Religious Education Update: January 18, 2009
What a Week!
America is full of hope, excitement and joy as we plan to celebrate both Martin Luther King, Jr,’s holiday and the inauguration of our new President in the next two days. Americans, including folks from UUP, will be performing community service on Monday, and following the festivities in Washington D.C. on Tuesday. On both days, many of us will be inspired by a belief that America can be better, that we can collectively grow closer to our ideals of being a justice seeking, liberty loving nation.
It is fitting that these two days fall so close together on our calendar. The civil rights work of Martin Luther King, Jr., and others changed our laws and our society, so that men and women of all races have greater opportunities. I’m excited that these changes have happened within my lifetime, from the segregated schools of the 1950’s to a black man, a Harvard graduate, becoming our President in 2009.
On a personal note, I’m pleased that our future President attended a Unitarian Sunday School at the First Unitarian Church of Honolulu from the age of 6 to 10. I’m also pleased at the religious instruction he received at home. Maya Soetoro- Ng, Obama’s sister, describes, the beliefs of their mother in this way: “I wouldn’t have called her an atheist. She was an agnostic. She basically gave us all the good books — the Bible, the Hindu Upanishads and the Buddhist scripture, the Tao Te Ching — and wanted us to recognize that everyone has something beautiful to contribute. Mom didn’t really emphasize the Koran, but we read little parts of it. We did listen to morning prayers in Indonesia.”
Speaking with a UU-bias certainly, I believe that Obama’s early UU training will be helpful as he governs over a nation of such religious diversity. Even more, his background will guide him in our relations with the Islamic nations and others. I believe that Obama is the U.S. President that our world needs right now.
Marlene Abel
Director of Religious Education
America is full of hope, excitement and joy as we plan to celebrate both Martin Luther King, Jr,’s holiday and the inauguration of our new President in the next two days. Americans, including folks from UUP, will be performing community service on Monday, and following the festivities in Washington D.C. on Tuesday. On both days, many of us will be inspired by a belief that America can be better, that we can collectively grow closer to our ideals of being a justice seeking, liberty loving nation.
It is fitting that these two days fall so close together on our calendar. The civil rights work of Martin Luther King, Jr., and others changed our laws and our society, so that men and women of all races have greater opportunities. I’m excited that these changes have happened within my lifetime, from the segregated schools of the 1950’s to a black man, a Harvard graduate, becoming our President in 2009.
On a personal note, I’m pleased that our future President attended a Unitarian Sunday School at the First Unitarian Church of Honolulu from the age of 6 to 10. I’m also pleased at the religious instruction he received at home. Maya Soetoro- Ng, Obama’s sister, describes, the beliefs of their mother in this way: “I wouldn’t have called her an atheist. She was an agnostic. She basically gave us all the good books — the Bible, the Hindu Upanishads and the Buddhist scripture, the Tao Te Ching — and wanted us to recognize that everyone has something beautiful to contribute. Mom didn’t really emphasize the Koran, but we read little parts of it. We did listen to morning prayers in Indonesia.”
Speaking with a UU-bias certainly, I believe that Obama’s early UU training will be helpful as he governs over a nation of such religious diversity. Even more, his background will guide him in our relations with the Islamic nations and others. I believe that Obama is the U.S. President that our world needs right now.
Marlene Abel
Director of Religious Education
posted by Unitarian Universalists of Petaluma @ 6:29 PM
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