Visitors

You Might Belong Here and Not Know It

Attend services here for the first time and you may experience a sense of discovery, comfort, curiosity, rejuvenation or validation. Our services may not be like any you have experienced before. Yet we probably share many of the same beliefs. At First UU, we are primarily concerned with how we should live, individually and collectively, so that we might become better people, partners, parents and citizens. Our services might present readings from theism, religious humanism or a variety of ancient or modern myths. At first, it may sound strange to hear language that expresses spirituality in such diverse ways. Beneath the different styles of expression, there is a much deeper and more relevant list of beliefs we all share.

A Place to Explore Life’s Questions

With historical roots in the Judeo-Christian tradition, our liberal religion keeps an open mind to the spiritual questions people have asked for centuries. We are a “non-creedal” congregation, which means that we seek religious truth through personal experience, conscience and reason- not from any book or religious authority. This doesn’t mean that whatever anyone believes is fine, since some beliefs are good for us and others are not as healthy. We regard the highest values to be integrity, caring, compassion, social justice, truth, personal peace and harmony. Advancing these values is a major purpose of our congregation.

A Religion for Both Head and Heart

Whether it’s an issue of vital community interest at our Sunday forums or a seminar that explores your particular spiritual quest, you can find your place here. While each member would probably express his or her beliefs a bit differently, the following are just some of the things many of our members believe:

  • We believe that we’re a part of Life, and owe something back to the world for the gift of life.
  • We believe that almost all religions are saying that we are precious people who need to treat everybody else as though they are precious, too.
  • We believe that we are supposed to live in such a way that, when we look back on our lives, we can be proud, and can make those we care about proud.
  • We believe that truth, justice and compassion are requirements for living.
  • We believe that love is better than hatred, understanding is better than prejudice, and that if there is ever to be a better world, people of widely differing beliefs will have to help each other build it.
  • We believe that, down deep, all people of goodwill hold these same beliefs and that every individual should feel encouraged to develop a fulfilling philosophy of life.

    • One Church. Many Beliefs.