That being the case, then not one Unitarian will enter the kingdom of heaven, but will go straight to hell upon dying. This is a list intended to cover notable Canadian Unitarian Universalist (UU) churches as either congregations or as buildings or as both. On the whole, I think your view of UU is correct, although as a liberal Protestant (the sort who should be welcomed into UU if it were what it claims to be) I do not agree with some of your biblical views. Today, Unitarian Universalist churches exist in many countries, such as the UK, Hungary, India, the Philippines, several African nations, and Canada. Instead, the Universalist Unitarian Association suggests several Thoughts and Principles, You accuse me of giving insulting and intolerant answers to those who have either asked or inquired about my Unitarian-Universalist article, but then never actually point out a comment Ive made that is either insulting or intolerant. First Church Music . was founded in 1887 by Amos Throop and is the largest ex-Universalist church building west of the Mississippi River. Second, Jesus gives the Trinitarian formula in the Great Commission statement by citing the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, all of which share the same name, as well as the command to make disciples and to baptize them. The church has become too aligned with power and politics, corrupting its core values. We then consider two examples of non-congregational Unitarianism and Universalism: the Unitarian Church in Transylvania, which has bishops and elders, and the Universalist Church of the Philippines, which has a unique meta-congregationalism. In short, Dr. Chwoworskys rejection of the Bible as inspired and authoritative in all matters pertaining to faith and practice is a diabolic replay with diabolic results. . Mid 19th Century Revival architecture. 9:17, 31; Ps. I sang with their talented choir for some time as they accepted my Mormon faith as a personal choice I was free to make without criticism or judgment, or so they claimed. Yet, just how intolerant is that to accuse someone else of intolerance over such a key doctrine of the Christian faith that is biblically supported? congregations include many atheists, agnostics, and theists within their membership - and there are U.U. What is a Unitarian Universalist Church? To take it as such is circular reasoning, and it is one of many, many reasons why I am a Unitarian Universalist. So, despite the denials and rationalizations of Dr. Chwoworsky and his Unitarians friends, the Bible speaks of the reality of hell, with none other than Jesus Christ himself affirming its reality as well. (October 2005) In England Unitarianism was a Protestant sect that had its roots in the Anabaptist radicals of the English Civil War. The alternative is a long, dark, period of torment in a place called hell; a place that UU denies exists or falsely assumes that all people will eventually be redeemed from, but Jesus and his apostle made clear is a place that will be filled with people who just could not tolerate the thought of its existence. 2:21). Some controversies have arisen due to Unitarian Universalism's unique structure. To prove the self-centered autonomy of Dr. Chwoworsky he ends his answer with a statement that is antithetical to what the Bible has to say about who goes seeking for whom in terms of the God-human relationship. Christianity was built on the teaching of Jesus (Trinity, death & resurrection, even the bible all came much later. I dont see Unitarianism as perfect but am looking it over. And UUs view of Christianity is anti-Christian, as outlined throughout the article and for which you have labeled it an anti-christian cult. So, what do you mean when you state, UUs view of Christianity make Southern Baptist look tolerant!? Not only does it fail to correctly diagnose the true character of each and every man, woman, and child prior to Gods gracious move to spiritually redeem them, it fails to take into account Jesus mission statement that he came to save that which was lost (Matt. Followers of Unitarianism also do not accept the concepts of original sin and of eternal punishment for sins committed on earth. Not only does Unitarianism have absolutely nothing upon which to base its nilly-willy religion, it has divorced itself from anything godly by rejecting Gods Word about itself, Gods Word about Himself, Gods Word about Jesus, Gods Word about Salvation, Gods Word about the Afterlife, and so on and so forth. Hades, which was another term used by Jesus to describe hell, was cited as a place containing those who underwent eternal torment amid flames (Lk. Dr. Charles Eliot, the late Unitarian president of Harvard University, called Unitarianism a cheerful religion. It is cheerful because it represents the individuals victory over ignorance, over superstition, over fear and uncertainty. In my experience, UU on the West Coast is not a denomination of Christianity. Both deny basic Christian truth. Often abbreviated UUCM. Jesus isnt the problem. Jesus, illustrating the total impotence of humanity in accomplishing anything comparable to the fruit that is produced