NationStates Jolt Archive

What are your thoughts on Unitarianism?

If you ask me, I think that Unitarianism is the Christian offshoot of Deism and is thus one of the most logical branches of Theistic Theology that exist in modern times.

Here are some of the basic beliefs shared by most Unitarians:


* the belief in One God and the oneness or unity of God.
* the life and teachings of Jesus Christ is the exemplar model for living ones' own life.
* that reason, rational thought, science, and philosophy together with religion and faith are not mutually exclusive.
* that man has the ability to exercise free will in a responsible, constructive and ethical manner with the assistance of religion.
* the belief that human nature in its present condition is neither inherently corrupt nor depraved, but capable of both good and evil, as God intended.
* the conviction that no religion can claim an absolute monopoly on the Holy Spirit or theological truth.
* the belief that the works of the Bible are inspired by God, but were written and edited by humans and therefore subject to human error.
* the rejection of traditional doctrines that they believe malign God's character or veil the true nature and mission of Jesus Christ, such as the doctrine of predestination, eternal damnation, the Trinity, and the vicarious sacrifice or satisfaction theory of the Atonement.

What are your thoughts on Unitarianism?

If you ask me, I think that Unitarianism is the Christian offshoot of Deism and is thus one of the most logical branches of Theistic Theology that exist in modern times.

Here are some of the basic beliefs shared by most Unitarians:

It isn't really great because of all the extraneous rationalization required to make it work. You can tell a good religion by the lack of thinking you have to do in order to believe it (I'm being serious).

It isn't really great because of all the extraneous rationalization required to make it work. You can tell a good religion by the lack of thinking you have to do in order to believe it (I'm being serious).

In that case, Unitarianism is a philosophy.

In that case, Unitarianism is a philosophy.

It most definately is. It doesn't have a dogma or require belief in any set of principals. You're free to believe in whatever god (or lackthereof) you choose. I was a Unitarian for a very long time, and Unitarianism will always hold a special place in my heart.

It's definitely the chillest form of organized religion around. It's kind of a big deal in my area.

But then again, organized religion as a whole is pretty chill around here. We're just all around chill.

"the belief in One God and the oneness or unity of God."

That's a dogma, so it is a religion. Also, unitarianism usually has something to say about the nature of god (though this varies). You can see that through "...but capable of both good and evil, as God intended." This also implies that good and evil are absolute rather than relative (at a stretch, I know).

This one always gets me:
"the conviction that no religion can claim an absolute monopoly on the Holy Spirit or theological truth."

What about unitarianism itself? If their exists more to theological truth, surely it must be definable?





For the record, i'm an animist. Don't go into the usual atheist vs religious argument please.

Sounds neat, but applying a name to it seems to distort its potential. Organisation is the death of theology. My points of disagreement are as follows:

Existing religions aren't really a veil to God, since although they take extraneous and misleading details to be necessary in their definitions, it is through them and other mythologies that the nature of God is incompletely revealed. God exists at their intersection. So I reckon, anyway.
To say that God is "one", one must also note that God is Legion. Unity is only possible through the inclusion of the whole.
Jesus Christ is "an" example, not "the" example for human behaviour. Christ's claim to be the son of God, true though it may be, does not grant him licences that could not in theory be replicated by any other human being.
Free Will is a dubious claim. How free are we talking here? I maintain that Humans are fundamentally driven by deterministic processes, but that this does not preclude choice; it just means that it is theoretically possible to exactly determine the option chosen for each decision to be made.

*Shrug*

It isn't really great because of all the extraneous rationalization required to make it work. You can tell a good religion by the lack of thinking you have to do in order to believe it (I'm being serious).
With all due respect, have you ever tried to blindly believe other religions without excessive amounts of doublethinking?

"the belief in One God and the oneness or unity of God."

That's a dogma, so it is a religion. Also, unitarianism usually has something to say about the nature of god (though this varies). You can see that through "...but capable of both good and evil, as God intended." This also implies that good and evil are absolute rather than relative (at a stretch, I know).

This one always gets me:
"the conviction that no religion can claim an absolute monopoly on the Holy Spirit or theological truth."

What about unitarianism itself? If their exists more to theological truth, surely it must be definable?





