Unitarian Fellowship of Houston

UNITARIAN FELLOWSHIP OF HOUSTON 1504 Wirt Road Houston, Texas 77055 • Telephone: 713.686.5876 • E-mail: ufhouston@comcast.net • Fax:713.686.7664

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ADULT FORUM

The Adult Forum meets on Sunday at 10:00 am. A formatted discussion of a topic chosen by and known only to the leader for that Sunday.

Visitors are always welcome!

August 22nd: Will Israel Bomb Iran? -- This made a very challenging discussion.
August 15th: Income Tax Rates: The presentation argued that with increasing income separation in the US - more extremely rich, plus about 1% of incredibly rich, a series of higher tax brackets boosting tax rates to higher levels at the $1 million to $10 million incomes. The majority were in general agreement, with one member arguing replacing income tax with an increased sales tax. (Presented by Bert Golding)
August 8th: There was a very lively discussion on a wide variety of subjects. 1) Population control through income tax on children; 2) How should a person live - the ideal should include some character building challenges, some unexpectedness; 3) Changing global-world - intercultural affairs, money and trade, linguistic changes, rate of change acceleration, drug money Warren Buffet and Bill Gates are contributing half of their billions to charity! (Presented by George Hackett, 6 attending)
July 18th: Prescription Drug Abuse. We discussed drug abuse of prescription drugs, much of it due to illicit medical doctors and pharmacists, who have made fortunes. The average user is white, and 42 years old, and there are many deaths from overdose each year. Harris County is one of the principal locales, along with Los Angeles and Florida. (Presented by Wayne Derrick, 10 attending)
July 11th: Redefining Marriage. Good discussion of gay marriage and why it should be accepted, and the problems with it. (Topic by Jimmy Dunne, 9 attending)
July 4th: Relations with Russia. The group discussed the relations with Russia and all it’s many implications. Now in the news is the spy scandal. Several people have been to Russia, so it led to a lively discussion. (Presented by Gene Holland, 10 attending)

June 27th: The Oil Spill. Lively discussion about the oil spill/BP. (Topic by George Hackett, 9 attending)
June 20th: Topic discussing the Rolling Stone magazine article about General McChrystal titled "The Runaway General." He was fired by Pres. Obama for the disrespectful comments made by the general and his team about the civilian White House leadership and replaced by General Petraeus. We discussed our 9-year war in Afghanistan and what we should do now. Eight out of ten attending, voted to get out of Afghanistan now. (Presented by Karen Dunne, 10 attending)
June 13th: George Will: California’s primary act designed to favor centrists. Good discussion about Election Reform, taking judges out of party primaries and getting rid of Electoral College. (Topic: Jimmy Dunne, 10 present)
June 6th: Parallel Thinking is a process where the group focus is split in specific directions to explore a topic in parallel. The group used the topic of “drug legalization” to test out the parallel thinking method. (Topic: Eric Huckabay, 9 present)
May 30th: Various Topics. The group discussed topics such as Global warming & pollution, Expensive Wars worldwide and the astronomical population growth in various countries/continents. (Topic: George Hackett, 12 present)
May 23rd: A Military for the Twenty-First Century. Reference to the advance of Western Civilizations and armed forces was followed by questions about U.S. military spending, U.S. domestic & overseas bases, and the future of high tech weapons. (Topic: Karen Dunne, 9 present)
May 16th: DEBT AND TAXES: The Greek bailout has been compared to U.S. deficit spend-ing currently projected for one to two decades from now. The short-term debt from Middle East wars, corporate bailouts, economic stimulus and the like, is considered to be manageable, but the long-term debt projected from expanding entitlements is not considered to be manageable, even by liberal economists. The only remedy is to reduce spending and raise taxes on everyone. The U.S. political parties, and the general public, have been unwilling to field candidates who tell it like it is and provide realistic proposals to address these issues. The recent election in Britain was unprecedented. All of the candidates warned voters that cuts were coming. In the U.S., we still have some time, but we have to have realistic proposals by political candidates, if we are to avoid our own Greek tragedy. (Topic: John Haberman, 11 present)
May 9th: Moving Our Economy. The discussion was about moving our economy toward renewable fuels such as solar panels and wind turbines and reducing carbon based fuels such as oil, gas and coal. In addition to cleaner air & water, we would reduce our 70% dependency on foreign countries for our energy which costs us $700 billion a year. (Topic: Arturo Meza, 11 present)
May 2nd: Illegal Immigration. Discussion was on Arizona’s new law to control its border. Most favored increased legal immigration permits. (Topic: Roger Ryman, 12 present)

