UBU MINISTRIES

In this historic speech, Rev. King relates our responsibility to support and aid our fellows to the story of  The Good Samaritan - the Golden Rule. Please, when reading this consider that his references to the suffering, needs, responsibility and power of the negro community apply equally to all the downtrodden in our society regardless of ethnicity. Strong individuals and communities will be committed to the principles outlined in this simple yet direct and powerful story. This, of course, is one of the most mysterious and powerful scriptures in existence.  It encapsulates the entire teachings of  Jesus into one memorable concept.  This appears for Jesus, to be his most basic and critical teaching and purpose - which of course, he also recommends to me and you. Luke 10:25-37    (KJV) 25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 26 He said unto him, What is written in the...

by Rev. Gregory "Doc" Lowrey It may seem odd that many times the biggest issues for churches seem to be with government. In the United States the two are supposed to be separated. One cannot attempt to exercise control over the other as that would essentially establish a government religion. Both are free to address and attempt to persuade the other, but may not go further. There is a distinction for what seem the majority of churches in the United States that must be noted and that is churches that have bought official government recognition of their (exempt from govt. involvement) status. When churches do apply for and purchase what is called 501.c.3 status, which is the title in the IRS code that addresses tax exempt organizations; as a condition of that recognition (that the IRS declares they do not even need as their exempt status is declared in the Bill of Rights and is a status that is not claimed to be "granted" by govt. , only "officially r...

by Rev. Doc Lowrey My daughter Jamie sent this post out on Facebook today. I was very impressed with it and wanted to share it's sage counsel. Written by Regina Brett, of the Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio . "To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 42 lessons life taught me. It is the most requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more: 1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good. 2. When in doubt, just take the next small step. 3. Life is too short – enjoy it.. 4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and family will. 5. Pay off your credit cards every month. 6. You don't have to win every argument. Stay true to yourself. 7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone. 8. Save for retirement starting with your first pay check. 9. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile. 10. Make peace with your past so it won't s...

From Science and Religion Today http://www.scienceandreligiontoday.com/2012/05/30/is-atheism-increasing-at-the-expense-of-theism/ Is Atheism Increasing at the Expense of Theism? From Gregory Paul , an independent paleontologist and researcher who examines the relationship between religion and society: In recent years, there has been lots of discussion and debate about whether atheism or theism is on the rise around the world . A good deal of the answer can be found in results from the International Social Survey Program. In its Religion II survey conducted in 1998 and Religion III survey sampled in 2008 and just released (why the ISSP is so tardy in releasing its results is obscure), the ISSP asked the same set of questions in 28 countries, allowing assessment of gross longitudinal trends over a decade (because their Religion 1 poll in 1991 asked different questions in far fewer countries, it is not very longitudinally useful). % Don’t believe in God % Theists ov...

by Rev. Gregory "Doc" Lowrey This morning on Meet the Press, the topic of Same-Sex Marriage was discussed. Here is a short report on what was said.  By Ryan Teague Beckwith  May 6, 2012 Vice President Joe Biden became the highest-ranking U.S. official to endorse same-sex marriage this morning. In a wide-ranging interview on “Meet the Press,” Biden said he has no problem with gays and lesbians having marriage rights. “The president sets the policy. I am absolutely comfortable with the fact that men marrying men, women marrying women and heterosexual men and women marrying one another are entitled to the same exact rights, all the civil rights, all the civil liberties,” Biden said, according to Reuters . Biden did not say whether the White House would take concrete steps to help legalize gay marriage if President Obama wins a second term. Obama has said his views on same-sex marriage are “evolving” and that it is a matter best l...

by Rev. Gregory "Doc" Lowrey I thought about Proverbs 29:2 today while writing to my Congresspeople and the White House regarding new attempts to abuse the God given (and hence off limits to government interference) Unalienable Rights recognised and guaranteed by the United States Constitution. This verse is commonly rendered "When the wicked rule, the people mourn". However there are many other passages which I feel are absolutely pertinent today. The proverbs were kept because they taught enduring truth and were relied on as a guide for behavior and expectation. In today's political climate, there is good advice and hope in these verses. I hope we can all draw guidance, hope and inspiration from them. Feel free to forward this to your legislators and other civil servants. Don't be surprised if you need to extrapolate the meaning for them. I suggest that where the scripture says "righteous" you not ascribe any particular religiou...

by Rev. Gregory "Doc" Lowrey (I wanted to post this while I was thinking about it and so this is "from the hip", a first draft.  It may get changes later - please excuse any brain farts) I would like this to be a longer post, but I want to at least get it started and perhaps the simple statement (which I have never seen) of this basic simple but essential fact will be sufficient. Just as Jesus points out "The 'natural' man is an enemy to God", humans are at the most basic level "animals" who put individual needs and wants above concern for others.  This is NORMAL and is the normal, basic foundation from which nearly all people actually operate - a purely animal level where little to no concern is shown for anyone (or anything) who do not show direct advantage to, or are confusingly different than that individual (each of us). What Jesus then asks us, and which every religion or philosophy promoting civilization and especially altr...

By Rev. Doc Lowrey If the "First and Great Commandment" is " Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind . " Matthew 22: 37-39 [KJV] there should be a lot of wonder about just what that means and how we accomplish it. Jesus understood this complication and rightly followed with an extrapolation on this command in verse 39, "And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." From this and other similar teachings from Jesus, we understand that this is pretty much the whole of his religion, but we often fail to see how this applies in our various life situations.

March 25, 2011 Losing Our Way By BOB HERBERT So here we are pouring shiploads of cash into yet another war, this time in Libya, while simultaneously demolishing school budgets, closing libraries, laying off teachers and police officers, and generally letting the bottom fall out of the quality of life here at home. Welcome to America in the second decade of the 21st century. An army of long-term unemployed workers is spread across the land, the human fallout from the Great Recession and long years of misguided economic policies. Optimism is in short supply. The few jobs now being created too often pay a pittance, not nearly enough to pry open the doors to a middle-class standard of living. Arthur Miller, echoing the poet Archibald MacLeish, liked to say that the essence of America was its promises. That was a long time ago. Limitless greed, unrestrained corporate power and a ferocious addiction to foreign oil have led us to an era of perpetual war and economic...