Sonya Schryer Norris

BYOT: Human Nature Revisited

Remember when I said that discussing human nature didn’t interest me very much? Well, we had a fascinating discussion about this topic so I’m going to revisit it here. One of the things that we encourage everyone in class to do is to continue to reflect on the topics we discuss and to revise theirContinueContinue reading “BYOT: Human Nature Revisited”

Building Your Own Theology (BYOT): 3: Human Nature and the Nature of God

This week we’re talking about human nature, which doesn’t interest me a whole lot, and the nature of God, which interests me a whole bunch. For the part of the class on human nature we’re presented with a list of quotes about what it means to be human and asked which ones we agree with.ContinueContinue reading “Building Your Own Theology (BYOT): 3: Human Nature and the Nature of God”

Building Your Own Theology (BYOT) 2

One of the questions we were asked to consider for this week is the following: “Some have suggested that ‘religious’ refers to experiences within the context of a religious community while ‘spiritual’ refers primarily to solitary experiences of transcendence. Do you agree or not?” and “Have your religious experiences been spontaneous and unbidden, or theContinueContinue reading “Building Your Own Theology (BYOT) 2”

Building Your Own Theology (BYOT): 1

Tonight I begin co-faciliating a class with the Unitarian Universalist Church of Greater Lansing called Building Your Own Theology. Originally I just wanted to take the class but my persistence in requesting it led to Callie (almost her real name), a church employee, offering to lead it with me. I’m still uncertain as to whetherContinueContinue reading “Building Your Own Theology (BYOT): 1”

Ramadan 2017: 2

There’s something that I hear on occasion from family and friends who aren’t religiously-minded. I hear “Well, after all, the point of religion is to help you through the tough times” or even, “It’s ok to believe as long as that helps you.” I think what they mean is that faith is meant to beContinueContinue reading “Ramadan 2017: 2”

Ramadan 2017: 1

It’s Ramadan again and I’m fasting with the same caveats as last year. You might ask, “What’s up with going to a UU church every week and fasting during Ramadan?” Well, I haven’t converted from Islam to anything else, and I haven’t become a member of the UU church, so I feel the same senseContinueContinue reading “Ramadan 2017: 1”

1965: The Sound of Music

:The Sound of Music: One sunny Sunday, Joel, Betsie and I enjoyed an Indian buffet lunch, cupcakes at Gigi’s, and an afternoon of the Sound of Music. As we know, my judgment on a movie is to decide whether I would watch it again. That is a Big 10-4 for this one. I have ownedContinueContinue reading “1965: The Sound of Music”