Who's your favorite famous Unitarian, Universalist or UU?

[Trey of Diamonds]

No need to limit yourself to just one, although it may be easier to discuss them one per post, still there's no rules or restrictions. Tell us who you like and why.

One of my favorites is Buckminster Fuller. I only recently discovered he was a Unitarian and for some reason it thrills me that the man who created the Geodesic Dome and discovered Fullerenes (buckyballs), was a Unitarian.

 

[Storm]

I don't know as much about our history and illustrious members as I would like. I suppose I'd have to go with Jefferson.

 

[lilithu]

I can name any number of Us, Us, and UUs whom I admire (and a few whom I don't), but the two most dear to my heart are:

1. Linus Pauling. I don't know how many people have won TWO Nobel prizes but there can't be many. Pauling did. First in chemistry, he was a brilliant scientist, and second the Peace prize, he was a compassionate activist. I love his painting in the National Portrait Gallery. So approachable and such sweet eyes.

2. Christopher Reeve. I didn't think about him one way or another as an actor. But Reeve really impressed me in the way he responded to the accident. When I heard him speak at the Society for Neuroscience convention in Los Angeles, he acknowledged that he has been lucky in that he had a supportive family and money to pay for the finest medical care. (If he didn't he would have already died by then.) And because of that it was his responsibility to speak for those who could not - to urge the neuroscience community to speed things up, take risks, do anything to find a cure. He was intelligent and spiritual. I am so sorry that he died.

 

[J Bryson]

This is going to sound very silly considering the number of illustrious people that we have to choose from, but I'm going with Robert Fulghum.

I was hanging out at home in the early 90s. Having read all of my books, and having no money to buy more, I was forced to turn to the collection of my girlfriend at the time. The only one of hers that I hadn't read was "All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten". Groan. Horribly twee title, and I couldn't conceive of how I could possibly gain anything from the book.

Picking it up with some reluctance (better than staring at the walls), I started reading the book. It charmed me. The essays were fun, enjoyable, and I generally felt like I was being given the literary equivalent of hot cocoa and a warm blanket. Along with some later Baha'i studies, his position as a UU minister caused me to think that it was time to start considering going to church again...which I did, a few years later. And again a year or two after that.

Seriously, I'm going to do it regularly now.

 

[lilithu]

This is going to sound very silly considering the number of illustrious people that we have to choose from, but I'm going with Robert Fulghum.

Not silly at all.

 

[keithnurse]

How about Rod Serling of The Twilight Zone? There was a very good article about him in UU World awhile back.

 

[J Bryson]

Serling's a great one, and the ideals really shine through in The Twilight Zone.

 

[Lucian]

I just finished reading Dr. William Ellery Channing's "Unitarian Christianity", and I must say that I like him.

 

[lilithu]

I just finished reading Dr. William Ellery Channing's "Unitarian Christianity", and I must say that I like him.

I can see why an Arian Christian would like Channing.