Ask a group of Unitarian Universalists why they became part of the faith--or movement as some would say, and you will often hear stories about early traumas at the hands of abusive or neglectful religious leaders, teachers, or laity. Indeed, I have my own stories about the invasion of my old church by a series of right-wing minsters that eventually succeeded in turning it into a house of hate and fear. But I would not be telling the whole story if I offered escape as the only reason for "signing the book" and becoming an UU.

I may have come to UU as a refugee, but I chose to become an UU because I share in the faith's contagious, optimistic belief in a diverse, positive, and just future.

UUs seem to be in all the right places. UUs are involved in fighting for human rights, peace, gender equality, and racial justice. It wouldn't surprise me that when beings from other worlds finally make themselves known to us, that there will be at least one of the UU faith in the earthly welcoming party.

What most attracted me to the faith was its deep, "seven-generation" concern about the earth--not merely as a life support system for humanity, but as a living and breathing entity unto Herself.

In my view, the UU focus on choice instead of dogma is what "future proofs" the faith.

Far from a refuge for the spiritually lazy, the UU faith is, to me, a place for seekers who are free to choose with good intention and take positive action for reasons deeper than rules that were written in someone's religious text or handed down from some great guru. UUs get to choose with our best intentions, with our hearts and our minds.

It was too often said in my old church "that the road to hell is paved with good intentions." Even at a young age, I knew that that cliche was a load of garbage. Is the road to heaven paved with bad intentions? Is the road to heaven paved with no intention at all--just blind following?

I learned in life to see the truth that good, hopefully well informed, intention is all we have--even if we choose to hide behind a book or a creed. And that faith is the best steering wheel we have for our intentions to keep them on the path to actions that create positive futures.

I am an UU because I believe in a positive tomorrow for all living things and I intend to help create that future.