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Unitarian Universalism - A Compromise for Many

© Julie Richie

So your Christian husband isn't willing to attend synogogue with you, and you find his church unappealing. What are you going to do? Can you ever compromise?

Maybe the Unitarian Universalist church is for you. With 1,000 congregations in the United States, this church is growing as it fills with people like you - mostly people of Christian or Jewish backgrounds in mixed marriages. In fact, according to the home page of the Unitarian Universalist Association, http://www.uua.org/main.html the Unitarian Universalist religion was born of the Jewish and Christian religions and affirms the worth of all human beings no matter what they believe.

John Adams, Clara Barton, Louisa May Alcott, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Susan B. Anthony are some of the more famous Unitarian Universalists. If you are looking for a church family that believes ethical living is the most important aspect of religion, and that people should be encouraged to think for themselves rather than be restricted to a specific creed, you should check out a Unitarian church near you.

If you live in the Northeastern part of the United States, you will find Unitarian churches that are more mainstream and have a Protestant feel to them. For example, I was married at the Unitarian Church in Summit, NJ. It was what I considered the perfect church for me. A beautiful white church, steeple and all, with an organ and a smart, diverse congregation. It was spiritual and moving to be there on Sunday mornings. We even sang hymns. However, my experience with the Unitarian Universalist church in Texas has been much different. Here it seems that most congregations meet in a small suite somewhere and that the focus is more political - i.e. rights of gays and lesbians, world peace, environmental activism, etc. - instead of spiritual topics. Perhaps because this is such a Christian part of the country, Unitarians are more extreme here. It is unfortunate because even my husband, the Episcopalian, has said that if the Unitarian Church in Summit, NJ were here in Texas, he would feel comfortable attending its services.

Even with some potential problems, the Unitarian Universalist church may be an acceptable option for many interfaith couples. Some other web sites of interest are http://members.aol.com/porchfour/beliefs... and http://crossroads.freethought.net/unitar... The latter site will provide links to Unitarian Universalist sermons and outside opinions of Unitarian Universalism.

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