anyone familiar with "Universal Unitarian Church"?

Answer 1

You mean Unitarian Universalist? http://www.imgh.org/

It's pretty cool. It's an inclusive church for all creeds, basically, as long as you agree with their principles. http://www.uua.org/aboutuua/principles.html

My aunt is a Christian and her husband is an atheist and they both go to a Unitarian Church. I'm agnostic and my husband is a Christian and we're going to raise our children Unitarian.

Answer 2

There are of course different theological views within one denomination, I myself consider myself a bit of a Unitarian in that I believe in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, but I don't dwell on if the three are the exact same being/essence.

More liberal Unitarians, though, might declare Jesus as just a good moral teacher.

If you want me to email you a sermon by a historical Unitarian (about their views concerning the Trinity) I will.

Answer 3

I've been a member of the Unitarian-Universalist Church for about seven years. I was raised Lutheran but as I got older found too many of their fundamental beliefs too hard to swallow, so I converted. And this is indeed the case with many Unitarians, as we usually refer to ourselves. Many have transferred over from other, more dogmatic and less tolerant religions. We are pretty open minded, and our belief system ranges from those who believe in all the traditonal Christian tenets and biblical stories, to those who are basically agnostic. The word Unitarian stems from the fact that our main belief is that there is just one God, and we usually don't get caught up in or try to figure out the whole trinatarian God: Father/Son/Holy Ghost. Too confusing and muddled!Our interpretation of God is usually as a non-personal, Higher Power, or Life Force type of concept. We also are unsure about the afterlife, and this think that doing good works while here on Earth is the best we can do. We do alot of community and charity work.

Answer 4

http://www.stanuu.org/carson.html
(in Modesto)
says

Carson Kressley said: "I was ordained by the Universalist Unitarian Church of Modesto, California!" on the "Queer Eye" TV show that aired Tuesday, June 13, 2006. He mentioned us in the promotional blurbs leading up to the show, too. Wrong church, Carson! You'd think anyone with the sense to avoid black socks with short pants would check his churches. We are the Unitarian Universalists (he got that right the second time he said it) and we don't ordain people by mail.

He meant the Universal Life Church. The Universal Life Church ordains anyone who asks, instantly, for free. Most ULC Ministers get ordained so they can perform a wedding for friends. Most of them go back to their regular jobs after the wedding, be they TV stars or the guy in the second bay from the left at the muffler shop.

Almost all Unitarian Universalist ministers start with a bachelor's degree. They spend three to four years in a graduate theological school doing course work and an internship. They graduate with a Master of Divinity, then go on to become ordained. Our Ministers get ordained because they hear a call. Most of them work full-time as ministers.

The national headquarters of the Universal Life Church are in Modesto. People often confuse us, because we are both in Modesto and both have "Universal" in our name. This is the first time it has happened on national TV.

Our denomination is "gay-friendly" - we ordain gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans gendered people, something the Baptists have a problem with. We welcome GLBT people as members, especially if they volunteer for the Buildings and Grounds Committee or bring chocolate tortes with raspberry sauce to the potlucks. [See note below.] While we welcome them, we are not a predominately GLBT church. Less than 10 of our 165 members are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered.

We didn't mind the mistake. On the day the show aired, our web site visitor count tripled, from an average of 27 a day to 92. There is no such thing as bad publicity. Our webmaster considered buying a pair of sunglasses.

If you'd like to visit some Sunday, we'd love to have you. Our Map page will give you directions and our Services page will tell you when we meet. If you are curious about Unitarian Universalists in general or our church in Modesto:

Our Beliefs page will tell you what we believe. While only two-thirds of us believe in a supreme deity, we all believe people searching for spiritual truth have an easier time of it when they have company.

Our Minister's page will tell you about our minister, Rev. Grace Simons. It has a small selection of her sermons. She went to Starr King Graduate Theological School and earned her Master of Divinity degree in four years.

The original page has half a dozen appropriate links.

Answer 5

That's the Unitarian Universalist Church. They used to be separate, but merged. They both moved away from traditional Christianity, and now are so far from it, they can't even be considered Christian.
The Unitarians said Jesus wasn't God, because God was One.
The Universalists said that they couldn't believe God would really punish anyone, because God is love.
So, they don't believe the Bible, because it teaches many things they don't want to agree with.

