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 The Chronicle welcomes you online! Please feel free to respond to these editorials or letters to the editor by sending your letters to the editor.

We condense letters; most, as published, won't exceed 300 words. A letter must include the writer's name and city, which will be published, and an address and telephone number for verification, which will not be published. Writers may be limited to one letter every 30 days. Open letters, letters to third parties and poetry are not considered. Letters from people living outside the Chronicle's circulation area usually are not considered.

UU minister defends his church

Web posted August 30, 2000

 Have a thought? Go to the @ugusta Forums.

Editor, The Chronicle

I read with frustration a recently published letter opposing one of the principled stands taken by our Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations.

The position expressed by our president promoted preserving the rights of non-theist and gay scouts who'd previously been accepted as members and leaders of the Boy Scouts across the nation, especially in UU church-sponsored groups.

Anyone has a constitutional right to express disagreement with us. However, to discredit us, the writer found it necessary to attack our church as ``socialist,'' ``non-religious,'' and ``a church in name only.''

It's true that most UU congregations include people with diverse religious and political beliefs. Indeed, my favorite slogan is, ``We're one church that puts our faith in you.

But there's also a unified commitment to certain principles. We covenant to affirm and promote:

The inherent worth and dignity of every person.

Justice, equality and compassion in human relations.

Acceptance and encouragement of individual spiritual growth.

A free and responsible search for truth & meaning.

The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process.

The goal of world community with peace, liberty and justice for all.

Respect for the interdependent web of all existence.

These aren't exclusively UU principles, but many religions give higher priority to different values. But a major difference between UU churches and most others is that we find inspiration and value in practices and beliefs of many diverse religions and the examples of the writings and lives of their leaders, philosophers and

prophets.

We try to use our reasoning ability to determine how their insights and metaphors might help us live more fully human, moral lives.

Those who really know us today and review our history without prejudice will dismiss the rhetoric that our credentials as a church might be doubtful, or that our collective intentions are anything other than what our principles profess.

The Rev. Dan King, Augusta