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100 Questions That Non-Members Ask About Unitarian Universalism
Copyright © 1994-2000 by the Unitarian-Universalist Church of Nashua, New Hampshire. All rights reserved.
Read the complete 100 Questions as pdf (283K) or as individual chapters:
Preface
1 Beliefs, Creeds and Doctrines
- What do Unitarian Universalists believe?
- Which values do you hold highest?
- Does the UUA have a creed?
- Do you subscribe to any doctrines?
- What do you NOT believe?
- Do some UUs have different beliefs than other UUs?
- Do you believe in God?
- Do you believe in a personal God?
- What role does God play in the Church?
- Do you believe in the existence of spiritual beings?
- Do you believe in miracles?
- Do you believe in Jesus?
- How do you regard the Bible?
- Do you believe in life after death?
- Do you believe in the concept of evolution?
- What are the bonds that unify UUs?
2 Definitions and Differences
- How do you think most churches would define a Christian?
- Are UUs Christian?
- How do you differ from Christians?
- What do UUs and humanists have in common?
- What is the difference between a Unitarian and a Universalist?
- What might be considered the watch words of Unitarian Universalism?
- What are some characteristics of UUs?
- Is Unitarian Universalism really a religion?
- What is your attitude toward other religious faiths such as Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism?
- Do UUs believe in a universal religion?
3 Life, Death, Salvation, Sin
- How do you regard death and how does this affect the way you live?
- How do you regard sin?
- How do you explain evil?
- Can UUs go to heaven or hell?
- What about salvation?
- Do you believe in a Redeemer?
- If you do not fear God, hell, or eternal damnation, what is your incentive to act morally and responsibly?
4 Attitudes and Interests
- What is the your attitude toward women and minorities?
- Would you categorize UUs as optimistic or pessimistic?
- Do you believe Unitarian Universalism is the only true religion?
- How would you characterize your religion?
- How do you explain that bad things happen?
- Where do you turn when you need support?
- Are fears or threats part of your religion?
- What role does science play in your church?
5 History
- Is Unitarianism Universalism an American religion?
- What is the history of Unitarian Universalism?
- When did the merger of Unitarianism and Universalism take place?
- How is Unitarian Universalism distinctive from other religions?
6 The Unitarian Universalist Association
- What world-wide goals and values does the Unitarian Universalist Association promote in its Statement of Purpose and Principles?
- Where are the headquarters of the UUA?
- How is the president of the UUA selected?
7 Customs, Ceremonies, Celebrations
- Is ceremony part of your tradition?
- Do you have a baptism ceremony?
- Is there an induction ceremony for new members?
- Do UUs celebrate Christmas and Easter?
- Do you accept cremation?
- Do you pray during the service, and if so, to whom?
- Do you pray at home?
- Do UUs participate in prescribed rites and sacraments such as the Lord's Supper, confirmation, confession and last rites?
8 The Unitarian Universalist Minister
- How are UU ministers educated?
- How do UU churches choose a minister?
- Are there UU ministers who have entered the ministry from a non-Christian background?
- What role does the minister play?
- Do ministers of different churches espouse different beliefs?
- Can a woman be a minister in the UU church?
- What percentage of UU ministers currently employed in local churches are women?
- What percentage of UU ministers are women?
9 The Unitarian Universalist Church
- Is there a head of the church?
- If most UUs do not believe in a personal God, why are the congregations called churches?
- Do congregations reflect America's social and racial diversity?
- Do positions of leadership in UU congregations and in the UUA reflect or favor a particular religious background?
- What do members do to reach out to organizations and groups in their community?
- What do children learn and study in Sunday School?
10 Statistics
- How many UUs are there?
- Is membership growing or declining?
- How does the growth in membership compare to the growth of mainline Protestant churches?
- How does the growth in Sunday School enrollment compare to that of Protestant churches?
- What percentage of members are people with little experience in attending Sunday School or church services?
- Are UUs hard to find?
11 The Service
- What is a typical Sunday church service like?
- What symbols do you display in your churches?
- What is the significance of the flaming chalice?
- What is the Flower Communion?
- What is the extent of ritual in the church?
- Why do some say that listening to a UU minister's sermon is a lot like attending a college class?
12 Joining the Church
- Can anyone be a Unitarian Universalist?
- Would an atheist be welcome and made to feel comfortable? How about agnostics, Christians, Jews, Catholics, blacks, gays, or minorities?
- How actively do you try to convert people?
- Why do people become UUs?
- Are more people changing to Unitarian Universalism than to other religions?
- How might a person benefit by becoming a member?
- Do most people join the church as adults?
- When people decide to join your church, what role does the church of their parents play in their decision?
- Is it common for people to shop around, visiting several churches before making a decision?
- What are members required to do?
- Are members expected to contribute financially to the church?
13 Taking a Position
- Does the church take a position on public issues?
- On what public issues has the church taken a position?
- How active are UUs on social issues?
- Despite government harassment, what controversial book did the UUA publish in the early 1970s?
- What is the church's view on abortion?
