UNITARIANS...

Today the Unitarian Church is a post-Christian congregation. This means that we welcome as members individuals of different religious beliefs, ranging from explicit atheism trough ranges of agnosticism to a committed belief in a transcendent power, be it envisioned as a traditional God, or goddess or a mystery beyond a literal language or imagination. The general idea is that we ought to be a caring and loving community not because we all believe the same thing, but regardless of the diversity of our faiths. The church is not the seat of a final truth that should be accepted, but rather, a community of seekers.

In spite of the religious diversity, however, we have certain social and metaphysical principles that unite us, and make us work for peace, justice, compassion and democracy. These principles include asserting the worth of every human being, the interconnected web of reality, the democratic process, the role of reason and science in the search for truth, and the celebration of mystery.

Originally, however, the Unitarians were a Protestant denomination in Europe, originating in the 16th century. Its main difference from other Protestants was the belief that the earlier church veered from its authentic Christian mission when Constantine the Great adopted Christianity as a state religion. Constantine wished to dogmatize its teachings, formulating them as creeds to be accepted, and rejecting alternative interpretations as heresies that were punishable by excommunication, forced recantation and even death. Thus the Nicene Creed was rejected, and was not replaced by any alternative formulation about the relation of God and Jesus. Jesus was often seen as a great exemplar rather than as the Saviour.

Unitarianism flourished in Poland for a while and in Transylvania even to our own days. It spread to the Netherlands and to England, and eventually to the United States, where it enjoyed growth and development. Presidents such as the two Adams were Unitarian, Jefferson was very sympathetic to it, and the much revered Emerson was a Unitarian minister in his early career and returned to the Unitarians in his old age. Harvard’s Divinity School was an important centre of the faith, and is one of the Unitarian training Universities for its young ministers.

Unitarians have been in the forefront in ordaining women, in accepting and welcoming gays and lesbians, even as ministers, and in recognizing same sex unions. They were actively leading the civil rights movement for the rights of African Americans, supported the protest against the Vietnam War, and now continue to promote peace and justice for the oppressed and the victims.

In America Unitarians have merged with the Universalists, another originally Protestant denomination, whose main differentiation from other Protestants was their rejection of eternal damnation and hellfire, which, though Biblical in its origins, is inconsistent with a loving and merciful God. Thus universal salvation was their early message. Today they are part and parcel of the diversity that characterizes us. Recently the Canadian churches have separated organizationally from the Boston centered Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), and have their own national coordinating body, the Canadian Unitarian Council (CUC). The two bodies enjoy a good relationship, and have some shared responsibilities.

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