Upcoming Events / News

Learn about Unitarian Universalism and UUFSB - Orientation Series for Newcomers (Oldcomers Too!)

This series is our orientation to Unitarian Universalism and our Stony Brook UU congregation.  Click here for program details.  The third session, "Belonging," will be held on Sat., Dec. 14, 9:30 a.m. - noon.

 Humanist Discussion Group - Tuesday, December 10th, 7:00 p.m.

Open to the public.  We will meet in the Yellow room at the Fellowship. The topic will be "Church and State" See description that follows. Please RSVP to Gil at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  if you plan to attend so that we can set the room up appropriately.

"Church and State"
Thomas Jefferson referred to the U.S. Constitution as creating, "a wall of separation between church and State."

•  What chinks have the courts opened up in this "wall?"
• Do we feel that the separation should be absolute or are there any exceptions we can accept?
• How aggressive do you think Atheist and Humanist groups should be in litigating to keep religion out of government activities?
• Which issues are most important?
• Are we concerned that some legal challenges could be counterproductive?

Specific issues include: 

• Government support for religious schools
• Grants to religious groups for supposedly non-religious purposes
• Anti-abortion and anti-birth control stipulations in government grants
• "In God We Trust" on U.S. money
• "One Nation, Under God, Indivisible" in the Pledge of Allegiance
• Religious symbols on public property, e.g. crosses and stars of David
• Prayers at the start of legislative sessions and other government meetings.

The sources of the complex jurisprudence concerning the separation of church and state are deceptively simple: Article Six of the United States Constitution provides that, "... no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States," and the First Amendment to the US Constitution states, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." The 14th Amendment is construed to apply the same restrictions to the states.

Meg Braun at Grounds & Sounds, December 13th

UUFSB’s Grounds and Sounds Café welcomes Meg Braun for a solo performance on Dec.13th, at 8:00 p.m. Braun is a Brooklyn-based singer/ songwriter known for her fearless writing, dynamic vocal style and performances that have charmed audiences from California to Texas and throughout the Northeast. Tickets are $12.50 and can be purchased online at www.groundsandsounds.org. Hear some of Meg’s great music at www.megbraun.com. 

 Take the Food Stamp Challenge

How does it feel to be food insecure? And how well do the “safety nets” that exist assuage hunger? During November --a month in which food is central to our celebrations and charitable giving-- the Social Justice Committee invites you to participate in the Food Stamp Challenge. The Challenge will give you a view of what life can be like for millions of low-income Americans. You will experience the difficulty of making food choices on a limited budget, and get a deeper sense of how difficult it is to avoid hunger, afford nutritious foods, and stay healthy with too few resources. 

We ask you to take the Challenge for 5 days, living on $4.75 per day worth of food – the average food stamp benefit for New York. Participating households should use $4.75 per person x the number of people in their home x five days.

Please click here for details and to sign up for the Challenge.

New Year’s Day – Labyrinth Walk and Social

On Wednesday, January 1st at 1:00 p.m. we will host a New Year’s Day Labyrinth Walk in our sanctuary. Join people from our congregation and the community who enjoy starting their year in this peaceful, meaningful way. Everyone brings a snack to share and we have a social time afterwards. This event is free and open to all. 

We continue to have our weekly labyrinth walks on Thursdays at 1:30 p.m., and our next monthly walk will be Tuesday evening, December 10th at 7:00 p.m. “It is solved by walking.” (St. Augustine)

Video of our 50th Anniversary

People Talking About Unitarian Universalism