tenants of the Sanctuary of Universal Welcome

I. One should strive to act with compassion, empathy, and respect toward all beings, recognizing the inherent dignity of every life.

II. The struggle for justice, freedom, and equality is ongoing and necessary; it must prevail over prejudice, institutions, and systems of oppression.

III. Each person’s body, identity, and expression are inviolable, subject only to their own will and truth.

IV. The freedoms of others must be respected, including the freedom to speak, believe, or create in ways that may challenge or offend. To unjustly deny another’s freedom is to diminish one’s own.

V. Beliefs should remain open to growth and informed by knowledge, evidence, and experience. One should take care never to distort truth for the sake of comfort or control.

VI. People are fallible. When harm is caused, one should strive to make amends and to restore trust, understanding that forgiveness is a shared process.

VII. Every tenet is a guiding principle, not a dogma. Compassion, wisdom, and justice must always prevail over rigid interpretation or authority.

VIII. Community is sacred. By gathering in solidarity, supporting one another, and celebrating our diversity, we create strength, healing, and belonging.

Creed of the Sanctuary of Universal Welcome

We believe in the sacred worth of every person.
We honor the freedom of body, identity, and expression.
We choose compassion, empathy, and respect as our first acts.

We affirm that the struggle for justice is never finished.
We stand against oppression and walk in solidarity with the marginalized.
We recognize our fallibility and strive to make amends when harm is done.

We seek truth, guided by knowledge, wisdom, and experience.
We uphold freedom for all, even when it challenges or offends us.
We hold fast to principles, but never above the call of compassion.

We proclaim community as sacred.
Together we support, uplift, and celebrate one another.
Together we create belonging, healing, and joy.

This is our creed.
This is our Sanctuary.