#227 | anne schneider | Action Without Requiring Accountability

2023 Article II Amendment Idea Submissions Amendment Ideas
1

Submission 227
anne schneider
valley unitarian universalist congregation

What is your suggestion or idea?

C-2.2.
Revised Principles for Belief and Action

Strike the entire section C-2.2, “Values
and Covenant” and replace with:

C.2.2.
Principles of Belief and Action

We, the member congregations of the Unitarian
Universalist Association, covenant to affirm, promote and carry into the world
through our beliefs and actions the following principles:

·
Respect
for the inherent value every person;

·
Fairness
and compassion in human relations;

·
Encouragement
for spiritual growth and philosophical contemplation among our members;

·
A
free and independent search for truth and meaning;

·
Use
of democratic processes and freedom of conscience, belief, speech, press and
association in our congregations and the wider world;

·
The
goal of freedom, fairness, and peace for the world communities;

·
Respect
for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part;

·
Opposition
to oppression in all its forms, in all the places we find it, in all the ways
we can.

What is the reason for your amendment idea?

This revision seeks a compromise in that it responds to the (1) lack of action in the original 7 principles, (2) overwhelming criticism of the revised Article 2 that eliminated the 7 principles and (3) helps meet the support for an 8th principle. It does this by including ““action”” in the opening statement but without requiring ““accountability,”” by maintaining the slightly reworded 7 principles, and by adding an 8th principle that directly addresses opposition to oppression without prioritizing any one form of oppression .

Have you discussed this idea with your congregation or other UUs?

with some, yes, but it is a proposed compromise among some of the many ideas that members of the congregation proposed at a workshop on the proposed revisions of Article 2. It has not been formally submitted to our congregation.

3 Likes
2

Anne Schneider Thanks for the approach of #227, which I’d be interested in supporting as conversations move forward.

Katherine Hyde
Unitarian Society of Ridgewood (NJ)

3

This is clear and memorable; better than the verbose and ambiguous language the comission came up with. And I support this approach which avoids the total overhaul of the role of the UUA as well as getting rid of the accountability language. You may want to solicit inout in making the language more poetic (for want of a better word) that UU’s and those exploring UU would find inspiring. The phrases should have some parallel structure or you could winnow it down to fewer values, followed by a short paragraph. I would recommend that “Opposition to oppression” be framed as justice instead.