UU Principles
Unitarian Universalist congregations affirm and promote seven principles,
which we hold as strong values and moral guides.
As
Rev. Barbara Wells ten Hove explains, “the principles are not dogma or
doctrine, but rather a guide for those of us who choose to join and participate
in Unitarian Universalist religious communities.”
The seven UU Principles are:
1) The
inherent worth and dignity of every person;
2) Justice,
equity and compassion in human relations;
3) Acceptance
of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
4) A
free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
5) The
right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our
congregations and in society at large;
6) The goal
of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;
7) Respect
for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.
We
live out these Principles within a “living tradition” of wisdom and
spirituality, drawn from sources as diverse as science, poetry,
scripture, and personal experience:
Direct
experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all
cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the
forces which 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.
These
seven Principles and six Sources of the Unitarian Universalist Association
(UUA) grew out of the grassroots of our tradition, were affirmed
democratically, and are part of who we are.