Freedom, Reason, Tolerance
The historic Unitarian affirmation God is One is what gave the movement its name.
Today, this stress on divine unity is broadened. Now Unitarians also affirm: Humanity is One, the World is One, the Interdependent Web of Life is One. But while Unitarians may share these affirmations, we do so in an open and liberal spirit. And there is a lot more to us than that.
As a minority faith tradition, Unitarians are less well known than we deserve to be. Of those who have heard of us, many have an outdated or erroneous picture. Many more may never have heard of us at all. This is a shame. In a culture where many are looking once more to life’s spiritual dimension, Unitarians offer something unique.
This text is designed to introduce Unitarians by means of a simple question-and-answer formula, based mainly on questions that people have actually asked when encountering Unitarians for the first time. I hope it will begin to answer your questions.
But first, it is important to make something clear.
Unitarians approach religion and spirituality in a rather unusual way. We believe that faith should be free from the constraints imposed by others. We believe that no one should dictate what another person may or may not believe. This means that this text is not the Unitarian party line, for there is no party line. It does not presume to speak for all Unitarians on any or every issue. It is essentially my own personal perspective as a lifelong Unitarian.
The text is taken from:
Unitarian?
What’s That?
Questions and answers about a
liberal religious alternative
Cliff Reed.About the author
- Cliff Reed was active in the Unitarian ministry for over thirty-five years, for most of that time in Ipswich. Suffolk, until his retirement in 2012.
- He was Secretary of the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists from 1995 to 1997 and President of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches from 1997 to 1998.
- He has written six collections of devotional material: We Are Here (1992),The Way of the Pilgrim (1995),Celebrating the Flame (1997),Spirit of Time and Place (2002), Sacred Earth (2010), and Carnival of Lamps (2015). He is also the author of ‘Till The Peoples All Are One’:
- Darwin’s Unitarian Connections (2011).
Introduction
The historic Unitarian affirmation God is One is what gave the movement its name. Today, this stress on divine unity is broadened. Now Unitarians also affirm: Humanity is One, the World is One, the Interdependent Web of Life is One. But while Unitarians may share these affirmations, we do so in an open and liberal spirit. And there is a lot more to us than that.
As a minority faith tradition, Unitarians are less well known than we deserve to be. Of those who have heard of us, many have an outdated or erroneous picture. Many more may never have heard of us at all. This is a shame. In a culture where many are looking once more to life’s spiritual dimension, Unitarians offer something unique.
This text is designed to introduce Unitarians by means of a simple question-and-answer formula, based mainly on questions that people have actually asked when encountering Unitarians for the first time. I hope it will begin to answer your questions.
But first, it is important to make something clear. Unitarians approach religion and spirituality in a rather unusual way. We believe that faith should be free from the constraints imposed by others. We believe that no one should dictate what another person may or may not believe. This means that this text is not the Unitarian party line, for there is no party line. It does not presume to speak for all Unitarians on any or every issue. It is essentially my own personal perspective as a lifelong Unitarian.
Who are Unitarians? Discover more:
The Unitarians are a community of people who take their religion, or their spirituality, liberally. That is to say, we hold that all people have the right to believe what their own life-experience tells them is true; what the prompting of their own conscience tells them is right. We say that each person’s spiritual or intuitive experience deserves respect; that everyone’s deep reflection and reasoning on religious and ethical questions should be taken seriously.
Unitarians form a movement that tries to put these affirmations into practice. Our local religious communities offer a setting where people can worship, explore, and share faith together in an atmosphere of freedom and mutual respect.
Please Note: Unitarians share the first three letters of their name with some other religious groups and denominations. This sometimes causes confusion. Just to clarify matters, Unitarians have nothing whatsoever to do with the Unification Church and, with one exception, are quite distinct from any other religious organisation whose name begins with Uni…. The exception is the Universalist tradition, found mainly in the United States, which is dealt with elsewhere in this text.
Where does the word Unitarian come from?
Its roots lie in the Reformation of 16th-century Europe. At that time Protestant Christians claimed the right to read the Bible in their own languages and to interpret it for themselves.
Some who did so found that it spoke of one God, without qualification. This did not square with the orthodox Christian doctrine of the Trinity, which says that God consists of three “persons”. Because these people believed God to be a “unity” rather than a “trinity” they became known as “Unitarians”.
Does Unitarian have the same meaning today?
Unitarians are less likely to argue about such strictly theological issues today. We now place more stress on the importance of liberty of conscience in matters of faith.
It is still true, though, that most Unitarians affirm the oneness of God: the Divine Unity. Traditionally this was about God as one “person”. Nowadays, however, God’s unity is often seen rather differently: as the oneness of that Ground of Being within which we and all things come to be. Following from this, many Unitarians affirm that the infinite variety and diversity of the universe is connected and enfolded in a transcendent oneness. Thus unity is the true and essential nature of things.
Just as creation is one, so too humanity is one and the human person is one. What divides is less important than what unites. That which unites — the ultimate unifying principle or spirit — is what many Unitarians mean today when speaking of God.
