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We are
Unitarian Universalists
by Marta Flanagan
Are you looking for a religious home?
Unitarian Universalists say:
"I want a religion
that respects the differences between people and affirms every
person as an individual."
"I want a church that
values children, that welcomes them on their own terms...a church
they are eager to attend on Sunday morning."
"I want a
congregation that cherishes freedom and encourages open dialogue
on questions of faith, one in which it is okay to change your
mind."
"I want a religious
community that affirms spiritual exploration and reason as ways of
finding truth."
"I want a church
that acts locally and thinks globally on the great issues of our
time...world peace; women's rights; racial justice; homelessness;
gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender rights; and protection of
the environment."
What We Believe
Unitarian Universalism
is a liberal religion born of the Jewish and Christian traditions.
We keep our minds open to the religious questions people have
struggled with in all times and places.
We believe that personal
experience, conscience, and reason should be the final authorities
in religion. In the end religious authority lies not in a book,
person, or institution, but in ourselves. We put religious insights
to the test of our hearts and minds.
We uphold the free
search for truth. We will not be bound by a statement of belief.
We do not ask anyone to subscribe to a creed. We say ours is a
non-creedal religion. Ours is a free faith.
We believe that
religious wisdom is ever changing. Human understanding of life and
death, the world and its mysteries, is never final. Revelation is
continuous. We celebrate unfolding truths known to teachers,
prophets, and sages throughout the ages.
We affirm the worth of
all women and men. We believe people should be encouraged to think
for themselves. We know people differ in their opinions and
lifestyles, and we believe these differences generally should be
honored.
We seek to act as a
moral force in the world, believing that ethical living is the
supreme witness of religion. The here and now and the effects our
actions will have on future generations deeply concern us. We know
that our relationships with one another, with diverse peoples,
races, and nations, should be governed by justice, equity, and
compassion.
Each Unitarian
Universalist congregation is involved in many kinds of programs.
Worship is held regularly, the insights of the past and present
are shared with those who will create the future, service to the
community is undertaken, and friendships are made. A visitor to a
Unitarian Universalist congregation will very likely find events
and activities such as church school, daycare centers, lectures
and forums, support groups, family events, adult education
classes, and study groups...all depending on the needs and
interests of the local members.
Each Unitarian
Universalist congregation is the fulfillment of a long heritage that
goes back hundreds of years to courageous people who struggled for
freedom in thought and faith. On this continent we include the
Massachusetts settlers and the founders of the republic. Outstanding
Unitarians and Universalists include John Adams, Clara Barton,
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Louisa May Alcott, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Susan
B. Anthony, Adlai Stevenson, Eliot Richardson, and Whitney Young.
Not as famous but equally worthy are the thousands of men and women
in our congregations leading vital, dedicated, and useful lives.
Our congregations are
self-governing. Authority and responsibility are vested in the
membership of the congregation. Each local congregation, called a
church, society, or fellowship, adopts its own bylaws, elects its
own officers, and approves its budget. Every member is encouraged
to take part in church or fellowship activities.
We Unite
More than one thousand
congregations make up the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA),
which represents our interests on a continental scale.
The UUA grew out of the consolidation, in
1961, of two religious denominations, the Universalists, organized
in 1793, and the Unitarians, organized in 1825.
The UUA provides resources and offers
consultations to local congregations, creates religious education
curricula, spurs social action efforts, expedites the settlement
of professional religious leaders, supports
Beacon Press,
and produces pamphlets, devotional materials, and the bimonthly
journal the
UU World.
The UUA works in concert
with many other Unitarian Universalist organizations, the largest of
which is the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC). Since
its early work aiding victims of Nazi oppression, the UUSC has been
helping people help themselves through service and advocacy programs
around the world. The Unitarian Universalist Women's Federation, an
independent membership organization, represents, organizes, and acts
on the concerns and issues of importance to UU women across the
continent. Another related organization is the Unitarian
Universalist Church of the Larger Fellowship, which provides a
ministry to geographically isolated religious liberals.
The best way is to
come, see, think, and explore with us. A warm welcome awaits you.
Marta Flanagan
graduated from Smith College and received her master of divinity
from Harvard Divinity School. She is co-minister at the Unitarian
Universalist Church of Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
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