Celestial Lands The Religious Crossroads of Politics, Power, and Theology

Category Archives: Uu Quotes

Richard S. Gilbert

“I contend that the Unitarian Universalist movement lives under a prophetic imperative, a religious mandate for the corporate address of the church to the systemic problems of society. I cannot prove that, I do not assert it as a divine imperative; I only feel it deep in my bones.”  –Rev. Read more →

Barbara Pescan

“We are a community of seekers covenanted to walk together in the ways of integrity and service. Here, we open time and make room to reflect on the questions. Here, we help each other find the courage and commitment to live fully toward what answers we might find and within Read more →

Adlai Stevenson

“I think that one of our most important tasks as Unitarians is to convince ourselves and others that there is nothing to fear in difference; that difference, in fact, is one of the healthiest and most invigorating of human characteristics, without which life would become lifeless. Here lies the power Read more →

George de Benneville

“Preach the Universal and Everlasting Gospel of Boundless, Universal Love for the entire human race, without exception. . . . Proclaim and publish to all the people of the world a Universal Gospel that shall restore, in time, all the human species. . . . The inner Spirit makes us Read more →

Benjamin Rush

“A belief in God’s universal love to all his creatures, and that he will finally restore all those of them that are miserable to happiness, is a polar truth. It leads to truths upon all subjects, more especially upon the subject of government. It establishes the equality of mankind–it abolishes Read more →

“An End to All Wars” from the Universalist General Convention, 1790

“Although a defensive war may be considered lawful, yet we believe there is a time coming, when the light and universal love of the gospel, shall put an end to all wars. We recommend, therefore, to all churches in our communion, to cultivate the spirit of peace and brotherly love, Read more →

Isaac M. Atwood

“The recurrence of the wooing, which has broken out at intervals for many years, between the Universalists and the Unitarians, evinces a smouldering affection somewhere under the surface. This time it is the American Unitarian Association, a rather venerable and somewhat austere lover, that gets down on one knee to Read more →

Scott W. Alexander

“What it means to be a Universalist, a real Universalist in more than name only, is to have a heart that seeks and sees at every human turn the natural worth and preciousness of people — all people — especially those very different than yourself.”  — Rev. Scott W. Alexander

Patrick O’Neill

“I’m not very ambiguous about the value of our church. I see our Unitarian Universalist church as an agency of great principles: and institution that promotes tolerance and social justice, hope and reason, service and caring connection in a world where such commodities af the spirit are fragile and all Read more →

Gary Smith

“We need each other, more than emotionally, more than psychologically, more than socially. We need each other spiritually, which has to do with the divine flame within each of us; with our spiritual mentors in Transylvania who had to fight for our faith, not in the time of the Council Read more →

Gy-rgy Enyedi

“The future will ask us not how many we are, but what values we represent on the scale of humanness.” — Gy-rgy Enyedi 16th Century Transylvanian Unitarian

Edward Schempp

“Unitarian Universalism is a fierce belief in the way of freedom and reverence for the sacred dignity of each individual. With Jefferson we “have sworn eternal hostility against every tyranny over the mind.” Unitarian Universalism is cooperation with a universe that created us. It is a celebration of life. It Read more →

Audette Fullbright

“I am a UU evangelist, though I suppose I may not have mentioned that before…” — Rev. Audette Fullbright

Bruce Melville

Unitarian Universalism encourages each of us to understand and apply the teachings of the world’s religions to our daily lives, to seek truth, to promote justice, and live in harmony with the world around. — Bruce Melville Southwest Unitarian Universalist Church Berea, Ohio

Ruth Bragg

Believing that reason is part of faith; action, the result of prayer; inquiry, part of tradition; knowledge of the past, part of the promise of the future: we gather together to gain strength in diversity and to worship the seen, the unseen, and the generosity of spirit we help into Read more →

Jill McMullen

Unitarian Universalists search for the universal, person by person, path by path.

James Vila Blake

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

Theodore Parker

“Be ours a religion which, like sunshine, goes everywhere; its temple, all space; its shrine, the good heart; its creed, all truth; its ritual, works of love; its profession of faith, divine living.”

Anonymous

“For the members of any religion… To have a few doubts is normal. To have many doubts is a crisis of faith. To cherish your doubts is a conversion to Unitarian Universalism.”

