UU Principles

Unitarian Universalism is a faith without a creed. This means that Unitarian Universalists are encouraged to question and explore their own truths. Unitarian Universalists hold different beliefs about religious subjects such as God, creation, Jesus, the Bible, death, and prayer and are free to do so. However, Unitarian Universalists are united in their beliefs that all people are inherently worthy and should be treated fairly, that we should work for a peaceful and free world, and that we should respect the Earth and all living beings. These beliefs are consistent with the seven principles that Unitarian Universalist congregations have agreed to affirm.

These seven Principles are on the following pages. You will find the UUA version and alternative versions that are easier for our children to comprehend. As you read these pages, we encourage you to think of ways to bring these principles to life with our children. What experiences can we share that celebrate the loving spirit of these messages?

What activities can we share that will offer our children a clear explanation of these principles? What concrete examples can we use to illustrate how to incorporate the compassion of our UU principles into our daily lives? Because all children learn best by "doing" (instead of discussing, reading, or being told something), this "experiential approach" to introducing our Principles is vital to giving each of our children a high-quality, enriching understanding of our UU faith.


Principle 1

Remember that our UU principles are merely a guide for the stories and activities we plan to share in our RE program. We don't want our children to memorize these words. We want our children to experience the loving spirit of these messages.

The UUA version for our "Principle Activators" to be inspired by:
The inherent worth and dignity of every person

A children's version for our "UU Explorers" to discover and capture the spirit of:
We believe that each and every person is important

Loving actions (from the Rainbow Path) for our "Rainbow Seekers" to practice:
Respect every person - yourself and others (red)

Little "gems" from the principle to share with our "Treasure Hunters":
Everyone is special - including you and me.
Everyone is special - everyone has a birthday.
Everyone is special - everyone was once a baby.
Everyone is special - everyone has their own name.

What our "Friendship Finders" are learning just by playing with their church friends:
I am special. And so are my friends.

Principle 2

Remember that our UU principles are merely a guide for the stories and activities we plan to share in our RE program. We don't want our children to memorize these words. We want our children to experience the loving spirit of these messages.

The UUA version for our "Principle Activators" to be inspired by:
Justice, equity, and compassion in human relations

A children's version for our "UU Explorers" to discover and capture the spirit of:
We believe that all people should be treated fairly and kindly

Loving actions (from the Rainbow Path) for our "Rainbow Seekers" to practice:
Offer fair and kind treatment for all (orange)

Little "gems" from the principle to share with our "Treasure Hunters":
Be nice to everyone.
Be fair and try to share.
Everyone deserves healthy food and a warm home.

What our "Friendship Finders" are learning just by playing with their church friends:
Sharing can be hard, but it helps me make friends.

Principle 3

Remember that our UU principles are merely a guide for the stories and activities we plan to share in our RE program. We don't want our children to memorize these words. We want our children to experience the loving spirit of these messages.

(note that the rainbow path usually switches 3 & 4 so the color order matches the rainbow, but we aren't doing that so all the children in our program are learning about the same principle together)

The UUA version for our "Principle Activators" to be inspired by: Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth for our congregations

A children's version for our "UU Explorers" to discover and capture the spirit of:
We believe that we should accept one another and keep on learning together

Loving actions (from the Rainbow Path) for our "Rainbow Seekers" to practice:
Grow by exploring ideas and values together (green)

Little "gems" from the principle to share with our "Treasure Hunters":
It's good to have families, friends, and church communities.
All people are a little bit different and very much the same.
People believe different ideas.
Some people believe there is a God. Some people pray.

What our "Friendship Finders" are learning just by playing with their church friends:
I like First Parish. People are happy I come to church.

Principle 4

Remember that our UU principles are merely a guide for the stories and activities we plan to share in our RE program. We don't want our children to memorize these words. We want our children to experience the loving spirit of these messages.

(note that the rainbow path usually switches 3 & 4 so the color order matches the rainbow, but we aren't doing that so all the children in our program are learning about the same principle together)

The UUA version for our "Principle Activators" to be inspired by:
A free and responsible search for truth and meaning

A children's version for our "UU Explorers" to discover and capture the spirit of:
We believe that each and every person must be free to search for what is true and right in life

Loving actions (from the Rainbow Path) for our "Rainbow Seekers" to practice:
Yearn to learn throughout life (yellow)

Little "gems" from the principle to share with our "Treasure Hunters":
It's fun to learn.
What do you want to learn about?
There are lots of different ways to learn.

What our "Friendship Finders" are learning just by playing with their church friends:
Playing is fun! That's how I learn.

Principle 5

Remember that our UU principles are merely a guide for the stories and activities we plan to share in our RE program. We don't want our children to memorize these words. We want our children to experience the loving spirit of these messages.

(note that the children's versions formally focused just on everyone having a vote and I edited them to highlight "respecting those voices while working together" to include the idea that "working together" is vital to building a true democracy.)

The UUA version for our "Principle Activators" to be inspired by:
The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and society at large

A children's version for our "UU Explorers" to discover and capture the spirit of:
We believe that the "voice" of each person must be respected as we all work together for a common good

Loving actions (from the Rainbow Path) for our "Rainbow Seekers" to practice:
Believe in the value of each "voice" as we work together (blue)

Little "gems" from the principle to share with our "Treasure Hunters":
Play together in ways that are nice to each person.
"Teamwork" can be fun.
You can get a lot done when you work together.
Who decides the rules? (Decide the rules together.)
Who's the leader? (Take turns being the leader.)

What our "Friendship Finders" are learning just by playing with their church friends:
Taking turns can be hard, but it helps me make friends.

Principle 6

Remember that our UU principles are merely a guide for the stories and activities we plan to share in our RE program. We don't want our children to memorize these words. We want our children to experience the loving spirit of these messages.

The UUA version for our "Principle Activators" to be inspired by: The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all

A children's version for our "UU Explorers" to discover and capture the spirit of:
We believe in working for a peaceful, fair and free world

Loving actions (from the Rainbow Path) for our "Rainbow Seekers" to practice:
Insist on peace, freedom and justice for all (indigo)

Little "gems" from the principle to share with our "Treasure Hunters":
What is peace?
What is love?
How do I find peace when I'm upset?
What is freedom? (making my own decisions.)
Peace and love start in our homes.

What our "Friendship Finders" are learning just by playing with their church friends:
People at church care about me.
And my grown-up friends help me find peace when I'm upset.

Principle 7

Remember that our UU principles are merely a guide for the stories and activities we plan to share in our RE program. We don't want our children to memorize these words. We want our children to experience the loving spirit of these messages.

The UUA version for our "Principle Activators" to be inspired by:
Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part

A children's version for our "UU Explorers" to discover and capture the spirit of:
We believe in caring for our planet Earth, the home we share with all living things

Loving actions (from the Rainbow Path) for our "Rainbow Seekers" to practice:
Value our connections to nature (violet)

Little "gems" from the principle to share with our "Treasure Hunters":
Be a friend to nature.
Love all animals, trees, flowers, and gardens.
Take care of our Earth.

What our "Friendship Finders" are learning just by playing with their church friends:
I love playing outside

35 Church Street, Watertown, MA ▼ 617-924-6143 ▼fpwatertown at comcast.net