A Response to a Concerned UU

We are publishing two letters today. The first letter is from the Ministerial Fellowship Committee (MFC). The MFC has jurisdiction over the credentialing of UU ministers. The MFC letter responded to an earlier letter (not posted here) sent in December 2021 to the President of the UUA. That letter stated in part, “I am extremely … Read more

Article II Study Commission Survey

The Fifth Principle Project encourages all to share their thoughts with the Article II Study Commission via a survey developed by the Commission. See below for the survey link. Article II in our Association’s bylaws (e.g., Constitution) contains our Seven Principles, Six Sources, the Purpose of the Association, Inclusion and Freedom of Belief statements. The … Read more

Correction: Ours is a Liberal Religion, not a “Covenantal” One

In his October 17, 2021, sermon, Rev. Dr. Todd Eklof, minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Spokane, straightforwardly and understandably, explains how UU leadership is attempting to transform UUism from a liberal religion founded on freedom, reason, and tolerance to a covenantal one. You are encouraged to share the URL of the sermon on … Read more

Changes You Should Know About

If you want readers to immediately abandon your article, start with, “I want to talk about bylaws.” Hopefully, you are still reading. Your attention is needed on two UUA committees that are laboring away to revise our Association’s bylaws. These efforts have the real potential to change the nature of the Association and UUism substantially. … Read more

How Intolerance, Censorship and Dogmatism Make Unitarian Universalism Increasingly Unwelcoming to Jews

by Dr. Maskil David Cycleback (David Cycleback is an internationally known scholar in cognitive science, philosophy and artifacts studies, and the author of eleven peer-reviewed university textbooks including Cognitive Science of Religion and Belief Systems, Understanding Human Minds and Their Limits, and Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence (link). Ordained in interfaith and a practicing Jew, he … Read more

Comments on Proposed 8th Principle

In a debate on June 1, 2021, Rev. Craig Moro shared his thoughts on the Unitarian Universalist Association’s proposed 8th principle.  The debate was sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Multi-cultural Unity Action Council (UUMUAC).  You can view the full debate at this link. We welcome reader’s comments. Subscribe to Comments Subscribe to comments to follow … Read more

Against Ideological Conformity

Commentary in 8 Points on Chapter ”Theology” from Widening the Circle of Concern (WTCOC) Dr. Maskil David Cycleback   “A new consensus has emerged in the press, but perhaps especially at this paper: that truth isn’t a process of collective discovery, but an orthodoxy already known to an enlightened few whose job is to inform … Read more

Another UU Minister Resigns From the UUMA

Published with permission of the author. (Edited 07-29-2021) TO: UUMA Board of Trustees Greetings to you all, I remember all too well the arguments I had with the people who brought me up in rural Maine during the ’60’s. They weren’t pleasant and often I’d say variations of “you just don’t get it!” Now, it’s … Read more

How Liberal Religion Supports the Diversity Movement

  By Dr. Maskil David Cycleback (David Cycleback is Director of Center for Artifact Studies, a member of the British Royal Academy of Philosophy and the Oxford University Philosophical Society, and is author of the peer-reviewed university textbooks “A Concise Guide to Neurodiversity,” “Nature and Limits of Human Knowledge” and “Cognitive Science of Religion and … Read more

Is the UUA Democratically Governed?

“Is the Unitarian Universalist Association democratically governed?” It is a reasonable question. More than a decade after the 2009 Fifth Principle Task Force urged reforms to General Assembly, the institution continues to conduct the business of the Association in ways the report found clearly undemocratic. Consider, for example, that we do not have any collective … Read more