About Us and Our Principles
About Who We Are
Unitarian Universalism is a non-creedal, non-sacramental liberal religion which is more than 400 years old. Its religious roots are Judeo-Christian. Today, Unitarian Universalists (UUs) embrace a wide spectrum of religious backgrounds, spiritual and philosophical beliefs. Freedom, tolerance and reason are our guiding principles. Some well-known UUs include Ralph Waldo Emerson, Clara Barton, John and Abigail Adams, John Quincy Adams, Susan B. Anthony, Pete Seeger, P.T. Barnum, Kurt Vonnegut, Louisa May Alcott, Isaac Newton, Eliot Richardson, Whitney Young, and many more.
Our basic principles include a reverence for life, a respect for the inherent dignity of each person, and a belief in human potential. We believe in the use of reason in the quest for truth and in understanding and accepting one another.
We encourage ongoing spiritual growth and believe that truth is better sought in community, which helps to develop tolerance and understanding in us.
It is our hope that we may work for good in our local community, state, nation and world, awakening social conscience to the end of dispelling intolerance and injustice.
Our congregation is a member of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations (UUA) which represents the interests of more than one thousand Unitarian Universalist congregations, with 200,000 members and children in North America. The UUA grew out of the 1961 consolidation of two religious denominations: the Universalists, organized in 1793, and the Unitarians, organized in 1825. For more information on the UUA, visit its web site http://www.uua.org.
A person will worship something— have no doubt about that.
We may think our tribute is paid in secret in the dark recesses of our hearts—but it will out. That which dominates our imaginations and our thoughts will determine our lives, and character. Therefore, it behooves us to be careful what we worship, for what we are worshipping we are becoming.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Our Principles
*We 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
Adapted from the web page of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Ann Arbor, Michigan - www.uuaa.org.
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