April 25: Revoking the Marriage License. We discussed marriage & the high divorce rates, people with multiple marriages, 7-8, and how to lower divorce rates. Should the government be involved? The group said yes toenforcement of contracts & child support after divorce. (Topic: Jimmy Dunne, 10 present)
April 18: Campaign Ad Regulation. The discussion evolved around whether campaign ads should be regulated or if all political speech, including that in TV and radio ads, protected by the first amendment. (Topic by Liz Covalla, 12 present)
April 11: Should Executives of major corporations and financial institutions be sent to jail for crimes perpetrated under their supervision? We discussed the coal mine accident in West Virginia and Pfizer’s drug Bextra. (Topic: David Oxman, 12 present)
April 4: Entitlements vs Independence. We had a vigorous discussion about what government should control in our lives, but a lot of discussion was about banks, health care insurance companies, the FDA, etc. (Topic: John Haberman, 14 present)

March 28: New Health Care Laws. There was vigorous discussion of the benefits and also of negative aspects of these laws. For the first time, health insurance companies will be subject to limits, and for the first time, millions of people can get health care when it is needed, instead of waiting for a life-threatening emergency. (Topic: Wayne Derrick, 13 present)
March 21: The USA is the richest country in the world with the most advanced technology. Are we using these resources to build a better future for both people and enterprises? The discussions varied. However, the majority agreed on cutting military expenditures. (Topic: Felipe Mendoza, 13 present)
March 14: Education - U.S. falling behind. General discussion on education on all levels: Federal State, Local school boards and individual teachers and schools. Should government take the lead and make the rules? (Topic: Sid George, 11 present)
March 7: Should the Death Penalty be declared unconstitutional? Texas convictions vs death penalty. Discussions varied from Texas, Florida & Virginia to drug convictions. (Topic: Jimmy Dunne, 12 present)

