unitarianfellowshipregina

Presenters: Ethel Struthers and Helen Christiansen
According to Prothero, atheism is part of a tradition going back to ancient Greece. Some of the greatest minds in the modern world were atheists (e.g., Freud), as were some of the most brutal dictators (e.g. Stalin). This presentation begins with Prothero’s overview of atheism, and conclude with a summary of his final chapter.

Presenter: Doug Mader
Doug will tie the three topics together and outline what he believes must be the energy path Canada needs to take, as well as some ways of getting there - definitely not what our federal government is currently promoting. Doug will look at this topic from the perspective of science and what's “real”.

Presenter: Dawn Rolke
The Regina Indian Industrial School operated on the outskirts of Regina from 1891 until 1910. Run and staffed by the Presbyterian church on behalf of the federal government, the school circulated a newspaper to over 500 families and was lauded for its progress. Once a proud part of our settler story, the school was eventually forgotten; so too was the small cemetery lying adjacent to it. Now, citizens of Regina and members of the United and Presbyterian churches seek to have this cemetery remembered and restored.

Presenter: Dr. Douglas Amell
How is one to find peace in the face of what is felt to be a horrible injustice? This presentation will explore Doug's search to overcome helplessness and find peace through the very difficult situation of being jailed for an offense for which he felt unjustly accused as well as unfairly tried.  At the end of his presentation, Doug sang a song he wrote which we did not include in the recording; however, the lyrics of the song are as follows:

PEACE WILL PAVE THE WAY

                                                                                    By Doug Amell

 

We need love to overcome what we’ve done to this world we live in,

And though greed has dominated much of our inspiration, just know there exists another way

We need hope in our lives to sustain all the dreams inside us,

And though there is poverty where others may prosper, just know there exists another way

CHORUS

     And love will save the day

     By sweeping pain away

     The darkness ends with the dawn of day,

     And peace will pave the way

We need pride to survive those who judge, they’re not in our shoes,

And though many songs are sung of trials and tribulations, just know there exists another way

CHORUS

The choice is yours, intention pours through every action that you’re ever going to take.

We need peace in our hearts to cast out hatred and confusion,

And though anger has a way of clouding the senses, just know there exists another way

CHORUS

Yes, peace will pave the way

 

Presenter: Helen Christiansen
Orthodoxy is the only form of Judaism officially recognized by the State of Israel. In other parts of the world, Jews have split into different branches. This presentation will look at the Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox movements, touch on Reconstructionist and Humanistic Judaism, and conclude with an overview of Kabbalah – Jewish Buddhism.        

Presenter: Dr. Dale Dewar
Re-framing the issue and placing it in the context of the global environmental challenge.

Presenter: William Arnal
If there is no divine punishment or reward, if there is no immutable human essence, if we are free to choose the lives we want to live, can there be any basis for morality? The existentialists posed this question, and their answers are provocative and haunting. If there is no transcendent moral guideline, we can choose to base our behavior on any principles whatsoever. What could those principles be? This presentation focuses on Jean-Paul Sartre, and Friedrich Nietzsche.

Presenter: James Daschuk
This presentation will consider long term health patterns in First Nations communities in Saskatchewan over several centuries, and focuses on the sudden decline of health in the years after numbered treaties were signed. Many of the conditions that undermined indigenous health more than a century ago continue to be a burden on First Nations people today. We include the power point used for the presentation

Presenter: Helen Christiansen
Prothero argues that Judaism is both the least and the greatest of all religions. With only 14 million Jews worldwide, it is by far the smallest of the great religions, however, Prothero believes that Judaism has wielded influence far out of proportion to its numbers.

Presenter: Rabbi Jeremy Parnes
The annual celebration of Hanukkah occurred on November 18th this year. As Hanukkah falls near Christmas, and involves gift-giving, it is often seen as a sort of Jewish Christmas. Actually, Hanukkah commemorates the retaking of Jerusalem in the second century BCE by Jewish rebels known as the Maccabees, and their purification and rededication of the temple. This presentation looked at the celebration of Hanukkah by the Jewish community in Regina and in other parts of the world.  In the process of explaining Hanukkah, Rabbi Parnes gave us a number of insights regarding the history of the Jews and his own personally held belief that we should all recognize, understand, and respect our differences.