For the record, i'm an animist. Don't go into the usual atheist vs religious argument please.

That's not part of their principals.

The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;
The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;
Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.
http://www.uua.org/visitors/6798.shtml

No requirement to believe in any form of god at all.

It seems wikipedia is wrong then. I was talking with respect to the first post.

I considered being a Unitarian for some time, though I never actually converted. It's a good [[religion/philosophy/insert correct noun here when the debate is over]].

religion by the wiki definitions, philosophy by the uua definition.

I will go check out the second now, as I know nothing of it, and have always thought that unitarianism is a christian offshoot.

It seems to be a watered down form of Christianity. Nothing wrong with that, though.

There was a Unitarian church in my town. I never had any real contact with Unitarianism however...maybe because they were too polite to make their religion an issue :p.

One could say that it's just "watered-down" Christianity. But if you think about it...Was it Jesus' idea to create Christianity, or was it Peter? Maybe this is what Big J had in mind all along.

So. What do I think about Unitarianism?

Fuckin' A.

You have my answer.

religion by the wiki definitions, philosophy by the uua definition.

I will go check out the second now, as I know nothing of it, and have always thought that unitarianism is a christian offshoot.

re·li·gion [ri-lij-uhn] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
1. a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.

It most definitely is a religion, regardless of whether it can be also described as a philosophy.


With all due respect, have you ever tried to blindly believe other religions without excessive amounts of doublethinking?
I have... actually, I've spent most of my life in that mode, up until recently... what's your point?

Ahem. Ok, nuance here. There's unitarianism, which is a religion and form of Christianity. And then there's universalist unitarianism, which is a philosophy. I think the original post was about unitarianism, the branch of Christianity.



http://www.uua.org/visitors/beliefswithin/6642.shtml
nothing superhuman: not a religion.

Ahem. Ok, nuance here. There's unitarianism, which is a religion and form of Christianity. And then there's universalist unitarianism, which is a philosophy. I think the original post was about unitarianism, the branch of Christianity.



http://www.uua.org/visitors/beliefswithin/6642.shtml
nothing superhuman: not a religion.

There's also unitarianism as just not believing in the Trinity. Issac Newton was an unitarian in that way, even though he was neither a Deist nor Universalist Unitarian.

As far as I'm aware, that is the only actual definition of unitarianism, and the principles mentioned in the first post are just principles that the unitarian church upholds.

So, basically a retcon'd christianity that doesn't hate everyone for doing what they don't like? Sounds more than a little revisionist to me, but even if it sounds silly at least it's inoffensive.

That's not part of their principals.


http://www.uua.org/visitors/6798.shtml

No requirement to believe in any form of god at all.

It's a part of Unitarian Universalism in that it's the root from which unitarianism comes from. Unitarianism is a Xian belif in the unity of God. Universaliam is an Xian belief in universal salvation.

Unitarianism
Unitarian Universalism emerged from two separate denominations: Unitarianism and Universalism.

Originally, all Unitarians were Christians who didn't believe in the Holy Trinity of God (Father, Son, and Holy Ghost). Instead, they believe in the unity, or single aspect, of God. Unitarianism eventually began to stress the importance of rational thinking, each person's direct relationship with God, and the humanity of Jesus.
and
American Unitarianism went through many changes over the next 150 years, from the introduction of Transcendentalist thought in the middle of the eighteen hundreds through debates about war and pacifism in the Civil War and the two World Wars to the influx of Humanism in the early 1930s. These changes slowly made Unitarianism a more broad and flexible faith.

After growing increasingly theologically and ethically close, the Unitarian and Universalist denominations consolidated in 1961 to form the new religion of Unitarian Universalism. Unitarian Universalism no longer solely holds traditional Unitarian or Universalist beliefs, but does draw directly on its heritage for much of its inspiration and grounding.

There are many Unitarian congregations today outside the United States that are part of the Unitarian Universalist community. The largest concentrations of Unitarians outside the United States are in Transylvania (now part of Romania and Hungary) and India.

There are also Unitarian organizations that are not affiliated with Unitarian Universalism, most of which call themselves Biblical or Christian Unitarians. You can search the internet to find more information on these groups.
http://www.uua.org/visitors/ourhistory/6903.shtml

Note also that Universalism is also a Christian dervived faith.

