Great teachers of many faiths have stressed the worth and dignity of the human spirit, the relatedness of all peoples, and the importance of ethical behavior. These are core values for the UU religious movement.
While our religious roots are Judeo-Christian, today's Unitarian Universalists encompass a large spectrum of faith perspectives including: Atheist/Agnostic, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Humanist, Jewish, Muslim, Pagan, and more.
Take a few minutes to watch this video about our diverse beliefs and shared values. The video was produced by the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), our national support organization.
UU congregations do not have a creed, but we affirm these seven principles
- 1st Principle: The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
- 2nd Principle: Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
- 3rd Principle: Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
- 4th Principle: A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
- 5th Principle: The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;
- 6th Principle: The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;
- 7th Principle: Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.
The seven Principles and six Sources (see below) of the Unitarian Universalist Association grew out of the grassroots of our communities, were affirmed democratically, and are part of who we are.
Although we uphold shared principles, individual Unitarian Universalists have varied beliefs about everything from scripture to rituals to God. We uphold a free search for truth and find that search more meaningful when shared in community.
Our religious perspectives draw from many sources. The "Six Sources" we cite are:
UUs strive to listen, learn and grow from teachings that come from many diverse sources, including:
- Direct experience of 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 people 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 focus on this life and how to ethically treat others, to heed the guidance of reason and 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;
History of Unitarian Universalism
Unitarian Universalism is a non-creedal religion that is over 400 years old. Our religious roots are grounded in two controversial early Christian "heresies". The Unitarians denied the Trinity as being non-biblical, and the Universalists believed in universal salvation, as opposed to salvation of only the promised elect.
In the U.S., the Universalist Church of America was organized in 1793 and the American Unitarian Association organized in 1825. The two movements joined together in 1961. ( Read more on the web site for the Unitarian Universalist Association)
Browse a list of recommended books about Unitarian Universalism.
Famous Unitarians include John Adams, PT Barnum, Kurt Vonnegut and many more....