What is a Universalist?

Question

this was a forum for you coragryph, I expected (and expect) more!

Answer 1

Before the American Revolution, the Puritan colleges which became what we call the Ivy League schools began to be less dogmatic about what they taught. This was referred to as 'taking liberties', so they became the original American "liberals". There were certain things previously taught as heresy because some church leaders or councils had discussed them and made a decision on what side of the issue was right and what side of the issue was wrong.

Among those things previously considered wrong were the beginnings of what became Unitarian and Universalist. It was a religious fad, a counter-cultural movement in the Age of Enlightenment. One of the issues was of the Christian concept of Trinity. It is a borrowed and descriptive term for "God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit." An old heresy told that there is only one Spirit of God. People were compartmentalizing Judeo-Christian experience and saw that only the Holy Spirit was pertinent today. Rather than be Trinitarian, therefore they saw the Scripture say there is One God, so they were Uni--as in one--tarians. Others took the tack that when you got one you got the others, and they thought of themselves as United--tarians, but that lost favor because among the other heresies they revived was to make Jesus only a man, not divine, though a distinctly divinely-directed man of special note and merit. So Unitarians adopted a position that was essentiall One God and pretty-well made that the end of discussion.

Along with those are people to took issue with a Puritan and Presbyterian notion that came from the Swiss Reformer Calvin. Baptists often share this view as well. This is the idea of Limited atonement. God may have loved the world, as John 3:16 says, but never really expected to save the whole world, reserving (a Scriptural concept, such as the Egyptian pharoah that Moses sparred with, also commonly described in the Old Testament prophets, and such as Judas too) some for salvation and some for punishment. Universalists prefer an unlimited atonement, and even have some indication of that, for instance the John 3:16 and following passage that not only says "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son" (see where they then object, if he was begotten, he had a beginning, therefore he is not eternal, as in no beginning or ending, therefore he is not god), but verse 17 says, "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." Unitarians, therefore (and with other places), have Scriptural cause to conclude that God is not wanting to condemn the world and that God is wanting to save the entire world, period. Therefore, if there were a hell, it couldn't be for ever. Therefore, if Jesus was the "lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world", then he took away the sins--everyone's sins. We all, universally, are saved.

It is a little more complex than this, but that is the basic story. However, God is a little more complex than some imagine too, so I expect if you read the rest of the Book you would find the rest of the story--but they have a solution to that too. While they have unlimited atonement, they have a limited acceptance of the Bible in regard to being the Word of God. So be careful.

Answer 2

The Universalist faith is one of the older belief systems, but now largely faded out. Most remaining Universalists joined with what was left of the Unitarians to form the Universalist-Unitarian Church decades ago. A few of each subgroup remained independent.

The core doctrine is the belief in some type of divine power, without any limits or dogma attached. Universalists believe that while there is some type of supreme power or divine being, there is no One True Way™ to worship the Divine, nor any single definition of it.

As a religion, it therefore respects the rights of each individual to seek connection with the Divine (aka God, Goddess, the gods, Nature, Great Spirit, the Universe, etc.) in whatever manner that person chooses. Thus, many Universalists follow a roughly Christian framework, while others may choose meditation, pagan rituals, Native American beliefs, or any other spiritual path that allows them to pursue their faith.

A Universalist minister affirmative grants and accepts the validity of all other religious paths, holding that only the individual can ever determine if a path is valid for them.

{EDIT to Holly} It's a half-joke.

It refers to the practice of some churches that declare themselves to be the only valid religion, and that all other religions are invalid. The trademark symbol is part of the joke. It refers to the fact that each religion declaring itself to be the only valid one explicitly rejects the claims of any other religion to do the same thing.

{EDIT to Rabbit} Very nice historical perspective. Kudos.

Answer 3

Someone who practices the religion of Universalism or attends the Universalist One World Church. They are NOT Christians, as they believe there is more than one way to get to Heaven and that Jesus is not the Savior.

Answer 4

A religious person of Christian origin that has no official creed and that considers God to be unipersonal, salvation to be granted to the entire human race, and reason and conscience to be the criteria for belief and practice.

Answer 5

Star trek fanatic?

Answer 6

"One who forgoes the advantage of a Hell for persons of another faith."

Answer 7

What is this 'One True Way' and why is it trademarked?