Expert: Jon Bond - 3/9/2009

Question
As a moslem, I found your description of God very highly in line with the conception of God in Islam. We, too, believe that Jesus was a Great Prophet sent by God to teach people of Israel. Though not all, a great number of moslems, especially those of highly-learned, believe that there is One Universal God for the entire universe and that the different names and natures of God given in different faiths are merely results of different spiritual experiences of mankind. Both Quran (Moslem Bible) and Hadist (the Teachings of Muhammad) include verses stating that moslems are not the only inhabitants of the eternal paradise.

Such similarity makes me wonder: IS THERE ANY MOSLEM ELEMENT IN THE HISTORY OF UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH?

Thanks for your kind answer.

Answer
Greetings Bpermana -

For some Unitarian Universalists, the Koran and the life and words of Mohamed are an inspiration, offering insight into how to lead their individual lives. Other Unitarian Universalists, coming from other faiths, have no interaction with the Koran or Mohamed, and instead focus on the texts and leaders of their own spiritual traditions.

There are not yet many people who connect strongly with Islam within Unitarian Universalism: only 0.1 percent of our current members identify as Muslim.  Despite these small numbers, our congregations offer a warm welcome to anyone of the Islamic faith.

Because of recent world events, many Unitarian Universalists have sought out more information on Islam, and more Muslims around the world have begun learning about our faith. We are very excited about this exchange, and hope to continue it in the future.

I am encouraged by your observation 'that there is One Universal God for the entire universe and that the different names and natures of God given in different faiths are merely results of different spiritual experiences of mankind.'

Well said; and I couldn't agree more.

Jon Bond