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Seven Principles of Unitarian-Universalism and Me.
Introduction: The 7 Principles
Seven of the reasons I have joined the Unitarian Universalist Church are the 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.
This is the clearest statement that I have ever read that reflects my own ethical and moral backbone. Below is a personal statement and short essay about each one and how it fits into my life and personal ethos.
1st Principle of Unitarian Universalism: The inherent worth and dignity of every person
This first principle hits home directly. I am part of a community (trans people) that many around the world and in our own governement consider to be not worthy of the same rights and dgnity and respect as white heterosexual men.
Every person is worthy and has inherent worth. What gives someone the right to say that some of us are less than human and should be treated that way? What gave the white civilization of Europe the right to enslave and transport people from other continents and civilizations around the world and then treat them as property with no rights?
The dominant white culture owes reparations to all people of color. All of us that grew up in that culture are just as guilty and responsible for what happened as those Yankees from New England that ran slave ships across the Atlantic from Africa, as guilty as the sothern slave owners, and as guilty as those who lynched and murdered all in the name of white supremacy and the status quo.
