Unitarian Universalist Symbol
I stumbled on this religion and did a little reading. I had heard of them before but it didn’t take the first time. This time though, wow. This religion fascinates me! I will be going to a service tomorrow to see how it fits me. So far, online, it fits me very well. Here is what they are about:
Unitarian Universalists place emphasis on spiritual growth and development. Unitarian Universalism is a creedless religion. The Unitarian Universalist Association affirms seven principles:
* The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
* Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
* Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
* A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
* The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;
* The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;
* Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.
The official statement of Unitarian Universalist principles describes the “sources” upon which current practice is based:
* Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life;
* Words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love;
* Wisdom from the world’s religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life;
* Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God’s love by loving our neighbors as ourselves;
* Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit.
* Spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.
As I continue my journey with the UU’s, I will likely provide some links here.
Until next time…
Rebkeh
I hope you enjoyed your first service! I am a Membership Coordinator at a UU congregation in Wisconsin. I am still grateful for the UU community I have found here.
It was wonderful! I have trouble hearing, so I struggled with the sermon itself. However, I met new people and everyone was very accepting. I was struck by how tolerant and positive the UU environment and people are . I will definitely be going back next week. It is so odd to think of the words “church” and “tolerant” in the same sentence, but I am pleasantly surprised.
This is good to hear. The Unitarian church always sounded interesting to me also…
That’s so weird, we’ve been going to a UU church in Eugene for the past few years. Very, very cool people. And they don’t care that I’m an Atheist!