Unitarian Universalist Principles

The Covenant of the First Unitarian Church

The Church shall be a fellowship of individuals with free minds, having for its object the study and practice of liberal religion, including the principles propounded by the Unitarian Universalist Association, the development of a more meaningful life for each of its members and friends, and the building of a better community and world. Love shall be the spirit of the Church, with service to one another and to the larger community its greatest concern. The members and friends of the Church do hereby covenant to dwell together in peace, to seek the truth in all things, and to help one another.

 

We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, affirm and promote. . .

• The inherent worth and dignity of every person
• Justice, equity, and compassion in human relations
• Acceptance of one another and encouragement of spiritual growth in our congregations
• A free and responsible search for truth and meaning
• The right of conscience and the use of democratic process within our congregations and in society at large
• The goal of a world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all
• Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part 
• Journeying toward spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions
 

Grateful for the religious pluralism which enriches and ennobles our faith, we deepen our understanding and expand our vision through. . .

• 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 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.