Editing Unitarian Universalism (section)

==Beliefs and practices==
===Diversity of beliefs and scriptures===
Unitarian Universalism is a religion marked by freedom, reason, and acceptance.<ref name="Our Faith 4-5">{{cite book |last1=Bray Mcnatt |first1=Rosemary |editor-last1=Frederick-Gray |editor-first1=Susan |editor-link1=Susan Frederick-Gray|chapter=Our Faith |title=The Unitarian Universalist Pocket Guide |date=3 June 2019 |edition=6th |location=Boston |publisher=Skinner House |publication-date=2019-05-03| pages=4–5 |isbn=978-1-55896-826-4}}</ref> As such, Unitarian Universalists practice a [[non-creedal]] religion that does not require one to believe in any particular belief or doctrine.<ref>{{cite web |title=Beliefs & Principle |url=https://www.uua.org/beliefs/what-we-believe |access-date=2017-12-05}}</ref> Rather than sharing common beliefs, Unitarian Universalists are united by a common history, the affirmation of each person's individual spiritual quest, and a covenant to uphold the community's shared spiritual values.  As such, Unitarian Universalists vary greatly in their beliefs, and a plurality of beliefs often defines Unitarian Universalist congregations.<ref name="Our Faith 3-4">{{cite book |last1=Bray Mcnatt |first1=Rosemary |editor-last1=Frederick-Gray |editor-first1=Susan |editor-link1=Susan Frederick-Gray|chapter=Our Faith |title=The Unitarian Universalist Pocket Guide |date=3 June 2019 |edition=6th |location=Boston |publisher=Skinner House |publication-date=2019-05-03| pages=3–4 |isbn=978-1-55896-826-4}}</ref>

Unitarian Universalists are encouraged to engage in their own unique spiritual journey and to follow their conscience in their beliefs. Unitarian Universalism is seen as compatible with other spiritual paths, and individual Unitarian Universalists are encouraged to engage in their own spiritual journey, whatever the path. Unitarian Universalists are not required to renounce previous faith traditions to join a Unitarian Universalist congregation. As a result, individual practitioners may simultaneously identify as Unitarian Universalists and other faith traditions.<ref name="Our Faith 3-4"/>

Although Unitarian Universalism draws its roots from Christian sources, contemporary Unitarian Universalists in North America view their religion as multifaith and drawing on a variety of sources, both religious and secular. Unitarian Universalism encourages its members to draw on the world's religions as well as the words and deeds of prophetic people as inspiration for their spiritual journeys.<ref name="UU Develops">{{cite web |title=Unitarian Universalism Develops |url=https://pluralism.org/unitarian-universalism-develops |website=The Pluralism Project |publisher=Harvard University |date=2020 |access-date=2022-12-16}}</ref> Although members are cautioned to be aware of possible [[cultural appropriation]] of traditions that do not belong to them, Unitarian Universalists are encouraged to find wisdom in a diverse spectrum of religions, customs, and cultures from around the world.<ref name="Reckless Borrowing">{{cite web |last=James | first=Jacqui |title=Reckless Borrowing or Appropriate Cultural Sharing?|url=https://www.uua.org/multiculturalism/introduction/misappropriation/reckless-borrowing|publisher=Unitarian Universalist Association |date=2001 |access-date=2022-12-16}}</ref>

