Some of you may be aware that an important conversation and process are ongoing within Unitarian Universalism around something called Article II. In essence, Article II refers to the bylaws of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) and more specifically to that section containing the principles and purposes of the Association. It is within Article Two that our current “Seven Principles” can be found.
Because Unitarian Universalism is a living tradition, we are always open to new ways of understanding ourselves and the world around us. It is for that reason that the UUA’s bylaws call for a periodic review and potential revision of the principles and purposes. Such a review had been underway for two years and language has been proposed, revised, amended, and voted on at the most recent UUA General Assembly in Pittsburgh. The new language with amendments passed overwhelmingly and a second vote will be taken during the 2024 General Assembly. If the proposed language passes again, it will be become Article II, replacing the existing language.
The final version of the proposed revision to Article II of the UUA Bylaws is now available!
The UUA Board will officially receive the revision at the next board meeting, November 13, 2023, but it is available to you now. The deadline for submitting an amendment is 11:59 p.m. ET on February 1, 2024. All qualified amendments will be considered at 2024 General Assembly. Go to this URL to learn more: https://www.uua.org/uuagovernance/committees/article-ii-study-commission/final-proposed-revision-article-ii
I find this beautiful graphic to be a wonderful representation of the proposed Article II revisions.
As the discussion about Article II has moved forward, some are expressing their love for the current Seven Principles and a sense of loss over having those principles replaced by the new Article Two language. I also love the current Seven Principles (which were written and adopted in the 1980s) and they are certainly an important reason I became a UU. But I believe the proposed Article II language reflects where Unitarian Universalism is today and where it is heading in the future. That’s why I’m enthusiastic about the Article II revision and voted for it at General Assembly.
Let me close with a word to those who are feeling the Article II revision as a loss. While I understand and empathize with those feelings, I see the new Article II language as pages we are adding to the UU Book of life, purpose, and meaning. That book contains pages from our beginnings in the Protestant Reformation, from all the world’s religions, from humanist and secular voices, from science and the arts, and so on. The UU book is always adding new pages, not tearing out old ones. The current seven principles will always have an honored place in Unitarian Universalism and I have no doubt that I will continue to use some of their language in talking about our faith.
I look forward to hearing your thoughts about Article II and to having more conversations about it.
Rev. Tim