Submission 328
Nancy LaPelle
Unitarian Universalist Society of Grafton & Upton (Grafton, MA) 4522
What is your suggestion or idea?
Section C-2.4. Inspirations.
As Unitarian Universalists, we use, and are inspired by, sacred and secular under- standings that help us to live into our values. The living tradition which we share draws from many sources:
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Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life;
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Words and deeds of prophetic people which challenge us to confront powers and structures of oppression with justice, compassion and the transforming power of love;
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Wisdom from the world’s religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life;
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Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit;
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Spiritual teachings of Earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.
We respect the histories, contexts and cultures in which they were created and are currently practiced. Many sources of inspiration ground us and sustain us in ordinary, difficult, and joyous times. Grateful for the religious ancestries we inherit and the diversity which enriches our faith, we are called to ever deepen and expand our wisdom.
What is the reason for your amendment idea?
C-2.3 Inspirations
We suggest including the first sentence from the proposed revision and then including 5 of the 6 sources, eliminating the one that refers to Judaism and Christianity. “World Religions” will cover them as well as anything else such as Islam and Buddhism. We also changed the word “evil” in the 2nd source, because it was unpopular to “oppression”.
We suggest then concluding the section with the last two sentences of the proposed revisions.
Have you discussed this idea with your congregation or other UUs?
Thirty people from UUSGU attended our three cottage meetings on April 16, 18 and 20 that informed and provided input into the revision process of the UUA By-laws Article II. We then wrestled the changes, suggestions and edits into two versions: one version keeps our current 7 Priniciples with 2 additional principles and other changes and additions; the second version responds in detail with our UUSGU suggestions and edits to the Revised Article II wording from UUA. As there was no time to get a consensus from the congregation prior to the April 30 deadline, the UUSGU Board approved submission of these two versions to UUA. Submitting our suggestions has required multiple submission forms. Five submissions were required for the 2nd version based entirely on the UUA Article 2 revisions task force. The 9 principles version uses the same changes we submitted for the Purposes, inclusion, and Freedom of Belief sections; however, it moves the Inclusion section after Purposes and before Principles and edits the principles and inspirations sections based on our current bylaws. This is submission #7 of 7.