What does Unitarianism believe?

Status
Not open for further replies.
M

meltzerboy

New member
This question is inspired by a post I recently read on another thread which stated that Unitarianism is not a branch of Christianity. On the one hand, this did not surprise me because I thought that most forms of Christianity believe in the Trinity; but on the other hand, I know that Jehovah’s Witnesses do not, and I’m not so sure Mormons do either. So my question is, exactly what do Unitarians believe and are they one group or do they consist of branches or denominations?
 
Traditionally, Unitarianism believed that God was only one person and that Jesus was not divine. They are distinct from other non-trinitarian belief systems like Oneness Pentecostalism and the Mormon Church. Unitarians can possess some wide variation in their beliefs, though I think most are religious liberals. Some do not even consider themselves distinctly Christian anymore and welcome atheists and nontheists among their members. There isn’t one organization representing them but some of the larger groups include the Unitarian Universalist Association and the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists.
 
My understanding from the northern suburbs of chicago is that they are nominally christian but reject the doctrine of the trinity which is held by almost all christian denominations. I state my location for a reason. The concept of Unitarian may vary among regions if even a slight degree.

I know a few people that practice this faith. I pray for them.

For some general knowledge and a history timeline, I recommend reluctantly, … wikipedia.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unitarianism
 
Unitarianism comes close to the theology of Islam or Judaism - One God- Jesus was a prophet -
They believe Ration thought - science and philosophy coexist with Christian faith in God They also believe that because the bible was written by man it can and does contain errors … Its a very liberal faith allowing for science and religion to mesh well.
The one thing I really love about Unitarianism (well more Unitarian Universalism ) is it tends to lead to a mix of faiths and a lot of really awesome conversation and debate … you end up with those of jewish faith different christian faiths buddhist and hindu faiths all in the same church - its pretty cool (which is more found in Unitarian Universalism than in Unitarian Christianity) UU churches do not discount non christian faiths that is the biggest difference between the two
 
My experience with Unitarians leads me to suimmarize them this way:

1. They are a very diverse group, ranging from liberal Christian to atheist. The nearer you get to Boston the more traditional they are, the greater focus on Jesus. The founders of Unitarianism, like Channing and Parker, emphasized Christ but did not regard him as God in the flesh. They focused more upon his teachings than any divinity. Still, they had a special place for him, which has become less true over the years.

** 2. Unitarianism is very respectful of most ofher faiths**, and it is not unusual for Buddhist or Hindu orr other scriptures - or perhaps native American poetry, etc - to be read as part of a service. They sing hymns, some of them traditional Protestant hymns, but many with words that have diverged from anything that smacks of Trinitarianism.
and free thinkers

** 3. Unitarians, as a group, tend to be include a high percentage of intellectuals, many (probably most)** of them not raised Unitarian. They want a rational religion. As a whole they tend to be liberal politically, too.

** 4. Are they Christian? Some among them would say yes, others would say no.** It has been a comfortable religion for many mixed-religion couples, such as Christian-Jewish. I have a Unitarian friend who is reluctant to say she is a Christian but, interestingly, is quick to identify herself as a liberal Protestant.

** 5. Unitarians in general put considerable emphasis upon a better society**. They also, at the outset, emphasized the essential goodness of humanity, a reaction against Calvinism which stressed the utter sinful nature of humanity.The early Unitarians were mostly Congregationalists (who also tend to reject Calvinism now, too).

** 6. Years ago the Unitarians and the Universalists merged to become the Unitarian Universalist Church.** The Universalists, as a group, were somewhat more conservative, apt to be a bit more rural. They used to say that the Unitarians thought that humanity was too good to go to hell, while the Univeralists believed God was too good to condemn humankind to hell. I would guess that very, very few Unitarians would believe in hell, and perhaps a minority would believe in heaven. But I don’t know of any poll.

** 7. While I am not a Unitarian, I admire that religion immensely**. I have two or three problems with it. A bit too cerebral for me. I need more spirituality - mystery - than most Unitarians embrace. Maybe I’m just not smart enough to feel at home among Unitarians. I also place greater emphasis on Christ and upon Christian tradition. Even so, hats off to the Unitarian Univeralists!
 
