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About Unitarian Universalism

Welcome to Westside! We're glad you're here. On this page, you can find information about Unitarian Universalism. 

In Unitarian Universalism, you can bring your whole self: your full identity, your questioning mind, your expansive heart.

 

Together, we create a force more powerful than one person or one belief system. As Unitarian Universalists, we do not have to check our personal background and beliefs at the door: we join together on a journey that honors everywhere we’ve been before.

 

Our beliefs are diverse and inclusive. We have no shared creed. Our shared covenant (our seven Principles) supports “the free and responsible search for truth and meaning.” Though Unitarianism and Universalism were both liberal Christian traditions, this responsible search has led us to embrace diverse teachings from Eastern and Western religions and philosophies.

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We are a community of practicing Christians and Jews, of pagans and mystics as well as atheists and agnostics. We are people who deeply, faithfully believe in God, and also people who are committed to the idea that god does not exist. We are scientists as well as seers, people who believe in past lives, people who believe in heaven, and people who believe that when we die, we are completely gone.

 

Unitarian Universalists include people of many beliefs who share UU values of peace, love, and understanding. We are creators of positive change in people and in the world. We are truly diverse, in reality, not just in theory. Let’s be sincerely curious with one another, then, and deeply committed to the inherent value of each perspective, no matter how familiar or foreign.

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7 Principles

The Seven Principles of Unitarian Universalism

 

There are seven principles which Unitarian Universalist

congregations affirm and promote:

 

  • The inherent worth and dignity of  every person

  • Justice, equity and compassion in human relations

  • Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations

  • A free and responsible search for truth and meaning

  • The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large

  • The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all

  • Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part

In our Religious Exploration program children learn a simple version of these principles, called the Rainbow Principles. 

Our Six Sources of Inspiration

  • Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life;

  • Words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love;

  • Wisdom from the world's religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life;

  • Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God's love by loving our neighbors as ourselves;

  • Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit;

  • Spiritual teachings of Earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.

Is UU for You? Watch this video to learn more.

Westside's Mission

 

We are a religious community that nurtures each person’s unique path of spiritual development as we live our values through service to each other and to the larger community.

Our Vision

 

We strive to be a religious home to all people regardless of age, gender, race, sexual orientation, opinions, beliefs, or abilities and to be good stewards of the earth. We support everyone in our congregation and extend that support to the larger community through social action activities. 

"I believe we're all one family and need each other in times of grief and gladness. And I believe in the power of human ingenuity and people of goodwill to make a difference in the world. This is my credo as a Unitarian Universalist. It's what Superman and I have in common." Christopher Reeve

(On UU as a religion): "We have religion when we look upon people with all their failings, and still find them good." Ralph N. Helverson, UU minister.

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