Thomas Paine is one of “100 Unitarians and Universalists who made a difference” on the poster in our lobby. In 2020, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Akron “updated” and renamed the poster. In the process,Thomas Paine and 38 others were removed. Paine was kept on a list of 22 “adjacent” UUs whose “works and points of view greatly align with UU philosophy”. The delisting doesn’t stop UUs from claiming “UU-adjacent” luminaries. Why did our congregation choose the name Thomas Paine Unitarian Universalist Fellowship? How did Paine’s writings influence our nation at its inception? How did his writings in the 1770s reflect UU principles that were adopted more than 200 years later by the UUA? Preston Luitweiler will lead a service with Mike Burkhimer and other TPUUF members to share their collective appreciation and admiration of this consequential historical figure for whom our Fellowship is proudly named.
Topics: Equality, Religious Exploration, UU Principles