===Humanism and beliefs about divinity===
Although the predecessors of Unitarian Universalism, [[Unitarianism]] and [[Universalism]], find their origin in unorthodox beliefs about the nature of the [[Christianity|Christian]] [[God]], modern Unitarian Universalists hold a variety of views about the nature and existence of deity. Most Unitarian Universalist congregations take no formal stance on whether or not a god or gods exist but leave it up to individual members to decide for themselves what they believe. Unitarian Universalists may be [[atheism|atheists]], [[agnosticism|agnostics]], and [[theism|theists]].<ref name="Beliefs About God">{{cite web |title=Existence of a Higher Power in Unitarian Universalism |url=https://www.uua.org/beliefs/what-we-believe/higher-power |publisher=Unitarian Universalist Association |access-date=2022-12-17}}</ref> Among those Unitarian Universalists who use language of divinity, both [[monotheism]] and [[polytheism]] are common, and Unitarian Universalists hold a variety of beliefs about the nature of the divine.<ref name="Believe About God">{{cite web |editor-last=Rasor |editor-first=Paul |title=Unitarian Universalist Views of God |url=https://www.uua.org/beliefs/what-we-believe/higher-power/views |publisher=Unitarian Universalist Association |access-date=2022-12-17}}</ref><ref name="Unitarian Polytheism">{{cite web |last=Beckett |first=John |title=Why Unitarian Polytheism Is Not An Oxymoron and Other Issues With Religious Institutions |url=https://www.patheos.com/blogs/johnbeckett/2019/10/why-unitarian-polytheism-is-not-an-oxymoron.html|work=Ancient Oaks: Musings of a Pagan, Druid, and Unitarian Universalist |publisher=Patheos |date=2019-10-24 |access-date=2022-12-17}}</ref>

The diversity of beliefs about divinity in Unitarian Universalism can be accounted for because of the influence of [[religious humanism]] on the movement in the late nineteenth century. Although Unitarian Universalists believe that anyone can be a Humanist, regardless of their position on the use of the language of divinity, the rise of religious humanism within Unitarian Universalism enables members to be able to further question the existence and nature of the divine through its encouragement towards reason.<ref name="Humanism at 100">{{cite web |last=Willcox |first=Kris |title=Humanism at 100: Across a century of change, Humanism has continued to evolve |url=https://www.uuworld.org/articles/humanism-100 |work=UUWorld |publisher=Unitarian Universalist Association |date=2017-02-15 |access-date=2022-12-17}}</ref> Fifteen of the thirty-four signers of [[Humanist Manifesto I]] were Unitarians and one was a Universalist. Unitarian Universalists were also a significant presence among the signers of [[Humanist Manifesto II|Humanist Manifestos II]] and [[Humanist Manifesto III|III]].<ref name="Saxon Humanism">{{cite speech |title=Thank God for Humanism |first=John L. |last=Saxon |event=Worship Service |location=Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Raleigh |date= |url=https://www.uufr.org/images/sermon-archive/thankgodforhumanism.pdf |access-date=2022-12-17 |archive-date=17 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221217161508/https://www.uufr.org/images/sermon-archive/thankgodforhumanism.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Today, the majority of Unitarian Universalists in North America identify as Humanists. Although Humanism is seen as an evolving philosophy where the limits of science and reason are recognized, its tenets continue to play a large role in the thought of Unitarian Universalist congregations. Unitarian Universalist Humanists hold that the [[religious naturalism|naturalism]] of their Humanism encourages individuals to recognize the awe, beauty, and wonder of the natural world and recognize the interdependence between humans and other beings.<ref name="Humanism at 100" /><ref name="Saxon Humanism" /><ref name="Schulz Humanist legacy">{{cite web |last=Schulz |first=William F. |title=Our humanist legacy: Seventy years of religious humanism |url=https://www.uuworld.org/articles/unitarian-universalisms-humanist-legacy |work=UUWorld |publisher=Unitarian Universalist Association |date=2003-11-01 |access-date=2022-12-17}}</ref>

===Covenant===
In the absence of shared beliefs, Unitarian Universalists often see their religion as a [[Covenant (religion)|covenantal]] (as opposed to a [[creed]]al) one. Unitarian Universalists see covenants as the promises that bind congregations, communities, and individuals together in a community. In Unitarian Universalism, covenants are mutual promises among individuals and communities about how they will behave and engage with each other. Covenants help create trust and care among Unitarian Universalists and in their congregations.<ref name="Guide to Congregational Covenants">{{cite web |last=UUA Congregational Life |title=A Comprehensive Guide to Congregational Covenants |url=https://www.uua.org/leaderlab/congregational-covenants|publisher=Unitarian Universalist Association |date=2019-04-23 |access-date=2022-12-16}}</ref>

Rather than creating things people have to do, covenants in Unitarian Universalist communities create freedom by helping members know what to expect from each other. In the words of Unitarian Universalist minister Alice Blair Wesley:

