|
|
|
|
Dear <<First Name>>,
 Thanks to you, the UU Humanist Association has been advancing Humanist values in 2016--and we are committed to doing so in 2017, even and especially as we prepare for a conservative climate nationally. We are so grateful for the generosity and commitment you have shown to our work, and to the growth of humanism at this moment.
And 2016 has been quite a year! Because of people like you--organizing to create religious and justice movements that connect with a naturalistic understanding of the world--humanism has exploded in numbers and varieties in the past century. Your UUHA partners with the American Ethical Union, the American Humanist Association, the Foundation Beyond Belief, the Secular Coalition for America, and other groups to support Humanism in its growing varieties and appeal.
Within UU congregations our Freethinker Friendly congregation program continues to bring attention to the needs of Humanists, and we continue to support new Humanist groups in congregations. Have you had your congregation designated Freethinker Friendly yet? We hope you do!
As you probably followed, this year the Unitarian Universalist Association renewed its relationship with the Boy Scouts of America, despite that organization’s explicit exclusion of non-theists. The UUHA sponsored a petition (currently with nearly 1800 names) to register concern about this exclusion, and UUHA board members are in continuing discussion with UUA president Peter Morales and UUA chief operating officer Harlan Limpert to underline the importance of recognizing non-theism as a valid moral and ethical world view.
If you attended General Assembly this past year perhaps you were in the standing-room-only session where several UUHA board members presented a panel on the forthcoming Skinner House book Humanist Voices in Unitarian Universalism. Or, maybe you made it to, our Annual Meeting, featuring the 2016 Humanists of the Year, Connie Barlow and Michael Dowd, and their inspiring presentation "Evolutionary Eco-Humanism.”
Our work can be seen on the congregational level, too. First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis celebrated one hundred years as an explicitly Humanist congregation with a conference celebrating the original vision of Dr. John Dietrich and featuring current Humanist theologian Anthony Pinn. The Washington Ethical Society, an explicitly humanist congregation in DC, has experienced growth this past year as well, and the UU Humanist Association is supporting a new program called the Humanist Clergy Collaboratory which aims to bring together clergy serving humanists across many traditions.
Our commitment to the ethical, progressive way of life that we call Humanism is more important now than ever. In a nation where “post-truth” politics rule, reason tempered by compassion and dedicated to community offers hope. Thank you for being part of the UU Humanist Association. Together we will continue to work for the greater good of humanity. Your year-end gift will help us to support and amplify your values in the UUA and beyond. Please click here to make your tax deductible donation now.
In solidarity and hope,
Rev. Dr. David Breeden
President, UU Humanist Association
P.S. One easy way to support and strengthen our Humanist witness in Unitarian Universalism is to sign up to give the UUHA a percentage of each of your Amazon purchases at no cost to you.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ABOUT THE UU HUMANISTS
We are Unitarian Universalists who are also Humanists. We are the principal organization representing Humanists in the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations.
Our mission is to celebrate and encourage Humanism within Unitarian Universalism and to invite Humanists everywhere to find welcoming and supportive community.
As Humanists, we rely on reason and compassion, rather than supernatural revelation, to guide us in our quest to become more fully human as individuals and to cooperatively improve society and sustain the planet. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
