A Unitarian Universalist’s faith may be derived from a variety of religious beliefs: Jewish, Christian, Buddhist, naturist, atheist, or agnostic.  Members might describe themselves as religious humanists, liberal Christians, or world religionists.

All of us are committed to the practice of free religion.  We worship, sing, play, study, teach, and work for social justice together as a congregation - all the while remaining strong in our individual convictions.

Back to Top

In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, radical reformers in Europe and America also studied the Bible closely. They found only a few references to hell, which they believed orthodox Christians had grossly misinterpreted.  They found, both in the Bible and in their own hearts, an unconditionally loving God.  They believed that God would not deem any human being unworthy of divine love, and that salvation was for all.  Because of this emphasis on universal salvation, they called themselves Universalists.

Some of these reformers, the Pilgrims and the Puritans, crossed the Atlantic and braved the North American wilderness to establish covenanted congregations whose direction belonged to the local members.

In North America, Unitarianism and Universalism developed separately.  Universalist congregations began to be established in the 1770s.  Other congregations, many established earlier, began to take the Unitarian name in the 1820s.  Over the decades the two groups converged in their liberal emphasis and style, and in 1961 they merged to become the Unitarian Universalist Association.

More than one thousand congregations in the United States and Canada belong to the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) of Congregations, with headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts.

Some Unitarian Universalists are nontheists 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.  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; it is used with integrity by theist and nontheist members.

For many Unitarian Universalists Jesus was, and still is 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.  Many of us honor Jesus, and many of us honor 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.

We read the Bible 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.  We do not hold the Bible - or any other account of human experience - to be either an infallible guide or the exclusive source of truth.  We also respect the sacred literature of other religions.  We value contemporary works of science, art, and social commentary as well.

Unitarian Universalists do not believe that God favors any group of people based on any inherent qualities, such as skin color, gender, sexual orientation, physical ability, etc. or that any group of people is more worthy of access to opportunities than any other as a result of these qualities.

We don't believe that autocratic, undemocratic or overly hierarchical systems are appropriate ways to organize our congregations or society.

We don't believe that humanity has the right or moral authority to exploit the environment or other life forms with whom we share this planet.

We celebrate many of the great religious holidays with enthusiasm.  Whether we gather to celebrate Christmas, Passover, or the Hindu holiday Divali, we do so in a universal context, recognizing and honoring religious observances and festivals as innate and needful in all human cultures.

We include the children in the first part of the worship service; and, after a "story for all ages," they go to another part of the church for church school.

We reserve a time for lighting "Candles of Joy and Concern."  Members are invited to light a candle at the front of the church to honor an event in their lives, to share an idea, or to ask for the thoughts and prayers of the community.  

The minister usually delivers a sermon.  The sermons are usually thematic -- often about universal themes of life, truth and meaning. They use stories, myths and poems, as well as scripture from a variety of world religions.

After the service, we have refreshments and a chance for people to socialize and discuss the worship service.

Our children are taught to think for themselves, while receiving guidance on moral and ethical behavior, respect for others, and self-respect.  They learn Bible stories and talk about them, allowing their individual beliefs to unfold without a dogmatic interpretation.  We present them with thought-provoking themes and allow them the space to develop points of view and convictions.  Children learn about the beliefs and practices of the world's major religions.  They are encouraged to respect differences in theology.

We have an award-winning, age-appropriate sexuality education program for our youth as well as a Coming of Age process that most churches use.  Coming of Age is a program in which a church fosters the transition of its youth into young adulthood.

We have no creedal requirements. By signing the book, you declare yourself a part of our community, and you affirm your pledge to enter and to remain in a continuing and tolerant dialogue concerning the ways of truth and love, a dialogue within which free persuasion may occur; to share in our fellowship and in our corporate decision making; and to support with your gifts of energy and money our common work for the common good.

We periodically offer orientations for those considering or intending to join the church. These provide an introduction to the congregation and to the principles and history of our faith.

The symbol originally came from the Unitarian Service Committee.  The USC was founded during World War II to assist war refugees who needed to escape Nazi persecution.  Artist Hans Deutsch drew the flaming chalice in 1941 so that the USC could have it as a symbol for official documents.