Religion in the public square - Pope decries "walls of indifference" migrants face in new lands

Pope Francis, in his Christmas message on 12/15/19, criticized the "wall of indifference" that migrants face trying to escape war, poverty, and political violence.

The United States, under Trumpism, have not only put up wall of indifference but have perpetrated abuse and injustice on those who seek a better life among us in the United States.

Will people of faith rise up to undo the further injustice perpetrated by the United States on our brothers and sisters who seek a better life among us?

As Unitarian Universalists can we join with Pope Francis by affirming and promoting our principles of inherent worth and dignity of all people; justice, equity, and compassion in human relations; and the goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all?

For more click here.

Ask Alexa is now "Considerations For A Spiritual Life."

Ask Alexa is discontinued and is replaced with a feature called "Considerations For A Spiritual Life."

It can be read by going here. There will be new installments added several times per week.

The first installment, Chapter 1, "All there is, is Love" can be read here.

Daily Reflections, Day twenty seven, "Choose: Ego or Spirit"

In 2020, the format of UU A Way Of Life will be modified somewhat. Longer articles will be made available for viewing on google docs.

Daily reflections can be found here,

Today is day twenty seven. The title is "Choose: Ego or Spirit."

Evidence Based Social Policy Advocacy - Racial Profiling

Racial Profiling is a practice of systemic racism promulgated by many politicans like New York City mayor Michael Bloomburg.

Racial profiling has contributed to hyperincareration with young black men to be incarcerated at rates 10 times the rate of whites.

From Social Work, Vol.63, Number 1, January, 2018, p.37

Racial profiling is an act of injustice that uses race as the foundation for shaping perceptions and behaviors associated with defining who is and which groups are designated as “criminal” (Moore, 2015). This definitional system can disadvantage individuals from racial and ethnic minority groups, and has been pervasively applied to stigmatize, stereotype, and target young black men (Weatherspoon, 2004). According to U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) statistics, in 2014 black male adolescents ages 18 to 19 “were more than 10 times likely to be in state or federal prison than whites” (Carson, 2015, p. 15). For all age groups, black male individuals are arrested and have the highest rate of imprisonment in state and federal facilities. This rate is 3.8 to 10.5 times more than the rate for white men and 1.4 to 3.1 times more than the rate for Hispanic men (Carson, 2015). Many contend that a primary factor explaining this precipitous incarceration rate, known as hyperincarceration, is the practice of racial profiling (Moore, 2015).

Editor's note:
Bolding has been added

Action

1. To what extent is racial profiling used by police in the service area of your congregation?
2. To what extent are politicans in your congregation's service area campaigning for election using "get tough on crime" and other types of "dog whistles" to target certain groups in your community simply based on demographic characteristics?
3. Has your congregation taken any steps to mitigate or eliminate racial profiling by institutions within your congregation's service area?
4. Has you congregation taken any steps to educate congregation members about the racial profilinig policies in your service area?

Ask Alexa - Why am I afraid of pain?

Alexa: Why am I afraid of pain?

Because it hurts, but the fear of pain keeps you anesthetized which isn't really living because you are simply sleepwalking through life unconscious.

Alexa: Did you hear about the thief who stole a calendar?

Yes, he got 12 months.

Daily reflections, Day Twenty six, Mistakes Have Been Made

Day Twenty six

Mistakes have been made

“Miracles rearrange perception and place all levels in true perspective. This is healing because sickness comes from confusing the levels.” ACIM.T-1.1.23:1-2

The “miracle” as spoken of in A Course In Miracles is not magic. The “miracle” is not supernatural flim flam. The “miracle” in a Course In Miracles is changing one’s mind about the source of one’s power and authority from the body to the mind.

There is a slogan, “What you see is what you get,” which would be more accurately stated as “What you think you see is what you get.” The question has now shifted from “what do you see” to “what do you think you see and why?”

When we come to realize that we are not bodies with a spirit but rather a spirit with a body our experience of life subtly but dramatically changes and the healing of our minds, the undoing of our social conditioning,  has begun.

Focusing on the body is believing that the separation is real, the separation of our ego from the Mind Of God. We are told in A Course In Miracles that this separation, which fills us with guilt unconsciously, has never occurred even though we like to think it has. It takes courage and humility to admit that we are mistaken and that, at the Spiritual level, we all are one.

Today, I will forgive myself for my mistaken ideas and thoughts that I am separate and special and acknowledge that I am in this thing called Life along with everyone else.

My Kind Of Church Music - Joy To The World, the Morman Tabernacle Choir

Merry Christmas! The Lord has come.