February 28: REINCARNATION. While not an original thought, the concept of reincarnation appears worth considering as a recurring subset of the great
question of the postulated existence of the After-Life and a corollary—NDE (Near Depth Experience). (Topic: Sam Pratt, 16 present)
February 21: Special guest speaker, Barry Johnson gave a presentation about Identity Theft. After the presentation there was time for Q&A. (12 present)
February 14^th: License vs. Liberty. Political philosopher John Locke is credited for making the distinction between license and lib-erty...license and liberty both related to freedom. (10 present)
February 7^th: United States Economy. General attitude was pessimistic. Discussion was on whether the economy is really beginning a recovery or not. Consensus was we are in for a long recovery (long recession). (13 present)
January 31^st: Ų Jobs, jobs, jobs. With high unemployment, what are the causes and what are the ways to raise the employment levels in the US? (Topic: Gene Holland, 13 present)
January 24^th: Influence of Various Religions.. Discussion of comparative religion, how religions relate to each other and to modern society. Our various personal beliefs and choices were also discussed. (Topic: Karen Dunne, 12 present)
January 17^th: The group discussed the Massachusetts special election to fill Ted Kennedy's senate seat, concentrating on the possible consequences of the Democrats losing their 60-seat majority. This led to a look at the current versions of the health bill--some members in support of it, others opposed. (Topic: Gene Holland, 9 present)
January 10^th: The group discussed Harry Reid's apology to Obama, and the controversial events about the unidentified man & the Salahi couple who visited the White House without the proper invitations. (Presenter: Judy Emerson, 10 present)
January 3^rd: The group discussed our presidents from FDR to Obama. Who were our favorites, and what did they do that we liked or disliked? (Topic by Jimmy Dunne, 11 present)
December 27^th: Videos were shown of scenes of Kabul, Afghanistan where Sid has been for three months working to establish an elementary school. (Topic: Sid George, 11 present)
December 22^nd: Sid George discussed his 3 months in Kabul, Afghanistan where he hopes to establish elementary schools. (12 present)
December 13^th: Houston Election Results. The group had an interesting discussion about the many factors influencing the election. Members expressed frustration that the turnout was low. Several members noticed that it was a good sign for Houston that the mayoral candidates were a lesbian and a black man, both well qualified. (Topic: Wayne Derrick, 12 present)
December 6^th: The President;s Afghanistan Plan. Discussed the pros and cons of the President's plan. The group's opinions were evenly divided on
whether the US should be in Afghanistan. (Topic by Roger Ryman, 10 present)
November 29^th: Global Warming - How can scientists convince the public that it is a threat? by Dan Kirkpatrick. Intense discussion - some felt that global warming is an established fact and the limiting of carbon dioxide production essential. Others felt the extent and danger of global warming is overestimated. (Topic: Open, 9 present)
November 22^nd: Current Issues. Spirited discussion spreading to health reform, Medicare, global warming, and more. We discussed Sarah Palin's book briefly, but none present had read it, so we were limited to what we had heard in the news. (Topic by Wayne Derrick, 11 present)
November 15^th: Fort Hood. We discussed the killing of thirteen people at Fort Hood and what could have been done to prevent it. Most thought it was not a terrorist act. (Topic by Jimmy Dunne, 9 present)
November 8^th: Thinking Like a Chicken. There was a spirited wide-ranging discussion,. The original focus involved the mistreatment of animals in factory farms and feed lots, then evolved into vegetarianism, hunting wolves and deer, feeding our expanding world population, treatment of women, and the mental ability of animals. (Topic by Judy Emerson, 12 attending)
November 1^st: Maslow's Hierarchy and Society. The group discussed how society can meet people's basic needs, with an emphasis on experiences in other countries, especially Denmark. These countries often have a much higher tax rate, but benefits
were good and people were closer to self-actualized. Charity, and churches, were largely financed by the government and people had a lot of opportunities to be social and experience good culture. (Presented by John Haberman, 12 attending)
October 25^th: By Vote-by-Mail, voter turnout increases, especially during minor elections, such as the November election for 11 constitutional amendments, mayor, council persons, and the Houston Community College issue. For instance, at the similar election in 2007, only 10.8% voted, and in the runoff, only 2.7% voted! Harris County could save $4 million per year if all voted by mail. You can look at the League of Women Voters GUIDE at www.lwvhouston.org Be sure to VOTE! (Topic by Wayne Derrick, 12 attending)
October 18^th: We discussed the constitutional amendments propositions) to be voted on in the November 3rd election. (Presented by Wayne Derrick, 9 attending)
October 11^th: What's on your mind? The group discussed the Nobel Peace Price, situation in Afghanistan, upcoming elections,
health insurance, and political animosity. (Topic by Judy Emerson,12 attending)
October 4^th: America's Best Idea. One member noted that, as all agreed, the National Parks were a great idea, but the very best idea was our Constitution and Bill of Rights. There was general agreement that parks should be preserved
with minimum steps to accommodate visitors. Most felt that it was essential to maintain park infrastructure with some suggesting a new CCC. (Presented by John Haberman, 8 attending)

