Washington Ethical Society

We celebrate the installation of the new Board of Trustees and think about the passage of leadership and the caretaking of this community -- which belongs, in the end, to us all.

WES teens share the transitions they are making on their ethical and spiritual journeys. Teens include Elizabeth Axley, Josephine Lichten, Elena Nicholson, Emma Rothman, Sarah Strohminger, Justin Taft-Morales, and Corey Wathen.

Amanda reflects on summer, gardening, poetry, and the eternal human quest for something different.

Given the environmental, political, and financial messes around us, it's not surprising that many of us feel worried, depressed, and beaten down these days. Yet lightening up, or learning to relate to the world in a more playful way, can provide us with the energy and freedom to live our lives more fully. Visiting storyteller Joshua Searle-White explores the spiritual practice of lightening up.

For our annual Founder's Day, Bob Berson shares a special address about a distinguished figure from history who is not as well known as he should be.

This Mother's Day celebration looks at the many ways women and mothers have been perceived over the ages. Amanda considers children's literature, the original anti-war Mother's Day proclamation, and gender and sexuality issues.

What was that list of seven sins, again? And what does it matter for us? Amanda explores the original septet, the version articulated by Gandhi, and her take on what they mean for us today.

Amanda explores the philosophical side of creativity, looking particularly at the work of Henry Nelson Wieman and his concept of "creative interchange" as the spark that occurs when we truly connect.

Many Americans have been horrified about a bill before the Ugandan legislature which would make homosexual acts punishable by death. But what is the appropriate American response to this legislation? Is the response different if the bill was likely inspired by US evangelical ministers? In the larger context, how do we interact with cultures that are different from our own--and what is the line between imposing our values and standing up for what is right?

Michael Franch suggests you don't have to believe in the "magic" of Easter to learn from the story of Jesus. Dr. Franch was Dean of the National Leaders Council of the American Ethical Union and Affiliate Minister, First Unitarian Church, Baltimore.

Three WES members explore the question that Mary Oliver poses in her poem: what will you do with your one wild and precious life? Their stories address broader questions of what we love and what we take risks for.

Amanda examines the humanistic impulse behind some of the world's great liberation stories.

Ethical Culture founder Felix Adler thought that a vocation was at the heart of the ethical journey. How do we find our place, our calling, in life? Mary and Amanda discuss their own vocations and the call that Ethical Culture hears in the world today.

Ethical Culturists and Unitarian Universalists are often accused of "believing in nothing" or worse "believing in anything." Both religious groups have have a commitment to creedlessness as a community.And disbelief is gaining in visibility today, with more vocal presence of atheists and even a mention in the 2009 inaugural address. Yet most of us have quite strong beliefs. Jone Johnson Lewis, Leader of the No. Virginia Ethical Society, explores the landscape "beyond disbelief."

The first of a five-week focus on the theme of silence and voice. Mary Herman explores silence and speech both as spiritual practices, as healing powers, and as damaging norms.

In WES's annual platform on Valentine's, Amanda shares thoughts on covenant--promises that we make to each other, whether in our marriage, our family, or our religious community--and how love runs through the promises make.

What are the foundational principles of an Ethical Culture perspective on life, truth, and the world around us. What makes Ethical Culture unique? How might the world be better if our values were more widely shared? What are we called to do and to be?

In this traditional platform, WES members reflect on how they wish to live in the coming year.

We often talk about the importance of neighborliness, of connecting with our community. But in these times of extended families flung across the country, of email and videoconferencing, of apartment buildings and suburban sprawl, who are our neighbors?

A thanksgiving platform celebration to reflect on the abundance in our lives and prepare ourselves to make the most of our own Thanksgiving with family and friends.