<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif"><font size="4">The discussion of polyamory scheduled for this Sunday in the Today's Issues group has sparked some interest.  I received two emails from Nathan Crowley (you may remember <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wC-x1AuWkfdiCMPFEQBdBdOaG859bukBUpdyk6Gfl48/edit">Nathan and his wife Kayla Campbell </a>who introduced us to Samhain and other pagan traditions).  Nathan expressed concern that the reading we had selected, from The Atlantic, treated polyamory as a fad rather than a lifestyle choice.  Here are his emails:</font></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif"><font size="4"><br></font></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif"><b><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">Why is being polyamorous being discussed?  Don't you think you should have someone who is actually polyamorous talk to you about being polyamorous? You have a wonderful couple [in the church], me  and my wife. I for one don't like the fact that it's being called a fad. I mean I'm not trying to come off as angry about this, I just want a little bit of an explanation.</span><br class="gmail-Apple-interchange-newline"></b></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><b><br></b></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><b>This is a follow-up to my first email. After a little bit more thought. And consideration I understand that it might be tempting to read articles about a particular lifestyle and think you know all about that lifestyle. But honestly I read that article and I don't really think it represents all of polyamory. I think so many people are very quick to point out the negative sides of polyamory. And while  me and my wife . Could not possibly speak for the entire polyamorous community. I think that at least getting our input on the matter would be justified. Also having a really hard time understanding why this is being discussed at church. Sincerely Nathan Crowley.</b></span><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><br></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><br></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><font size="4">I explained that I didn't even know Marietta had a polyamorous community, I just happened to see the story in The Atlantic. I didn't mean to snub anybody.  I've invited Nathan and/or Kayla to join us on Sunday, either in person or on Zoom.  I hope one or both can make it, we would certainly like to hear from them. </font></span><span style="font-size:large;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"> I've also invited my (adult) grandson, Zar Goertzel, who lives in Prague and is a proponent of polyamory.  He says he will probably join us on Zoom.  </span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><font size="4"><br></font></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><font size="4"> There is some sort of precedent, we hosted a book signing some years ago for David Matteson, a Unitarian Minister who published a book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=I+took+both+roads+Matteson&crid=1AWDJJHXMYLTE&sprefix=i+took+both+roads+matteso%2Caps%2C480&ref=nb_sb_noss">I Took Both Roads: My Journey as a Bisexual Husband.</a>  I'm not sure if that counts as polyamory, but we have a record of hearing from proponents of different lifestyles. </font></span><font size="4" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">We are also continuing our discussion of the crisis in Unitarianism. </font><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:large">Who knows, maybe we can be the first church to add a P to LGBTQ. </span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><font size="4"><br></font></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><font size="4">All are welcome to our discussion, but please do the reading first.  Here is the information:</font></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><font size="4"><br></font></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span id="gmail-docs-internal-guid-7bee030c-7fff-df41-934c-f3cc569c23aa"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-left:36pt;text-indent:18pt;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">The Today's Issues group meets at 9:30 on Sunday mornings in person in the parlor of the Religious Education buildings next to the church and on zoom   We will meet this Sunday, February 11, 2024,  to discuss the following readings:</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-left:36pt;text-indent:18pt;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Georgia,serif;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">"</span><a href="https://praywithyourfeet.org/2019/12/17/my-church-is-dying-and-im-ok-with-that/" style="text-decoration-line:none"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Georgia,serif;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline">My Church is Dying and I'm Ok with it</span></a><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Georgia,serif;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">," from the Pray with Your Feet website. It argues that UUism and liberal religion had its historical moment which is passing, and makes some suggestions about what we can do about it.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-left:36pt;text-indent:18pt;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bt7I9Qinm7v7MfXP8Uwg9fV0-vHL3AqPUK6dqRY_Q7I/edit?usp=sharing" style="text-decoration-line:none"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Georgia,serif;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline">Polyamory:  the Ruling Class’s Latest Fad.</span></a><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Georgia,serif;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">  Americans who most reap the benefits of marriage are the same class who get to declare monogamy passé and boring.  This is from The Atlantic Magazine’s website.  </span></p><br><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-left:36pt;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Click on this link to join the discussion on Zoom. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-left:36pt;text-indent:18pt;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="https://zoom.us/j/92505235702?pwd=RmUyN1FOUjhBVHRYSDBWY2dUZWxFQT09" style="text-decoration-line:none"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline">https://zoom.us/j/92505235702?pwd=RmUyN1FOUjhBVHRYSDBWY2dUZWxFQT09</span></a><span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Georgia,serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">  </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-left:36pt;text-indent:18pt;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;text-indent:18pt;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br></p></span><br class="gmail-Apple-interchange-newline"></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><font size="4"><br></font></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><font size="4"><br></font></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><br></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><br></span></div></div>