AboutJon Bond Expertise Will answer all questions regarding Unitarian Universalist (UU)church; including ancient history (Universalists go back to at least 250 A.D.) and medieval history (Unitarians look to 1553 A.D. as their beginning) up to merger of the two movements in 1961 and continuing up to present. Am familiar with Christian church organizations and relationship of UUs to traditional churches.
Experience Currently member of Unitarian Universalist Church of Boulder, Colorado. Past vice-president of Board of Trustees and currently on Membership Committee. Have taught UU history for over 20 years. Have attended Unitarian Universalist General Assemblies (annual meetings held in June) for past 15 years.
Organizations Unitarian Universalist Church of Boulder, Colorado
Expert: Jon Bond Date: 12/5/2004 Subject: Unity Church V.S. UUA pt. two =)
Question Dear Jon,
I read the other answer about Unity Church V.S UUA, and I just had some more questions on it.
As a member of the Unity Church in Houston, I've had many people call me Unitarian, and I never knew what it was. I've been attending Unity for 6 years, and I am sixteen years old, but I'm not quite sure 'what I am', so to speak. You stated that the main difference between UUA and Unity is that UUA accepts all religions, but from my years of following the Unity Church, I've learned that we too accept all religions.
Here is some information from the UnityHouston website.
"Unity is a nondenominational church that welcomes people of all races, colors, religions, social backgrounds and economic levels in dignity and love. We take an extremely positive approach to life, emphasizing the good in people and all of life.
Although Unity is sometimes confused with other denominations, such as Unitarian or The Unification Church, there is no connection.
Unity proclaims the divinity of Jesus, but goes even further by proclaiming that every person is a child of God and therefore divine in nature. We believe that a person's mind is his or her connecting link with God or Divine Mind. Therefore, much emphasis is placed on the effective power that every thought, feeling, work or act has in creating one's life.
Unity also seeks to relate religion to daily needs, affirming that for every need there is God's perfect answer. We also place strong emphasis on prayer and meditation. Our primary textbook is The Bible, whose lessons are related to everyday experiences and therefore made more relevant.
Unity views worship as serving God by uplifting and glorifying God's spirit in man, in positive, joyous ways. We're not so much concerned about a "future life" as we are in teaching people to live more fully in the present.
Unity believes in eternal life and views the present moment as a part of that life. We also emphasize the divine potential in every child of God, and teach that through a practical understanding and application of what Jesus taught, that every person can realize and express their potential for a richer and fuller life.
In Unity, everyone is recognized as a true spiritual being, awakening to the truth that sets them free.
We are proud of our ministry, which emphasizes a positive approach to the teachings of Christianity, and would be honored to serve you and support your spiritual needs as a fellow child of God."
With that information, can you give me clearer differences and similarities? Any help would be much appriciated. Thanks very much.
-Cassidy McGowan
Answer Dear Cassidy ¡V
I¡¦ll try to answer your question. Remember, I¡¦m one of over 240,000 people and, if you ask another UU (Unitarian Universalist), you may get a different (but, hopefully, not conflicting) answer. I¡¦d like to divide my answer into three parts: first, a background of our association and then, second, a discussion regarding Jesus, and third, how Unitarian (Universalists) regard the Bible.
FIRST¡V a background (including where the two groups (Unitarian and Universalist) originated):
The concept of Unitarianism generally looks to a Catholic priest, Michael Servetus, as a spiritual originator. Servetus was born in Spain in 1511 and died in 1553, after attacking the doctrines of the Trinity. Unitarianism is a doctrinal system characterized chiefly by a belief in the unipersonality of God and the normal humanity of Jesus, as contrasted with the Trinity and the eternal deity (divinity) of Jesus. Most Unitarians I¡¦ve spoken with reject the divinity of Jesus, but do recognize him (Jesus) as a great moral teacher
Universalism is the theological doctrine that all souls will ultimately be saved and that there are no torments of hell. Universalism has been asserted at various times in different contexts throughout the history of the "Christian church"--e.g., Origen in the 3rd century. The Universalists also denied the miraculous element in Scripture, and rejected such important Bible doctrines as the total depravity of man and the Trinity.
The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) was created in May of 1961 as a merger of Unitarians and Universalists.
