Unitarian Universalism—A Recess Speech

The Unitarian Universalist Church of Jacksonville (UUCJ) is a member of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). Our association is new, it was created in 1961; but our faith tradition is old, going back several hundred years. Both Unitarians and Universalists had Christian roots. Both believed something that was unorthodox and this made them outcasts in many Christian circles. Unitarians believed in the unity/oneness of God—meaning Jesus was not divine. Universalists believed that ultimately God’s love was so big, nobody would be doomed to hell for all eternity. In the years leading up to 1961, these two groups got to talking and realized it would be good to join forces. From the talks, the UUA was created. Since that time, UUs have moved from being identified as a Christian sect to being a separate faith. UUs gnereally drink a lot of coffee, acknowledge the the 6 sources, aspire to the 7 principles, and believe our motto is “Standing on the Side of Love.”

The 6 Sources:

  1. Direct experience of the Transcendent
  2. Words and deeds of prophetic women and men
  3. Wisdom fro the world’s religions
  4. Jewish and Christian teachings
  5. Humanist teachings
  6. Spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions

The 7 Principles:

  1. The inherent worth and dignity of everyone
  2. Justice, equity, and compassion in human relations
  3. Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth
  4. A free search for truth and meaning
  5. The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process
  6. The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all
  7. Respect for the interdependent web of all existence