| | |
Leader's Blog
On the California Supreme Court Decision on Same-Sex Marriage
I'm happy about this decision, but it also leaves me wondering about how we treat all people in general. Why are there so many limitations on whom we choose to treat well?
Ethical Action
The National Service Conference of the American Ethical Union has a new website. I am so pleased to be able to share this news with you. Leader Intern Martha Gallahue has been hard at work to gather information about the work that the NSC is doing at the the United Nations. I'm pleased that it is now much easier to access information about the important work being done at the UN from an Ethical Culture perspective. Ethical Culture has had a strong voice at the UN since the beginning. May Weis, mother of an ESWoW member, was instrumental in bringing the Ethical Culture voice to the UN and it strongly continues today. I invite you to explore the site, and join the National Service Conference to support their work.
Community Phone Call - June 8
In June, our community phone call will be on June 8 rather than June 1. My blog this week gives me the thought to discuss how issues of homophobia and heterosexism have touched our lives. That seems especially appropriate with June being "Gay Pride" month in many places. The call will be at noon PT, 1pm MT, 2pm CT and 3 pm ET.
Newcomers Call - June 15
This will be an opportunity for people who are new to Ethical Culture to come together and ask questions, share what interests them about Ethical Culture and get to know others who are new to Ethical Culture/Ethical Humanism. The call will be at noon PT, 1pm MT, 2pm CT and 3 pm ET.
Platform Address from the AEU Assembly
The final part of the AEU Assembly Platform was presented by Tony Hileman, newly certified Ethical Culture Leader. Here is his address. I'd like to share with you some words from Tony's talk:
What we need, and what Ethical Humanism offers, is an identity to live for and a religion to live by. Ethical Culture puts itself forward as a religion-an expression of Humanism in which ethics is central. As such, we teach a reciprocal ethics that holds that individual and community are not contradictory but rather complementary, each finding full expression in the other.
Tony ended his talk, the conclusion of the Platform with these words: "And so I, too, invite you to join in deeply living our ethical values and, in so doing, offer them to a world in desperate need of them -- the world where we live."
Tell a Friend
Who do you know who is interested in examining ideas and might appreciate exploring living more ethical lives? Let them know about ESWoW. Please consider forwarding this to them.
Yours in Ethical Community,
Susan Rose
|
| |
Blog from the Leader
What is Mother's Day like for you? Susan shares some of her thoughts and invites you to share yours also.
Founder's Day
On May 15, 1876, the first address of the Ethical Movement was given in New York by Felix Adler. Ethical Societies across the country celebrate the founding of Ethical Culture.
For the last several years, I've observed this important day by reading the original address given by Felix Adler at Standard Hall in NY and followed that by listening to Leader Kate Lovelady's modernized version. I expect I'll feel as I do every year -- that listening to Kate's Platform would make me want to join Ethical Culture if I weren't already a part of Ethical Culture.
I am inspired to think that the Ethical Society Without Walls is bringing Ethical Culture to many more people, people who are "aflame with a passion for ethical living," and to share that passion with others.
- If you'd like to read the original address in Adler's own words, you can read the founding address.
- Kate's modernized version: (MP3).
Happy Founder's Day to You.
Ethical Action
OK, so I can't completely keep the ethical action out of Mother's Day -- it is what my mother taught me to do. As a teenager, a long time before I was a mother, I was a member of Another Mother for Peace. They are most famous for this logo:
They have a new newsletter out, although it includes a letter from their first newsletter in 1970, when I joined. I always loved the peace homework and invite you to take a look and see if you'd like to do some peace homework.
Community Chat Room
I've been happy to connect with someone -- even briefly in the ESWoW chatroom. I'll be signing in when I'm working on other ESWoW things (such as writing this newsletter) and we'll try to set up a regular time for chatting also. One ESWoW member has said she would be in the chatroom when she can, mostly between 4-7 pm pacific time (5-8 pm mountain, 6-9 pm central and 7-10 pm eastern) so come by and see if anyone is on. Pretty soon, our webmaster has informed me, we can have an indication on our homepage which will let us know if anyone is in the chatroom. Please let me know if you'd like to host an ESWoW chat at a particular time, or if you have topics you'd like to chat about. I'm very excited about this opportunity to make ESWoW more interactive. If you have any problems getting into the chatroom, please let us know.
Community Phone Call -- Change of Date -- June 8th
Our next Community Phone Call will be on Sunday, June 8 -- the second Sunday, rather than the first, at noon Pacific time, 1pm Mountain time, 2pm Central time, and 3pm Eastern time. We've been having some wonderful connections and hope you will join us. Please let me [Susan(dot)Rose(at)eswow(dot)org], or our online administrator, [Billy(dot)Dechand(at)eswow(dot)org] if you plan to participate and we'll send you the contact information.
Platform Address from AEU Assembly
This week is Randy Best's Platform from April 19, 2008.
At this year's AEU Assembly, the Platform included three Leaders: Kate Lovelady, Randy Best, and Tony Hileman. Kate and Randy have both served as consulting Leaders for the Austin Society and Tony is the newest Ethical Culture Leader. If you've missed having Randy's input on ESWoW, here's a chance to learn some of his thoughts. Next week, will be the third and final installment from Tony Hileman.