{{Blockquote |text="...authentic human freedom is of necessity, lawful freedom, and because we receive the possibility of freedom as a gift of the way things are, an authentic covenant is: a glad promise to live freely together, insofar as we are able, in accordance with the laws of reality that make our freedom possible. This is true whether the agreement is between just two, as in a union of marriage, or whether the agreement is among millions, as in a free nation, or whether the agreement is among members who gather to be a free congregation."<ref name="Blair Wesley 4">{{cite web |title=Unitarian Universalist Views of God |url=http://minnslectures.org/archive/wesley/Lecture4.pdf |publisher=The Minns Lectures |pages=5–6 |date=2001 |access-date=2022-12-16 |archive-date=17 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221217032331/http://minnslectures.org/archive/wesley/Lecture4.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>}}

The use of covenants in the Unitarian Universalist community dates back to 1646 and the creation of the [[Cambridge Platform]] by the [[Congregational churches]] of colonial [[New England]], some of whom would later become [[Unitarianism|Unitarians]], predecessors of modern Unitarian Universalists. The Platform was the first formal declaration of the principles of church order and governance in colonial North America.<ref name="HSL CP">{{cite web |title=Congregational Polity 101 |url=https://www.harvardsquarelibrary.org/congregational-polity/congregational-polity-101/ |publisher=Harvard Square Library |access-date=2022-12-16}}</ref> Today, many Unitarian Universalist congregations create their own covenants, often called covenants of right relations, to lay out the principles of their congregations formally.<ref name="Guide to Congregational Covenants" />

===Principles===
In the United States, members of the [[Unitarian Universalist Association]] covenanted together via the seven Principles and Purposes, a part of Article II of the Unitarian Universalist Association's bylaws. These Principles and Purposes were statements of shared values that Unitarian Universalist congregations agreed to uphold:
{{Blockquote| 1=<nowiki />
# 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.<ref name="UUA Principles">{{cite web |title=The Seven Principles |url=https://www.uua.org/beliefs/what-we-believe/principles |publisher=Unitarian Universalist Association |access-date=2022-12-16}}</ref>}}

These principles, first adopted in 1960 and later revised in 1984 and 1985, proved so popular that many Unitarian Universalists came to see them as a wisdom source in and of themselves and a guide for participation in Unitarian Universalist congregations.<ref name="UUA Principles">{{cite web |title=The Seven Principles |url=https://www.uua.org/beliefs/what-we-believe/principles |publisher=Unitarian Universalist Association |access-date=2022-12-16}}</ref><ref name="Ross">{{cite web | last= Ross | first= Warren R. | url = http://www.uuworld.org/ideas/articles/3643.shtml | title = Shared values: How the UUA's Principles and Purposes were shaped and how they've shaped Unitarian Universalism | access-date = 2022-12-16 | date=November–December 2000 | work = UUWorld | publisher = [[Unitarian Universalist Association]]
}}</ref>

In June, 2024, the UU General Assembly voted to supplement the 7 principles in Article II of the UUA bylaws with a new covenant of 7 values. The central value is love. The other 6 are: interdependence, equity, transformation, pluralism, generosity, and justice.<ref name="Unitarian Universalists Adopt New Language on Core Religious Values">{{cite web | url = https://www.uua.org/pressroom/press-releases/new-language-core-values| title = Unitarian Universalists Adopt New Language on Core Religious Values | access-date = 2024-07-11 | date=June 2024 }}</ref>

In Canada, members of the [[Canadian Unitarian Council]] affirm the seven principles along with an eighth principle: "Individual and communal action that accountably dismantles racism and systemic barriers to full inclusion in ourselves and our institutions."<ref name="CUC 8th Principle">{{cite web | last= Ng |first=Vyda | url = https://cuc.ca/cuc-approves-8th-principle/ | title = Shared values: CUC Approves 8th Principle on Dismantling Racism and Systemic Barriers to Full Inclusion | access-date = 2022-12-16 | date=2021-11-28 | publisher = [[Canadian Unitarian Council]]}}</ref>

