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Principles and Foundations of the NAUA
The Principles and Foundations below are in draft form to be be discussed and voted on at Summit 2026 and if approved to be finalized at Summit 2027
Preamble:
North American Unitarian Association is a member-service organization dedicated to supporting and promoting the practice of liberal religion. Rooted in freedom of conscience, use of reason, and mutual tolerance, NAUA affirms the inherent worth and dignity of every person. These principles and foundations are intended to guide the NAUA and our members to create better versions of ourselves and the world.
Principles
F reedom of Conscience : We affirm that each person is free and responsible to form and revise their own spiritual beliefs.
R espectful Relationships : We approach each other with compassion, empathy, kindness and respect.
E xploration and Inquiry : We continually explore truth, meaning and purpose, guided by reason and scientific inquiry.
E quity and Fairness : We work toward an equitable, peaceful and compassionate world.
D emocratic Participation : We share responsibility, power, and decision-making.
O ur Interdependence : We recognize our connection with one another and the natural world.
M eaningful Human Dignity : We acknowledge that every person deserves dignity, respect and the opportunity to flourish.
(Mnemonic acronym: FREEDOM)
Foundations:
Unitarians draw upon many sources, always open to new insight and deeper understanding — for inspiration, for reflection, and for the ongoing work of discovery, compassion, and justice. Among them:
- The wisdom of the world’s religious and spiritual teachings and traditions.
- The visual, performing, literary, and creative arts — as sources of truth, beauty, and challenge.
- Science and scholarship — always growing, always unfinished, always expanding our understanding.
- The lives and ideas of courageous and compassionate people whose words and actions provoke and inspire us.
- The natural world and our place within it.
- Personal experience — the particular texture of each life, the insights of reflection, and encounters with the sacred.