What is this religion/practice?

[CatholicSam]

When I was in college, I took a Spanish class with an elderly man who attended a unitarian church. He used to write squiggly patterns on a piece of paper and communicate with “them,” as he said. He told me of times in his life when “they” revealed things to him. He also told me that I was an angel :whacky: and my soul was somehow special, while “human” souls were “spawned” angel souls were made in a special way. When someone in my class had an inflamed gallbladder, he tried his healing touch on her (but I can’t really remember if the girl got any relief). He believed in reincarnation and said that he was married to his wife in a previous life. At the end of the semester, they wanted to have a party at the teacher’s house, and I didn’t want to go. I made up an excuse about having tons of studying to do, and he looked at me while drawing his squigglies and said “You don’t even want to go at all!” It made me think that maybe there was something to what he was saying. So… what is this? It definitely seems occult to me and I didn’t want anything to do with it! Does anyone know what this practice is called?

 

[Reepicheep]

I don’t honestly think it takes occult power for this teacher to guess that you didn’t want to go to the party.

As for the rest of it, he sounds a bit New Age-y to me. The squiggles don’t ring any bells though.

 

[CatholicSam]

Reepicheep:

I don’t honestly think it takes occult power for this teacher to guess that you didn’t want to go to the party.

I guess I should clarify–it wasn’t the teacher, it was a student. And I was afraid it might come across that he “proved” his powers by guessing I didn’t want to go (even though I said it was because I had studying to do). What I wanted to get across was that HE believed he was reading my mind with the “mystical writing.” I think the “they” he was talking about were demonic (just like a ouija board is occult). This happened in 2001, so I’ve forgotten many of the details, but wanted to provide what I remembered so that someone might tell me what religion this is. If anyone knows, I would be interested in learning what it is called. I already know that I should stay away from this guy and that he’s :whacky: Thanks

 

[e-catholic]

CatholicSam:

When I was in college, I took a Spanish class with an elderly man who attended a unitarian church. He used to write squiggly patterns on a piece of paper and communicate with “them,” as he said. He told me of times in his life when “they” revealed things to him. He also told me that I was an angel :whacky: and my soul was somehow special, while “human” souls were “spawned” angel souls were made in a special way. When someone in my class had an inflamed gallbladder, he tried his healing touch on her (but I can’t really remember if the girl got any relief). He believed in reincarnation and said that he was married to his wife in a previous life. At the end of the semester, they wanted to have a party at the teacher’s house, and I didn’t want to go. I made up an excuse about having tons of studying to do, and he looked at me while drawing his squigglies and said “You don’t even want to go at all!” It made me think that maybe there was something to what he was saying. So… what is this? It definitely seems occult to me and I didn’t want anything to do with it! Does anyone know what this practice is called?

Here is an FAQ from their site. It is basically a free for all, wierd.

uua.org/aboutuu/uufaq.html

 

[catsrus]

My former SIL is a unitarian. She also believes that she is reincarnated and once was a hairdresser on the lost continent of Atlantis.
Sweet lady. Quite batty.
She also drew alot of nothing.

 

[Contarini]

Unitarians started in the 18th century (well, there are some Eastern European Unitarians who go back to the 16th century, but let’s keep it simple), as a more rationalistic offshoot of Calvinist Protestantism. They believed that the Trinity was unbiblical and that Jesus was just a man sent from God, but they believed in the Resurrection, miracles, etc. As time went on, they became more and more rationalistic, but as late as the mid-19th century Emerson was kicked out for refusing to celebrate the Lord’s Supper and saying that Jesus was no more special than many other great teachers. Nowadays that wouldn’t raise an eyebrow among most Unitarians. They have become, as one person said, a “free-for-all.” Reincarnation, the occult, etc., aren’t characteristic of Unitarians in particular, but they’re favorite themes of spiritual seekers in our society who don’t like orthodox Christianity, and those people tend to gravitate toward Unitarianism because it basically has no doctrinal requirements whatsoever (you don’t even have to believe in God).

Edwin

 

[LittleDeb]

I have wondered about Unitarians too. They have a building, (structure, what do they call it?) around the block from me. When their local pastor’s writings appear in the paper she writes about all of the things already mentioned. She didn’t mention the “squiggles” but said something about “letting writing help you communicate.” I thought at the time she was talking about a prayer journal, but now that I read this post I think she did mean something like the squiggles mentioned.

She advertizes that she will “perform weddings for anyone.” I once wondered, no disrespect intended, if “anyone” had to be human.

 

[flameburns623]

I think everyone has gone down the wrong rabbit trail. The person involved probably was a member of the Unity School of Christianity, very different from the Unitarian-Universalist Church. The Original Poster probably misunderstood this since the two groups have such similar names.

The Unity School of Christianity is metaphyscial and would indeed do many of the kinds of things which CatholicSam described: occultic symbology, attempts at spiritual healing, describing humans as incompleted angels, etcetera. They attempt to blend Christianity with metaphysical concepts and what we would today call “New Age” philosophy. Here’s what I could find in a jiffy on this group:

Their home page:

unityonline.org/

A Christian Apologetics Research Ministry (CARM) article:

carm.org/list/unity.htm

And a more secular analysis of the group:

religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/nrms/unity.html

Hope this helps!

 

[Deo_Volente]

Grace & Peace!

I’d be curious to know what the squiggles looked like–that would reveal a lot about the belief system. When I read that this person was in a Spanish class, I thought perhaps that a veve was meant–a veve is a ceremonial design used in Vodou, Santeria, Orixa, or Candomble as a sign of a particular spirit or “loa” by which the loa is summoned to a ritual or through which his or her powers are communicated. This family of religions, born for the most part from the encounter between Catholicism and African traditional religious expression in the New World, is fascinating.

But the general drift of this person’s worldview definitely suggests that flameburns’ reading is most accurate. In terms of squiggles, Western Occultism often makes use of “spirit signatures”/sigils which, similar to a veve, though often less complex, are designed to put a practitioner in touch with specific spirits, or aid a would-be magician in evoking or invoking a particular entity. Similar to such signatures are various talismanic designs (which often incorporate these signatures) which are infused with a particular influence and carried about for a particular purpose depending on the design of the talisman and the spirits or entities to which it appeals.

Also, 19th century spiritualism advocated a sort of automatic writing by which a believer could channel messages from dead loved ones or other occupants of the spirit world. If flameburns’ hunch is correct, and I’ve a feeling it is, this may account for the squiggles as spiritualism (through Blavatsky’s Theosophical Society) was a major influence on what would become the New Age movement.

Under the Mercy,
Mark

Deo Gratias!

 

[spiritchsr1]

Catholic Sam,

My understanding of the Unitarians is that they are a cult. They do not believe in Jesus Christ, or the Trinity. They can believe in anything that they want for their god. They are nothing more than a Social Club, in my opinion.

I would stay away from them.

Spiritchsr1