Tell A Friend
Who do you know who is interested in examining ideas and might appreciate exploring living more ethical lives? Let them know about ESWoW. Please consider forwarding this to them. |
| |
ETHICAL ACTION RESOLUTION OF THE AMERICAN ETHICAL UNION
Statement Reaffirming Its Opposition to Torture*
Adopted by the 93rd Assembly of the AEU
Austin, Texas, April 2008
WHEREAS:
Respect and reverence for human dignity is the foremost principle of
Ethical Culture, and the use of torture is the most heinous violation
of human dignity, and
WHEREAS: The American Ethical
Union remains absolutely and unalterably opposed to the employment of
torture by the military, intelligence agencies, law enforcement
agencies, or other actors public or private, and
WHEREAS:
The employment of torture in direct and willful violation of the United
Nations Convention on Torture has become a component of American policy
in its "War on terror,"
THEREFORE: The American Ethical Union calls upon the Congress and President of the United States:
- To immediately and unconditionally cease the practice of torture
everywhere, including the transfer of prisoners to other jurisdictions
where torture may be employed, and
- To allow unfettered access and inspection of any and all sites and facilities, and
- To avow without reservation to abide by its international agreements
and honor the highest standards of human rights, and
- To openly recognize and apologize for all transgressions, to allow for
due process, and, whenever and wherever possible, to make restitution
to their victims.
FURTHERMORE: We call
upon the Leaders and members of The American Ethical Union to inspire
and advocate for the end of present American policy and the “torture
debate” through Sunday addresses in accord with the National Leaders’
Council Paper in Support of the Resolution Against Torture.
*
UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION AGAINST TORTURE (Article 1) The term "torture" means any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether
physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such
purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a
confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed
or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or
a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind,
when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or
with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person
acting in an official capacity.
Ethical Action Opportunity
Please take a look at the press release
and share it with
your local media or other appropriate place and let us know. If you are
interested in reading the entire paper written by Joe Chuman, Leader of
the Bergen Society and backed by the National Leaders Council, please
let me know and I’ll be happy to send it to you.
Mother's Day
(Blog
from the Leader)
Mother's Day is coming up again, and as usual, it has
me thinking about the origins of the holiday and working for peace. It
also has me thinking about my mother and how proud she would be that I
am working for peace. What are your plans for Mother's Day?
Community Phone Call - May 4
Our next Community Phone Call will be on Sunday, May
4 at noon Pacific time, 1pm Mountain time, 2pm Central time, and 3pm
Eastern time. We'll be sharing memories of people who have been
important in our lives. Please let me
[Susan(dot)Rose(at)eswow(dot)org], or our online administrator,
[Billy(dot)Dechand(at)eswow(dot)org] if you plan to participate and
we'll send you the contact information.
Community Chatroom
I've
been happy to connect with someone -- even briefly in the ESWoW
chatroom. I'll be signing in when I'm working on other ESWoW things
(such as writing this newsletter) and we'll try to set up a regular
time for chatting also. One ESWoW member has said she would be in the
chatroom when she can, mostly between 4-7 pm pacific time (5-8 pm
mountain, 6-9 pm central and 7-10 pm eastern) so come by and see if
anyone is on. Pretty soon, our webmaster has informed me, we can have
an indication on our homepage which will let us know if anyone is in
the chatroom. Please let me know if you'd like to host an ESWoW chat at
a particular time, or if you have topics you'd like to chat about. I'm
very excited about this opportunity to make ESWoW more interactive. If
you have any problems getting into the chatroom, please let us know.
Platform Address
Due to technical difficulties we were not able to include Randy Best's
section from the Assembly this week. We hope to have it for you by
next week.
However, we're happy to share with you this Platform by Fritz Williams, retiring Leader of the Baltimore
Ethical Society. May 4th is Fritz's last Platform address at BES and
it seems appropriate to share some of his work with you today. The
talk was given at the New York Society for Ethical Culture and is entitled "A Life Story."
National Train Day - May 10th
Just thought I'd let you know that May 10th is National Train Day –
brought to you by a proud member of the National Association of
Railroad Passengers. If you're wondering why I've
mentioned this, it is just that I like trains and especially subways.
Any other train aficionados out there?
Your Input for 2009 Assembly Dates - needed by May 5
I
received the following from the AEU office. Since there was such a
wonderful turn-out of ESWoW folks at this past Assembly, we're planning
to have more planned sessions -- even if they are all over breakfast --
for ESWoW members. Please let me know, preferably by Sunday if you have
a preference for one set of dates over the other.
"In
an attempt to accommodate as many schedules as possible, the Assembly
Committee has generated two options for dates for the 2009 AEU
Assembly. The first option is: Tuesday May 19 - Sunday May 24 (Memorial
Day weekend), 2009. Hotel rooms will cost $99 per night. The second
option is: Tuesday June 9 - Sunday June 14, 2009. The hotel room cost
would increase from $99 to $119. Please let me know, no later than the
evening of Monday, May 5, 2008, which option you (and, Presidents, your
Society) prefer. A simple majority vote, of the responses received,
will control. In the absence of any responses, the Assembly Committee
will decide, and is currently leaning towards the June date."
--Jennifer
Scates, President, American Ethical Union.
Tell A Friend
Who do you know who is interested in examining ideas and
might appreciate exploring living more ethical lives? Let them know
about ESWoW. Please consider forwarding this to them.
Yours in Ethical Community,
Susan Rose
|
| |
