The Unitarian Universalist Church - information

UU

Hi all,:D

Ok, this will be a long enough post but if you would like to know about Unitarian Universalism(UU), the "uncommon denomination" please read on. I am Unitarian Universalist myself so will provide any additional information.

UU is somewhat an off-branch of Christianity with its roots from Puritanism, so it can remain in the Christianity forum. I decided to get extracts from the official UU site:http://www.uua.org/ to tie neatly what it is all about instead of me repeating it all in my own words for convenience.

About Unitarian Universalism

With its historical roots in the Jewish and Christian traditions (known as Judeo-Christian) 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 centres, lectures and forums, support groups, poetry festivals, family events, adult education classes and study groups.

Unitarian Universalist Association Principles and Purposes

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 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 neighbours 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-centred 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.

The Purposes of the Unitarian Universalist Association

The Unitarian Universalist Association shall devote its resources to and exercise its corporate powers for religious, educational and humanitarian purposes. The primary purpose of the Association is to serve the needs of its member congregations, organize new congregations, extend and strengthen Unitarian Universalist institutions and implement its principles.

The Association declares and affirms its special responsibility, and that of its member societies and organizations, to promote the full participation of persons in all of its and their activities and in the full range of human endeavour without regard to race, color, sex, disability, affectional or sexual orientation, age, or national origin and without requiring adherence to any particular interpretation of religion or to any particular religious belief or creed.

Nothing herein shall be deemed to infringe upon the individual freedom of belief which is inherent in the Universalist and Unitarian heritages or to conflict with any statement of purpose, covenant, or bond of union used by any society unless such is used as a creedal test.

Anyone who has any FAQs about do whether UUs believe in God, Christ, Christian, homosexual rights, etc. for example, or anything else don't hesitate. All opinions are welcome but no discrimination or any intolerance please.

I'm full of info so keep them posts coming!,:v:

Daniel:)

solas

are there UU churches in Ireland?
How did you come to find them?
I recall a thread in christianity where you claimed after completing a "which religion are you" questionaire the concept UU resonated with you.
Has this been your main motivation to get involved and if so do you attend services regularly.

UU

solas wrote:

are there UU churches in Ireland?
How did you come to find them?
I recall a thread in christianity where you claimed after completing a "which religion are you" questionaire the concept UU resonated with you.
Has this been your main motivation to get involved and if so do you attend services regularly.

Dear Solas,

There are only two UU churches in Ireland - one is in Dublin and the other is in Cork.

The Dublin Unitarian Church is located on St.Steven's Green (beside the Luas line) in Dublin 2. I found out about them from my uncle as I'm gay and wasn't happy staying in the Catholic Church due to their attitude toward homosexuality. Yes this is my main motivation to get involved as I like it a lot more than traditional Christian churches and like to have my own beliefs. I attend service every Sunday morning at 11.00 a.m. Check out their website at http://www.unitarianchurchdublin.org/ for more info.

The Unitarian Fellowship in Cork. Their website is http://www.princesstuc.com/.

the real ramon

Hi UU

I've been interested in Unitarian Universalism for a few months now. I keep meaning to go to a service, but have always preferred my bed in the morning!

I'm now really interested as you have the Yin-yang symbol at the end of your posts. I have always thought that there's an element to Christianity which fits very well with Taoism, and both of them with Anarchism. The above three with a kind of pantheist-animism seem together to fit my own vaguely formed beliefs.

Would Unitarian Universalism fit with Christian Anarchism in your view?

Would UU fit with a belief that we should work for 'a world where all worlds fit' as the Zapatistas have set as their desired wish for the world?

UU

the real ramon wrote:

Hi UU

I've been interested in Unitarian Universalism for a few months now. I keep meaning to go to a service, but have always preferred my bed in the morning!

I'm now really interested as you have the Yin-yang symbol at the end of your posts. I have always thought that there's an element to Christianity which fits very well with Taoism, and both of them with Anarchism. The above three with a kind of pantheist-animism seem together to fit my own vaguely formed beliefs.

