What Do You Know of the Unitarians?

[eves_adam]

Is this church supposed to be a progressive church, with acknowledgement of the reality of science, with a slightly progressive bent? Anyone attend a unitarian church? I'm doing a little bit of research on my own right now, but am interested in accounts from unitarians or people who've attended. Thanks!

 

[Polycarp_fan]

Is this church supposed to be a progressive church, with acknowledgement of the reality of science, with a slightly progressive bent? Anyone attend a unitarian church? I'm doing a little bit of research on my own right now, but am interested in accounts from unitarians or people who've attended. Thanks!

Unitarian, or Unitarian Univeralism?

 

[eves_adam]

Ah, good question. Universalist in this case.

 

[HighwayMan]

It pretty molds the "God is one and there are many paths to him" philosophy into religious form.

 

[eves_adam]

Interesting. I'm reading as much as I can from this forum on this particular topic, but am interested especially in the experiences of people who've attended a universalist church at some point.

 

[eves_adam]

Interesting. It doesn't sound like a christian church. It sounds like a multi-philosophical hodge podge, a mix of paganism, left of center christianity, eco-paganism, some spiritually infused scientific philosophy/theology and goodness knows what else. Interestingly, they still call themselves a church, which implies that they have a christian focus. Very odd. Could be interesting to attend as a friendly spectator, but it doesn't sound like a coherent belief system at all.

 

[Polycarp_fan]

Ah, good question. Universalist in this case.

An org where "the usual Lefty suspects" call a Church.

On Unitarian, This isn't bad for wikipedia:

Unitarianism

as a theology is the belief in the single personality of God, in contrast to the doctrine of the Trinity (three persons in one God). It is the philosophy upon which the modern Unitarian movement was based, and, according to its proponents, is the original form of Christianity. Unitarian Christians believe in the teachings of Jesus Christ, as found in the New Testament and other early Christian writings, and hold him up as an exemplar. Adhering to strict monotheism, they maintain that Jesus was a great man and a prophet of God, perhaps even a supernatural being, but not God himself. Unitarians believe in the moral authority, but not necessarily the divinity, of Jesus. Their theology is thus distinguishable from the theology of Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, mainline Protestant, and other Christian denominations which hold the Trinity doctrine as a core belief.

 

[eves_adam]

Sigh. It doesn't sound like the church for me. I MAY attend anyway, as there are such limited options around where I live...

 

[QuakerOats]

Interesting. It doesn't sound like a christian church.

...

Interestingly, they still call themselves a church, which implies that they have a christian focus. Very odd.

That's because Unitarian Universalism isn't a Christian denomination. Its roots are Judaeo-Christian, but it is a church in its own right, if you will.

It sounds like a multi-philosophical hodge podge, a mix of paganism, left of center christianity, eco-paganism, some spiritually infused scientific philosophy/theology and goodness knows what else.

...

Could be interesting to attend as a friendly spectator, but it doesn't sound like a coherent belief system at all.

That just might be what you'd get if you were to survey the congregants of a UU church, but UUism itself subscribes to none of it specifically. There are, instead, a list of 'Principles and Purposes,' to which every congregation agrees to uphold.

 

[trunks2k]

The Unitarian Universalist churches around here are pretty secular. They're fairly secular humanist in their approach to everything - taking "believe in god however you want, or don't believe in one at all, but just keep these certain moral standards" approach to things. I did a bit of work with them a few years ago regarding sexuality and god(s) never came into the discussion.

 

[Axioma]

I generally file the UUs under "Good-meaning but ineffectual".

 

[trunks2k]

I generally file the UUs under "Good-meaning but ineffectual".

I think they're effective for people who don't have much affinity for religion but want some sort of community. For good or bad, church is by far the major source of community. So it's nice for the more secular minded people to have a place to go, especially when it comes kids. Around me, there's two secular places that are similar to a church - the Philadelphia Ethical Society and the UU church. The former is no good if you have kids, as it's mostly adult stuff, while the latter has programs for kids.

 

[Polycarp1]

Rochir, an active member here, is a Unitarian Christian, and may be able to answer your questions from that perspective. I'm firmly Trinitarian, so I disagree with the concept of being both Unitarian and Christian -- but in her thought, it works -- and who am I to gainsay how another has found a path to Christ?

 

[Polycarp_fan]

Rochir, an active member here, is a Unitarian Christian, and may be able to answer your questions from that perspective. I'm firmly Trinitarian, so I disagree with the concept of being both Unitarian and Christian -- but in her thought, it works -- and who am I to gainsay how another has found a path to Christ?

A path to the wrong Christ?

I would say that is when you definately speak up.

As a Christian that is.

 

[cantata]

A path to the wrong Christ?

There's more than one?!

That's just unfair! Life is enough like a theological game of Find the Lady as it is o_0

 

[Polycarp_fan]

There's more than one?!

