Adoption of a Proposed 8th Principle
The 8th Principle
The 8th Principle as Proposed to the UUA:
“We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote: 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.”
8th Principle Website
THE RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY UUSS ON THE 8TH PRINCIPLE
The Resolution
- We, the members of UUSS, believe that adopting the proposed 8th Principle is the next important step in our work to dismantle racism.
- We, the members of UUSS, resolve to affirm and promote “journeying toward spiritual wholeness by building a diverse, multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions.”
- We, the members of UUSS, urge the UUSS Board to revise UUSS’s governing documents to reflect the 8th Principle concepts and we urge the Program Council to engage programs in actions that would reflect the 8th Principle concepts.
- We, the members of UUSS, urge the Unitarian Universalist Association to take steps to incorporate the 8th Principle into our UU Principles.
Get more info:
8th Principle FAQ for UUSS
The 7 Principles
- The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
- Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
- Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
- A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
- The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;
- The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;
- Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.
Background:
Unitarian Universalist congregations affirm and promote Seven Principles, which we hold as strong values and moral guides. Both our principles and sources have continued to evolve and change in the decades since they were first adopted in 1960.
The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), the larger association of UU congregations of which UUSS is a part, is in the process of considering an 8th Principle. This principle originated with Paula Cole Jones, an African American, who realized that a person can believe they are being a “good UU” and following the 7 Principles without thinking about or dealing with racism and other oppressions at the systemic level. Evidence: most UU congregations are primarily European-American in membership, culture (especially music), and leadership, even when located near diverse communities.
This proposed principle and the UUA report, “Widening the Circle of Concern” that many of us are reading, have both arisen out of deeper recognition that our denomination is affected by institutional racism and bias, as is pervasive in society at large. According to the UUA Bylaws, the process for any proposed change to the principles includes consideration by a commission and input by congregations and affiliated others. In this case, the commission’s charge includes “consideration and deliberation for the inclusion of another principle, explicitly calling us to be committed to active anti-racism” (the 8th Principle). This will be first voted upon at the General Assembly in 2022 with a second vote and adoption to come at the General Assembly in 2023.
UUSS has adopted a strategic plan that includes a goal that addresses racial justice in ourselves, our congregation, and our community. With the mandate of our strategic plan, serious consideration of the proposal for the 8th Principle is imperative. Ultimately, the UUA, of which UUSS is a part, will likely adopt such a principle, but that will be a few years in the future. We have an opportunity now to join more than 30 other congregations in making an explicit commitment to “accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions.” UUSS’s support would also strengthen the grassroots movement to pass language similar to this at the UUA level.