I think this here heathen might have found herself a church! Ratty, you especially, help me out on this one, ok?
I'm looking at the Unitarian Universalist...so far everything i've read i completely agree with...AND, a study was done, and the kids w/ the highest SAT scores were unitarians..heh..
anyways, anyone know any unitarians? any thoughts? it all looks good on paper, but in church it might be a different story, ya know? i'm waiting for a sunday off so i can go see...
Many Unitarian Universalists have played historic roles as political leaders, crusaders for social reform, and luminaries in science and art.
U.S. Presidents: John Adams, Thomas Jefferson,* James Madison, John Quincy Adams, Millard Fillmore, and William Howard Taft Louisa May Alcott, author of Little Women Susan B. Anthony, American leader for women's right to vote Clara Barton, founder of The American Red Cross Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone Ray Bradbury, science fiction author Samuel Taylor Coleridge, English lyrical poet, critic, and philosopher ee. cummings, American poet and playwright Charles Darwin, discoverer of evolution, author of The Origin of Species Charles Dickens, author of David Copperfield, A Christmas Carol, & many other works Dorthea Dix, crusader for the humane and curative treatment of the mentally ill Ralph Waldo Emerson, American Essayist and Unitarian Minister Benjamin Franklin, Founding Father & Signer of The Declaration of Independence Horace Greeley, Abolitionist leader, and Editor of the New York Tribune Edmund Halley -- astronomer; discoverer of Halley's Comet Nathaniel Hawthorn, American author -- The Scarlet Letter; House of Seven Gables Oliver Wendell Holmes, Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court Herman Melville, author of Moby Dick Samuel Morse, inventor of the telegraph Paul Newman, actor, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Sir Isaac Newton, physicist, discoverer of the law of gravity Florence Nightingale, founder of modern nursing Thomas Paine, patriot of the American Revolution; author of Common Sense Beatrix Potter, author Peter Rabbit and other children's stories Joseph Priestly, clergyman and chemist; co-discoverer of oxygen Christopher Reeve, actor and advocate for the advancement of medical research Albert Schweitzer, physician, humanitarian, & recipient of The Nobel Peace Prize Frank Lloyd Wright, American Architect Whitney Young, civil rights leader; Executive Director, National Urban League
* Note: Thomas Jefferson was avowedly Unitarian in his theology, but there was no Unitarian congregation near him in Virginia. He remained nominally an Anglican.
<FYI>
Posted
Beliefs of the Group
There are no required beliefs. Some are atheists, some polytheists, and some monotheists. Many do not believe in the ideas of heaven and hell, some not in any afterlife. Each is entitled to his or her own beliefs about any other powers. One believes that every person and religion has value and that each should seek his/her own spirituality that is right for them. Every person has equal status and should be treated as such regardless of physical appearance.1
Individual beliefs are the most important aspect of the Unitarian Universalist Church. Tolerance of others and their beliefs as well as an acceptance that Truth changes and has to be sought after are two very important principles that guide the church along with life, liberty, and justice. The highest values according to John Sias' booklet are integrity, caring, compassion, social justice, truth, personal peace, and harmony.6
One of the founding principles was that humans were not born into sin. Thus, salvation is not really an issue in this church. Without original sin, there is no need to be saved. The UU's believe that if one sins there are consequences because of the sin, but that is all. There is no condemnation to hell, in fact most disagree with the idea of hell itself. One should live morally not to save his/herself but to better the world, for his/herself and those after him/her. 6
They believe the final authority is in the hands of the individual. One can seek guidance from texts such as the Bible and spiritual leaders because they are respected but it is in one's heart and soul that he/she can find the truth. This religion is based on freedom and no one should look down on others. It is based on acceptance and allowance, free from judgment. Thus, many are active in fighting for rights of gays and lesbians as well as general world peace. Women are placed in clergy and minister positions because they are equal. It is an organized group of freely spiritual individuals and is accepted because of its acceptance.1, 4 Every religion is accepted in the community. There are Buddhists, Christians, Jews, non-affiliated members, and more. However that does not mean that they coincide with the doctrine of every religion. Because they do not follow a creed, they are in contradiction with religions that have a specific creed. This does not mean those followers aren't allowed, but they must be open-minded to more than one type of spirituality.1, 5
Robert B. Tapp surveyed 166,257 Unitarian Universalists for his book, Religion Among the Unitarian Universalists: Converts in the Stepfather's House, asking them about their beliefs in God to better understand what role they thought, if any, God played in their lives. The most prominent belief (44.2%), according to his study is that "'God' may appropriately be used as a name for some natural processes with in the Universe, such as love or creative evolution." At 28% this belief about God was the second most popular, "'God' is an irrelevant concept, and the central focus of religion should be on man's own knowledge and values." Some UU's (1.8%) even believe that "'God' is a concept that is harmful to a worthwhile religion." 7 John Sias discusses the Unitarian Universalist position on any Supernatural being in his booklet stating, "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."6
yes, see, that's what i've been reading...i've actually believed most of that for as long as i can remember...i've gone through various stages of beliefs, but lately i've been calling myself athiest, sipmly to get away from the 'christian' conception of god...but in this religion, god isn't regarded as that with most of the people, and i love that....i think i'm gonna be a unitarian...now to just get to a service to see what its all about...