Answer 6

Unitarianism
Yes, A theological error that holds to the unity of God by denying the Trinity, the deity of Jesus, and the deity of the Holy Spirit. Unitarians teach the unity of God and hold to a common system of believing as you will about God, salvation, sin, etc. They often profess to have no dogma. Unitarians also hold to the universal redemption of all mankind.

Answer 7

Talk at Unitarian Church

Fifteenth Street and Girard Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Notes by Edna McKinney

I have come from distant countries of the Orient where the lights of heaven have ever shone forth, from regions where the Manifestations of God have appeared and the radiance and power of God have been revealed to mankind. The purpose and intention of my visit is that, perchance, a bond of unity and agreement may be established between the East and West, that divine love may encompass all nations, divine radiance enlighten both continents and the bounties of the Holy Spirit revivify the body of the world. Therefore, I supplicate the threshold of God that the Orient and Occident may become as one, that the various peoples and religions be unified and souls be blended as the waves of one sea. May they become as trees, flowers and roses which adorn and beautify the same garden.

The realm of Divinity is an indivisible oneness, wholly sanctified above human comprehension; for intellectual knowledge of creation is finite, whereas comprehension of Divinity is infinite. How can the finite comprehend the infinite? We are utter poverty, whereas the reality of Divinity is absolute wealth. How can utter poverty understand absolute wealth? We are utter weakness, whereas the reality of Divinity is absolute power. Utter weakness can never attain nor apprehend absolute power. The phenomenal beings, which are captives of limitations, are ever subject to transformation and change in condition. How can such phenomenal beings ever grasp the heavenly, eternal, unchanging reality? Assuredly this is an absolute impossibility, for when we study the creational world, we see that the difference of degree is a barrier to such knowing. An inferior degree can never comprehend a higher degree or kingdom. The mineral, no matter how far it may advance, can never attain knowledge of the vegetable. No matter how the plant or vegetable may progress, it cannot perceive the reality of the animal kingdom -- in other words, it cannot grasp a world of life that is endowed with the power of the senses. The animal may develop a wonderful degree of intelligence, but it can never attain the powers of ideation and conscious reflection which  173  belong to man. It is evident, therefore, that difference in degree is ever an obstacle to comprehension of the higher by the lower, the superior by the inferior. This flower, so beautiful, fresh, fragrant and delicately scented, although it may have attained perfection in its own kingdom, nevertheless cannot comprehend the human reality, cannot possess sight and hearing; therefore, it exists unaware of the world of man, although man and itself are both accidental or conditional beings. The difference is difference of degree. The limitation of an inferior degree is the barrier to comprehension.

This being so, how can the human reality, which is limited, comprehend the eternal, unmanifest Creator? How can man comprehend the omniscient, omnipresent Lord? Undoubtedly, he cannot, for whatever comes within the grasp of human mind is man's limited conception, whereas the divine Kingdom is unlimited, infinite. But although the reality of Divinity is sanctified beyond the comprehension of its creatures, it has bestowed its bounties upon all kingdoms of the phenomenal world, and evidences of spiritual manifestation are witnessed throughout the realms of contingent existence. The lights of God illumine the world of man, even as the effulgences of the sun shine gloriously upon the material creation. The Sun of Reality is one; its bestowal is one; its heat is one; its rays are one; it shines upon all the phenomenal world, but the capacity for comprehending it differs according to the kingdoms, each kingdom receiving the light and bounty of the eternal Sun according to its capacity. The black stone receives the light of the material sun; the trees and animals likewise are recipients of it. All exist and are developed by that one bounty. The perfect soul of man -- that is to say, the perfect individual -- is like a mirror wherein the Sun of Reality is reflected. The perfections, the image and light of that Sun have been revealed in the mirror; its heat and illumination are manifest therein, for that pure soul is a perfect expression of the Sun

(Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 172)

Answer 8

Isn't that the church where you can register online to become a minister or someone who marries other people?

Answer 9

I believe that you mean the Unitarian Universalists. As a sixth generation Universalist, now Unitarian Universalist or UU as we are often called, I would direct you to the UUA (Unitarian Universalist Association) web site. Here are our principles and purposes:

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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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Contrary to the pontifications of the ignorant, as you can see, we do have a core of beliefs. We also are charged with being responsible for our own spiritual growth and continuing to seek out the truth. We don't see spiritual life as a fixed set of religious revelations to be memorized and accepted. It is an evolving process that takes place throughout your life.

Answer 10

A little bit. They are very open minded. I don't think they see Jesus as son of God.