Why are "bridging" religions disliked?

Question

There are several religious groups that try to bridge differences and include everyone. In Christianty, for instance, there is Unitarian Universalism. The other example I can think of is the Baha'i faith. Why are these groups usually dislike by the religions they are trying to bridge?

Answer 1

Because most organized Religions are more interested in propogating their Dogmas than being concerned with different people taking a step back and discovering similarities, rather than concentrating on differences.

Many people tend to 'flock with their own kind'.....and find it threatening to encounter people who favor are willing to continually explore new ideas, welcome people different from themselves, and willing to form their own opinions of what 'makes sense' to them in the world.. It is much easier to be spoon-fed "this is what we believe" and leave it at that.

I was very jaded against organized religions, until I came across the Unitarian Universalists.

Answer 2

I don't think people from other religions hate the Unitarian Universalism and the Baha'i Faith because of the efforts for unity of mankind.
People who truly obtain the lesson of selfless love, love all.
People who consider hatred as a natural sentiment in man, hate all.
As for the claim of bridging religions and the sincere efforts for it, all men of free will may need time for considering, testing, commenting...with love or with hate.
Finally, those who sincerely served the Divine Plan of the One True God would see His glorious triumph.

Answer 3

There are different denominations for a reason. You can not unite split groups without first removing the reason for the split. Even though Unitarianism and Baha'i are religions, they are both anti-Christian cults. They are disliked because they are both false religions, and not because they are pseudo-peacemakers.

Answer 4

I guess cuz they see that you can't compromise the truth in order to make peace...
Hmm...could those "bridging religions" be a fulfillment of prophecy?

2Ti 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
2Ti 4:4 And they shall turn away [their] ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

Answer 5

Because you shouldn't try to make a religion that pleases everyone just for the sake of convenience. You shouldn't pick and choose the doctrines you like to make one uber-religion. That's essentially sacreligious and heretic.

Answer 6

I don't like organized religions of any kind. It forms generalizations. I'd like to be an individual.

Answer 7

Well, let a sixth generation Universalist (Unitarian Universalist) chime in. First of all, we are not an anti-Christian cult. Quite frankly, we're more like an anti-cult. We want people to raise questions and not just take "revealed truth" without testing it for validity. Maybe that's why we draw so much fire. We encourage people to ask those questions that others don't want to have to answer.

Secondly, we are more about questions that answers. We don't go around pretending that we have cornered the market on truth and that all you have to do is follow our set of prescribed rules and your place is secured. We encourage you to take responsibility for your own spiritual growth and to seek the answers to your questions.

Here are the things we stand for, taken from the UUA website:

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The Principles of the Unitarian Universalist Association

We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote

* 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.

The living tradition which we share draws from many sources:

* Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life;
* Words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion and the transforming power of love;
* Wisdom from the world's religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life;
* Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God's love by loving our neighbors as ourselves;
* Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit;
* Spiritual teachings of Earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.

Grateful for the religious pluralism which enriches and ennobles our faith, we are inspired to deepen our understanding and expand our vision. As free congregations we enter into this covenant, promising to one another our mutual trust and support.

The Purposes of the Unitarian Universalist Association

The Unitarian Universalist Association shall devote its resources to and exercise its corporate powers for religious, educational and humanitarian purposes. The primary purpose of the Association is to serve the needs of its member congregations, organize new congregations, extend and strengthen Unitarian Universalist institutions and implement its principles.

The Association declares and affirms its special responsibility, and that of its member congregations and organizations, to promote the full participation of persons in all of its and their activities and in the full range of human endeavor without regard to race, ethnicity, gender, disability, affectional or sexual orientation, age, language, citizenship status, economic status, or national origin and without requiring adherence to any particular interpretation of religion or to any particular religious belief or creed.

Nothing herein shall be deemed to infringe upon the individual freedom of belief which is inherent in the Universalist and Unitarian heritages or to conflict with any statement of purpose, covenant, or bond of union used by any congregation unless such is used as a creedal test.

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And we are definitely not for everyone. If you have to have the answers given to you, if you don't believe that truth is evolving, if you don't want or can't take ultimate responsiblity for your own spiritual growth, then you don't want to be with us. We are searchers for the truth, whereever it may be. We don't simply seek comfort and reassurance in our current beliefs. We work at spiritual growth.

It's always amazing to me the names that are flung in our direction by people who rarely know what they are talking about. Religious freedom and tolerance has always been the Unitarian Universalist way. Take a look at how many of our founding fathers in the US were Unitarians. They understood and worked to establish a nation that would ensure religious freedom.

I just finished, today, a visit to a Catholic church with my Neighboring Faiths class. Before that we visited a Jewish congregation. We are scheduled to visit a Mosque next. We will also visit the Methodists, Lutherans, Baptists, Buddhists, Evangelicals, Mormons, Pagans, and a Native American Shaman. We do this to help our young people understand and appreciate the perspectives of other religions and to help build understanding between people.

I don't know of any other faith that has such an educational program. Do you really think that an anti-Christian cult would spend so much time trying to develop understanding through these direct visitations? Every visit is discussed to determine what commonalities we have with the congregation we visit. Similarities are far more important than differences.

I've seen many religious liberals of all stripes, from Catholics and Jews to Jehovahs Witness and Baha'i. They know that religious tolerance is a necessity in this diverse world.

If you're trying to claim you are the one truth, and someone else wants to point out the validity of other views, then I guess you start calling names. If you try to claim to be the one path and someone says there may be others, you protest their presence. When you fragment society and someone else trys to repair the damage, you condemn them. That seems to be why we take such heat. Maybe you have a better answer. Maybe we should seek it together.

Answer 8

They are not normal people.