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UUCH Beliefs
What Do Unitarian Universalists Believe? by
David O. Rankin
- We believe in the freedom of religious expression.
All individuals should be encouraged to develop their own personal
theology, and to present openly their religious opinions without fear
of censure or reprisal.
- We believe in the toleration of religious ideas. All
religions, in every age and culture, possess not only an intrinsic
merit, but also a potential value for those who have learned the art of
listening.
- We believe in the authority of reason and
conscience. The ultimate arbiter in religion is not a church, or a
document, or an official, but the personal choice and decision of the
individual.
- We believe in the never-ending search for Truth. If
the mind and heart are truly free and open, the revelations which
appear to the human spirit are infinitely numerous, eternally fruitful,
and wondrously exciting.
- We believe in the unity of experience. There is no
fundamental conflict between faith and knowledge, religion and the
world, the sacred and the secular, since they all have their source in
the same reality.
- We believe in the worth and dignity of each human
being. All people on earth have an equal claim to life, liberty, and
justice -- and no idea, ideal, or philosophy is superior to a single
human life.
- We believe in the ethical application of religion.
Good works are the natural product of a good faith, the evidence of an
inner grace that finds completion in social and community involvement.
- We believe in the motive force of love. The
governing principle in human relationships is the principle of love,
which always seeks the welfare of others and never seeks to hurt or
destroy.
- We believe in the necessity of the democratic
process. Records are open to scrutiny, elections are open to members,
and ideas are open to criticism -- so that people might govern
themselves.
- We believe in the importance of a religious
community. The validation of experience requires the confirmation of
peers, who provide a critical platform along with a network of mutual
support.
Copyright ©
1989. Unitarian Universalist Association. All rights reserved.
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