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What We Believe
We are a faith community born of the progressive elements of western religions,
but draw our inspirations from the whole world of sacred teachings. We have always
affirmed the freedom of religious belief and asserted that the individual person is
the final authority in matters of belief. We have placed freedom and reason and
tolerance at the center of the spiritual life, and encourage all of our members to
engage with their whole self to discover a deeper sense of meaning and purpose in their lives.
We are non-dogmatic and non-creedal and believe that truth is a dynamic and organic
process. We seek to grow in wisdom together as we explore the significant events of
our lives, drawing from the arts, music and literature, science and personal experience
to find ways of living more abundant lives.
We believe that we can bring about a better world through our actions, and that we are
all called to pursue the causes of peace and justice and equality. Individually and
together we can be agents of change to heal what is often a broken world, as well as
to learn how to live responsible and sustainable lives on our precious earth.
We believe that there is a sacred and holy element to life and that our task is to
experience and care for what is holy, from our relationships with each other to our
relationship with the earth. Above all, we believe that our lives have meaning and
purpose, and that we can live lives worthy of our highest ideals.
- 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.
Unitarian Universalism (UU) 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 that 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 that celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.
These principles and sources of faith are the backbone of our religious community.
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