Principles, Sources, & Covenant

Principles

Unitarian Universalist congregations affirm and support the following Seven Principles:

  • 1st Principle: The inherent worth and dignity of every person
  • 2nd Principle: Justice, equity and compassion in human relations
  • 3rd Principle: Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations
  • 4th Principle: A free and responsible search for truth and meaning
  • 5th Principle: The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large
  • 6th Principle: The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all
  • 7th Principle: Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.
  • 8th Principle (Adopted by UUSD in 2022): The liberation, transformation, and love that comes with dismantling racism and all oppressions in ourselves and in our society.

Sources

The living tradition that Unitarian Universalists share draws from many sources:

  • 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 council us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against the 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.

UUSD Covenant of Good Relations

In 2002, UUSD created the following covenant (agreement) of Good Relations acknowledging the need to honor and respect relationships between individuals in our community.

The members and friends of UUSD, in order to celebrate and nurture our search for meaning, connection, and acceptance, make this covenant with each other:

  • I will seek to create a loving community, through worship and joyous community, that holds each member in safety, care, and trust.
  • I will listen, reflect, and respond with respect.
  • I will practice goodwill and assume it from others.
  • I will speak from my own experience.
  • I will speak responsibly and directly with those with whom I have conflict and honor our differences.
  • I will be a positive participant in, and share responsibility for, the life of the church.
  • I will strive with integrity to live by this covenant as an expression of the Principles and purposes of the UUA.

More information about Unitarian Universalist beliefs is available from UUA.