An exploration of our 3rd UU Principle: acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations. Bob joins us again from the UU congregation in Underwood, MN. The FMUU Choir will provide special music for today's service.
Steve and Jon's presentation centers around the book Ishmael, by Daniel Quinn. It is a novel that examines history in a unique way not found in textbooks. It connects the current multitude of problems in the modern world to issues of food production and population growth, and the corruption of our sense of humanity through time. It offers an account of how the world got to the state of needing saving, and why current efforts aren't working. Steve Geske is a former Lutheran pastor. He worked as a counselor for APS Healthcare, and is now writing software and managing one portion of the APS website. Jon Lundwall is owner of Video Builders, which produces promotional and training videos for a variety of clients, as well as educational videos for kids.
Larry Alderink is a professor of religion at Concordia College. He will provide a brief outline of Islamic beliefs and practices, and will explore the religious and historical context which contributed to the events of September 11 and the subsequent religious/political war with Afghanistan.
This program concerns the deterioration of the formerly bold international image of the U.S. as a pillar of democracy and freedom, and obtaining the image of "the lonely sheriff". The focal point here is the U.S. foreign policy, put by many as "Missile diplomacy" towards the arbitrarily defined "rouge" nations, in which the new war in Afghanistan is a recent example. Yuriy Matsiyevsky is a professor at the University of Ostroh Academy, Ukraine, and currently a Visiting Scholar in the department of Political Science at NDSU as a participant of the Junior Faculty Development Program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.