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About Unitarian Universalism
Unitarian Universalism is a growing, worldwide 400-year-old
religious movement, with more that 200,000 members on this
continent. Although Unitarian Universalists may arrive at
different concepts of the truth, we all hold these things in
common: faith in the free mind, respect for reason, belief
in the worth and dignity of every individual, and devotion
to the goal of humankind undivided by boundaries or
differences of any kind. Unitarian Universalists subscribe
to no fixed credo. Instead members of each congregation work
together to define a vision that will best aid all in their
spiritual quest. Membership then involves covenanting to
help bring this vision to reality.
With its historical roots in the Jewish and Christian
traditions, Unitarian Universalism is a liberal religion
-- that is, a religion that keeps an open mind 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, and that in the end religious authority lies
not in a book or person or institution, but in
ourselves. We are a "non-creedal" religion: we do not
ask anyone to subscribe to a creed.
Our congregations are self-governing. Authority and
responsibility are vested in the membership of the
congregation. Each Unitarian Universalist congregation
is involved in many kinds of programs. Worship is held
regularly, the insights of the past and the present are
shared with those who will create the future, service to
the community is undertaken, and friendships are made. A
visitor to a UU congregation will very likely find
events and activities such as church school, day-care
centers, lectures and forums, support groups, poetry
festivals, family events, adult education classes and
study groups.
(Excerpts from "We Are Unitarian
Universalists", pamphlet #3047) © Unitarian Universalist
Association, 1995
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