September 27^th: Are we broke yet? Members noted that debt levels have been higher in the past. However, the group agreed that steps need to be taken to reduce debt. Suggestions included reduced military and governmental spending, and taxes on the wealthy including the end of special treatment for dividend and capital gains income. (Topic by Roger Ryman, 12 attending)
September 20^th: Attendees agreed on the enormous problems faced because of global warming, drought, and future scarcity of resources.
There was a general feeling, however, that the major problems could be overcome by technology along with governmental action and cooperation--the major obstacle to needed actions was said to be a lack of political will. (Presented by Karen Dunne, 10 attending)
September 13^th: Hatred in National Politics. Members were concerned about the current examples of hatred, and felt the confusion about the details of a new health plan has provided opportunities for those with vested interests in our current system to provide fear of governmental control and general opposition to President Obama. (Topic by Wayne Derrick, 11 attending)
September 6^th: US Unemployment spikes to 9.7%. The group expressed hope that the reported economic improvement would gradually result in gains in employment. It was noted that the economic situation resulted in increased productivity from those workers who retained jobs. (Presented by Jimmy Dunne, 10 attending)

August 30^th: Healthcare Reform Issues— There were differences of opinion in the group, especially the expansion of government: paid healthcare, be it “single payer” or “public option”. There was agreement that it was urgent to provide fair medical care to those who are unemployed, and unable to obtain health insurance because of an existing medical problem. (Topic by Doug Coleman, 13 attending)
August 23^rd: Sweet Memories— Member exchanged memoires from the past and especially enjoyed talking about things they did in their childhood. (Presented by Judy Emerson, 9 attending)
August 16^th: How will US Population and World population affect the US and the world? Members were concerned about the negative effects of worldwide population growth but noted that such growth is concentrated in underdeveloped countries. Population growth is limited by development programs which raise income such that children are not a social and economic benefit. (Topic by David Oxman, 9 attending)
August 9^th: A majority agreed that Bill Clinton's trip resulting in the release of two jailed female journalists was a good thing (9 yes, 2 no). Members also generally agreed that the trip, which gave positive publicity to Kim Jong Il, had improved the possibility of future negotiations. Members were split (5-4-2) on whether the trip itself was diplomatically significant. (Presented by Gene Holland, 11 attending)
August 2^nd: UFOs—Aliens-Life in Outer Space? Members generally doubted that aliens had visited earth or that UFO’s exist. However, members noted that there have been many witness’ to “out this world” events which remain unexplained. (Topic Presenter: Bob Wiener; Number Present: 11)

July 26^th: Opinions about a bill in the US Senate to allow a person with a concealed weapons permit in one state to carry a concealed weapon into any state in the US were discussed. (Topic Presenter: Bert Golding; Number Present: 10)
July 19^th: Sightseeing in Turkey. Roger talked about his recent trip to Turkey. There were also several other members who could tell about their experiences and visits there as well. (Topic Presenter: Roger Ryman; Number Present: 7)
July 12^th: Is Afghanistan another Vietnam? There was a general agreement on the difficult situation the US faces in Afghanistan, with little hope expressed for progress. Fellowship friend, Syd George, who is soon leaving to found a school in Afghanistan, presented a lot of detailed comments including some helpful signs. Topic Presenter: Jimmy Dunne; Number Present: 9)
July 5^th: What is the responsibility of those who demonize abortion providers when others are violence against providers? Members of the group agreed that those like Bill O'Reilly of Fox News, who help create a hateful climate against abortion providers do bear some responsibility for acts of violence against providers. Free speech is guaranteed, but prominent individuals bear a responsibility to not encourage an atmosphere of hatred and violence. (Topic Presenter: Wayne Derrick; Number Present: 6)

