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unitarian
universalist associationwikipedia
- unitarian universalism
Unitarian Universalismis
a
liberal religion that affirms the right of each
person to search for the answers to questions of ultimate importance.
The goal of the congregation is to create an environment that
supports each member in his or her search for truth and
meaning. We believe that service to humanity is a
component of the well-lived life, and so social action is an
integral element of our faith.
The Principles and Purposes of
Unitarian Universalism
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.
Grateful for the
religious pluralism
which enriches and ennobles our faith, we are inspired to deepen our
understanding and expand our vision. As free congregations we enter
into this covenant, promising to one another our mutual trust and
support.
A brief history of Unitarian
Universalism
The denomination evolved from two strands of liberal
Christianity. Unitarians emphasized the
teachings of Jesus, with less emphasis on his divinity and the meaning
of his life and death. This movement was prominent in the first three
centuries after Jesus' death, but became a heresy after the official
adoption of the Trinitarian (God in three parts) position by the
council of Nicea in 325 CE and thereafter. Unitarian
theology surfaced throughout western history, most strongly in
New England
Congregational churches in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth
centuries. Many of the
founding fathers (Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and others) were
Unitarians, and Unitarians have been prominent in
politics, social action, the arts and sciences in the
United States
since that time (Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Clara
Barton, Dorthea Dix, Adlai Stevenson, Linus Pauling, and many
others). Universalism is the belief that the salvation
offered by the life and death of Jesus is universal (universal
reconciliation), available to
believers and non-believers alike.
This movement reached
its peak in America in the late nineteenth century, and was the sixth
largest denomination at the turn of the 20th century. Both movements
attracted skeptical persons of various beliefs who had failed to find
supportive environments within creedal religions. The two denominations
merged to form the Unitarian Universalist Association in
1961. Unitarian
Universalist Congregation of
Tuscaloosa
6400 New Watermelon Road
Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35406
(205) 758-8729 1 March 2006
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