What do UUs believe?
...and other Frequently Asked Questions
1. What do Unitarian Universalists believe?
We have no set creed or dogma. However,
we have certain principles we covenant to affirm and promote. These are...
-
The inherent worth and dignity of every person
-
Justice, equity and compassion in human relations
-
Acceptance of one another and encouragement to 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
2. From what sources do Unitarian Universalists draw their
traditions?
-
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 calls 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.
3. What is the history of Unitarian Universalism?
The Unitarian Universalist Association
is a denomination formed in 1961 by the merger of two separate, but similar,
branches - Unitarianism and Universalism - of the Protestant tradition, but
its roots lie 400 years deep in the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century.
Unitarianism grew from the conviction
that God is one unified whole, rather than three parts, thus the name Unitarian.
This faith first emerged in Poland and Romania, later traveling to England
and then to the United States where noted figures such as Henry David Thoreau,
Ralph Waldo Emerson and Louisa May Alcott were active and influential in
its development.
Universalism began in England as a faith
affirming universal salvation, a faith that God is a God of love who would
not consign any soul to eternal punishment. This religion traveled to
Pennsylvania. New Jersey, and New England in the late 1700's and flourished
in this country.
Our two denominations always had in common
an open-ended stance in matters of belief; refusing to be limited by fixed
creeds or doctrines. This holds true today as we affirm the ongoing potential
for human reason and experience to formulate new religious insights; and
as we affirm that the ultimate mysteries of life and of death, the mysteries
of creation, may never be fully known or able to be captured in a final statement
of truth.
4. How is Unitarian Universalism organized?
Each Unitarian Universalist society has
a unique personality and is autonomous in its decision making. The denomination,
as an association of churches, provides resources, including religious education
materials, ministerial training and accreditation, and a national and
international presence, but each church is owned and governed entirely by
its own members.
For more information, and links to many other sites you can go to the homepage of The Unitarian Universalist Association.
Unitarian Universalist Congregation
in Milford