June 28^th: Towards an Economy of Well-Being. The group discussed an article by Canadian consultant Mark Anielski. He argued that an economy driven by increased consumer spending and more material possessions has not increased happiness and quality of life for many Americans. (Topic Presenter: Bert Golding; Number Present: 8)
June 21^st: The group had a wide-ranging discussion on three topics: Same sex marriage/civil unions, disorder in Iran, and fixing the health care system. The group generally supported civil unions, expressed concern about the outcome of the disorder in Iran, and there was no consensus regarding the likelihood of improving the health system. (Topic Presenter: Doug Coleman; Number Present: 10)
June 14^th: What does our Future Hold? Members generally felt that Ahmadinejad probably won the Iranian election, but there was also a conviction that there was corruption and cheating in determining the election results. There was agreement that the election results and the controversy involved would make it more difficult for Obama's plan to negotiate with Iran. (Topic Presenter: Roger Ryman; Number Present: 11)
June 7^th: President Obama's Speech. Members generally felt that Obama's speech was both excellent and also signified a positive outreach towards the worldwide Muslim community. His call to Israel to cease settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank was supported, but members felt that it would be extremely difficult for Obama to make major progress toward and Israeli-Palestinian two-state solution. (Topic Presenter: Syd George; 10 present)

May 31^st: What's Next for the Auto Industry? Members were in accord that, regardless of criticism, Sonia Sotomayor would easily be confirmed to the Supreme Court. There was a variety of opinions regarding actions to deal with North Korea's nuclear tests, but most felt that the next step was meaningful negotiation led by President Obama. (Topic Presenter: Jimmy Dunne; 13 present)
May 24^th: What are you "Riled Up" about today? Almost everyone has something, be it political, social, or personal that causes frustration, irritation, or concern. Topics included efforts to limit eminent domain rule, President Obama compromising on actions he promised to take, the government's continued exertion of power at the cost of limiting individual freedoms, the lack of planning which permits developers to create neighborhoods and businesses which impede future development and in some cases cause flooding. There were copious discussions on these and related topics! (Topic Presenter: Judy Emerson; 10 present)
May 17^th: What's Next for the Auto Industry? Members felt that a shrinkage of the US auto industry is inevitable; even if US companies survive, they will be importing and selling many more foreign-made cars. Some members felt that bankruptcies were inevitable but that normal bankruptcy was preferable to the "managed" bankruptcy being attempted for Chrysler. (Topic Presenter: Roger Ryman; 9 present)
May 10th: CUBA ON THE VERGE. Members generally agreed that it was time to end the embargo, but most expressed caution as to the manner in which political and economic relationships should be reestablished. (Topic Presenter: Gene Holland; 10 present)
May 3rd: CREATE YOUR OWN UU NATION. Given the hypothesis of a new continent populated initially be a small group of Unitarians, what would be the ideal way of ruling the new nation and of developing the land and infrastructure? A great discussion!
(Topic Presenter: Doug Coleman; 12 present)

April 26^th: What should the US do now? There was a lively discussion on the topic. Suggestions include requiring higher gas mileage standards, raising fuel taxes, stopping ethanol incentives, stopping incentives for more children, and removing the requirements for more ethanol in gasoline. (Topic Presenter: Wayne Derrick; 12 present)
April 19^th: Could Global Warming Be Natural? There is now general agreement that global warming is taking place. Although major scientific groups see a high priority in reducing humanrelated carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases, there are dissenters who believe current proposals to reduce greenhouse gases are expensive and not justified. Controlling world population growth was felt to be an important related topic. (Topic Presenter: John Haberman; 12 present)
April 12^th: The good (we know the bad) about the current recession -- We are rediscovering the joys of gardens, community, and family. (Topic Presenter: Judy Emerson; 10 present)
April 5^th: What to do about our overcrowded prisons-- The group concentrated on drug-related offenses, with much vigorous discussion. The majority lean toward the legalization of marijuana but not other drugs and most felt that rehab was a better strategy for many drug users than prison time. (Topic Presenter: Jimmy Dunne; 12 present)