by being in him said to his disciples, I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing (Jn. RESPONSE: The first misleading statement by Dr. Chwoworsky is that Unitarians derive their ethic from Jesus. An accredited Green Sanctuary congregation has educated themselves and created projects in four focus areas: environmental justice, worship and celebration, religious education, and sustainable living. There is a lot of good teaching, some poor teaching, and a lot of opinionated history in those books. Due to the open nature of Unitarian Universalism, the religion Unitarian Universalism began in the year 1961 and became known as the "leading light for liberal religion." That year marked the merging of what had previously been two separate denominations: Unitarianism and Universalism, both of which originated from Protestant Reformation. Loren, youre obviously quite confused by assuming that Seventh-Day Adventism and Unitarianism are alike in the manner that you describe. RESPONSE: Dr. Chwoworskys opening statement is an indictment against Unitarianism and a clear indicator to anyone abiding by its precept will be condemned to hell one day. Office Hours (Secretary Only): Tuesdays and Fridays - 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. Therefore, unless one is already dead-set against the biblical standard, one would be better off looking for truth, love, and meaning elsewhere than in the darkened halls of a Unitarian church, where man is exalted and God is disgraced. but they range from churches like Unitarian Society that is . Whatever the case, the biblical evidence is abundant that heaven does exist, denials to the contrary. For to be a Christian has nothing to do with profession and seeking to practice Jesus religion, but with being spiritually born again by God into His kingdom (Jn. It is in clear defiance of biblical passages such as John 1:1, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, along with John 1:14, And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. Later the Apostle Paul would write of Jesus, But when the fulness of time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, (Gal. . to similar values and actions. Four local churches from Eureka to Arcata were recently vandalized with similar slogans in the form of spray paint on a building wall. But their monthly journal is called The Christian Register, and many of them today prefer to be called liberal Christians, or simply religious Liberals. Take care. This is nothing more than Modernism dressed up in sanctimonious jibe that if reduced to its lowest common denominator is nothing more than what Satan tricked Eve into doing back in the Garden of Eden when he queried her with the words, Has God said? After that, she was acting with reserved prerogative or human autonomy and ended up disobeying God, which led to the fall of mankind. Texas lost its tax-exempt status after a government official decided that the church's lack of a unifying Conversely, if I am correct, and you are wrong, just what does your statement on worship really say? The answer is obvious. [1], Indian Council of Unitarian Churches ICUU, Jemaat Allah Global Indonesia (JAGI), internationally known as Unitarian Christian Church of Indonesia (UCCI), was founded in 1998 and formally registered in 2000, headquarter in Semarang, Java, includes several congregations, member of ICUU. RESPONSE: By confessing that Unitarians do not try to make converts, Dr. Chwoworsky also confesses the non-Christian nature of Unitarianism, given that Christianity has always been a mission-minded religious movement that has been commanded to make converts. That is why Dr. Chwoworsky and others like him point to freedom, reason and tolerance as alleged virtues that they fawn over, even though anything Jesus, God, or the Bible have to say about certain subjects have been summarily discarded, unless it agrees with the Unitarian creed. 11:5) that anyone has the opportunity to be saved at all. One of the smaller cults in existence, as well as a relatively short history, is the hypocritically intolerant religion of Unitarianism. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. The third misleading statement is, once again, to assume that Unitarianism is any less creedal than all other religions. They dont talk about God much because that might offend the atheists in the congregation. Followers of Unitarian Universalism are united not by a single creed, as in Your juvenile comments are not only an indictment of yourself, they are a confirmation that everything written in the article is true. Thats right, no Christian before the reformation movement ever believed the Bible was infallible. By Marilyn Sewell, Contributor 3:3-5). In fact, similar religions existed in many countries prior to the After all, if they do not listen to them, then they will hardly listen to someone who has come back from the dead. The second misleading statement is found in its creedal statement regarding the Church Universal. It is completely untrue that a devoted Universalist would accept any Christian who uphold the Nicene or Athanasian creeds, much less the Westminster or Heidelberg Confessions of Faith. Thus, you will enter into fellowship with other men and women who seek to worship God through truth, beauty, and goodness. In 1961, the Unitarian Church joined forces with the Universalist Church becoming the Unitarian Universalist Church. 