GA 2009 - Lift Pitch Statements

The statements below are answers Unitairans said they would give, if asked about their chalice lapel badge by a stranger while travelling between floors in a lift.

It's my personal guiding light that connects me to all other Unitarians in the world. A symbolic shared flame of light, love and hope for a better world.

The Chalice is the symbol of the worldwide Unitarian movement. It is our caring community holding and nurturing the living flame of our spiritual lives.

It is the badge of open-minded people, respecting all faiths. The Chalice indicates that we are a community offering welcome, seeking the light of reasoned faith & developing our understanding of life.

We call it a "Flaming Chalice" yes, it's a badge, a logo but much more than that. We light one when we meet. It is a light pointing to truth & love. But you need to come and see.

The flame of our chalice inspires us in many ways - as many ways as there are people. I'm a Unitarian, which means I see unity in all my life and amongst all people.

It is a symbol of my church. We are an embracing open religion that welcomes all people with different beliefs in a non-judgemental loving way.

The flaming chalice is the Unitarian symbol, my symbol of faith. The flame represents the warmth of love, the living spirit, the light of life. The chalice represents the loving community, friends for the journey.

It is the symbol of my Unitarianism faith which is a liberal religious movement whose beliefs and worship are based on freedom, reason, tolerance and love.

We believe the journey through life is more important than the destination and that all have the right to build their own belief system in a spirit of love and kindness.

The flaming chalice represents a juxtaposition of religious imagery with deep resonance for many in the Christian tradition - the fire of Pentecost, communion wine, the "light not hid under a bushel"

A Flaming chalice, it is the flame of freedom which represents the Unitarian movement. We believe in tolerance, friendship and care for each other and the natural world.

It says that I am a Unitarian and have belief in life. We are on a journey together and we travel in love.

Chalice - Sign of a group of people who wish to live ethically using their minds and hearts freely while also acknowledging the mystical/spiritual dimension of experience. 

Unitarianism is a movement that grew out of Christianity but is not necessarily Christian any more. It gleans spiritual insights from other religions as well as literature, art & music. It also values the rational scientific tradition. As Unitarians, we are engaged on an ethical and spiritual journey, from diverse belief systems. We actually celebrate this diversity in a spirit of tolerance & openness.

Individual journeys of spirituality brought together in a community.

Open minded community; open hearted spirituality.

It's the symbol of Unitarianism. We're the religion for people who like to think for themselves, who believe that our spiritual life is a journey. We provide a welcoming, safe space in which to work out our own individual spiritual and religious beliefs, in dialogue with like-minded people

We believe in God, and we don't care if you spell it with one or two O's.

It is the symbol of my church. The chalice means our community and the flame of liberal faith burns whenever we are together and in our hearts whenever we are apart.

Open heart, open mind, no creed and sharing interesting thoughts. Join us for religious freedom without creed or statement.

Because it shows light and warmth, it is a lovely symbol for the truth and love that comes from God.

The flame of truth, love, enquiry and tolerance by which we examine our lives.

It means I am a Unitarian. Unitarianism is a community and a faith too profound and variegated to be described in a sound-bite. It isn't simple - it's great!

It's a light to help me on my spiritual journey, joining with others with their own light.

It symbolises the opportunity to explore, with freedom and tolerance one's own spiritual journey within a beloved community.

Unitarianism for me is a liberal spiritual path. It's rooted in Jesus' teaching, but it's not about believing in Jesus' divinity, it's about believing in your own divinity.

We are Unitarians. We believe there are many paths to the divine and each of us is responsible for our own beliefs. We seek truth and meaning within the community.

A faith community, a thinking community, which gives you space to reason things out for yourself, whilst having tolerance for other views.

Unitarianism allows me to accompany my extreme scepticism and non-belief in gods with a sense of shared spirituality, hearing other people's stories.

It's a flaming chalice. It represents the light and warmth that envelops me as a member of the Unitarian community.

It's a symbol of the Unitarians. It's the small light of truth, reason and tolerance in a chalice of sharing.

