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.

• 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.

As Unitarian Universalists we live out our Principles within a “living tradition” of wisdom and spirituality, drawn from sources as diverse as science, poetry, scripture, and personal experience. These are the six sources our congregations affirm and promote:

• 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 people 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.