Personal Creeds

[spiritually inclined]

Almost any time I read about Unitarian Universalism, I read about its creedless nature. I read less often, but I have indeed read, that each Unitarian Universalist should form their own, personal creed, a creed that can change, and doesn't necessarily have to be written down. I have written my own basic feelings about Christianity in the form of a creed and posted it elsewhere on this site to see how other Christians respond. So far the the only responder does not take to my unorthodox views.

I'm interested in what Unitarian Universalists think of it, especially those who identify as Christian.

A Progressive Creed

I believe in God, the Inner Light and Sacred Mystery, and that Christ is but one symbol of faith among many leading to life, and more abundantly.

I believe that life itself is the spiritual sacrament of Holy Communion when the love and light of God are encountered in both our joys and sorrows.

I believe that in Holy Communion, the sharing of bread and wine, I encounter Christ, and thus my own joys and sorrows, my endless cycles of re-birth, of death and resurrection.

I believe that all who approach our alters in reverence to partake of Holy Communion should be admitted not because of professed dogma or creeds, but in the hope that all who partake of the Blessed Sacrament may benefit therefrom.

I believe that the Body of Christ, a vessel of grace, encompasses believers and agnostics, Christians and skeptics, women and men, those who are gay, lesbians, bisexual, transgendered, and straight, all manner of races, cultures, and classes, those of varying abilities and talents, people of many creeds and religions, those who hope for a better world, and those who have no hope.

I believe in a search for understanding uninhibited by dogma and rigidity.

I believe in peace, liberty, and justice for all, the duty of protecting the Earth and its lifeforms from undue harm, and the affirmation of the dignity and worth of every person.

I believe that love is the best religion.

I believe that the path of Christ is often long and difficult, entailing selfless love and bold resistance to evil, prejudice, and fear, yet I believe that this path, by whatever name it is called, affirms life, and more abundantly.

Amen. +

James

 

[lilithu]

lol! I can see why the Christian responder had trouble with your views. As for me, I personally don't like creeds - I've made none of my own - but think you and I believe pretty much the same things but use different vocabulary to describe it. Some UUs would be offended by your language, which is unfortunate. Clearly, your beliefs are in keeping with our principles. Thankfully, the resistance to reverent language is lessening. We are learning to translate.

For me, that's what religious pluralism is about, being able to translate shared views from person's vocabulary to another, and also recognizing and respecting where beliefs are genuinely different.

 

[applewuud]

Your personal creed shows a lot of thought and is expressed beautifully in the context of the Christian story and heritage. A UU from a non-Christian background probably couldn't identify with the exact poetry/symbology of your personal creed, but it certainly reflects an openness to other peoples' sincerely-felt paths to a larger life, which is essential to Unitarian-Universalism.

Your first two sentences are like a more Christian telling of the first line of the current UU "sources": "The living tradition we share draws from many sources: direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness tot he forces which create and uphold life".

Very few UU churches use the ritual of Holy Communion; but those that do (e.g., King's Chapel in Boston) have an open call to the altar without exclusion.

Your sentence "I believe in a search for understanding uninhibited by dogma and rigidity" is similar to the UU covenant to "affirm and promote...a free and responsible search for truth and meaning", and the first line of the UU covenant is affirming "the inherent worth and dignity of every person." The sixth principle is "the goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all", and the seventh is "respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part". So, we certainly share a great deal of our worldview.

The fact that your understanding of Christianity calls you to action in this world as opposed to waiting for an other-worldly solution to human suffering also is a characteristic that would put your creed in alignment with the historical thrust of UU tradition.

I consider myself a Judeo-Christian Humanist, so your "language of reverence" doesn't put me off, although I understand why other UUs feel excluded by Christ references. I see them as a kind of cultural poetry that our ancestors evolved over 2,000 years to express deep longings and a sense of transcendence that more "rational" words and concepts fail to communicate.