In the Philippines, where Unitarian Universalism is much more [[theism|theistically oriented]], member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Philippines affirm the seven principles, but with the addition of their own first principle: "There is God. God is love."<ref name="UU Philippines">{{cite web | last= Santos-Lyons | first= Joseph | url = https://www.uuworld.org/articles/new-leaders-philippines | title = A new generation of UU leaders in the Philippines | access-date = 2022-12-17 | date=2020-03-01 | work = UUWorld | publisher = [[Unitarian Universalist Association]]}}</ref>

===Justice===
Unitarian Universalism believes that actions taken to make the world a better place are more important than what a person actually believes, as espoused by a common slogan in Unitarian Universalist congregations, "Deeds, not creeds." They hold that belief divorced from action does not change the world and that good intentions often lead to a worse situation in the long term. Unitarian Universalist thinkers have long recognized the need to bring belief and action together and encourage their members to go into the larger world and improve it.<ref name="UUA Social Justice">{{cite web | url = https://www.uua.org/leaderlab/learning-center/governance/polity/47013.shtml | title = Social Justice | access-date = 2022-12-17 | publisher = [[Unitarian Universalist Association]]}}</ref><ref name="Gregg Deeds Not Creeds">{{cite web | last= Gregg | first= Carl | url = https://www.patheos.com/blogs/carlgregg/2014/11/behavior-is-believable/ | title = Deeds Not Creeds, Behavior Is Believable | access-date = 2022-12-17 | date=2020-03-01 | work = Carl Gregg: Pluralism, Pragmatism, Progressivism | publisher = [[Patheos]]}}</ref>

Because of this importance of action, Unitarian Universalists have long been involved in [[social justice|social]], [[economic justice|economic]], and [[environmental justice]] movements, both through organizations created by Unitarian Universalists and through local, regional, national, and international grassroots organizing. Many Unitarian Universalists see this work as inseparable from their Unitarian Universalist faith and see their participation in justice movements as a deeply important part of their religious faith.<ref name="UUA Social Justice" /><ref name="UUA Justice & Inclusion">{{cite web | url = https://www.uua.org/justice | title = Justice & Inclusion | access-date = 2022-12-17 | publisher = [[Unitarian Universalist Association]]}}</ref>

Historically, the Unitarian Universalist Association's predecessor movements, Unitarianism and Universalism, saw members involved in [[abolitionism]], [[women's suffrage]], [[pacifism]], [[Temperance movement|temperance]], and [[prison reform]].<ref name="UUA Social Justice" /> Today, Unitarian Universalists are deeply involved in causes such as [[racial justice]] and the [[Black Lives Matter]] movement,<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.uua.org/multiculturalism/racial-justice/black-lives-matter | title = Black Lives Matter and Building a Movement for Racial Justice | access-date = 2022-12-17 | publisher = [[Unitarian Universalist Association]]}}</ref>  [[LGBTQ movements]],<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.uua.org/lgbtq | title = Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Justice | access-date = 2022-12-17 | publisher = [[Unitarian Universalist Association]]}}</ref> [[feminism]] and [[women's rights]],<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.uua.org/action/statements/women%E2%80%99s-rights | title = Women's Rights: Action of Immediate Witness |date=2003-07-01 | access-date = 2022-12-17 | publisher = [[Unitarian Universalist Association]]}}</ref> [[immigration law|immigration justice]],<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.uua.org/immigration | title = Immigrant Justice | access-date = 2022-12-17 | publisher = [[Unitarian Universalist Association]]}}</ref> [[reproductive rights]],<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.uua.org/reproductive | title = Reproductive Justice | access-date = 2022-12-17 | publisher = [[Unitarian Universalist Association]]}}</ref> [[climate justice]],<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.uua.org/environment | title = Climate & Environmental Justice | access-date = 2022-12-17 | publisher = [[Unitarian Universalist Association]]}}</ref> and [[economic inequality]].<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.uua.org/economic | title = Economic Justice | access-date = 2022-12-17 | publisher = [[Unitarian Universalist Association]]}}</ref>