What We Believe
Although we are not bound by the formalities of conventional religion, the exercise of our freedom can be viewed by the participants in many ways. To some it will be a worship and a congregation very much in "tune" with the traditions of Christian and Jewish teachings. To others, it will be a meaningful worship freed from dogma. There are as many views and shadings as there are Unitarians---for this joint quest for truth is our essence.
- 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 freedom of religious ideas. 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 authority of reason and conscience. The ultimate arbiter in religion is not a church, or a document, or an official but the personal, responsible 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 all 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 inherent 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 inner grace that finds completion in social and community involvement.
- We believe in the motive force of love. The governing principal 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.
"In the past few centuries, the sciences have accumulated a vast amount of validated information that throws a good deal of light on not only statements of religious belief but also on the history and psychological structures of religion itself. Many sciences have contributed: not merely the disciplines concerned with human behavioral patterns,....but also those that have uncovered the biochemical and ecological roots of our nature,.....and those discovering the evolution and structure of our cosmos."...Ralph Wendell Burhoe