16:19-ff.). In fact, Although it touts itself as open-minded and individualistic, if not tolerant and restorative of primitive Christianity, upon closer examination it is actually the polar opposite of each of those accolades. Paul, you are judgmental and arrogant. While wishing the reader to assume that Unitarians hold to a well-disciplined standard of critical inquiry, all that needs to be asked is what the object is to base that standard? Man, in appreciation of the Good Life, can achieve the stature of the man of God.. One of the visions of our congregation, articulated a decade ago is for "UUCW's culture is open, welcoming, and inclusive." And one of the ways we identified whether we were achieving this vision is to "Broaden our experience of diversity, examining patterns of oppression and bias, and celebrate our expanding community." Unitarians hold the Bible very dear, but they reserve the prerogative of critical appreciation which is intimately related to liberty of conscience. Although Paul was speaking of the Old Testament when he wrote, a careful perusal through the New Testament will show that not only was the Old Testament inspired by God, but so was the New Testament. But, Dr. Chwoworsky and Unitarians like him wish to be thought of as Christians. Again, the irony is almost staggering. RESPONSE: Given all of the previous responses above, whereby God and His Word have been cast aside in favor of human reason, it is almost laughable that Dr. Chwoworsky could reply to the following question about belief in the manner that he has. personhood of God. Because of the Unitarian Universalist belief in freedom of thought, the religion does not have any one Relativism, tolerance, and alternative lifestyles are all buzz words used by Unitarian Universalism. Both faiths affirm freedom of the individual's belief. Only Universalist church in the state. Hopefully, upon leaving UU you came to know biblical Christianity in a salvific way. The roots of Unitarian Universalism lie in liberal Christianity, specifically Unitarianism and universalism. Manage Settings It may have been originally, but not now. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Church was originally a Reformed congregation, is now Unitarian Universalist. Unitarians do not believe that Jesus is either the Messiah of Jewish hope or Christian fantasy. Yet, that is very different from what the Bible has taught all along, for in it God is the savior and those whom He has chosen for redemption are the rescued, mainly because they can do nothing to rescue themselves. Human reason is not objective, and neither are the human senses, intuitions, or opinions. https://www.uua.org/files/includes/snippet-important-message.txt, Advanced search options and statistical reporting, Find a Unitarian Universalist Congregation. This is hysterical. You definitely should be a liberal, and preferably one who likes anti-war protests, gay pride rallies, and basically anything politically left. Privacy Policy. This sounds very much like the Seventh-Day Adventism I grew up with, with the Bible being the literal absolute last word on God, history and any subject, and where any belief other than their own narrow branch is attacked as degenerate. The word "Unitarian" in the title of the religion refers to an early core belief in the singular Universalism taught that God in his absolute love and compassion for humankind could never condemn anyone to hell for eternity. The answer is nothing! Humans were created in one day. Founded in 1814, St John's is one of the oldest congregations west of the Appalachians. After his beautiful and moving Coming of Age ceremony at our congregation, my older son, Allen, asked me whether . Thing. Otherwise, those daring enough to do so will have added to their account the plagues found written in this booknamely, the Book of Revelation, just quoted above referencing Jesus as the final judgeas well have their part taken away from the tree of life and from the holy city (Rev. Peter would reiterate this declaration in 1 Peter 4:5-6. You repeatedly quote the Bible to prove that the Bible is an infallible source of proof. They claim a UU identity and advance UU values, but they look and feel different from a traditional congregation. Its 1835 Gothic Revival building was listed on the National Register in 1982, but was destroyed by fire in 1983. is the oldest church building in Foxborough. They are merely human contrivances, since Gods revelation has been resoundingly rejected. It is this personal odyssey, rather than any Obviously. Please read the article, and then specifically point out where you believe something in error, and Ill gladly correct you. These guidelines were suggested by a committee and confirmed by UU congregations What is always interesting about those in the cultsand given what Dr. Chwoworsky has provided