Atlanta UU blogging has exploded in the last few weeks, and it seems like half the people I know at church are blogging now. Okay, that’s exaggerating, but you get the point. Some have been around for a bit, but most are new.

Here they are, so check them out and drop them a line. (I’m trying to get them to come to the Atlanta Blogging Group—APWBWGTTD—this Friday, so look out! It also bears mentioning that APWBWGTTD founder Mingaling is also an Atlanta Unitarian blogger.)

Atlanta Unitarian. Urban planner Louis posts thoughtful essays on spirituality, religion and politics. Good chewy reads. Louis has a knack for making you think, and his blog is no exception.

Eh: A Weblog. Whole Fooder Danielle discusses the intricacies of urban chicken, relationships and Shannon the Dog (who has a boyfriend now).

Intelligent Life. Usability guy Chris runs this established blog on culture, literature, philosophy, film and land wars in Asia. His advice on that last one? Don’t do it.

Kermit Is My Copilot. Mr. Uneasily Green talks about religion, politics and language. He’s a speech writer and organized our church writing group, so, yeah, he’s pretty damn good.

My Evil Heart. Yet another professional writer. (Chutney jealously sighs.) Alice gives us funny personal observations and pop culture commentary.

Spirituality and Sunflowers. Unmarried tutor Kinsi is writing his first novel right now from the hinterlands of Cobb County. (Yeesh.) Spirituality, politics, Weight Watchers, and getting married.

Christomighty, that makes eight of us together when last year I thought I was the only one. (Hello, world? It’s me, Chutney.) Actually, if you count Fouralarmfire and Silver Tongued Devil (who is a closeted Unitarian—come out!) over at Healing Hagar, that brings us to ten.

We promise not inflict a Unitarian Jihad on our fellow Atlanta bloggers, unless you’re into that sort of thing. Of course, if the Irish Car Bombs come out again, all bets are off.

Harry asks what character traits parents would most wish for their children to have. In an old survey, the top answers were honesty (overwhelmingly), then obedience and good judgment. Harry, in counterpoint, chooses kindness.

I’m surprised how often “academically successful” (to summarize several replies) came up in comments to Harry’s points. Disappointed, really.

Parents whose number one wish for their kids is that they be obedient need to go to the kid store and swap out junior for a well-trained dog. Children are not there to fulfill their parents’ needs and wishes. Unless it’s Opposite Day.

I probably shouldn’t be surprised that Harry’s academically successful readers would wish the same for their children. But it belies a belief (I suspect) that academically successful people are “more equal” than others. Raising children with that belief puts them on the path to narcissistic personality problems. (And probably also academic success.)

But, then again, I don’t have a PhD so I wouldn’t know.

My own answer? A split between kindness/compassion/empathy (pick your flavor) and deep joy. As other of Harry’s commenters noted, those of us familar with the noonday demon of depression would wish our children as far away from that as possible. A close third: moral courage.

And you?

Non-Prophet explains the Cheney shooting accident: “the best available intelligence showed that Harry Whittington was a pheasant, and that a preemptive stike is still, even now, believed to have been justified.”

As grandpa might have put it, the new blog Sparks in the Dark plain has some good horse sense on Unitarianism and where it should go.

Found here.

A People So Bold has the best take on future Unitarian growth and relevance I’ve seen yet. But Unitarians doing church in the hood? Isn’t that where people without advanced degrees live??