Roy5 said:
My experience with Unitarians leads me to suimmarize them this way:

1. They are a very diverse group, ranging from liberal Christian to atheist. The nearer you get to Boston the more traditional they are, the greater focus on Jesus. The founders of Unitarianism, like Channing and Parker, emphasized Christ but did not regard him as God in the flesh. They focused more upon his teachings than any divinity. Still, they had a special place for him, which has become less true over the years.

** 2. Unitarianism is very respectful of most ofher faiths**, and it is not unusual for Buddhist or Hindu orr other scriptures - or perhaps native American poetry, etc - to be read as part of a service. They sing hymns, some of them traditional Protestant hymns, but many with words that have diverged from anything that smacks of Trinitarianism.
and free thinkers

** 3. Unitarians, as a group, tend to be include a high percentage of intellectuals, many (probably most)** of them not raised Unitarian. They want a rational religion. As a whole they tend to be liberal politically, too.

** 4. Are they Christian? Some among them would say yes, others would say no.** It has been a comfortable religion for many mixed-religion couples, such as Christian-Jewish. I have a Unitarian friend who is reluctant to say she is a Christian but, interestingly, is quick to identify herself as a liberal Protestant.

** 5. Unitarians in general put considerable emphasis upon a better society**. They also, at the outset, emphasized the essential goodness of humanity, a reaction against Calvinism which stressed the utter sinful nature of humanity.The early Unitarians were mostly Congregationalists (who also tend to reject Calvinism now, too).

** 6. Years ago the Unitarians and the Universalists merged to become the Unitarian Universalist Church.** The Universalists, as a group, were somewhat more conservative, apt to be a bit more rural. They used to say that the Unitarians thought that humanity was too good to go to hell, while the Univeralists believed God was too good to condemn humankind to hell. I would guess that very, very few Unitarians would believe in hell, and perhaps a minority would believe in heaven. But I don’t know of any poll.

** 7. While I am not a Unitarian, I admire that religion immensely**. I have two or three problems with it. A bit too cerebral for me. I need more spirituality - mystery - than most Unitarians embrace. Maybe I’m just not smart enough to feel at home among Unitarians. I also place greater emphasis on Christ and upon Christian tradition. Even so, hats off to the Unitarian Univeralists!
Click to expand...
And thank you too, Roy, for the information! I’m pretty sure there are one or two of their churches here in New York City. Do you know if they are at all related to ethical culture humanism?
 
meltzerboy said:
And thank you too, Roy, for the information! I’m pretty sure there are one or two of their churches here in New York City. Do you know if they are at all related to ethical culture humanism?
Click to expand...
Three UU churches in Manhattan, about 20 in Greater New York area.

uua.org/aboutus/findcongregation/results.php?location=new+york+city&location_radius=25&go_location=

Go to the main website,

www.uua.org

for more info on beliefs and structure.

UU’s have church services with singing and preaching. I think that Ethical Humanism has lectures. There is at least one E-H congregation in NYC.
 
cathoichelp said:
Unitarianism comes close to the theology of Islam or Judaism - One God- Jesus was a prophet -
They believe Ration thought - science and philosophy coexist with Christian faith in God They also believe that because the bible was written by man it can and does contain errors … Its a very liberal faith allowing for science and religion to mesh well.
The one thing I really love about Unitarianism (well more Unitarian Universalism ) is it tends to lead to a mix of faiths and a lot of really awesome conversation and debate … you end up with those of jewish faith different christian faiths buddhist and hindu faiths all in the same church - its pretty cool (which is more found in Unitarian Universalism than in Unitarian Christianity) UU churches do not discount non christian faiths that is the biggest difference between the two
Click to expand...
I like the interfaith aspect of their religion. Thanks for the info!
 
