“We are not required to believe something that contradicts the laws of nature.”
“Many
people in atheist and humanist organisations are always talking about
people's rights, but never their responsibilities. I cannot
accept the existence of a power greater than humans, therefore I am an
atheist, but I am not comfortable with the "angry" atheists' self
centred approach. I share the values affirmed by Unitarians, am
accepted by them, and am comfortable with their approach to life.
I am a Unitarian who is a "religious" atheist. ”
“We
are not concerned about salvation. We regard this life as the
most important and should live it to the full; it is the only one we
are sure of having. We should behave well because of the effects
of our behaviour in THIS world. ”
“Unitarians
affirm that deeds are more important than creeds. Our religion is
an attitude of mind which affects the way we relate to other people and
the world; it is not just a formality. ”
“We
do not take a single authoritative view of the role of humans here on
Earth. We can accept that we are here as the result of a long
evolutionary process and that we are not the ultimate end of that
process. That does not mean we have no purpose, because we can
give ourselves a purpose; to make this world a little better while we
are here. ”
“Unitarianism is an
inclusive religion. Therefore we can draw on many sources of wisdom and
insight. Change of belief is not merely permitted, it is
expected. New information and experiences make our own lives
paths of spiritual evolution and growth. Our faith is a part of us
which develops as we journey through life rather than being something
which is imposed on us by an outside authority. ”
“We
can choose to believe that there is some kind of creative force that is
greater than humans, but do not have to regard it as being
supernatural. This non-physical force would be part of the
universe rather than external to it, hence would not override the
physical laws. ”
“I do not believe in the orthodox Christian dogmas such as the Virgin Birth.”
“Unitarians
have a positive view of humanity. We believe that no one is born
bad, and that the inherent goodness in us will flower if it is nurtured
in a caring environment in which we learn to take responsibility for
our actions. We can aim to become better people without having to
regard ourselves as bad now. ”
“I
was impressed by the history of Unitarianism and the great people who
have been part of the movement. I have the feeling of being proud
to be in their company. ”
“I did
not feel comfortable in my previous congregation because I could no
longer believe the things we were supposed to believe. I wish I
had discovered Unitarians existed earlier in my life.”
“Everyone has been very good to me and you are now like a part of my family.”
“In
the natural world there is a network of physical laws plus, it seems to
me, an even greater spiritual force. It is the part of that force
that is in us that gives each of us intrinsic worth. All of us
should therefore be allowed freedom of thought and the chance to reach
our full potential. ”
“We wish to find channels to help us express faith and hope and love.”
“I
have never been able to believe that Jesus Christ was "the only
begotten" son of the Father". I have always believed that all of
us are children of God, and always have been. Perhaps Jesus had a
more clearly defined concept of God - if you like - and was gifted in
this way. But we are all equally ‘of God’.”
“When
I first came to the Unitarian Church as a visitor I was surprised to
learn that it is not necessary to believe all those difficult dogmas
such as the Doctrine of Transubstantiation, Virgin Birth, etc.
Bit by bit I discarded all the clutter of Christian belief and felt a
great sense of relief. Then I was able to begin to think for
myself. ”
“Why belong to any church
at all? Can't I be a "Unitarian" without belonging? Not
really. Most of us aren't resolute or gifted enough to achieve
our full potential living as hermits. Good company helps. ”
“For
me, a major aversion is the mind set of people who are certain that
they have the right and only, and often fixed, answer to life's
complicated questions. The authority for their certainty may stem
from the written word, revelation, their own or someone else's belief,
etc. I cannot accept answers based on such underpinnings, which
after all, actually only derive ultimately from some other human
beings' assertions. It is a blessing to be able to move amongst
Unitarians who share my outlook on this, and generally hold that our
answers must worked out by ourselves, and be constantly tempered and
consistent with the advancing state of knowledge.”
“Because
we have young children, we started wondering "Will school help them
develop ethically and spiritually?". A "maybe" answer to both
questions wasn't good enough. We started searching for a
community of people among whom a religious spirit - but not dogma -
flourished but where our children would never feel guilty or outcast
for not believing what others believe. We want them to learn
about, and to respect, others' beliefs, but to be free to discover
truth for themselves. The Unitarian Church meets our needs.” |