thus far, it easily fits that theological descriptionis when they reject an obvious biblical doctrine and how they go about revising the doctrine to try and make it say something that is not obvious at all. Your opinions have nothing to do with the article, much less reality. Given all of its rejection of biblical orthodoxy, yet desire to be aligned with Christianity, the closest it will come to the latter is that of a Christian caricature much like that found in Mormonism, the Jehovahs Witnesses, or Christian Science. D.Ed., will share a true story, "Looking Like the Enemy." . They emphasize positive thinking. Thanks Mark for writing. Get Connected. Dr. Chwoworskys allusion to Dr. Eliots statement that Unitarianism is a cheerful religion is just plain bogus. Dawid Faure. Thank you for this article. The hallmark of all aberrant cultism is idolatry. One thing to consider is the evolution of the faith. Their response was that, Some, John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. Jesus then became more direct and personal by asking them, But who do you say that I am? Impulsive Peter, without hesitation, blurts out, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.. More Info. The campus and . UUs typically dont call themselves Christian or say that the UU church is specifically a Christian church. As for the abode of the wicked, there is no greater authority on that subject than the person of Jesus Christ, who spoke of its reality as a place of fire (Matt. Hence, Unitarianism is not open-minded, but closed-minded, and that especially concerning biblical truth. This will give you a list of Unitarian Universalist churches in your area, along with their contact information and website links. Unitarians are firm believers in the Church Universal. They believe that this church includes all men and women, of every race, color, and creed, who seek God and worship him through service to their fellow man. This great book of religious prose, poetry, and drama is awarded a place of honor in every Unitarian church. Have some faith and reject biblical inerrancy and literalism. Let us fight these evil forces here and now to help create that Paradise of which the poets speak.. While that may be true, one only has to ask, Which Galilean? Because clearly the Unitarian Galilean Jesus is not the biblical one. It is incredibly distressing when something that was once believed in completely begins to show reason for doubt. [13][14] It is a welcoming congregation. Often abbreviated UUCiL. Our beliefs are diverse, and we travel our paths to spiritual discovery and truth together. Do Unitarians believe in heaven and hell? Each church has its own character with some more religious and some more toward atheist. Moreover, to assert that each individual Unitarian is cheerful because he or she has overcome the ignorance, superstition, fear, and uncertainty by simply resorting to his or her human reasoning is equally nonsensical, given the prior statements seen above about the afterlife, where the Unitarians are conflicted about what to expect. Built in 1873. Others, as Dr. Chwoworsky points out, such as Thomas Jefferson, John and Quincy Adams, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Horace Mann, et al, were all steeped in Unitarian thinking as well. The real reason why Dr. Chwoworsky would make such a snarky comment is simply because (1) he has rejected the biblical teaching on Jesus, and (2) if he accepted what the Bible had to say about Jesus, his whole anti-Christian worldview would crash like a house of cards. Having some 300,000 registered members, mostly in the United States, they are becoming more and more popular. 20:11-15) and Paul recorded that we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad (2 Cor. To justify Dr. Chwoworskys revision, he cites human reason, once again, as the source of authority, that trumps biblical revelation. But, youre surprised? 2:4). We have radical roots and a Countryside Church Unitarian Universalist. 5:12). Later, John the Beloved would write of the New Heaven and New Earth, and a spectacular New Jerusalem, where there was no longer a temple, given that the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb, are its temple (Rev. Such a confession is wholly contrary to what the Apostle Paul told Timothy, when he wrote in reference to Gods revelation, All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work (2 Tim. Nope, not ever. I have always believed in his teachings. I am tired of Christians who claim to follow Jesus, but do not love and act like he did. Hence, Unitarianism is extremely non-creedal, at least in word, while arguing that what one feels is correct in terms of worshiping and serving God trumps absolute statements guided by divine inspiration. 3:3-5), because of what Jesus did to atone for the sins of the saint, and then to walk in the Spirit of truth as the newborn emulates Jesus. holding two ideas like this at the same time . How can one hold a book as infallible that has hundreds of basic historic and scientific facts wrong? Pi does not equal 3. 4:1). 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