| Beliefs & Principles |
| Temples, sacred texts and creeds are the creations of those who once exercised their freedom to create. Is there any reason why we should expect to do less? A distinctive characteristic of our Circle is our insistence that we will not bind our present and future in religion to the tutelage of the past. We will attempt to learn all that the past can teach us, but we will do our own thinking about current matters of faith and practice. We are a Circle that cherishes freedom and encourages open dialogue on questions of faith, one in which it is okay to change your mind. We are religious community that affirms spiritual exploration and reason as ways of finding truth. We value the mutual support of and mentoring by peers and others who share similar values. Grateful for the religious pluralism that enriches and ennobles our faith, we are inspired to deepen our understanding and expand our vision. We encourage a continual search to improve faith and life. We do not teach a finished gospel. The atmoshere in our Circle encourages people to make their best contribution to the group's enrichment. The emphasis is on sharing the results of personal thought and evaluation. Truth is vast and many sided. The Circle challenges us to take the lead when engaging our faith in our own lives. We worship, sing, play, study, teach and work for greater quality of life together as members of a Circle - all the while remaining strong in our individaul convictions. We observe sacred rituals in the Circle, not because they are required by some rule or dogma, but because in them we may voice our affection, hopes and dedication. We encourage the search for our own truth in the company of other searchers. We are individuals who want a spiritual home that both affirms and challenges us. We enter into this Circle promising to one another our mutual trust and support. We encourage engagement of our whole selves - mind and body, heart and soul - in creating a menaingful life journey. Each one is at a different place on his or her spiritual journey. We are a religious people who have woven strands of a rich past into a tapestry of the present. We are determined to follow our own reasoned convictions, no matter what others may say and we embrace totlerance as a central principle, inside and outside our own Circle. We hold fast to our faith in the inherent worth and dignity of a person. We hold the worth and dignity of the individual to be the appropriate basis of all human relations. We are covenanted, not creedal. We, in the spirit of freedom, cherish honest dialogue and persuasion, not coercion. We do not hold any document or other account of human experience to be either an infallible guide or the exclusive source of truth. We respect the sacred literture of other religions. Contemporary works of science, art and social commentary are valued as well. We hold, in the words of an old formulation, that "revelation is not sealed." We aspire to truth as wide as the world - we look to find truth anywhere, universally. We revere personal growth, increased wisdom, strength of character, gifts of insight, understanding, inner and outer peace, courage, patience and love. The ways in which these things come to us, change and heal us are many indeed. We seek and celebrate then in our worship. We put less emphasis on formal beliefs and more on practical living. Our interests is in deeds, not creeds. We appreciate the Biblical text, "Be ye doers of the word, and not bearers only." |