March 29^th: The Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and... (Topic Presenter: Doug Coleman; 15 present) The group discussion expanded to cover all problems with national security including especially Mexico and drugs. With regard to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, there was general agreement that our troops should be brought home as quickly as possible, but most felt that the new administration should be given time to develop an appropriate strategy.
March 22^nd: The European Model of Society (Topic Presenter: John Haberman; 12 present) A number of articles recently have noted that the US was considering changes that would bring the US closer to European society. These possible changes include greater government support for medical care and assistance in unemployment, stronger unions, and higher taxes for the wealthy. Members’ opinions included support for some of the changes but also concern about the possibility of excessive government control.
March 15^th: Genetic Engineered Food-Are We Self-destructing? The group's discussion expanded the topic beyond genetic engineering with members generally expressing concern about the quality and safety of our food supply. John Haberman suggested that Fellowship members interested in food issues should form a group onlne. Mimi Lawrence agreed to set up email distribution for those interested-contact her to join: geos51@consolidated.net (Topic Presenter: David Oxman; Number Present: 11)
March 8^th: Adult Forum Rules. The group held a lively discussion of rules and procedures to ensure that the Forum operates in the most effective way. Following this, there was a brief, but stimulating discussion of the economy and current problems. (Topic Presenter: Bert Golding; Number Present: 13)
March 1^st: Steven Hotze’s summation of the conservative Republic agenda for the Texas Legislative. The group discussed the Hotze’s issues, which are: A bill requiring an ultrasound for women prior to abortion with the twenty-four hour wait; reduction of property tax by instituting property appraisal caps (limit increase to 5%/year); elimination of the business tax; and, legislation addressing voter identification and fraud. (Topic Presenter: Wayne Derrick; Number Present:13)

February 22^nd: The Media: Prophets, Bards, Troubadours, Town Criers, Court Jesters? All agreed on the importance of mastering the economic crisis. However several members stressed the potential for Afghanistan to become a Vietnam-type problem with disastrous economic and political costs for the US. Major problems in the media have been the decline of newspapers and the loss of coverage of many foreign problems and conflicts. (Topic Presenter: Karen Dunne; Number Present: 10)
February 15^th: We had a very full room Sunday as we discussed the pros and cons of the economic stimulus package. (Topic Presenter: Sid George; Number Present: 20).
February 8^th: 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin on Feb 12, 2009. The group discussed the status of belief in evolution by natural selection. It's fascinating that after 200 years and the total acceptance of the basic theory of evolution through natural selection there is still so much opposition which is almost entirely based on religious belief. (Topic Presenter: Jimmy Dunne; Number Present: 14).
February 1^st: Electric Cars! Members generally felt that electric cars will become the primary vehicle for personal transportation, but that there was first a need for the development of more efficient batteries. (Topic Presenter: David Oxman;Number Present: 22)

January 25^th: The group had an intense discussion of President Obama's first days in office. (Topic Presenter: Wayne Derrick;
Number Present: 18)
January 18^th: UU's resolution focusing on diet and weight control. There were numerous suggestions on how to control weight with diet and exercise. (Topic Presenter: David Oxman; Number Present: 22)
January 11^th: Political and religious ramifications of the conflict in Gaza Members of the group noted that continued conflict and economic despair is resulting in young Palestinians becoming increasingly susceptible to religious fanaticism. The group expressed a concern that it was important for the new Obama administration to partici-pate strongly in negotiations toward peace. (Topic Presenter: Syd George; Number Present: 13)
January 4, 2009: Do Taxpayers really need to Help Bailout Corporate Companies? A discussion of the various financial scandals and failings of the last few months. Should Congress establish a new Pecora Commission to investigate banks, Wall Street, GMAC and such figures as Maddoff? - (Topic Presenter: David Oxman; Number Present: 20)

All members and visitors are invited to attend the Forum for an always lively discussion. The topic is not known until the session begins; everyone has a chance to speak out, and new volunteers to bring next week’s topic are always sought.

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