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What do Unitarian Universalists believe?
Unitarian Universalism is an ethically based religion, which means it focuses upon how one lives in the world. Spiritual values such as love, understanding, compassion, justice, trust in life, in humanity and in the possibility of goodness inform and shape our ethical principles. Such a religion looks to character and ethics as holding the greatest importance in life. This is different in that many faiths are creedally based, which means that belief in a certain doctrine and creed is of uppermost importance. Unitarian Universalism has no one belief or doctrine that members must hold to. Indeed, Unitarian Universalists; claim the freedom, the right and the responsibility to form their own faith structures and beliefs. This is not to say that Unitarian Universalists have no beliefs. Not at all. We have many ways of believing: some believe in God and/or Goddess, some look to Jesus, or Buddha, or keep their Jewish tradition, or look for truth and meaning in the laws of science, or find inspiration in nature or in the lives of prophetic men and women. Unitarian Universalism has a pluralistic world view. We accept and celebrate diversity of belief and in our communities we fashion ways for different people to co-exist in peace and harmony. What is most important to us is the way people expresstheir beliefs in the ethical living of their lives.
What are the ethical principles of Unitarian Universalism?
Unitarian Universalists take as their ethical guidelines the Statement of Principles and Purposes, which was created in the mid-1980's and accepted by the General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association. They affirm and promote the following:
We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote:
* 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.
The Association declares and affirms its special responsibility, and that of its member societies and organizations, to promote the full participation of persons in all of its and their activities and in the full range of human endeavor without regard to race, color, sex, disability, affectional or sexual orientation, age, or national origin and without requiring adherence to any particular interpretation of religion or to any particular religious belief or creed.
Nothing herein shall be deemed to infringe upon the individual freedom of belief which is inherent in the Universalist and Unitarian heritages or to conflict with any statement of purpose, covenant, or bond of union used by any society unless such is used as a creedal test.
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