Marie Springer

Marie's pampered childhood made it easy for her to become a Humanist! She explained that she had a fortunate childhood, being much loved, her every wish granted by adults who adored her and respected her. As a result, said Marie, she developed a high degree of self-assurance that enabled her to make healthy changes and positive decisions as an adult.

One of her earliest religious experiences established a positive memory. Marie revealed that her father was angry when he learned that she had been baptized a Mormon, without his permission, when she was 12 years old. He told the family member responsible for arranging the baptism that Marie, even as a child, had the right to make religious decisions for herself. His support impressed on her young mind her personal dignity, and respect for her right to make decisions.

As a young adult in the 1940's, Marie moved to New York City, and began her career in journalism with Look Magazine. While living in Manhattan, she met the man who eventually became her husband. He was a well-read man with a wide circle of literary friends, and exposed Marie to the philosophy of atheism. She was at first shocked to learn that there are people who don't believe in God, but then getting to know fine people who professed atheism led her to be tolerant, and to appreciate more fully the religious freedom this nation encourages. Her religious curiosity led her to a variety of liberal religions. Back in Salt Lake City in 1963 she visited the Unitarian Society where Hugh Gillilan was then the minister. His stimulating intellectual approach to religious questions was satisfying to her curious mind and, as she said, "resulted in her conversion to humanism." Marie said that when she told her Mormon sister she had joined the Unitarian Church, her sister replied: "Thank God you belong to something!"

For Marie, Unitarian Humanism is the sensible place to be. It's a way of living that encourages people to think seriously, and live fully.