First Universalist Home Page
Site Map
|
|
# Link to sites outside of First Universalist
|
What Unitarian Universalists Believe
Twenty years ago, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist
Association adopted the following principles.
We, the member congregations of the Unitarian
Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote
- 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 living tradition which we share draws from many sources:
- 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.
|
This statement was the end result of a deliberative process, and it is
subject to future evolution. When challenged as to "Where do you
stand?", a humorous but not inaccurate reply is that "We do not
stand--we move."
The following links represent other efforts to explain our common ground.
This page last updated on
03/29/06
|