In 2005, the Kansas School Board voted to include Intelligent Design in the science curriculum of its schools. In the ensuing worldwide gasp of disbelief, one man took a different tack. Bobby Henderson, a college graduate from Oregon, wrote to the school board to support their position and to ask that his religion be included. Thus was born the fastest growing, pirate-led, carbohydrate-based religion in the 21st Century. The website has sparked university students around the world to begin their own FSM groups. PhD's, mathmematicians, and scientists have written "learned" papers in support of our Noodly Lord. Come hear and see what all the hype is about in this intergenerational program.
Half of our religious heritage (and of course our name) comes from a Christian tradition that stands for the beleif in the salvation of all humanity. For traditional Christians, Easter Sunday is about love, death, and salvation. It is the most important holiday of the Christian calendar. For UUs, it offers an opportunity to reflect on the meaning of these archetypal concepts in our own lives. Phil Mouch is a regular monthly speaker at FMUU and the current board president.
Among the goals of the Earth Day Network are promoting civic engagement, broadening the meaning of "environment," training new environmental leaders (youth) and celebrating the world around us. With the help of RE and congregational members, FMUU frequent friend, Carol Annde hough, will stage a reading of her play. Wetland Adventures is a charming and educational story for all ages. It is about a boy, his grandfather, and the diverse group of pond creatures they learn from. The full production of th eplay will be held at the Historic Holmes Theatre in Detroit Lakes at 7:00 p.m. on April 21.
Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "The old law of an eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind." FMUU member and ND Human Rights Coalition executive director, Cheryl Bergian, will reflect on ML King, UU principles and the debate on bringing back a state death penalty.
An entire millennium before the Tigris-Euphrates would become the Cradle of Civilization, another culture was already flourishing far, far to the north where the summers were short and the winters could be harsh. These ancient people had huge settlements, ornate public baths and their houses were floored with beautiful ceramic tiling with indoor plumbing. Mary Kupferschmidt will introduce us to these ancient people who populated the Slavic regions of Europe, the Trypillians, and then she will examine possible parallels between their downfall and events that have occurred in contemporary society. A question to ponder is whether their downfall reverberates of lessons unlearned for which future generations now pay a heavy price.