What
is Unitarian Universalism?
It’s a liberal religion that draws inspiration
from many of the world’s religions and other
sources. We believe no one religion has all the
answers, but there is wisdom in each of them. We
believe in equality and in each person’s
responsibility to develop his or her own
personal faith. We have a
long history of social justice activism,
including civil rights and equal rights for
women. Half of the ministers in our denomination
are women. We are welcoming to gay, lesbian,
bisexual, and transgender people. There is also
a strong environmental aspect to Unitarian
Universalism. We believe in living responsibly
upon the earth so that future generations may
also live.
What
are your church services like?
They are Protestant in nature, with hymns,
readings, and a sermon or presentation. Our services are about
an hour in length. Our readings may come from
poetry, the Bible, other spiritual texts, or
essays about nature.
What do
you believe about God?
God means different things to each of us. Few of
us would say we believe in a grandfather-god who
would save some people and condemn others or
intercede in our lives or in the world. Many of
us believe in a god who is more of a universal
spirit or who is in each of us. Others do not
believe in a god.
What
about the Bible and Jesus?
The Bible is one of many sources of inspiration
for us. We are also inspired by poetry,
literature, other religious texts, and music.
None of these are the final authority for us,
but we learn from all of them. We believe that
Truth is not absolute. It changes over time. We
take more inspiration from Jesus’ life than from
his death. We regard Jesus as one of several
important moral and ethical teachers who have
shown humans how to live a life of love,
service, and compassion.
With so
many different beliefs, what holds you together?
Unitarian Universalism is a WAY of being
religious rather than embracing a specific
religious doctrine. For us, religion is an
ongoing search for meaning, purpose, value, and
spiritual depth in one’s life. Our creed is not
doctrinal, but moral: to love your neighbor,
work for a better world, and search for truth
with an open mind. We come together in community
to support each other as we explore our own
truths.
What do
you teach children?
Children in UU religious education classes
learn about the beliefs and practices of the
world’s major religions. They learn Bible
stories and how to think for themselves about
religion, ethics, and living responsibly in the
world. We believe
in helping our children become moral and
responsible citizens. Currently, the Tyler
Fellowship is in search for a Religious
Education volunteer to lead in this program.
Why
have I not heard of your religion?
It’s fairly small, about 250,000 members and,
frankly, we don’t spread the word as well as we
should. That may be because we don’t have simple
answers. But we DO have great questions! If you
haven’t heard of the religion, you probably HAVE
heard of some of the people who have been
Unitarians or Universalists. People such as
Ralph Waldo Emerson, Louisa May Alcott, Charles
Darwin, Beatrix Potter, Paul Revere, Susan B.
Anthony, Isaac Newton, Albert Schweitzer, and
Clara Barton. And you’ve heard about some of the
causes we’ve been involved with. Our
denomination has been active in advocating for
equal rights for people of color and women,
challenging oppression around the world, working
for world peace, and in supporting environmental
causes. We look not toward a perfect heaven, but
a good earth.
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