According to Jesus there is not. According to His Dsciples and Apostles there is none but one.

That's just unfair! Life is enough like a theological game of Find the Lady as it is o_0

Not according to Jesus and the Apsotles.

 

[cantata]

According to Jesus there is not. According to His Dsciples and Apostles there is none but one.

Not according to Jesus and the Apsotles.

Then what was that nonsense about "the wrong Christ", pet?

 

[eves_adam]

Man, UU is confusing. :-(

 

[Beanieboy]

My former boss and her family attended a Univeralist Church. They had sermons, and talked about the same things that Churches often do - being forgiving, helping others, acting in kindness. The kids groups spent a lot of time putting love into action, bringing the groups to help in food shelfs, Old Folks homes, and instilling helping others, and love in action. It was very inclusive, and had the idea that rather than needing to do this or that for salvation, that one simply need to join the human family, and work together with one another, rather than against each other.

To me, it makes a lot of sense. My niece, for example, is a strong Lutheran, as are her parents, as are my parents, as were my grand parents, as were my great grand parents who came from Norway. I doubt that my niece chose Lutheranism out of all of the denominations of Christianity, and out of all of the religions of the world. It was what she was taught, what she has always believed, and there is some pressure within parents to follow and conform.

Meanwhile, a girl born in India is born to parents who are Hindu, who was born of Hindu parents, who were born of Hindu parents. Such people seek God, but by a different name, and I have see God through Hindus whose heart is good and full of love. If we are to punish someone simply for being born into the wrong family, that is simply unjust. I also believe that God is a bit like a dandelion that can grow from impossible places, like the crack in a sidewalk. God is free to be present in Buddhism, Hinduism, and even Islam, and I think that is why these religions are so strong.

I also believe that if one loves, one is born of God and knows God, for God is love. When we think of someone in India, caring for her child, we understand that she loves her children just as we love our own. How much more must God love her and her child.

When dealing with my problems with Christianity back in the mid 80s, when Churches were singling out gays to exclude from the Church, I was jaded, and told God that I thought it was wrong, but couldn't understand how people who claimed to serve you, to love their neighbor, could act with such hostility. I asked for God to reveal himself, to show me who he really was, who we really were, and he said that he would, but that he would take me on a Road Less Traveled (surprisingly, part of the journey), and led me through other religions, Buddhism, showed the amazing comparisons, the truths in each, and I found myself returning to Christianity, only as if I had gone out the front door, been lead in a huge circle, and now, looked at it from the other side, and see it completely differently, humbly, in awe, really.

I suspected long ago when Christ spoke, "I am the way, the truth and the light; no one comes to the Father but by me", that Christ meant that one must become Christlike, must live Christ, must forgive those who trespass against you even before they ask, give far more than you are asked for, lower yourself before others that they will no be defensive but welcoming and thankful. You must speak Truth, and Live Truth. You must live Christ to inspire others to do so as well. You must Love wastefully, have faith in good, believe that you can overcome any evil, which is an illusion, which is weak and whose only power is fear. You must be thankful in all things, even the bad, because they are an opportunity to learn. You must ask God graciously what you can do for him this day, and look for the opportunities for you to love, and the answered prayer of the receiver. You need to respect the different religions of others, for they are very deep rooted in their very soul and identity, and you must present yourself as a witness of your own. And you must bow to the God which lives inside every living soul, find that connection, remember to honor that, as you honor the God within yourself.

That is the way. That is how one enters the Kingdom here on Earth, a spiritual place of the heart that is very real. No one comes to the Father except by becoming Christ and living Christ in our lives, and in loving, we are born of love, and know God, and God is one with us. Our love is endless, and supplied by the Spirit of God, and if you imagine your heart, imagine God within, I can even see myself illuminated in my mind's eye, a gentle glow of God living within a human temple for his glory.

So, the idea that everyone is saved, that everyone rejoins God eventually, once they are willing to shed their worldly ways, is very Good News. It's the first time I've ever found the whole story one of happiness, rather than defeat that most people will wind up tortured in hell. I even wonder about Satan, evil, that without it, which acts as the freeweights of the Spiritual Gym, and makes us grow stronger through our struggle, if Satan will no longer be necessary, having risen above the ways of man, to the ways of angels, the ways of God, and Satan the deceiver, the tempter, will once again be an archangel, part of a God collective, working as one body and yet individual, being as one, in harmony, in peace, and in love.

That's an extremely different way of looking at it than when I left, so, when people tell me that it sounds crazy to say that you don't know where you end and God begins, or that they don't hear God speak, and that know one in their Church as ever said such things, has felt or heard God, I simply think that they are going to the wrong church, and pray that they will hear God, know God, feel God, and feel one with God.

 

[eves_adam]

Thank you.