2017-18 Discussion Topics - UUAA Humanist Study Group

This year the Humanist Study Group also offered and conducted a seminar for the whole congregation based on the book Humanist Voices in Unitarian Universalism. We offered a 7 week course on the same topic in the spring of 2018 as an Adult Spiritual Growth and Development class.

The group considered the following 42 topics, articles and/or books in 2017-18.
1. “Humanism” from Enlightenment Now by Pinker
2. “God” from Kauffman’s book Reinventing the Sacred
3. “The Worship of Man” from Harari’s book Homo Sapiens
4. PRRI-Religion- Report
5. “Spiritual but not religious”- inside America's rapidly growing faith group
6. “Atheism and the toxic side of online atheism”
7. “Are religious people more moral?”
8. “Freemasons And Illuminati Are Using Frequency To Change DNA to Make
People Hate Trump.”
9. HUUmanists History and Mission
10. “How Poverty Kills Wonder and What We Can Do About It.”
11. “Feeding on the Faithful.”
12. Bibliography and Writings on Humanism
13. “The Humanist Quest for Meaning.”
14. “Philosophy of Naturalism” from Wikipedia.
15. “Don’t Believe in God? Maybe You’ll Try U.F.O's.”
16. “Black Atheists Explain What It's Like to Be a 'Double Minority'”
17. “What’s so Troubling about Funding a Playground?”
18. “Is the Supreme Court Killing Secularism.”
19. “Why Are Atheists Generally Smarter Than Religious People.”
20. “Questions and Ideas about the Virtue of Fairness.”
21. “How Bad Biology is Killing the Economy.”
22. “I Worship Jesus not the Earth.”
23. “The Happiness Hypothesis” by Haidt.
24. “What Monkeys Can Teach Us About Fairness.”
25. “Right-Wing Christian Calls for a 'More Violent Christianity'.”
26. “Sources of Cohesion in a Multicultural Society.”
27. “White supremacists turn to Norse mythology vs. ‘mongrel’ Jesus.”
28. “Trump's Self-sabotage is Rooted in his Past.”
29. “Wherever You Go, There They Are.”
30. “Study finds link between brain damage and religious fundamentalism.”
31. “China is becoming hooked on the opium of the people.”
32. “Liturgy for the Nones”
33. “The Collapse of American Identity.”
34. “Meet the Modern Pagans.”35. “Douthat’s Wager—Go to Church, Even if you don’t Believe.”
36. “A Meditation On ‘Evil.’”
37. “Save the Mainline.”
38. “Where Evangelicals Came From” by Garry Wills.
39. “The Humanist Revolution.”
40. “The Religious Origins of Fake News.”
41. “Essentials of Humanism.”
42. “Humanism at 100.”

2016-17 Discussion Topics - UUAA Humanist Study Group

The following topics were discussed by the UUAA Humanist Study Group in 2016-2017.

Democrats Have a Religion Problem

Why Being “Faith Friendly” isn’t Worth it for Democrats

Costs of Racism

Disturbing Words and Humanist Alternatives

Media, Morality and the Neighbor’s Cow

National Geographic-Unlocking the Healing Power of You

A Church That Would Have You as a Member

Humanists and Words

Rising to Heaven in a Secular Rapture

Election Follow up

Six Aspects of Humanist Spirituality

Humanist Election Conversation

Spiritual Practices--What and How?

Mary's Mother in Law

Concepts of Spirituality

Breeden-Humanism: Who We Are; What We Do; Why It Matters

Breeden-One Hundred Years of Humanism

Breeden-Theology is Words

Hutcheon-A Humanist Perspective on Spirituality

What does Spiritual Growth and Development Mean?

Feeling Awe May Be the Secret to Health and Happiness

Conflict at Work

Budd Sermon-People of the Word

What Religion Would Jesus Belong To

Freethinker-Friendly Initiative

The Meaning of Make Believe

Our Heritage of Humanism

Kentucky judge refuses to marry atheist couple that wouldn’t mention God in their vows

Christian conservatives want to regulate sex—and deny it to the poor

Eight Key Polarities for Thriving Congregations

Catholicism's struggling despite Pope Francis

In Praise of Secular Church Services

Political, Religious, Social, and Party Identities

How do Christians and Atheists Compare on Muslim Tolerance

God Is a Question

What if Animals Believe in God

Brains Wired for Morality by Evolution

U.S. religious groups and their political leanings

In the Beginning was Not the Word

Where Evangelicals Came From

Enhancing Virtues-Fairness

The Humanist Revolution

Three book reviews-All Too Human

Atheism’s Dark Side

The Religious Origins of Fake News

Essentials of Humanism

Humanism at 100

Why Facts don’t Change our Minds

Why “religion or politics?” is the Wrong Question and Answer

Humanist Manifestos

UUAA History: 150th Anniversary

Spectrum Humanist Experience

What Bannon Really Wants

Healthy and Unhealthy Characteristics of Spiral Levels

Donald Trump, the Religious Right’s Trojan Horse

Humanism, Speciesism, and the Baggage of Words

Light a Candle In Berlin

Virtue Ethics

Format for Presentation of Articles in Humanist Group

Definition of a Christian

Stronger than we Look

The Evangelical Scion Who Stopped Believing

Werner, Regaining Balance

The Men’s Fellowship at UUAA provides a variety of opportunities for men to connect, build community, and have fun.

Men's Circles

Men’s Circles are opportunities for men to make a deeper connection with other men while learning together, sharing issues of personal importance to them and their ongoing spiritual growth. Men’s Circles are groups of 8-14 men who meet once or twice a month. Currently, over 50 men are are active in five Men’s Circles in the congregation. If you are interested in learning more about men’s circles, please contact someone on the Men’s Council.

Men's Retreat

Since the Fall of 2000, men in the church have gathered once a year for a weekend-long “Men’s Retreat.” Each retreat has a unique theme and curriculum, providing a great opportunity to get away and make deeper connections with others in the congregation and learn more about yourself in the process. Combining large and small group activities with great food and a generous sprinkling of free time, the Retreat has become a great tradition in our congregation. The Men’s Retreat is usually held in early fall. To stay informed about the timing of the retreat, please join the uuaamen mailing list by registering at
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Boys Coming of Age Weekend

This weekend is a key part of the boys’ “Coming of Age” curriculum, providing an around the clock experience which we hope each boy will remember fondly through life. The experience of camping, cooking, eating, sharing, singing, with his male peers, fathers and mentors is designed to reinforce a feeling of belonging in the broader Community of Men in the congregation.

Men's Dinner

The Men’s Dinner is an annual opportunity for the men of our congregation to get together, share a meal and dive into a topic of interest. Outside speakers, roundtable discussions, and great food are all part of the mix that come together, typically in spring of every year.

Men's Council

The Men’s Council was formed to facilitate the various men’s activities and coordinate with the SGD department on men's activities in the congregation, including: Men’s Circles, the Men’s Retreat, the Men’s Dinner, the Boys Coming of Age weekend, Service Projects, and other events. Please consider joining our Google Group (and email list) using this link.

Current Men's Council members are:

Tom Chettelburgh
Glenn Harris - Men's circles
Pat Herbst - Vice Chair
Glenn Kime - Chair
Tim Miller - Secretary
Gregg Peterson - Treasurer
John Russell
Jim Schaefer - Communication
Kenji Yano

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