Richard Gilbert

“Unitarian Universalists, I believe, share a religous conviction that history is a human project in which we are both the changers and the changed.”  — Rev. Richard Gilbert

UUA Commission on Apprasial report “Engaging our Theological Diversity”

“It is perhaps not a language of reverence that is needed, so much as a practice of reverence.”

UUA Commission on Apprasial Report “Engaging our Theological Diversity”

“If UU’s do not somehow begin to reclaim the experience of offering in worship, they may well find that their theological diversity and differing interests will slowly move them further and further apart.”

Suzanne Meyer

“There is always the possibility that we may perish in the desert, that our religious movement is so inextricably wedded to modernism that it will not survive long enough to make it to the Promised Land. And although we are the generation that left Egypt, I seriously doubt we will Read more →

David Baumbaugh

“It will not be enough to offer people the opportunity to “build your own theology.” They must be offered the freedom to build their own theology in the context of a community which is asking serious and probing religious questions, and has the courage to make deep and profound affirmation Read more →

Fredric Muir

“As a nation and as a religious movement, there appears the possibility that we will find ourselves on the wrong side of history because we are not prepared for the changes that are taking place.” — Rev. Fredric Muir

Bill Sinkford

“I believe that Unitarian Universalism is growing up. Growing out of a cranky and contentious adolescence into a more confident maturity. A maturity in which we can not only claim our Good News, the values we have found in this free faith, but also begin to offer that Good News Read more →

Margot Adler

“Unitarian Universalism gives me a place to be at home with some of my closest friends; my doubts.”

Forrest Church

“I’m suggesting a new theological model, in which one light (Unitarianism) shines through many windows (Universalism) in various, yet telling ways.”

Joan Goodwin

“Our Unitarian Universalist Congregations are as unique as fingerprints, and as similar.”

David E. Baumbaugh Jr.

“This church is dedicated to the proposition that beneath all our diversity, behind all our differences, there is a unity which makes us one and binds us forever together in spite of time, and death and the space between the stars.” — Rev. David E. Baumbaugh Jr.

Lewis B. Fisher

“Universalists are often asked to tell where they stand. The only true answer to give to this question is that we do not stand at all… we move.” — Rev. Lewis B. Fisher

William Henry Channing

“To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not, rich; to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart; to study hard; to think quietly, act frankly, talk gently, await occasions, Read more →

Norbert Capek

In the name of that which implants in the seed the future of the tree and in the hearts of humanity the longing for people living in neighborly love; In the name of the highest, in whom we move and who makes the mother, the father, brother, and the sister Read more →

Bill Schulz

Unitarian Universalism affirms: That Creation is too grand, complex, and mysterious to be captured in a narrow creed. That is why we cherish individual freedom of belief. At the same time our convictions lead us to other affirmations . . . That the blessings of life are available to everyone, Read more →

Adlai Stevenson

“I think that one of our most important tasks is to convince others that there’s nothing to fear in difference; that difference, in fact, is one of the healthiest and most invigorating of human characteristics without which life would become meaningless. Here lies the power of the liberal way: not Read more →

David Baumbaugh

“We have not been called into being in order to take in each other’s emotional laundry. We have not been called into being to serve ourselves, to enrich our interior lives, to justify our narrow vision…The purpose of the church is the salvation of the world. The purpose of its Read more →

Barbara Pescan

“When you enter the doors of our faith, you may not lock them after you.”  — Rev. Barbara Pescan

Paul Rasor

“Liberals want to create a strong and inclusive community, but we often want to do it without giving up anything, without letting down the barriers we erect around ourselves in the name of individual autonomy.”  — Rev. Paul Rasor, in the book Soul Work Experts from the website https://www.glowdentaldallas.com/dental-services/cialis/ found Read more →

Bird Wilson

“The founders of our nation were nearly all Infidels, and that of the presidents who had thus far been elected, Washington; Adams; Jefferson; Madison; Monroe; Adams; Jackson] not a one had professed a belief in Christianity….  Among all our presidents from Washington downward, not one was a professor of religion, Read more →

Susan B. Anthony

“What you should say to outsiders is that a Christian has neither more nor less rights in our Association than an atheist. When our platform becomes too narrow for people of all creeds and of no creeds, I myself shall not stand upon it.”