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This month the Allnonfiction book discussion group is reading and discussing Who Is Government? ed. Michael Lewis. Please join me there if you would like to participate in the discussion. Otherwise check out the thoughts that the book stimulates that seem worth sharing here on davidgmarkham.substack.com
Then he (Trump) appointed Rick Perry as his secretary of energy. In his own presidential campaign, Perry had called for the Energy Department’s elimination—and was forced, at his Senate confirmation hearings, to acknowledge that he’d had no real idea of what went on inside the Energy Department, but now that he’d spent a few days looking into it, he really did not want to eliminate it. At that moment, it became clear that none of these people, newly in charge of the United States government, had the faintest idea what it did. (The Energy Department, among its other critical functions, manages our nuclear weapons.)
Lewis, Michael. Who Is Government?: The Untold Story of Public Service (pp. xi-xii). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
Autocrats seek to destroy the repositories of knowledge, skills, values, and competence because they undermine the autocrats authority and credibility. Most of the federal government agencies derisively called “the deep state” are deliberately rendered impotent by sycophants of the autocrat so as to bring them into alignment with loyalty to the leader rather than to truth, accuracy, and competence. These are the times we are living in in the US in 2025.
The common citizen dislikes experts unless they need their expertise because they do not like being subordinate to truth and competence. They would rather be “free.” They would rather be free to harm themselves and others as long as they can maintain their egoistic sense of autonomy.
What is needed in the US in this age is humility and the willingness to acknowledge that some people do know better than others, that not everyone’s opinion is as good as everyone else’s, and that there are certain people who really do know what they are talking about.
It has been said that we are living in a “post truth world” where the truth no longer matters and that lies are the means to power, social status and wealth.
Wherein lies your expertise? Who are the experts that you have consulted with in your life and to whom you are grateful. When has someone from the government helped you?
WASHINGTON, DC — Pablo DeJesús, Executive Director of Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice, and Nicole Pressley, Director of Organizing Strategy Team, Unitarian Universalist Association, led the following organizations – JUUstice Washington; South Carolina Unitarian Universalist Justice Alliance; Texas Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry; Unitarian Universalist Advocacy Network of Illlinois; Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry of North Carolina; and Virginia Unitarian Universalist State Action Network – in a joint statement, upon the conclusion of the 2025 U.S. Supreme Court Session last week.
This season, the U.S. Supreme Court has greatly expanded the power of the presidency. They have sharpened the points on the Faux King’s crown in ways inconceivable a mere session or two ago. In case after case, the Court chose the interests of billionaires, big corporations, and authoritarian power over the rights and well-being of the people.
We believe in a democracy where every person is treated with dignity, protected by just laws, and empowered to thrive in community.
In United States vs. Skrmetti, the court enabled states to block the rights of transgender youth to receive gender affirming care. In a press release, Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt, the UUA’s president said, “As a part of our faith tradition, Unitarian Universalists embrace transgender, nonbinary, intersex, and gender diverse people. This is a central expression of our faith. We also believe that denying healthcare to the trans community is a moral violation. We send our love and care to all the trans youth and their families who are directly affected by this ruling, we will keep fighting for you. We will continue to work with and on behalf of the trans and nonbinary community to ensure that their dignity as human beings and rights are protected across this country.”
In Trump v. Casa Inc., the Court ruled that federal judges cannot issue nationwide injunctions to block Trump’s unconstitutional executive order attempting to end birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. to undocumented immigrants or travelers. By stripping judges of this critical tool, the Court enables the selective, racialized enforcement of citizenship itself. This decision furthers a long and violent legacy of exclusion and criminalization—from the Chinese Exclusion Act to Japanese internment to the historic denial of full rights to women, Black people, and Indigenous communities. Once again, the law is being weaponized to restrict belonging and legitimize state violence.
In Kennedy v. Braidwood, the Court opened the door for political and ideological interference in preventive health care, threatening access to cancer screenings, contraception, and medications like PrEP. While claiming to preserve the Affordable Care Act, this ruling grants anti-science, eugenicist ideologues the power to deny lifesaving care—especially for LGBTQIA+ people, poor people, and Black and brown communities.
This comes just days after the third anniversary of Dobbs v. Jackson, when the Court struck down our constitutional right to abortion. Now, anti-abortion extremists in Congress are escalating their assault by targeting Planned Parenthood—advancing a de facto national ban that strips millions of access to reproductive care, cancer screenings, and contraception.
