Frequently Asked Questions

How and when did Unitarian Universalism develop?

Our religious roots go back to the Protestant Reformation. Our earliest leaders questioned the rigid orthodoxy and creeds of the established Church. Unitarians urged people to read, reflect on, and consider Biblical texts on their own merit, not on the basis of what “church orthodoxy” proclaimed. Among the early Unitarians there was a deep desire to return to the true teachings of Jesus and to model our lives simply after his. Many of our earliest Unitarian leaders and congregations were found in Poland, Romania and northern Italy. Universalists believed in a loving God who would not preordain some to be saved and some not to be saved. This loving God urges us to use the love and courage within us to respect and affirm the inherent worth and dignity of all people and to actively work to help the world be a better place for all creatures. Many of our earliest Universalist leaders and congregations were found in England.

Do Unitarian Universalists believe in God?

Unitarian Universalists have a wide range of beliefs about God or Goddess or Creative Source. For some, belief in God is an important cornerstone of their individual religious and spiritual journey. For others the question of whether there is a “Source” that we might call God or Goddess is not clear but they find it a topic for interesting shared reflection. And for still others, the concept of a God or Creative Source is not a useful subject for their individual life journeys. Unitarian Universalists affirm each other in our differing beliefs and we know we can learn from each other through respectful dialogue and listening.

What happens in your Worship Services?

Our Worship Services are in form much like many Protestant services – we have readings, a story for children, hymns, a time of meditation and prayer, and a sermon. However, the sources of our readings, the variety of types of children’s stories, the words of the hymns and the meditation and prayer time reflect our liberal religious approach. We do not often use Biblical readings although on occasion we do. We use readings from world religions, from earth-based spiritual traditions, from science and philosophy, and from authors and poets.