| BELIEFS & PRINCIPLES |
| A child should be allowed to discover religion in his or her own unfolding life, not through a process of indoctrination. The great end in religious instruction is not to stamp our minds irresistibly on the young, but to stir up their own; not to make them see with our eyes, but to look inquiringly and steadily with their own; not to impose religion upon them in the form of arbitrary rules, which reston no foundation but our own word and will, but to awaken the conscience, the moral discernment, so they may discern and approve for themselves what is everlastingly right and good. We heartily urge children to ask questions, express their doubts, and seek answers that are personally satisfying to them. We do everything possible to avoid an atmosphere that represses their natural curiousity. Developing a religion of one's own is a slow, gradual and seven-day-a-week process. |
| "Teaching the Babes" |
| Sources of Traditions We Share |
| Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life; Words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love; Wisdom from the world's religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life; Teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit. Spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature. |