meltzerboy said:
I like the interfaith aspect of their religion. Thanks for the info!
Click to expand...
I go to UU church form time to time… I have a friend that gives sermons at her church … I absolutely LOVE the people- they are amazing and very open to discussion - which is nice.
Its kinda like the UN of religion over there 😛

its very peaceful and nonjudgmental 👍
 
I’ve always been surprised that Unitarian-Universalism hasn’t attracted a much larger following. It seems to be where millions of people are in their religious journey. Most of those who think like Unitarians apparently choose to remain within mainline Protestantism or Catholicism. I presume this is mainly because of family, cultural, or other reasons, including the fact that UU churches aren’t that numerous when compared to the larger denominations.
Some of the great minds of America were Unitarian, including thre presidents, J Adams, J Q Adams and WH Taft. Jefferson was really a Unitarian. And many of the transcendentalists were, also - like Emerson - and poets like Whittier (Hicksite Quaker = Unitarian Quaker).
 
Roy5 said:
I’ve always been surprised that Unitarian-Universalism hasn’t attracted a much larger following. It seems to be where millions of people are in their religious journey. Most of those who think like Unitarians apparently choose to remain within mainline Protestantism or Catholicism. I presume this is mainly because of family, cultural, or other reasons, including the fact that UU churches aren’t that numerous when compared to the larger denominations.
Code: 
Some of the great minds of America were Unitarian, including thre presidents, J Adams, J Q Adams and WH Taft. Jefferson was really a Unitarian. And many of the transcendentalists were, also - like Emerson - and poets like Whittier (Hicksite Quaker = Unitarian Quaker).
Click to expand...
As always, Roy, very insightful posts. I’ve been attending a Unitarian church for about a year and a half, and have loved it. I would agree with prior posts here that calling Unitarian Universalism “Christian” is not accurate. Since the divinity of Jesus is not stressed, nor even central to the core tenets of the faith, I don’t see how one could call it Christian. But… since the faith acknowledges many of the world’s faiths, there could be many Unitarians who self-identify as Christians. Similarly, some churches might accentuate Christian writings/teachings in their individual church, like the Boston analogy mentioned earlier.
 
So, how would Unitarianism as described above differ from Deism?

James

p.s. And, yes, Roy, thank you for a very thorough explanation. Much appreciated here!
 
confusedius said:
So, how would Unitarianism as described above differ from Deism?

James

p.s. And, yes, Roy, thank you for a very thorough explanation. Much appreciated here!
Click to expand...
Classical deism, if I recall correctly, denies the intervention of God in the world or human affairs. In fact, I think deism holds that God has had little or nothing to do with the universe since He created it. At least, not directly. They also reject all revealed religion and the deists I have encountered tend to be very anti-religious. That’s just my personal observation.

Unitarianism, however, does not explicitly deny intervention on the part of God. Given the wide range of beliefs amongst Unitarians, I imagine there is a wide diversity of opinion on God’s intervention in the world. I also imagine Unitarians possess a wide range of views on divine revelation. There are probably some deists among UUA congregations.
 
ChristIsTheWay said:
Unitarianism, however, does not explicitly deny intervention on the part of God. Given the wide range of beliefs amongst Unitarians, I imagine there is a wide diversity of opinion on God’s intervention in the world. I also imagine Unitarians possess a wide range of views on divine revelation. There are probably some deists among UUA congregations.
Click to expand...
Yes, you’re right on that. There’s an array of people from Christian upbringings (like myself, a cradle Catholic), Jewish, Buddhist, and mixed backgrounds. One thing underpinning the attitude of Unitarians is the openness to doubt. You’re encouraged to explore and identify with the elements of those world faiths (and other ideas) that have meaning for you (which could be deism, even atheism for some).
 
UU will always remain small. Most people go to church to get answers. UU doesn’t offer very many hard-and-fast answers. For many, belonging to UU brings opportunities for community, service, and support for an alternative religious structure.
 
Most people go to church to get answers. UU doesn’t offer very many hard-and-fast answers.
Click to expand...
One of the main reasons why I go to the UU church in my city. 👍
 
Major_Tom said:
Well said…! I concur whole-heartedly.
Click to expand...
One of the main reasons I’ve stuck with the UU church is that the second time I went there the pastor basically said, “We don’t know why evil exists, or why it happens, but it exists and it does happen and the only thing we can do in the face of it is not lose our humanity” (or something like that).

Most honest statement I’ve heard in any church - Catholic included.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top