This is a flaming chalice. It's the symbol of the Unitarians. It reflects the warmth and affection of humanity. It's a promise that you will never feel cold and alone.

Chalice of flame - Whilst there is one light in the world, darkness is removed. Let each and every one of us be that light.

Unitarians: a religious community encouraging authentic spirituality and service to the wider world.

This is the badge of the Unitarians. We are a liberal religious movement. We don't have dogmas - we're very happy to have the freedom to think for ourselves.

That's the symbol of my church, it represents the flame of the spirit and the shared cup of religious exploration.

Unitarians believe in "one God, one World" My statement is that we are an open, welcoming community, seeking fresh insight always.

My Unitarian church is a caring community which provides freedom and inspiration for the spiritual journey of life. I wear our chalice symbol with pride.

Unitarians are free spirits who like to think for themselves - and believe that religion is an evolving journey

A flaming chalice - a symbol of our Unitarian religion & spirituality. For me the "bowl" represents community of people on a spiritual journey and the flame our inspiration symbolises light and love for all.

The chalice is a symbol of hope and love, representing a community where all can charge their spiritual batteries in safety and warmth.

Inspirational flame, symbol of an inclusive faith - Unitarianism

A symbol of the Unitarian faith - the inextinguishable flame of freedom burning in the inexhaustible chalice of faith. Unitarians take religion & spirituality seriously, we are liberal in spirit, seeking a mature faith for living.

A flaming chalice. Unitarians are unique in that we set such things on fire rather than just drinking from them.

It's a symbol of my Unitarian faith. We are a caring community with the freedom to follow our own spiritual journey, caring for our world and each other.

It's a symbol of the Unitarian movement. Unitarians enjoy freedom of religious belief and joining together to celebrate life and inspire one another as we try to live by our values.

A chance to explore your own personal understanding of God and faith whilst becoming a part of an international open community.

A member of the most open minded church in the United Kingdom

I believe in one God and I believe that each person can find their God with us.

A reminder of the spark of divinity, which we can find in ourselves and others, which can bring us into loving unity with all creation.

Flame to attract the moths of questioning minds, you have asked me a question so you too could be Unitarian

Symbolising a faith without dogma or creed which permits freedom of personal belief and personal spiritual growth

A flaming chalice which provides a flame of freedom giving me freedom of thought, and a light of knowledge as a foundation on which to build my personal system of belief

It is the symbol of the Unitarian movement. We are an inclusive religious movement that grew out of the liberal/radical end of Christianity. We believe that each individual has the right/duty to work out their beliefs in the light of their own experience and that this is best done in a supportive community that shares worship and works for religious freedom and social justice.

My badge is of a flaming chalice which is the symbol used by Unitarians. The chalice symbol was first used in the 2nd world war for services to refugees in foreign countries. It is now used as part of our services worldwide to represent our faith.

The light of truth and service. It's used as a denominational symbol by most of our churches around the world.

A symbol representing the spiritual flame in each one of us and on an open chalice of unconditional acceptance. Symbol of faith which allows space and freedom for spiritual exploration

It means I am a Unitarian. We support people to follow their own spiritual path whatever that is and then to build on the common ground.

The symbol of Unitarianism - a responsibility to protect, value and give dignity to all living things that share this earth with me - it is my life!

We are a movement who believe in the one God and worship within a loving and inclusive community

It's part of my life's map. It shines the light to the place on the map where I may find my own spiritual path.

A loving community where we seek to live life more fully, responsibly and responsively

We are a religious community gently encouraging each in our search for truth and meaning. Inspiration originating from Liberal Christian thought - now including wisdom from many world sources.

A sign of my belief in God and a sign to others of my friendship to all.

Belief in the unity of life

A beacon of hope in this often dark world, (not a badge of office)

A denomination grounded in the Christian tradition, acknowledging (as Jesus did) the worth and validity of good religious experience

A symbol of my church, we each have our own views, but we are a family that shares views. A flame that shines in hearts and guides.