Would Unitarian Universalism fit with Christian Anarchism in your view?

Would UU fit with a belief that we should work for 'a world where all worlds fit' as the Zapatistas have set as their desired wish for the world?

If I were to tell you that Unitarianism works with this and that, I'd be a fool. UU is a non-dogma faith, it looks to all faiths and spiritualities(both organised and unorganised) for inspiration, and searches for truth. Here is our creed:

Our bond of union is religious sympathy, not the declaration of a creed bound upon faith. In the love of truth and the spirit of Christ, we unite for the worship of God and the service of our fellows.

Love is the doctrine of this church, the quest of truth is its sacrament and service is its prayer. To dwell together in peace, to seek knowledge in freedom, to serve mankind in fellowship and in the end all souls shall grow in harmony with the divine. This do we covenant with each other and with God.

Some Unitarians are Christians, others are Jewish, some are Pagan and others are humanist. Few are atheist and everyone else is something else or everything else. Unitarianism came from Puritanism so it still holds some Christian elements. You can hold Taoism beliefs also. Anarchism? If you wish but UU is still an organised faith to a certain extend but compared to most other faiths which have dogmas, rulers and rules, UU holds very little. Our minister is employed by the congregation, there is no superiority and higher-archy - everyone is equal. There is only one thing UU will ask of you and one thing only is to be a "free thinker who questions everything" and that is all. I will post some FAQs for you and everyone else.

You're welcome to come along if you wish - the details are above. Come on sacrifice your bed one morning less in the morning on the UU quest for the search of truth! Lol!
Good luck!

Daniel;)

UU

What do UUs believe about God?

Some Unitarian Universalists are non-theists and do not find language about God useful. The faith of other Unitarian Universalists in God may be profound, though among these, too, talk of God may be restrained. Why?

The word God is much abused. Far too often, the word seems to refer to a kind of granddaddy in the sky or a super magician. To avoid confusion, many Unitarian Universalists are more apt to speak of "reverence for life" (in the words of Albert Schweitzer, a Unitarian), the spirit of love or truth, the holy, or the gracious. Many also prefer such language because it is inclusive; theist and non-theist members use it with integrity.

Whatever our theological persuasion, Unitarian Universalists generally agree that the fruits of religious belief matter more than beliefs about religion-even about God. So we usually speak more of the fruits: gratitude for blessings, worthy aspirations, the renewal of hopes, and service on behalf of justice.


What about Jesus?

Classically, Unitarian Universalist Christians have understood Jesus as a savior because he was a God-filled human being, not a supernatural being. He was, and still is for many UUs, an exemplar, and one who has shown the way of redemptive love, in whose spirit anyone may live generously and abundantly. Among us, Jesus' very human life and teaching have been understood as products of, and in line with, the great Jewish tradition of prophets and teachers. He neither broke with that tradition nor superseded it.

Many of us honour Jesus, and many of us honour other master teachers of past or present generations, like Moses or the Buddha. As a result, mixed-tradition families may find common ground in the UU fellowship without compromising other loyalties.


Are Unitarian Universalists Christian?

Yes and no.

Yes, some Unitarian Universalists are Christian. Personal encounter with the spirit of Jesus as the Christ richly informs their religious lives.

No, Unitarian Universalists are not Christian; if by Christian you mean those who think that acceptance of any creedal belief whatsoever is necessary for salvation. Those orthodox Christians who claim none consider Unitarian Universalist Christians heretics but Christians are "saved." (Fortunately, not all the orthodox make that claim.)

Yes, Unitarian Universalists are Christian in the sense that both Unitarian and Universalist history are part of Christian history. Our core principles and practices were first articulated and established by liberal Christians.

Some Unitarian Universalists are not Christian. For though they may acknowledge the Christian history of our faith, Christian stories and symbols are no longer primary for them. They draw their personal faith from many sources: nature, intuition, other cultures, science, civil liberation movements, and so on.


