Posts belonging to Category Social Engagement
Posted by Rev. David on August 8, 2012
A few months ago, the van that I have driven for these last several years decided it was tired and was not going to go anywhere anymore, and so my wife and I began researching and shopping for a new-to-us car. Now, I have bought many cars over the years, but usually the driving factor [...]
Categories: Humor, Social Engagement, Turnings
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Tags: aggressive drivign, automobile, car culture, cars, Expedition, human nature, humanity, Hummer, liberal, liberal faith, liberalism, love my Smart Car, Mercedes, minister car, new car, principles, relationship, responsibility, SMART, Smart Car, Smart Passion Coupe, SUV, UU Principles, values
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3 comments
Posted by Rev. David on November 18, 2011
It is far easier for us humans to know what we are against than it is for us to know what we are for. Learned responses and internal morality can tell us if we are “against” something that we experience in our lives. We can know that we do not like the way our banking [...]
Categories: History, liberal faith, Patriotism, politics, Social Engagement
| Tags: activism, clergy, Equality, History, hope, justice, liberal, liberal faith, liberalism, occupy, occupy clergy, occupy movement, occupy protest, occupy wall street, politics, populism, populist, Prophetic Voice, relationship, responsibility, revolt, revolution, revolutionary
| 3 comments
Posted by Rev. David on November 4, 2011
I’ve been thinking this past week about a class I took during my undergraduate degree, called “Political Thought in American Film”. It was class in my minor that combined two things I love, politics and movies… how could I resist? Specifically, I’ve been thinking about two films we watched in weeks next to each other, [...]
Categories: History, politics, Social Engagement
| Tags: communal culture, communitarian, communitarianism, community, Evangelism, farmworker, individual ideal, individualism, Jerimiah Johnson, latino, latino migrant, migrant, politics, relationship, responsibility, rugged individual, Shane, UU Principles
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Posted by Rev. David on October 17, 2011
In the fall of 2011 I was honored to attend the first ever OutServe Leadership Conference. This was the first time for this organization of LGB persons actively serving in the military to gather publicly, since such public gatherings and recognition was made possible by the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Don’t Harass, Don’t [...]
Categories: Equality, Faith, liberal faith, Military, Military Chaplaincy, Ministry, Pastoral Care, Religious Freedom, Social Engagement
| Tags: activism, bi-sexual, chaplain, David Pyle, Equality, Evangelism, faith, Forum on the Military Chaplaincy, gay, GLBT, hope, justice, Las Vegas, lesbian, LGB, lgbt, liberal, liberal faith, Military, military chaplain, Ministry, Outserve, politics, Prophetic Voice, relationship, religion, responsibility, Service Members Legal Defense Network, SLDN, soldier, unitairan, Unitarian, Unitarian Universalism, Unitarian Universalist, Universalism, Universalist, UU, UU Military, UU Principles
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Posted by Rev. David on October 11, 2011
Over the last few weeks, I’ve had some hesitancy to write about my thoughts on the “Occupy Wall Street” protests, and the reaction to them that is happening in the more conservative ends of our country. The reason for my hesitancy is that this is a place where my theoretical understanding of what is (and [...]
Categories: politics, Social Engagement
| Tags: activism, american communism, american populism, american socialism, chicago protests, conservative, corporate greed, election, Glenn Beck, History, hope, insurgency, justice, k street, liberal, los angeles protests, mass protest, new american revolution, new york protests, occupy k street, occupy wall street, police violence, politics, populism, power of mass protest, Prophetic Voice, protest, relationship, responsibility, revolution, violence, wall street, wall street protest
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Posted by Rev. David on September 30, 2011
Recently, there has been some chatter in UU Ministerial and Lay-Leadership circles around the upcoming plans for the Unitarian Universalist Association “Justice GA” in Phoenix Arizona, focusing on how it is planned for those who attend to do far more learning and bearing witness on the issue of immigration, than doing direct action or service [...]
Categories: Equality, General Assembly, Prophetic Voice, Social Engagement, UU Movement
| Tags: activism, bearing witness, David Pyle, Equality, GA, GA 2012, General Assembly, immigration, justice, Justice GA, liberal, liberal faith, liberalism, migrant rights, paternalism, Phoenix, politics, Prophetic Voice, unitairan, Unitarian, Unitarian Universalism, Unitarian Universalist, Universalism, Universalist, UU, UUA
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Posted by Rev. David on September 20, 2011
It may not be something that is in the minds of most of the public, but today, September 20th, has been a date on my mind for these last two months. It is a day long hoped for, long worked for, and dreamed of by many. It is a day when thousands of military service [...]
Categories: liberal faith, Military, Ministry, Patriotism, politics, Social Engagement
| Tags: activism, chaplain, DADT, David Pyle, Don't Ask, don't harass, don't pursue, Don't Tell, gay, gay military, GLB, GLBT activist, justice, LGB, lgbt, liberal, liberalism, Military, military chaplain, Ministry, Obama, Outserve, politics, responsibility, September 20th, soldier, UU Military, UU Principles, war
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Posted by Rev. David on May 20, 2011
What more could I add? I want a coffee mug… Yours in Faith, Rev. David
Categories: Prophetic Voice, Social Engagement
| Tags: activism, dont say gay, gay, george takei, homosexual, it's okay to be takei, lgbt, lgbtq, liberal, liberalism, politics, Prophetic Voice, queer, relationship, responsibility, tennessee anit gay bill
| 2 comments
Posted by Rev. David on April 29, 2011
So, I think all of the regular readers of the Celestial Lands know that I watch Rachel Maddow. In truth, my Rachel Maddow fandom goes all the way back to Air America, where I was one of the few, the proud, the Liberal Radio Audience (as anyone unfortunate enough to have to ride in a [...]
Categories: politics, Prophetic Voice, Social Engagement
| Tags: activism, art, audacity, branding, Charmin, commercial, economic collapse, Exxon, fraking, frakking, fraud, Goldman Sachs, justice, liberal, liberalism, messaging, politics, Prophetic Voice, public relations, Rachel Maddow, re-branding, responsibility, wall street
| 3 comments
Posted by Rev. David on April 27, 2011
In my weekly pastoral letter to my congregation here in Midland Michigan, I spoke of a feeling that I have. It is a feeling I know makes no rational sense, but I have long believed that feelings are not necessarily supposed to make rational sense. They are the soul trying to tell me something. Let [...]
Categories: Ministry, Patriotism, politics, Prophetic Voice, Social Engagement
| Tags: activism, California, David Pyle, Emergency Financial Managers, Equality, faith, justice, liberal, liberal faith, liberalism, Mackinac Center, MI, Michigan, Ministry, politics, Prophetic Voice, protests, Rachel Maddow, responsibility, Snyder, social justice, social witness, unions, Unitarian Universalism, Unitarian Universalist, UU Fellowship of Michigan
| 4 comments
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