PRINCIPLES OF UNITARIAN
UNIVERSALISM
OUR CONGREGATION'S COVENANT
We
come together in love, open to each other's beliefs. As a congregation, we create
a place for open dialogue, search for truth, meaning, spiritual growth, and justice.
To these ends we commit to each other and to the larger community ourselves and
our talents.
UNITARIAN
UNIVERSALIST SEVEN PRINCIPLES
We,
the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to
affirm and promote:The inherent worth and dignity of every person; Justice, equity,
and compassion in human relations; Acceptance of one another and encouragement
to spiritual growth in our congregations;A free and responsible search for truth
and meaning;The rights of conscience and the use of the democratic process within
our congregations and in society at large;The goal of world community with peace,
liberty, and justice for all;Respect for the interdependent web of all existence,
of which we are a part.
SOURCES
OF FAITH AND INSPIRATION
The
living tradition we share draws from many sources:Direct experience of that transcending
mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of spirit
and an openness to the forces that create and uphold life;Words and deeds of prophetic
women and men, which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with
justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love;Wisdom from the world's
religions, which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life;Jewish and Christian
teachings, which call us to respond to God's love by loving our neighbors as ourselves;Humanist
teachings, which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of
science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit;Spiritual teachings
of Earth-centered traditions, which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct
us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.
COMMON
UU BELIEFS IDENTIFIED BY REV. DAVID RANKIN
We
believe in the freedom of religious expression. All individuals should be encouraged
to develop a personal theology, and to openly present their religious opinions
without fear of censure or reprisal.We believe in tolerance of religious ideas.
The religious of every age and culture have something to teach those who listen.We
believe in the authority of reason and conscience. The ultimate arbiter in religion
is not a church, a document, or an official, but the personal choice and decision
of the individual.We believe in the search for truth. With an open mind and heart,
there is no end to the fruitful and exciting revelations that the human spirit
can find.We believe in the unity of experience. There is no fundamental conflict
between faith and knowledge; religion and the world; the sacred and the secular.We
believe in the worth and dignity of each human being. All people on earth have
an equal claim to life, liberty, and justice; no idea, ideal, or philosophy is
superior to a single human life.We believe in the ethical application of religion.
Inner grace and faith finds completion in social and community involvement.We
believe in the force of love, that the governing principle in human relationships
is the principle of love, which seeks to help and heal, never to hurt or destroy.We
believe in the necessity of the democratic process. Records are open to scrutiny,
elections are open to members, and ideas are open to criticism, so that people
might govern themselves.We believe in the importance of religious community. Peers
confirm and validate experience, and provide a critical platform, as well as a
network of mutual support.