And about the Bible?

In most of our congregations, our children learn Bible stories as a part of their church school curricula. It is not unusual to find adult study groups in the churches, or in workshops at summer camps and conferences, focusing on the Bible. Allusions to biblical symbols and events are frequent in our sermons. In most of our congregations, the Bible is read as any other sacred text might be-from time to time, but not routinely.

We have especially cherished the prophetic books of the Bible. Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, and other prophets dared to speak critical words of love to the powerful, calling for justice for the oppressed. The biblical prophets have inspired many Unitarian and Universalist social reformers. We hallow the names of Unitarian and Universalist prophets: Joseph Tuckerman, Dorothea Dix, Clara Barton, Theodore Parker, Susan B. Anthony, and many others.

We do not, however, hold the Bible-or any other account of human experience-to be either an infallible guide or the exclusive source of truth. Much biblical material is mythical or legendary. Not that it should be discarded for that reason! Rather, it should be treasured for what it is. We believe that we should read the Bible as we read other books (or the newspaper) - with imagination and a critical eye.

We also respect the sacred literature of other religions. Contemporary works of science, art, and social commentary are valued as well. We hold, in the words of an old liberal formulation, that "revelation is not sealed." Unitarian Universalists aspire to truth as wide as the world-we look to find truth anywhere, universally.


How do UUs understand salvation?

The English word salvation derives from the Latin salus, meaning health. Unitarian Universalists are as concerned with salvation, in the sense of spiritual health or wholeness, as any other religious people.

However, in many Western churches, salvation has come to be associated with a specific set of beliefs or a spiritual transformation of a very limited type.

Among Unitarian Universalists, instead of salvation you will hear of our yearning for, and our experience of, personal growth, increased wisdom, strength of character, and gifts of insight, understanding, inner and outer peace, courage, patience, and compassion. The ways, in which these things come to, change, and heal us, are many indeed. We seek and celebrate them in our worship.

the real ramon

Hmmm..interesting.

I like the way you don't have to believe in God (I don't), but I believe the universe and this planet work on a principle of balance, I find my spirituality in nature among other things, not an invisible sky God, and I certainly don't think the Bible or any other book were written by supreme beings etc.

I like the way you can be something other than Christian and all can still come together. Anyone with a genuine interest in spirituality rather than dogma (Ughhh) are really looking for the same thing no matter how they find it.

As I see it all teachers are, well, teachers and philosophers, and can be of use whatever your beliefs, I like the Tao te Ching, but I also think Jesus had some interesting things to say, and I think a kind of animist-pagan belief that animals, too, are special, and worthy of our respect (something which has always rankled with me about Christianity, is that it seems to think nature and animals are ours to do as we wish with- I don't believe that- to me all life is special).

If I can combine the above and be accepted, then I think I might just sacrifice my bed in the morning!

the real ramon

ttilting

Please Note

For anyone doing research,

There is no

''Unitarian Universalist'' Church in Ireland, as claimed above.

There is however a Unitarian Church.

Unitarian Universalism is a distinctly a US religion, while Unitarianism does have similar value's and tolerances and is a very open ''religion'', It is distinctly traditional in many ceremonial ways.

My View . . . Choosing a religion or switching religion should be about finding somewhere that has beliefs & values that resonate deeply with you, not Just joining an organisation to make some sort of ''trendy'' statement.

I highly recommend Unitarianism for anyone who is truly looking for truth and Is willing to agree that they probably have to find the answers for them self.

marti8

UU wrote: »

Dear Solas,

There are only two UU churches in Ireland - one is in Dublin and the other is in Cork.

The Dublin Unitarian Church is located on St.Steven's Green (beside the Luas line) in Dublin 2. I found out about them from my uncle as I'm gay and wasn't happy staying in the Catholic Church due to their attitude toward homosexuality. Yes this is my main motivation to get involved as I like it a lot more than traditional Christian churches and like to have my own beliefs. I attend service every Sunday morning at 11.00 a.m. Check out their website at http://www.unitarianchurchdublin.org/ for more info.

