What Makes Us Different from Other Churches?
What makes our church different from all the other churches out there? More than you
might imagine. Unitarian Universalists (UUs, as we sometimes call ourselves) don’t
claim to know all the answers. In fact, we don’t even expect to learn the answers in our
lifetimes. Rather, we understand that Spirituality, God, Ultimate Truth, and the Meaning
of the Universe are subjects that can’t even be adequately described using human
language. While we all think on these things, and strive to find truth and meaning in our
lives, UUs have decided to embrace uncertainty, rather than fear it. Life is full of
wonderment and beauty; each day is something to be cherished. We need not fear death,
but should rather live life with gratitude that we exist and can share our lives with others.
We have no creed, no doctrinal statement, no required belief system that our members
must adhere to. We agree to share our stories with each other, as we travel our paths
towards truth and meaning. We agree that our path is not the only one, and that none of
us possesses ultimate truth. We wish to learn from each other, to listen carefully, and to
speak in love. Of course, being human, we fail all too often. But we do give it our best
shot, and try to mend fences when we speak hatefully or carelessly.
We conduct a service first, and then have a discussion afterwards. This is a deliberate
attempt to involve the entire congregation in an analysis of what has been said in the
service. This discussion period is highly treasured by our members. We do not use this
as a time to tear down, but we will critically analyze what has been presented. We
cherish human reason, and consider critical thinking part of our worship service. No
one is ever asked to believe something because it has been taught from the pulpit.
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Tullahoma had its 50th anniversary in November
2008. Our members range from atheists and agnostics to pagans to Christians, and
almost any other religious background you can imagine. How do people with such
diverse views worship together and befriend each other? We invite you to visit us and
find out.
Doug Traversa
Lay Minister
might imagine. Unitarian Universalists (UUs, as we sometimes call ourselves) don’t
claim to know all the answers. In fact, we don’t even expect to learn the answers in our
lifetimes. Rather, we understand that Spirituality, God, Ultimate Truth, and the Meaning
of the Universe are subjects that can’t even be adequately described using human
language. While we all think on these things, and strive to find truth and meaning in our
lives, UUs have decided to embrace uncertainty, rather than fear it. Life is full of
wonderment and beauty; each day is something to be cherished. We need not fear death,
but should rather live life with gratitude that we exist and can share our lives with others.
We have no creed, no doctrinal statement, no required belief system that our members
must adhere to. We agree to share our stories with each other, as we travel our paths
towards truth and meaning. We agree that our path is not the only one, and that none of
us possesses ultimate truth. We wish to learn from each other, to listen carefully, and to
speak in love. Of course, being human, we fail all too often. But we do give it our best
shot, and try to mend fences when we speak hatefully or carelessly.
We conduct a service first, and then have a discussion afterwards. This is a deliberate
attempt to involve the entire congregation in an analysis of what has been said in the
service. This discussion period is highly treasured by our members. We do not use this
as a time to tear down, but we will critically analyze what has been presented. We
cherish human reason, and consider critical thinking part of our worship service. No
one is ever asked to believe something because it has been taught from the pulpit.
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Tullahoma had its 50th anniversary in November
2008. Our members range from atheists and agnostics to pagans to Christians, and
almost any other religious background you can imagine. How do people with such
diverse views worship together and befriend each other? We invite you to visit us and
find out.
Doug Traversa
Lay Minister