Submitted by rseckigner on 04/27/2010 08:22 AM Flag This Paper
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Unitarian Universalism is a faith community that brings people with diverse beliefs together around shared values. Unitarian Universalism was formed from the merger of two different religions- Unitarianism and Universalism. Unitarianism is a nontrinitarian Christian theology which teaches belief in the single personality of God, in contrast to the doctrine of the Trinity of God as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Universalism refers to the religious, theological, and philosophical concepts with universal “applying to all†applications. Both of these religions were formed in Europe hundreds of years ago. Universalism was established in the 1770’s in North America; in 1793 the Universalist Church of America was founded. The Unitarians were established in North America in the 1820’s and in 1825 the American Unitarian Association was founded. These denominations merged together in 1961 to form the religion now known as Unitarian Universalism. Unitarian Universalism has nurtured both heritages to provide a strong voice for social justice and liberal religion. The Unitarian Universalists have seven Principles that they live by.
“We, the member congregation of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote:â€
1. The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
2. Justice, equity, and compassion in human relations;
3. Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
4. A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
5. The right of conscience and the best of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;
6. The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;
7. Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are part.
These Principles were adopted as guidelines for liberal beliefs of the Unitarian Universalists. The Unitarian Universalists strive to find equality for all races and genders. They are also striving to...