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that are in harmony with UU principles.
Symbols
UU's have developed a few unique symbols. The most distinctive symbol of UU-ism is the chalice. This symbol was devised to honor Jan Huss, a priest of Medieval times. He advocated having the Mass in the vernacular of the people and having the people drink the communion wine as well as the priests. He was burned at the stake for promoting these heretical ideas. The chalice symbol was used during W.W.II by the Unitarian Service Committee on their transport boats so they would not be fired upon as they attempted to get refugees--mostly children--out of war-torn Europe.
The UU churches in Czechoslovakia have the sunflower as one of their symbols. The Transylvania Unitarian seal is the dove encircled by a serpent. This is derived from Jesus instruction to his apostles quoted in Matthew to, "be as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves." The authors of The Urantia Book instruct us that:
"Regardless of the drawbacks and handicaps, every new revelation of truth has given rise to a new cult, and even the restatement of the religion of Jesus must develop a new and appropriate symbolism. Modern man must find some adequate symbolism for his new and expanding ideas, ideals, and loyalties. This enhanced symbol must arise out of religious living, spiritual experience." (966)
Identity
One of the problems a small liberal religious community such as the UU's has is identity. Because the number of UU's is small, and UU-ism has no universally accepted theology, many non-UU's do not understand what it is. Even UU's have a difficult time explaining it. Many UU's reject the Christian label, yet there are a few Christian UU churches. To compound the problem, UU-ism in the US is constantly evolving. How can you capture the essence of something that keeps changing?
Another thing that contributes to the change is the influx of new members who come from traditional Christian backgrounds. They may have given up their allegiance to their previous church, but they haven't necessarily given up all their old beliefs. It is not surprising therefore that a class called "Building Your Own Theology" is held periodically at UU congregations.
The clue to the survival of UU-ism is its emphasis on tolerance. Each person is in charge of his or her own belief system. In a way, it gives great freedom, because each person knows that proselytizing is unacceptable, and therefore members are free from pressure to accept other's beliefs.
Since UU identity doesn't come from its spiritual teachings, what is unique about the church? Its identity comes from its involvement in social issues, and their outreach programs. The UU emphasis on outreach stems from their convictions that we are in relationship to others, strangers, family, and the earth itself, and thus one's faith does not exist in a vacuum. But some UU's are not totally satisfied with this identity.
There are many UU's who feel that the church needs to have a more spiritual orientation. The problem is that UU's do not agree on what is meant by the term "spiritual." UU's also struggle with their feelings toward Jesus. Some have a great reverence for him; others discount him as another false messiah. How can a minister address such issues where there are such divergent views? The ministers I have known try to present all sides of the picture and honor all points of view, while making their own points of view known.
Another way the diversities can be handled is by forming special interest groups within a congregation. A group of UU Christians may get together and have a Bible discussion group. A group of Pagans might get together for a Solstice celebration, or conduct a Solstice celebration as a Sunday morning service at that time of year. While these diverse groups don't always achieve harmony, nevertheless, it is a testament to the tolerance of UU's that there is as little conflict as there is.
Undoubtedly, the issue of identity will not be as difficult an issue for a Urantia church as it is for a UU congregation. A Urantia church doesn't have to be all things to all people, but it will nevertheless have to evolve a unique identity. A major question is whether such a church will be seen as an entirely new church/religion or just another sect within Christianity. Because some of the theology of The Urantia Book is similar to Christian theology, it will be difficult to avoid the Christian label. Can we? Should we? We may think that these are questions that we will not have to answer for decades, but the time may be shorter than we think.
I have read that there already two Urantia churches in California who are beginning to address these questions. If the church movement swells and begins to grow rapidly, we will have to address many of these questions quite soon. There are a few lessons that we can learn from history. One of these is that the Christian church did not spring suddenly from nowhere. It built on the foundation of Judaism, Zoroastrianism, and other traditions.
While we should and certainly shall evolve our own symbolism, rituals, and even music, I
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