The Unitarian Fellowship in Cork. Their website is http://www.princesstuc.com/.

I think you are wrong, no offence. It seems that Unitarianism and Unitarian Universalism are not one and the same. From what I can see Unitarians are Christian however Unitarian Universalists can be anything. The Unitarian Church in Dublin state: "Our bond of union is religious sympathy, not the declaration of a creed-bound faith. In the love of truth and in the spirit of Christ, we unite for the worship of God and the service of our fellows." Whereas the wiki entry for Unitarian Universalist states: "Contemporary Unitarian Universalists espouse a pluralist approach to religion, whereby the followers may be atheist, theist, or any point in between." From what I can see the Unitarian Church here in Ireland is a Christian Church (one which rejects the Trinity) It is not Unitarian Universalist, how could it be when you look at its own mission statement re: Jesus and God.

It seems there is no Unitarian Universalist (UU) church in Ireland.

eyescreamcone

The Unitarians certainly welcome all UUs.
I do not believe in a deity and my wife while being spiritual, associated herself with no organised religion.

Before our wedding we researched different types of weddings and came up with a Unitarian wedding which we wrote in full ourselves with no mention of the word god in it.
Plenty of nature, universe included etc.
(the civil ceremony seemed too cold for us)

The Unitarians accomodated our mixed up belief system and embraced them and us.

My wife recently described herself as Unitarian in the recent census.

We have been to some services which are friendly and informal.

I cannot speak more highly of my interaction with this group.

No judging, no preaching and all are welcome.
(even if you are divorced, gay or lesbian, unmarried mother etc)

marti8

eyescreamcone wrote: »

The Unitarians certainly welcome all UUs.
I do not believe in a deity and my wife while being spiritual, associated herself with no organised religion.

Before our wedding we researched different types of weddings and came up with a Unitarian wedding which we wrote in full ourselves with no mention of the word god in it.
Plenty of nature, universe included etc.
(the civil ceremony seemed too cold for us)

The Unitarians accomodated our mixed up belief system and embraced them and us.

My wife recently described herself as Unitarian in the recent census.

We have been to some services which are friendly and informal.

I cannot speak more highly of my interaction with this group.

No judging, no preaching and all are welcome.
(even if you are divorced, gay or lesbian, unmarried mother etc)

That's nice but it has to be remembered that Unitarians ARE Christian. The Unitarian Church IS a Christian Church. UU's can be anything even atheist or agnostic. The Unitarian Church in Dublin clearly state as part of their mission sstatement from their own website: "Our bond of union is religious sympathy, not the declaration of a creed-bound faith. In the love of truth and in the spirit of Christ, we unite for the worship of God and the service of our fellows." That can be problematic when one doesn't believe in Jesus or possibly even in God. They are a Christian denomination, they are most certainly not UU.

eyescreamcone

marti8 wrote: »

That's nice but it has to be remembered that Unitarians ARE Christian. The Unitarian Church IS a Christian Church. UU's can be anything even atheist or agnostic. The Unitarian Church in Dublin clearly state as part of their mission sstatement from their own website: "Our bond of union is religious sympathy, not the declaration of a creed-bound faith. In the love of truth and in the spirit of Christ, we unite for the worship of God and the service of our fellows." That can be problematic when one doesn't believe in Jesus or possibly even in God. They are a Christian denomination, they are most certainly not UU.

I don't think that Unitarians are a Christian church as such.
They do not believe in the trinity of god(s).
They believe in one god (hence their name).
They do not believe in the divinity of the man Jesus Christ, I think.

They respect Jesus and his teachings though.

marti8

eyescreamcone wrote: »

I don't think that Unitarians are a Christian church as such.
They do not believe in the trinity of god(s).
They believe in one god (hence their name).
They do not believe in the divinity of the man Jesus Christ, I think.

They respect Jesus and his teachings though.

