We believe truths are hard-won. Life is messy. Community matters.
Our free and responsible search for truth and meaning
is grounded and guided by our 7 UU Principles and 6 Sources,
as well as our congregational commitment to building the Beloved Community
envisioned by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
What is Unitarian Universalism?
Unitarian Universalism is a liberal religion – that means, a religion that keeps an open mind to the religious questions people have struggled with in all times and places. We believe that personal experience, conscience and reason should be the final authorities in religion, and that religious authority lies not in a single book or person or institution, but in ourselves.
We are a “non-creedal” religion: we do not ask anyone to subscribe to a set of beliefs. Rather, each member is encouraged to embark on a conscientious, life-long quest for religious meaning in which they come to believe deeply.
To learn more about Unitarian Universalism, visit the Unitarian Universalist Association website.
Continue scrolling to learn more about our 7 Principles and 6 Sources.
We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), covenant to affirm and promote:
The 7 UU Principles
- The inherent worth and dignity of all persons.
- Justice, equity and compassion in human relations.
- Acceptance of one another and mutual 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, & justice for all.
- Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.
The living tradition we share draws from many sources:
The 6 UU Sources
- 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 people 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.
Beloved Community Resolution
Adopted June 7, 2020 | The voting Members of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbia (UUCC) voted to endorse the following resolution as an expression of our commitment to building a diverse, multicultural, Beloved Community at UUCC’s 2020 Annual Meeting. With this resolution, UUCC reasserts our commitment to this work in ourselves, our congregation, and our community.
Resolved:
We, the members of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbia, Maryland, covenant to affirm and promote the building of a diverse, multicultural Beloved Community where BIPOC*, LGBTQ+**, and other marginalized communities find respite from racism and other oppressions. We commit to educating ourselves and to taking actions that dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves, our institutions, and the broader community working in accordance with each person’s unique abilities and approaches.
*BIPOC = Black, Indigenous, People of Color ** LGBTQ+ = lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning + other sexualities and non-binary genders
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