Universalism
Unitarian Universalism emerged from two separate denominations: Unitarianism and Universalism.

Universalists are Christians who believe in universal salvation. They don't believe that a loving God could punish anyone to hell for eternity. Instead, they believe that everyone will be reconciled with God eventually.
http://www.uua.org/visitors/ourhistory/6904.shtml

Furthermore:
Christianity
For many Unitarian Universalists, Jesus and Christian teachings provide insight into understanding how to live our lives. One of the shared sources of our faith is "Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God's love by loving our neighbors as ourselves."

As one Unitarian Universalist (UU) wrote: "Jesus' message remains strong in our efforts to create a beloved community here on earth, impelling us to witness to the injustices of this time." (Bruce Southworth) And Rev. Anita Farber-Robertson says, "Jesus [gives us] the strength to fight, the courage to love, and hearts that do not give up on anyone."

The Bible and its many interpretations have largely shaped our Unitarian Universalist history. Today, it is used in most Unitarian Universalist congregations as one of many sources of inspiration and reflection. To quote one member, "I claim the Bible as one more chapter, among several religious texts, in the Unitarian Universalist guide to living." (Laura Spencer)

This is not the only view of Jesus, the Bible, and Christianity within our faith. Unitarian Universalists can be Christian, Humanist, Pagan, Buddhist, Jewish, atheist, and more. A portion of Unitarian Universalists today identify as Christians, but even some Unitarian Universalists who do not identify primarily as Christians find inspiration in Christian ideas. Because of the freedom within our faith, there are many differing views regarding the role of Christianity in our religious community.
http://www.uua.org/visitors/beliefswithin/6633.shtml

It seems to be a watered down form of Christianity. Nothing wrong with that, though.

Not exactly. Rather it's a form of that's moved on beyond it's roots.

Ahem. Ok, nuance here. There's unitarianism, which is a religion and form of Christianity. And then there's universalist unitarianism, which is a philosophy. I think the original post was about unitarianism, the branch of Christianity.

Bingo.

There's also unitarianism as just not believing in the Trinity.

Which is where the Unitarian in Unitarian Universalist comes from.

Issac Newton was an unitarian in that way, even though he was neither a Deist nor Universalist Unitarian.

Would have been a bit difficult for him to be a UU, seeing as UUism didn't exist until well after he didn't.

So, basically a retcon'd christianity that doesn't hate everyone for doing what they don't like? Sounds more than a little revisionist to me, but even if it sounds silly at least it's inoffensive.

Not at all. More a branch of Xianity that "went hippy" so to speak. ;)

As for the OP question, I was dedicated UU (UU's = of baptism) and raised more or less UUish (no UU fellowship or congregation nearby after we moved back to TX). UU is alright by me. I'm a practicing Buddhist now.

They're not really Christian.

I think people should believe whatever they want. I don't judge. I think their philosophy is nice, though.

The UUs are certainly not a branch of Christianity, nor are they a religion in themselves:

Unitarian Universalists include people who identify as Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, Pagans, Atheists, Agnostics, Humanists, and others.

I might note that within this there are two polytheistic religions, two non-theistic religions, and buddhism (which is a bit variable). The notes that you pointed out are to do with the history of UU not it's current state.

In fact, a survery in America found that 54% of UUs consider themselves humanists, so no god.

unitarians are what christianity pretends to be, the same way libertarians are what republicans pretend to be. the're not baha'is, but at least the're using their god given brains.

yes its a way for diest agnostics (and people who havent yet heard of or really understand the faith of baha-u-llah) to hang on to the security blanket of 'christianity' and retain its protection from social and economic discrimination in 'christian' (actually christothemic) places like the u.s.

this is good thing, although being able to be openly humanist agnostic, or fallow some faith other then is dominant where one lives, without being however subtly and de-facto, economically and socially discriminated against, would be a far better one.

humanity has a lot of growing up to do, until it does, it makes sense for at least some people who use sense, in christian dominated places to call themselves unitarians, and in islam dominated places, sufi's and dervishes.

i don't know if buddhism has or needs an equivelant, or what it would be if it did. although zen, which is more a way of looking at it that encorporates taoist and perhaps shinto-like concepts could be thought of perhapse in that way.

=^^=
.../\...