Are the 7 Principles Mutable?: March 12, 2021
Learn about the 8th Principle at the next 8th Principle Town Hall gathering on Sunday, March 21 at 1:15 pm. ALL ARE INVITED! Register here to let us know you will be there.
We will have additional congregation-wide gatherings on April 4 and April 11. If none of these dates fits into your schedule, Team 8th is considering adding either a Monday or Friday evening presentation later in April. Email Sally Parsons (psally944@gmail.com) by April 1 stating your preference. You may also plan to have your covenant group or small group discuss the 8th Prinicple when you meet in March or April.
Q&A from previous Town Hall meetings: Are the 7 Principles mutable?
Yes. As we continue to learn and grow, our principles and sources have changed and are meant to evolve with us.
When the Unitarians and Universalists merged in 1961, our newly formed Unitarian Universalist Association started out with 6 Principles and no sources. In 1985, we added the 7th Principle and adopted 5 Sources. In 1995, we added the 6th Source.
Right now, there is a Study Commission reflecting on and examining revisions to our 7 Principles. In 2017, the UUA General Assembly voted to create a Study Commission regarding adopting the 8th Principle. In 2020, the UUA General Assembly voted to create an Article II Study Commission. Article II of the UUA Bylaws is the article that contains the 7 Principles. The charge of the Article II Study Commission is to review all 7 Principles and incorporate the findings of the 2017 Study Commission on the 8th Principle. The report and recommendations for revising the Principles that stem from the Article II Study Commission will be presented to the UUA General Assembly in 2022.
If you have questions about the 8th Principle, please contact one of the Team 8th members, who are listed in REALM, or Rev. Susan Frances at sfrances@ucevanston.org. We will continue discussing the concepts and meaning of the 8th Principle, and look forward to seeing you at one of the Town Hall meetings.