SECOND ¡V In this part of my answer, Cassidy , I will answer your question on how UUs regard Jesus versus how the Unity Church regards Jesus. As you¡¦ve stated, ¡§Unity proclaims the divinity of Jesus, but goes even further by
proclaiming that every person is a child of God and therefore divine in nature.¡¨ Before I attempt that, I must point out that the Unitarian Church (hereinafter referred to as UUA) has no creeds, only statements of purpose. We pride ourselves in welcoming atheists and humanists, as well as Christians. Recently (in the last eight years), the UU organization took a survey to find out what we believe is important in our religious lives.
Almost 10,000 Unitarian Universalists took the time to fill out and return the survey, giving us all an invaluable snapshot of who we are. Our association has been enriched by the knowledge gained from the answers many UUs provided.
This survey began a process designed to reach out to all UU individuals and congregations called "Fulfilling the Promise." This Concept was set in motion by the Unitarian Universalist Association's Board of Trustees. Its goal was to help us move toward agreement about why we come together as congregations and as an association, and what we hope to accomplish.
The survey questions came from individual UUs, as did the suggested responses. More than 500 people helped create this survey. We hope you will find your own experience reflected in the questions and answers, even if the exact language you would use is not perfectly captured here.
What follows are the total tabulations for the first 8118 surveys. At least one question deals with theological perspective. Question number 30 results follow:
Please check the one of the following which best describes your theological perspective:
The balance of the questions (age, sex, length of church membership, etc.), gave us a picture of who are demographically and as church persons. They provide a picture of what we say our values in religious community are.
As you can see, fewer than 10% of the UUA consider themselves Christian. Those in the UUA who consider themselves Christian may believe Jesus is god or son of god. However, many may consider Jesus a prophet of god like the muslims. BOTTOM LINE ¡V There is a belief in Jesus as the highest model of the religious life: At the same time, there is an interpretation of Jesus that equates his ministry with that of Moses, Buddha, Socrates, and Mohammed. The main differences would be the fact that the UUA welcomes people from all faiths (see results of survey) while the Unity Church clearly states ¡§Unity proclaims the divinity of Jesus.¡¨ Generally speaking, my opinion and understanding is that UUs (those in the survey results above that are not ¡§Christian¡¨) do not believe in the divinity of Jesus.
THIRD ¡V In this part of my answer, Cassidy, I will attempt to outline how UUs believe in and interpret the Bible. Our Unitarian and Universalist forebears accept the authority of biblical truth, but affirmed that it must be reasonable interpreted. The advancement of human knowledge and experience over the years has led the UUs to find truth in many written works as well as to accept scholarly criticism of the Bible Nevertheless, this speaking of the truth, as the minister or other speaker best understand it, is still basic to us. Each individual congregant (member of UUA) must, of course determine for him or herself what rings true. It is not required that people agree with all that is said. By comparison, the Unity Church believes ¡§The Bible is Unity's basic textbook. It is accepted as a body of history, as a moral and ethical teaching, and as a great literary work. Beyond this, Unity finds deep significance in the Bible through its metaphysical interpretation, wherein names of places and people and their experiences symbolize the unfoldment of human consciousness.¡§
Cassidy, I have tried to answer your questions and provide some clarification, as you requested. In reviewing my answer, it occurred to me that both groups "accept all religions" but only the UUA group would allow you to continue believing the truths (as accepted by the individual) while Unity may require an acceptance of it's "Christian beliefs" You may want to discuss this with a Unity minister.
For more information, please feel free to check out our web site http://uua.org/ A good book to check on is ¡§A Chosen Faith¡¨ ¡V ISBN 0-8070-1617-9.
Cassidy, thank you for taking the time to question our beliefs and good luck in your search ¡V you¡¦re on the right track! I will also say that you show, espeically for a sixteen year old person, a very deep concern and understanding of religious beliefs.
Jon Bond
P.S. Cassidy, you may also be interested in reviewing the ¡§official¡¨ position of the Unity Church which touches on differences between Unity and Unitarian groups.
Do Unity ministry teachers believe in the divinity of Jesus Christ?
Yes. Unity church leaders teach that the spirit of God dwelt in Jesus, just as it indwells every person; and that every person has the potential to express the perfection of Christ, as Jesus did, by being more Christ-like in everyday life.
