Unitarian Universalism: Questioning Together

“Unitarian Universalism is not… about an individual just believing something in their heart, and then it doesn't matter what they do with their time or who they're in relationship with. For us, it's almost the other way around. Whether you believe in God or not, whether you believe there's an afterlife or not, it’s not as important as how you're in relationship with the people around you in this life.”

- Matt Meyer (Director of Operations and Community Life Sanctuary Boston)

Many were born and raised in it. Others discover it later in their lives.

Some find it after leaving other traditional religions, like Christianity and Hinduism. Others find it through questioning life and exploring different spiritual practices that brought them fulfillment.

Unitarian Universalism (UU-ism) is a liberal religion open to many perspectives and understandings of life and the divine. Welcoming people of all backgrounds and cultures, UU-ism is an appealing religion for those seeking community and answers in their lives. Their openness and lack of a religious creed draws people with vastly differing beliefs.

Having experienced both UU-ism and a Christian education, Matt Meyer, Director of Operations and Community Life for non-profit organization Sanctuary Boston, sees what sets UU-ism apart. And that is what has made him stay. His family was Unitarian Universalist but he also went to a Lutheran private school.

"Even though I was raised UU, I still feel like I had a conversion experience in middle school,” Meyer said.

It was at a UU summer camp that Meyer experienced what he calls “beloved community.”

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Although First Church Boston was founded by Puritans, they have since moved past those beliefs. Nevertheless, they still have “much more in common” with their “Christian neighbors” than they do differences, but several things set them apart.

For one, Unitarian Universalists (UU) don’t believe in the divinity of Jesus. UU’s believe Jesus was an ordinary man who had important teachings. “They’re not a secret formula given from heaven,” Rev. Edmund Robinson, interim minister at First Church Boston, said about Jesus' teachings. “They’re sort of common sense. But they do resonate and can be a guide for living.”

Furthermore, UU’s don’t have a creed or a holy text like most other religions do. For example, the Christians have the Bible, the Jews the Torah, and the Muslims the Quran. What they do encourage, however, is individual interpretation of truth. This arose out of the Unitarian movement that took the Protestant Reformation a step further.

Where Martin Luther spearheaded the Protestant Reformation by saying that it is not the church that has authority, but the Bible — the words of God —, Unitarians took one step further into “radical Protestantism” by saying that each person can judge the truth on their own, regardless of what the Bible says.

“Let's suppose we took the Bible and treated it as an ordinary text. Suppose we criticized it, allowed ourselves to ask, ‘Is this true?’” Rev. Robinson said. “That is a huge step forward in critical thinking.”

UUs don’t have a creed or a specific holy text that they say everyone must believe to be a part of the congregation. Instead, they have principles and values that guide their teachings and ways of life.

First Church Boston meets in person every Sunday at 11:00am. In addition to weekly services, they offer programs for families and children, as well as classes for those seeking to explore their faith and spiritual practices. Reported by Tivara Tanudjaja

First Church Boston’s affirmation, which they recite every Sunday service, is as follows:

“Love is the spirit of this church, and Service its law. This is our great covenant, to dwell together in peace, to seek the truth in love, and to help one another.”

As the name suggests, Unitarian Universalism grew out of the Unitarian and Universalism denominations merging into one. But their decision to merge in 1961 did not entirely dissolve their differences in the beliefs they held.

Rev. Robinson explained that the Universalists followed Calvin’s idea of freewill, whereas the Unitarians rejected Calvin’s doctrine of the depravity of humanity.

“So, how do you reconcile?” Rev. Robinson said. “You're going to be in the same church. Which one is the Minister supposed to preach?” And although those questions were asked and these differences were never formally addressed and solved, the Unitarian Universalist congregation has stood strong since its merger.

Despite their differences, they agree on a lot of issues surrounding social justice work. “You won’t find anybody standing at a UU church saying, ‘I’m against abortion,’” Rev. Robinson said. And the UU church has also taken a stand with same sex marriage, something Rev. Robinson is “very proud of.”

This theme of differing beliefs continues even today. Many who go to First Church Boston grew up in different traditional religious backgrounds, like Catholicism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and many more. And though they’ve since moved beyond those traditions and today identify as Unitarian Universalist, those past traditions sometimes still play a role in shaping their worldviews and spiritual practices.

But as a religion heavily emphasizing community, it’s exactly everyone’s differences within one space that make UU-ism so appealing. One churchgoer at First Church explained that UU-ism is not saying that there is one correct path like most traditional religions, nor is it saying that all paths are correct. Instead, UU-ism is all about coming together with a group of people and figuring out which path to take together. In other words, it’s not about the answer, but the journey towards the answer.

"We strive for diversity whereas other denominations believe there is an ultimate truth and try to get everyone to come around to it."

- Rev. Edmund Robinson

And for people who long for spiritual fulfillment but feel as if they can't fit into the mold of being a traditionally religious person, UU-ism offers a liberating framework for faith.

“[UU-ism] is done in a very individual way, that you find those things for yourself,” Barbara Martin, who goes to First Church and was raised UU, said. “​​It’s more of a humanistic approach. It’s how we treat each other here on this world. And there may be something beyond that, but it’s not the most pressing.”

Many beliefs may exist within a UU congregation, but those beliefs are acted out the same: in love. And for so many, UU-ism is more than just a spiritual practice or religion. It's about finding a community within a UU church where they can question life together and grow with each other as a family.

"I've realized how much a family Unitarian Universalism has been to me and a touchstone in my life: for grounding, for healing. It serves in part as therapy for me, just really having a community outside of your school environment and outside of your home environment to make new friends, get healing in your life. I certainly find that it grounds me a lot as well which is something that is very necessary and very needed in my hectic crazy, sometimes stressful life."

- Emma Pawl (student at Berklee College of Music)

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Here are some more reasons why Unitarian Universalism is appealing to many:

Kristen Faughnan is involved with the Unitarian Universalist young adult group at First Parish in Cambridge.

Crystalinda White is a junior at Berklee College of Music.

Dylan Wootton is a computer science PhD. student in Boston.

Leona Ripple is a freshman at Northeastern University.

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**Notes

Rev. Edmund Robinson notes that although most Unitarian Universalist churches will have the seven principles listed on their walls or on their websites, "each congregation stands on its own, as each individual is free to believe what rings true to them." Each UU church is different in the way they run their services, whether that be the worship or the sermons.

"I have served UU churches for 22 years, and there are a lot of similarities among the ones I have served, but there are also big differences," Rev. Robinson explained.