My Religion
Four students reveal their lesser-known faiths

Story: Brianne Carlon
Photos: Amy Mitten

As of the most recent census, the population of the United States was nearly 300 million-800,000 of those were Santerian.

That's less than 1 percent.

Hundreds of religions are practiced in the United States daily, and many are not very common. In the United States, there are 500,000 Unitarian Universalists, 100,000 Jains and 55,000 Mennonites

Allison Pritchard, freshman electronic media production major, grew up in North Olmsted and has practiced Unitarian Universalism her entire life.

The protestant denomination was formed in the 1960s when two religions merged: Unitarians—founded in Poland in the 1500s—and Universalists—founded in Europe in the 1700s, according to newadvent.org, a Catholic encyclopedia. The religion encourages free thinking.

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“It’s really open and out there,” Pritchard says. “It’s more important to be a good person than believe in certain things.”

Unitarian Universalism welcomes beliefs from all religions. It is mostly up to individuals what their personal beliefs are. The church does not have a specific text, though both Unitarianism and Universalism are liberal Protestant sects, according to newadvent.org.

“They expose the members to other texts, such as the Bible, but they don’t tell you that you have to believe it,” Pritchard says.

Pritchard believes in a god but not so much a human form.

“I believe he is naturish, a universal force. And he is not limited,” she says.

More importantly, the church values knowledge, so Sunday school teaches a variety of other life issues beyond religion. One year is dedicated to sex education, including sexually transmitted diseases and birth control.

“They want you to have the information at your fingertips,” Pritchard says.

“It’s more important to be a good person than believe in certain things.”

The church encourages pro-choice reproductive rights, and it supports gay marriages.

Unitarian Universalism is open to any religious beliefs that accept and respect all life.

Pritchard tries to remember to live her life according to a saying she once heard: It’s not the creed we preach but the life we live that is important.

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