I know what athiest means thank you very much...but if i say i believe in god, people automatically assume i mean some grandfather in a white robe with a long beard sitting on a gold throne looking down on us...
see, i don't believe in some god, but i'm not even sure if i believe in a 'higher power'...i think its just the force of energy and natural constants that make everything how it is...just the natrual transfer of energy, not even really anything 'devine'...
i was claiming athiesm for lack of a better term, but now that i've found this unitarian church, i think it will fit much better...
<Mad Hatter>
Posted
Oh, I probably didn't say what I meant the right way. It's hard to do when you write instead of say. There is another word, I'm thinking it's agnosticism or something like that. I'm trying to help, really.
Here's the definition, let me know if it fits:
The doctrine that certainty about first principles or absolute truth is unattainable and that only perceptual phenomena are objects of exact knowledge. The belief that there can be no proof either that God exists or that God does not exist.
It's not the same as athiesim, but similar. I am thinking that atheisim is a type of hate towards christians--I could be wrong about that. I was under the impression that athiests normally announce a public form of hate towards christian or religious people for that reason alone.
This is interesting.
<Mad Hatter>
Posted
agnosticism
\Ag*nos"ti*cism\, n. That doctrine which, professing ignorance, neither asserts nor denies. Specifically: (Theol.) The doctrine that the existence of a personal Deity, an unseen world, etc., can be neither proved nor disproved, because of the necessary limits of the human mind (as sometimes charged upon Hamilton and Mansel), or because of the insufficiency of the evidence furnished by physical and physical data, to warrant a positive conclusion (as taught by the school of Herbert Spencer); -- opposed alike dogmatic skepticism and to dogmatic theism.
This is the other definition that came up.
<John Travolta>
Posted
Heard he was one. thats as close as Ive ever kinown.
john travolta is a scientologist....waaaaaaaaaay different from a unitarian...
athiest doesn't mean you hate any religion, you just don't believe there is a god or anything...most tend to believe that when you die, that's it, your done, no more.....and i disagree w/ that part...
i don't think i'm really agnostic either...hell if i know what i am anymore lol...like i said, when i get a sunday off, probably never, i'll go check out a service and tell ya'll what its really like...
quote:Originally posted by Green_Wytch: I know what athiest means thank you very much...but if i say i believe in god, people automatically assume i mean some grandfather in a white robe with a long beard sitting on a gold throne looking down on us...
see, i don't believe in some god, but i'm not even sure if i believe in a 'higher power'...i think its just the force of energy and natural constants that make everything how it is...just the natrual transfer of energy, not even really anything 'devine'...
i was claiming athiesm for lack of a better term, but now that i've found this unitarian church, i think it will fit much better...
Lol.........God isn't sitting on a throne watching us. He is a very busy God. He has worlds to create, billions and billions. His schedule is quite full. We are but a speck in the universe that God directs. There are billions and billions of planets out there with people just like us.
"Be Civil, Or Be Gone." (Quote By Moderator Extraordinaire)
well, i'll agree w/ you about the billions of planets thing....not sure about the whole god creating them thing though....actually im quite certain that there is no 'god' as you see 'him'...
quote:Originally posted by Green_Wytch: well, i'll agree w/ you about the billions of planets thing....not sure about the whole god creating them thing though....actually im quite certain that there is no 'god' as you see 'him'...
If you don't believe there is a God, then you are definitely an athiest.
lmao denise....thats hilarious...rose would fit right in, w/ her mongel alien looking mutts...
"racey"....i'm not an athiest, i just don't believe that 'god' is what modern conceptions dictate 'he' is...that was why i have been calling myself an athiest, but i'm really not...
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There are billions and billions of planets out there with people just like us.