Is there any connection between the Association of Unity Churches and the Unitarian church?
No, there is no connection, although there is sometimes confusion because of the similarity of the names. Many beliefs are held in common, including the importance of individual freedom in the quest for Truth. This very freedom, however, makes it difficult to determine the basic differences. In a very general way, it might be said that the two differ mainly in their beliefs regarding Jesus Christ and the Trinity. Unity places great emphasis on spiritual healing, while this is not practiced by Unitarians as a rule. In turn, Unitarians place great emphasis on social and political action.
What is the place of the Bible in Unity teachings?
The Bible is Unity's basic textbook. It is accepted as a body of history, as a moral and ethical teaching, and as a great literary work. Beyond this, Unity finds deep significance in the Bible through its metaphysical interpretation, wherein names of places and people and their experiences symbolize the unfoldment of human consciousness. Through the study of Unity, the Bible is made more meaningful to individuals. Scripture comes alive when it is understood as a clear and helpful guide for today's experiences. The Bible reveals the spirit of Truth and the word of God. Holy Spirit, working individually through those who study Scripture and listen within, is the final authority in spiritual awakening.
Do Unity ministries practice baptism and communion?
Yes, symbolically. Whereas baptism by water represents the cleansing of the consciousness, spiritual baptism signifies the inflow of the Holy Spirit. No person can truly baptize another. Baptism is a mental and spiritual process that takes place within the individual as he or she aligns with the spirit of God.
Spiritual communion takes place through prayer and meditation in the silence. The word of Truth is symbolized by the bread, or the body of Jesus Christ. The conscious realization of God-life is symbolized by the wine, or the blood of Jesus Christ. Unity practices communion by appropriating, or partaking of the spiritual energy represented by these elements.
In Unity services, ritual is de-emphasized as a general rule, so that full attention may be devoted to the teachings and their practical application.
What is the significance of the blood of Jesus Christ?
The blood of Jesus Christ represents the spiritual energy of God-life that purifies or redeems the body through a cleansing and renewal of the consciousness by the spoken word. Regarding the "spilled blood," or the "ransom of many," the emphasis in Unity is not so much on the death of Jesus as on His life. He did not relieve us of the necessity of working out our own salvation, but His example and teachings show us the way.
What about the Crucifixion?
Unity teaches that the cross symbolizes the crossing out of all false beliefs. Here again, emphasis is on life and living, through the resurrection rather than on the Crucifixion.
Does Unity accept the virgin birth?
Unity accepts the virgin birth as an experience in the spiritual unfoldment of each individual. Thus the virgin birth is spiritually interpreted as the birth of the Christ consciousness (the awakening of the awareness of God's Spirit within) in the purified soul.
Does Unity look for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ?
Members of the Association of Unity Churches understand the Second Coming as the individual expression of the Christ consciousness. This is not an event to be anticipated in the future. It is happening here and now, through prayer, meditation, study, and application.
How does the Association of Unity Churches regard the Trinity?
Unity interprets the religious terms Father, Son, and Holy Spirit metaphysically, as three aspects of mind action: mind, idea, and expression. This is the process through which all manifestation takes place.
What does Unity teach about sin and salvation, heaven and hell?
Sin is our separation from God in consciousness, caused by our belief in the "devil" or a power other than God, the good. This belief leads to our unwise use of our God-given powers and abilities. Salvation is now-not something that occurs after death. It happens whenever we turn our thoughts (repent) from fear, anxiety, worry, and doubt, to thoughts of love, harmony, joy, and peace. The "fall" takes place in consciousness whenever we fall into negative habits of thinking.
Heaven and hell are states of consciousness, not geographical locations. We make our own heaven or hell here and now by our thoughts, words, and deeds.
Does Unity believe in reincarnation?
Many Unity students accept the concept of reincarnation (re-embodiment after a period of soul rest). This allows us to attain new understandings in a new life experience, so that we can eventually express perfection and demonstrate eternal life. This is our ultimate goal. Unity's real emphasis is on regeneration, not reincarnation. When we achieve this goal, as Jesus did, it will no longer be necessary to reincarnate. The belief that we could ever be re-embodied into a lower form of life is not accepted by Unity.
