Church values exploration
When locals pass by the red brick rambler on the corner of 600 North and 900 East, they may not realize behind those doors a self-proclaimed religiously liberal community holds weekly services.
Jo Leary, a senior majoring in accounting, has attended the Unitarian Universalist church for four years and said the principles of the church carry into her everyday life. She said two organizations merged in the 1960s to form the church — the Unitarian and the Universalist churches.
Leary said her husband attended the church first and then introduced her to the faith, which follows seven core principles. Beyond that there is a variety of teachings, she said.
“It’s how you live your life,” she said. “Since there is a diversity in the congregation, you can learn new things about different religions.”
According to the Cache Valley Unitarian Universalist website, the church’s communityis not bound by a specific dogma or creed. The church encourages and supports sharing of ideas and experiences by all who travel rich and varied spiritual paths.
Adam Ward, a senior majoring in public relations, is not a member of the Unitarian Universalist church, but said he has done a lot of research into the organization, becuase he’s looking for churches that are more open about ideas.
“They don’t talk as much about the doctrine,” Ward said. “One of the best parts about the church is they allow you to have your belief system, and they still take you in.”
Ward said he likes the different ways of thought welcomed by the faith. He said he also finds general agnosticism and atheism as interesting ways of thought. He is drawn toward ideas such as theological non-cognitivism, which is a form of agnosticism, he said.
Agnosticism is described generally by the belief that there is no proof of a god or higher power and the existence thereof is unlikely. Atheism is characterized by denouncing the existence of a god of any kind.
Addison Wallace, a sophomore majoring in psychology, has also studied Unitarian Universalism, but said she is not yet a member. She said originally Unitarians were Christians who did not believe in the Holy Trinity — God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit.
“As it evolved, the beliefs shifted to focus on the importance of rational thinking and having good morals and ethics,” she said. “The best part about it is you can be a member of any other religion and you are still accepted. I love it.”
Ward said there are a lot of belief systems in the world, but the Unitarian Universalist church is about believing in your own dictates.
“It’s a non-pressured way to explore spirituality,” Ward said.
The church is heavily involved in community service projects with the local soup kitchen, Cache Community Food Pantry and the Cache Humane Society, Leary said.
According to the website, Cache Valley Unitarian Universalists are committed to making the world a better place by involving the community in many issues and by promoting social and environmental justice.
In the past, the church has celebrated and participated in the International Day of Peace, other peace marches and the initiation of the Cache Valley Unitarian Universalist social justice prize. The site also states that the congregation donated a large some of money to the Hispanic Center, and they support groups whose activities and goals are aligned with Unitarian-Universalist principles, such as the Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Association.
The residential facility holds services Sundays at 10 a.m. and allows the Cache Valley Buddhist Sangha to meet on Mondays and Wednesdays for meditation meetings. The community is also welcome to attend those services, according to the site.
Leary said she and her husband bring their two children to the church, but the kids aren’t allowed to officially join the program until they are 18 years old. Leary also said the church is a great place for agnostics and people who may not know where they stand regarding religion and philosophy.
Ward said when he stopped attending the LDS church he had shut himself off from spirituality, but he came to realize he still needed spiritual growth, he just didn’t want to be taught doctrine. He also finds meditation to be helpful with his spiritual progression.
“It’s the idea that the church is not denying a god or saying there is one,” he said. “It’s saying there is no way to know. There is no way to argue about it because we have no idea what a god would be.”
– natashabodily@gmail.com