UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTS are very outspoken regarding our beliefs and we consider ourselves a vital, progressive spiritual and religious movement. As a faith that centers on covenant – our promises to each other and the world – we are compelled not only to be vocal, but to put actions behind our beliefs. We see this commitment […]
Religion
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Supreme Court weighs whether Christian flag can fly at Boston City Hall
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. THERE ARE THREE flagpoles outside Boston City Hall. One flies the United States flag. Another flies the Massachusetts state flag. What can – and can’t – fly from the third is an issue that the Supreme Court considered during oral arguments on January […]
Posted inArts and Culture
Michael Rodrigues takes up cause of restoring Azorean Jewish heritage
PICTURES OF THE old synagogue show a decrepit building with peeling paint, broken furniture, and rotting wood. Prayer books were ripped. There were water leaks, vermin, and structural damage. It looked like what it was – a house of worship abandoned for more than 40 years, built to serve a community that no longer existed. […]
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Pandemic prayers: COVID is reshaping organized religion
IT HAS BEEN more than a year since Temple Beth Zion, a nondenominational Jewish synagogue in Brookline, closed its physical doors. The synagogue started holding daily prayer services for the first time, but conducted entirely online. It began running virtual programs morning, afternoon, and evenings – prayers, classes, and social events. And then a surprising thing happened as the temple did its best to make up for the shutdown of […]
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Religious school faculty not exempt from anti-discrimination laws
A CHRISTIAN COLLEGE cannot classify all its faculty as “ministers” if they do not have explicitly religious duties, the Supreme Judicial Court ruled Friday, in a decision that could have a major impact in affirming that religious institutions are subject to anti-discrimination laws in their hiring decisions. The Massachusetts court ruling, involving a former professor at […]
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Shining our light in trying times
OUR SPIRITUAL TRADITIONS teach us that even in the most trying of times, an eternal light shines through and guides us towards building a more just and compassionate society. Thanks to our brilliant, industrious researchers and scientists, the first shots of the coronavirus vaccine campaign in this country are now being administered. Still, America and […]
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On church reopening, a muted ‘amen’
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER on Monday gave houses of worship permission to open immediately, with precautions. But worshippers seeking an in-person service this weekend may have limited options. Many congregational leaders say they plan to wait to resume in-person worship – some for a couple of weeks, others for longer. They are figuring out the mechanics […]
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Keeping the faith in the coronavirus era
WHILE HEROIC HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS are on the front lines, putting themselves at risk as they care for patients being ravaged by the novel coronavirus, faith leaders and their congregations are playing an indispensable role providing spiritual healing and comfort, while also helping to care for the physical needs of many. The cruel irony of the […]
Posted inThe Download
Keeping the faith in coronavirus era
While heroic health care providers are on the front lines, putting themselves at risk as they care for patients being ravaged by the novel coronavirus, faith leaders and their congregations are playing an indispensable role providing spiritual healing and comfort, while also helping to care for the physical needs of many. The cruel irony of […]
Posted inThe Download
Keeping the faith in coronavirus era
While heroic health care providers are on the front lines, putting themselves at risk as they care for patients being ravaged by the novel coronavirus, faith leaders and their congregations are playing an indispensable role providing spiritual healing and comfort, while also helping to care for the physical needs of many. The cruel irony of […]