As Unitarian Universalists in our covenantal tradition, we believe in equal protection and dignity for all, no matter your roots or where your loved ones hold you close. It is part of our theological grounding to demand for others the same dignity we demand for ourselves. We hold ourselves to the expression of our theology by committing to an inclusive democratic process and placing love at the center of our faith. We work to manifest justice in the world. This season’s rulings reflect little of those higher laws of humanity and faithful teachings.
The ability of federal courts to block unjust laws has long protected immigrants, asylum seekers, LGBTQ people, trade unionists, patients, and children. Undermining this power is an attack on our shared humanity. It weakens the judiciary’s role in defending not just the law, but justice itself.
We must not back away from what is right, ethical, moral, and consistent with our faith teachings. As stated in a recent Action of Immediate Witness, “Now is the time to rise—to be the moral voice, the loving hands, and the brave hearts our world needs.
Let us not be bystanders to injustice.
Let us not offer thoughts and prayers where action is required.
Let us not forget that history is watching—and so are the generations to come.
Let us remember that the arc of history bends toward justice—but only when we bend it.
We are Unitarian Universalists. We side with love. We act in faith. We choose justice. And we will not be moved.”
Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice
Unitarian Universalist Association
JUUstice Washington
South Carolina Unitarian Universalist Justice Alliance
Texas Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry
Unitarian Universalist Advocacy Network of Illlinois
Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry of North Carolina
Virginia Unitarian Universalist State Action Network
We Declare and Affirm: Immigrants Are People Who Have Inherent Worth and Inalienable Rights
2025 Proposed AIW: Faithful Defiance of Authoritarianism: Reaffirming Our Covenants for Democracy and Freedom
Statement on 2025 Supreme Court Rulings
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 | Hello fellow UUs— Last week at General Assembly in Baltimore, my son Delano Yeung stood proudly on stage during the youth bridging ceremony. It was a beautiful milestone moment. And now just a few days later he’s also a national finalist in the Duck Tape Stuck at Prom scholarship contest, competing for a $15,000 scholarship. Delano created a full prom tuxedo made entirely out of Duck Tape, styled as a suit of armor inspired by his mother’s Polish heritage and the legacy of the Winged Hussars. This isn’t just a cool costume it’s a piece of personal storytelling and resilience. His mom (my wife) was bullied as a child for being Polish. Delano took that pain and transformed it into pride, wrapping himself in heritage and strength. He was selected as a top finalist from across the country by a panel of judges for his creativity, craftsmanship, use of color, and symbolic detail. Now, it’s up to public voting to decide the winner. 🗳️ You can vote here (he’s in the “Tux” category): 📸 See more of his work and photos here: 🎥 He was also featured on our local news (WKYC in Cleveland): Our UU values have helped shape Delano into a grounded, compassionate, and creative young man and I couldn’t be prouder of him. If you feel moved to vote or share this with your congregation or youth group, it would mean the world to us. In faith and gratitude, [link] [comments] |
I moved recently to an area that isn’t particularly close to a UU church. My old congregation does livestream, but frankly they aren’t the most tech savvy group of people so there are often some frustrating audio issues. I’m hoping to find more congregations that record their services so that I can still feel like an attendee each week
According to the UU website here in Nashville, they welcome people of all beliefs or none. I'm an atheist and likely will never believe in a god. However, I'm pretty isolated after years of alcoholism, and I need to connect to people and this looks like it could be a good option.
How are atheists received in the Unitarian Universalist Church? Am I likely to hear things that I strongly disagree with as an atheist?
Edit: Thanks for the responses. One person gave me a link to a sermon by the woman who is minister here, and I found it intriguing and not at all woo-woo magic and threats like the church I was raised in. I plan to go this Sunday. Looks like they have some stuff during the week, too, like potlucks and such.
If you are a boomer who raised children attending the UU church, what are your children doing now? Or if you ARE an adult who was raised in the church how would you compare and contrast your life as an adult with your parents?
For context, I am not a UU member, but I do move around a lot and over the years I’ve noticed that “my people” are usually the children of parents who raised them in the UU church.
I’m not a spiritual orphan looking for a place to land, just trying to satisfy a fleeting curiosity about who I tend to attract and be attracted to.
Is my personal experience of gravitating toward UU “kids” (now approaching or in middle age) anecdotal or something I should actually seek out since I’m preparing to move again this month.
WWUUD stream 