I found statements of religious beliefs and I found lists of good habits that were spawned by Judeo-Christian principles, but I didn't find the principles themselves.

Nonetheless, a consistent set of Judeo-Christian principles has held all through the run of Western civilization. And they remain even now, as our civilization sputters toward either a defiant revival or a whimpering end.

The principles of Judaism and Christianity empowered what was, by far, the most productive and moral civilization in recorded history. I think these principles are worthy of our time, and, more importantly, are worthy of our action.

Here, then, is my set of Judeo-Christian principles:

Our relationship with the creator is fundamentally personal. To both Judaism and Christianity, the creature-creator relationship is fundamentally individual, not collective. Such a relationship means that each of us matters to the creator. And by extension (the importance of which would be hard to over-stress) this means that what we do matters. The actions of each person… male, female, young, old, whatever… all of them matter. The actions of our neighbors do not matter more than our own, and certainly not to the creator.

We carry free will. We are not slaves to fate, nor are we simply pre-programmed machines. We are free and individual moral agents. Our choices matter.

We are able to improve. The Bible – the central literary source of the Judeo-Christian development – continually features men and women who had changes of heart, providing examples of positive change most of all. That has taught billions of us that we are able to change, positively. The importance of this can hardly be over-stressed.

Power and rulership are antithetic to the creator and antithetic to human progress. The Judeo-Christian God cares not for the high, but for the humble. He speaks not to the powerful but to the powerless. This is seen in the Bible from one end to the other, often explicitly. Granted, those who wish it were otherwise can pull out a few contrary passages, but a local creek hardly overpowers the mighty Mississippi.

Justice stands above the ruler. Over and over, the Judeo-Christian God thunders against kings and leaders. He demands justice, especially for the downtrodden.

The creator… the ultimate… is qualitatively good. The rough parts of the Old Testament not withstanding, "the creator as good" has been the message of Judaism for a very long time, and has definitely extended through Christianity. If nothing else, this concept gave powerless people a way to prove their rightness with God. The influence of their good God was visible in their goodness; it meant that they bore his impress. This was a terribly productive incentive, even if some number took it to odd places.