The Search is Not a Free-For-All

The Fourth Principle that Unitarian Universalist congregations uphold is the “free and responsible search for truth and meaning.” Unitarian Universalists come together in the acknowledgement that we are seekers, and that we will support one another in our seeking. We call this a “free” search because we are not asking one another to ascribe to particular dogmas or supernatural beliefs.

However, I would not cross the line to describing the search as a “free-for-all.” Unitarian Universalism is often mischaracterized as “you can believe whatever you want.” I simply don’t see this as true. Our search is to some extent “free,” but it is also responsible.

It is a “responsible” search because we expect ourselves and one another to be attentive to ethical issues. Although some Unitarian Universalists might disagree with me, I think the first principle (that each person has “inherent worth and dignity”), puts restraints on our search. The seven principles that Unitarian Universalist congregations uphold, and that I have been writing about here over the past several weeks, are rigorous. The seven principles describe the ways in which we are committed to interacting with one another and with the larger world. Our individual understandings of truth and meaning change and evolve, but I believe they should always be compatible with the way we have agreed to be in community together. To me, this is the meaning of responsible.

I have found that within this responsibility, Unitarian Universalists are deeply supportive of one another’s differing views of God, prayer, worship, and other spiritual matters. Just this past weekend, I was at a Unitarian Universalist conference. At one point in the day, I ended up in a discussion with several other people about theological issues.

One of the topics we talked about was whether or not prayer is effective, and if it is effective, how does that work? This is something that I often think about it, and it was fascinating–and comforting–to hear how other Unitarian Universalists are reflecting on it as well. We each answered the question in a different way, and that helped me to think more deeply about what I believe.

When I got home from the conference, I checked my mail, and I had received an article from a church friend. It is always a special treat to get “real mail,” so I was delighted. The article addressed the question of how intercessory prayer impacts medical healing–and what that tells us about the efficacy of prayer in general! My friend sent the article because she knew I had been writing about prayer here on the blog.

These are small example of how I feel other Unitarian Universalists have been a significant part of my search for truth and meaning. Before finding a Unitarian Universalist congregation, I couldn’t have imagined how people with such different beliefs felt united. But I think we are united through our commitment to one another, and the ways we support one another’s searching.