No offence but they are Christian, they are what would be called Nontrinitarian Christian yet Christian all the same http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nontrinitarianism Just as The RC Church would be Trinitarian Christian.

Now if I'm wrong so be it but that's my read of it, lol.

eyescreamcone

One Unitarian service I was at, a girl from Canada, who described herself as UU, did a reading.
Nobody minded - everybody was respectful of everyone else.
If my idea of a god/nature/universe can be accomodated with some of Jesus' wise words...
"Treat others as you would like to be treated" etc...
and have none of the silly rules of the RCC then we are on the right road.

Of course I wouldn't assume to know whether my version is correct or not.

eyescreamcone

While respectful of the teachings of Jesus - they do not believe that he is a god or part of a god.
If that is Christian, it's Christian (very) lite.

marti8

eyescreamcone wrote: »

One Unitarian service I was at, a girl from Canada, who described herself as UU, did a reading.
Nobody minded - everybody was respectful of everyone else.
If my idea of a god/nature/universe can be accomodated with some of Jesus' wise words...
"Treat others as you would like to be treated" etc...
and have none of the silly rules of the RCC then we are on the right road.

Of course I wouldn't assume to know whether my version is correct or not.

You see from their mission statement, the simple fact that they mention Jesus and God suggests to me they are certainly not UU but simply eh, U. lol Specifically the suggestion of Jesus suggests to me at least that they are Christian, now they may be tolerant Christians etc however they are still Christian.That could be an issue for some, myself included, who are not Chrisitian. You'd kinda have to forget about it or pretend they weren't at heart a Christian Church, which is exactly what they are. From what I know UU's on the other hand are predominantly not Christian - some are but that majority are not from my understanding.

marti8

eyescreamcone wrote: »

While respectful of the teachings of Jesus - they do not believe that he is a god or part of a god.
If that is Christian, it's Christian (very) lite.

The fact that they even mention God at all means they are not UU. An atheist can be a UU, an atheist could not be a Unitarian.

marti8

eyescreamcone wrote: »

While respectful of the teachings of Jesus - they do not believe that he is a god or part of a god.
If that is Christian, it's Christian (very) lite.

According to the Unitarian Church in Cork they are Christian. From their site "We are today described as liberal or free Christians" http://www.unitarianchurchcork.org/Aboutus.html

eyescreamcone

Interesting point.
Although I think the Unitarians would not exclude someone for being an atheist (if that's how an atheist wanted to describe himself!).

In the USA the Unitarians joined with the Universalists in the 60s (?) to form the Unitarian Universalists (UUs)

Even though this has not formally happened in Ireland I think in principle it has. And all are accepted and welcomed.

Please accept that my knowledge on these matters is very limited.
I'd be delighted if a regular attendee at the Unitarian Church could enlighten us.

marti8

Yeah, it would be good if a Unitarian could enlighten us.

Benny_Cake

As far as I know,the two Unitarian churches in Dublin and Cork are affiliated with the Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church of Ireland,a body which broke away from the Presbyterians as they refused to accept the need for members to "subscribe" to a common creed.The NSPCI would have a distinctly Christian flavour,although it would be very liberal.From what little I know of the Unitarian church in Dublin there would be very little that would make an athiest feel
uncomfortable.

The use of the term "Unitarian Universalist" is redundant in the Irish context as it is an American denomination which came from the merging of the American Unitarian Association and the Universalist Church of America some 50 years ago.

kermit64

I've never been to one of the services so I can't speak from experience but looking at their literature and listening to their services ( all possible on line) I've discovered one of their "sermons" was given by a Mr. John Ward on the very subject of why an atheist like him is a member of the church .... and he's not alone in declaring what would otherwise be considered non-christian beliefs... have a wander around their site http://www.dublinunitarianchurch.org/ Their strongest "creed" is that there is no creed :-)

eyescreamcone

Check out www.unitarian.org.uk there some youtube videos explaining what Unitarianism is all about.
There is one that describes their relationship with christianity.
Very interesting - in my opinion!