Direct link to YouTube stream HERE.

This is the time of year when we might dress up as ghosts, vampires, monsters, or witches, but behind some of these fun and fantastic figures, there is actual, historical horror. Did you know that American Unitarianism grew out of congregationalism and that our congregationalist ancestors in Salem Massachusetts were intimately connected to the Salem witch trials, both as accusers and as victims? A key part of our Unitarian Universalist faith is the covenants we make with one another. And yet, the same congregation that established the famous “Salem Covenant” tore itself apart, as some members sent others to their deaths. How could this have happened? How can emotions like fear of the unknown, envy, and prejudice lead to oppression and conspiracy theories? What lessons do the Salem witch trials hold for us today?

Topics: Community, UU History