002017-08-24T19:29:36.965-04:00In Letter II from Seneca, Seneca writes: "You...In Letter II from Seneca, Seneca writes: "You do not tear from place to place to unsettle yourself with one move after another. Restlessness of that sort is symptomatic of a sick mind. Nothing, to my way of thinking, is better proof of a well ordered mind that a man's ability to stop where he is and pass some time in his own company." As soon as I read this I thought of poor President Trump who rants and rails and tweets at all hours of the early morning and castigates shadows he sees as enemies. He seems to created such a hell for himself and I wonder if he ever stops where he is and passes some time in his own company? Due to the narcissism from which he suffers he demands the stimulation of constant attention even if negative. I bring this up because I think Seneca is one of the prophetic men whom UUs can do to for wisdom.Samanthanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647562459433740241.post-63687905203846611862017-08-24T17:48:15.371-04:002017-08-24T17:48:15.371-04:00Who do UUs see as "prophetic men and women?&q...Who do UUs see as "prophetic men and women?" Is there a list like the Catholics have their saints? Marquisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647562459433740241.post-5406039151279528772017-08-24T16:51:46.364-04:002017-08-24T16:51:46.364-04:00And we are surrounded by them aren't we? At le...And we are surrounded by them aren't we? At least enough of them to elect him president and attend his rallies and stroke his ego.<br /><br />Lying has become the new national norm. Everyone has come to expect it and we make excuses for the politicians who do it and the suckers who believe the con.<br /><br />Time for people of honesty and integrity to realize and stand up to the observation that liars are running our country and millions of our fellow citizens think not only this okay, but is refreshing in its arrogant, brash, and glibe tone.<br /><br />Snark and cynicism have taken over our society insidiously, and now we are paying the price in a failing government which is based on corruption and deception.<br /><br />It is interesting that no UU value asks us to be honest, genuine, sincere and not to bear false witness. I wonder how this ever got left out of our fundamental UU values?Tom K.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647562459433740241.post-46925792836874655602017-08-24T11:24:25.400-04:002017-08-24T11:24:25.400-04:00Thanks! Made me laugh. I know alot of Don's an...Thanks! Made me laugh. I know alot of Don's and find them hard to deal with, but I love them anyway. Doesn't our UU faith call us to be patient sometimes with idiots?Barbnoreply@blogger.com