IRAS is a non-denominational, independent society with three purposes:

 

    - to promote creative efforts leading to the formulation, in the light of contemporary

      knowledge, of effective doctrines and practices for human welfare;

    - to formulate dynamic and positive relationships between the concepts developed by

      science and the goals and hopes of humanity expressed through religion;

    - to state human values and contemporary knowledge in such universal and valid terms

      that they may be understood by all peoples, whatever their cultural background and

      experience, and provide a basis for world-wide cooperation.

 

We at IRAS take the natural world seriously as a primary source of meaning.  Our quest is informed and guided by the deepening and evolving understandings fostered by scientific inquiry.

 

From here, our quests for meaning take us in divergent directions.  For some, the natural world and its emergent manifestations in human experience and creativity are the focus of exploration.  Some go on to encounter and celebrate the sacred in such explorations. For some, understandings of the natural world are interwoven with understandings inherent in various religious traditions, generating additional paths of exploration and encounter.  As a result, we articulate our emerging orientations with many voices, voices that are harmonious in that we share a common sense of place and gratitude.

 

We acknowledge as well a shared set of values and concerns pertaining to peace, justice, dignity, cultural and ecological diversity, and planetary sustainability.  Although we may differ as to how these concerns are best addressed, we are committed to participating in their resolution.