musing about UU

[NIX]

While familiarizing myself with the many catagories on the forum I found this...

Unitarian Universalist Association Principles and Purposes

We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, 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.


The Idea of Universal Unity.

May I ask a few questions?

*Is your group a religion? Or more a gathering of religions?
*How do athiests/agnostics fit into this picture?
Does the encouragement of spiritual growth leave them out?
Or is the very idea of spiritual growth what makes you a religion?
*Does the affirmation and promotion of "use of the democratic process" mean that a-political types (non voters, non activists etc) are encouraged against the grain of their own personal spiritual beliefs (regarding how they choose to effect positive change in the world) to participate "systemically" when they would rather not?

Thank you in advance.

*Nixxie*

 

[Green Gaia]

May I ask a few questions?

AbsolUUtely!

(With some help from 100 Questions : UU Church of Nashua)

*Is your group a religion? Or more a gathering of religions?

In dealing with beliefs and theology, it's important to note that Unitarian Universalism is a way of being religious rather than a religious doctrine. For us, religion is an ongoing search for meaning, purpose, value and spiritual depth in one's life. We believe that individuals are entitled to make their own search, and that not all persons (not even all UUs) are going to share the same beliefs.

Ours is a non-creedal, non-doctrinal religion which affirms the individual's freedom of belief. For this reason it is not possible to give a blanket answer to whether or not UUs believe in God, Jesus, the Bible or life after death. Although we do not all believe the same thing about these and other matters, we do believe that each person has the integrity and the ability to come to terms with their religious beliefs in a way that is right for that person.


While UU is not a gathering of religions, we do believe there is wisdom in most, if not all, of the world's religions. We feel each is valuable for what it can tell us about ourselves and our world, and how its members find religious meaning and direction.

*How do athiests/agnostics fit into this picture? Does the encouragement of spiritual growth leave them out?

Since we do not have a defined doctrine of God, members are free to develop individual concepts of God that are meaningful to them. They are also free to reject the term and concept altogether.
Most of us do not believe in a supernatural, supreme being who can directly intervene in and alter human life or the mechanism of the natural world. Many believe in a spirit of life or a power within themselves, which some choose to call God.

*Does the affirmation and promotion of "use of the democratic process" mean that a-political types (non voters, non activists etc) are encouraged against the grain of their own personal spiritual beliefs (regarding how they choose to effect positive change in the world) to participate "systemically" when they would rather not?

The "use of the democratic process" is in reference to how we govern our congregations. The congregation as a whole decides what happens in each individual congregation.

 

[lilithu]

*Is your group a religion? Or more a gathering of religions?

We are a religion, not a gathering of religions. But we are a religion that is amenable to people being members of our faith and also members of another. This isn't as strange as it seems. In Asian cultures, it was traditionally not unusual to be Buddhist AND Confucian AND Taoist. Or Buddhist AND Shinto, etc. The idea of "exclusivity is more of a Western/Abrahamic idea, and it comes from having doctrines. Since we are non-doctrinal, there is no conflict with being part of another faith tradition in addition to UU.

*How do athiests/agnostics fit into this picture?
Does the encouragement of spiritual growth leave them out?
Or is the very idea of spiritual growth what makes you a religion?

Atheists/agnostics are welcome, are active, and have a long history within UU congregations. I don't think encouragement of spiritual growth leaves them out. Spirituality is not about believing in deities. Spirituality, and especially spiritual growth, is about cultivating yourself to be the best you you can be. I know several atheists who are far more spiritual than many theists.

And yes, I do think it's the practice of cultivating spiritual growth (not just the idea of it) that makes us a religion. I see a significant difference between what I consider to be truly spiritual/religious people - both theist and atheist - versus those who are not. (And there are plenty of people who go to church who are not very religious.) To me, a spiritual/religious person is someone who lives mindfully, is reflective/self-examining, who recognizes that the way in which we get to something is as important as getting there.

*Does the affirmation and promotion of "use of the democratic process" mean that a-political types (non voters, non activists etc) are encouraged against the grain of their own personal spiritual beliefs (regarding how they choose to effect positive change in the world) to participate "systemically" when they would rather not?

"Use of the democratic process" means that decisions within our congregations and the denomination as a whole are made democratically, by vote, as opposed to a top-down structure used in many religions.

 

[NIX]

Thank you so much Green Gaia & Lilithu!

For us, religion is an ongoing search for meaning, purpose, value and spiritual depth in one's life.

Spirituality, and especially spiritual growth, is about cultivating yourself to be the best you you can be........
To me, a spiritual/religious person is someone who lives mindfully, is reflective/self-examining, who recognizes that the way in which we get to something is as important as getting there.

Wonderful!

Thank you also for clearing up the "Democratic Process" thing for me. My only fleeting personal encounters with UU's (in the past) have left me with a sense that political activism was an integral part of their meetings. This is probably why I misunderstood. So probably then it was just the leaning of that particular UU group? Or maybe the leaning of that member within the group. Being "religiously" a-political myself, it was something at that time that kept me from inquiring further.

Thanks again. I enjoyed your answers.

*Nixxie*

 

[lilithu]

My only fleeting personal encounters with UU's (in the past) have left me with a sense that political activism was an integral part of their meetings. This is probably why I misunderstood. So probably then it was just the leaning of that particular UU group? Or maybe the leaning of that member within the group.

Hi again. Sorry to give you the wrong impression. Green Gaia and I were specifically answering your question about the "use of the democratic process." In that context, it has nothing to do with political activism. It's about how we govern ourselves.

But you most likely did not get the wrong impression about us from that UU group. Political activism has long been an integral part of Unitarianism and then Unitarian Universalism. The corollary of believing that spirituality is about being the best you you can be is also believing that everyone should be given the opportunity to be the best thems that they can be. Thus, it is part of our faith tradition that we oppose oppression where we see it. Unitarians and Universalists were abolitionists and suffragists. UUs continued that with our involvement in the civil rights movement, and our commitment to lesbian/gay/transgender equality today. From my pov, I can't be the best me I can be if other people are suffering and I don't do anything about it. These things are intimately tied together.

Historically, the Universalist side of our tradition believed in universal salvation - everyone was going to heaven, no one was damned. Many UUs nowadays, including myself, do not believe in an afterlife and a heaven and/or hell separate from this life. (Tho it's perfectly fine if you do.) I interpret the Universalist side of our tradition now to mean "No one is saved unless everyone is saved." We're all in this together, and none of us can truly be free to fulfill ourselves if our sisters and brothers are not free to do the same thing.

You don't have to be a political activist to be a UU, not at all. But you do have to be tolerant of others doing it, because as a UU it would be all around you.