Do Unitarians have anything to do with New Age?
Unitarians have been around for centuries. We are not a manifestation of the New Age movement. Nevertheless, as with any phenomenon relating to human spirituality, Unitarians are prepared to look at the vast range of New Age practices and ideas with an open mind.
Having done so, though, it must be said that many of us regard a good deal of what we see as highly suspect, even dangerous. Old superstitions have been revived, new ones developed, and populist pseudo-scholarship favoured over the real thing. We Unitarians value our heritage as rational religionists, as well as valuing life’s spiritual dimension. Much New Age material seems to fail the tests of both reason and healthy spirituality.
On the other hand, Unitarians also see valid and valuable insights in some of what is dubbed “New Age”. In particular, many Unitarians welcome holistic interpretations of the human person or the planet. We are prepared to see the value of some forms of alternative and complementary medicine, for example. We also share the revival of interest in a spirituality that focuses on the natural world, and believes we must get back to living in harmony with it. This is an area where our civilisation has much to learn. We are also sympathetic to approaches that value the intuitive and the feminine.
The whole New Age movement reflects the spiritual hunger of our times. Some of its responses to that hunger are highly dubious, but others deserve serious, though discriminating, attention. Unitarians are willing to give that.
We would not wish to dismiss anything that genuinely meets a need. Neither, though, do we wish to retreat into the spiritual and mental obscurity of a pre-Enlightenment, pre-scientific age that is anything but “New”!
Are Unitarians Christian?
As to whether any Unitarian, or anyone else, is a Christian is really for that person to decide.
From the earliest days of the Church there have been many different ideas about what being a Christian means. Much suffering has been caused by the resultant disputes, persecutions and wars. This sad record has led some Unitarians to regard the term “Christian” with disfavour. For them it is too hung about with unacceptable baggage to be worth retaining.
There are also those who simply do not base their belief system on the Christian tradition. Some of these define their position as religious humanist. Others favour a broader theism, an earth-centred spirituality or a faith that draws principally on religions other than Christianity.
However, Unitarians generally hold Jesus in high regard. We favour a simple and inclusive definition of the word Christian. Thus a Christian is any person who seeks to live in accord with the life and teachings of Jesus, who identifies with what is best in the Christian tradition, and who, perhaps, sees in Jesus a revelation of the God who is immanent in all people. This is the wellspring of love that permeated his nature and his ministry.
In this sense, many Unitarians are Christians. And we also recognise as such all who share the same spirit, whatever their position on the Christian theological spectrum.
What do Unitarians believe about God?
“God” is a very subjective word.
Unitarians recognise this and do not presume to define God for others. We believe that everyone should be free to encounter the Great Mystery for themselves “without mediator or veil”, as Ralph Waldo Emerson put it.
However, most Unitarians would use the word “God” to signify that which they believe to be of supreme worth. God is that which commands ultimate reverence and allegiance. God is the inspiration and the object of those who seek truth in a spirit of humility and openness. For some, Christian language about God as a loving, personal power — father-like, as Jesus experienced — comes closest to their own belief. Increasingly, the feminine aspect of the divine is recognised too — God as Mother, the Goddess. Many experience God as a unifying and life-giving spirit: the source of all being, the universal process that comes to consciousness as love in its creatures. Some use the word “God” to signify the human ideal, the noblest visions and aspirations of humanity against which we measure ourselves. God as an inward presence — the “still small voice” — means more to many than any external power.
Such understandings are not, of course, mutually exclusive. There are some Unitarians who avoid using the word “God” altogether. For them it has become debased or corrupted by abuse, or simply doesn’t mean anything to them. Does all this sound confusing? Only if you really think that God — that which is ultimate in the universe and in our lives — can be reduced to one neat formula. Human experience suggests otherwise, and Unitarians accept this.
Do Unitarians believe in the Bible
Unitarians see the Bible as the record of a people’s long struggle to understand themselves, their world and their God. In it the writers describe and interpret the spiritual dimension of their existence and their history. In the insights, stories and experiences that the Bible’s human authors record, we can learn much in our own quest for faith and meaning.
Where we find in scripture a source of sustaining and abiding truth, it can be said to be a source of divine wisdom. But Unitarians do not approach the Bible uncritically or without discrimination. Nor do we regard it as an inerrant and unquestionable authority. What it says must be viewed in the light of reason and conscience. Due regard must be given to the continuing discoveries of biblical criticism, serious scholarship and archaeology.
Anything in the Bible that Unitarians accept as true is accepted because it rings true in our own humble reflection upon it. We do not accept it just because it is in the Bible. Much that is there is clearly addressed to particular cultural and historical situations. Much belongs to a remote stage of religious development to which we cannot relate.
Taking the advice of Paul the Apostle, Unitarians prefer to abide by the spirit of the Bible’s sacred treasures than by a narrow adherence to the letter.
What do Unitarians believe about Jesus
Unitarians believe that Jesus was a man, unequivocally human.
It has long been our view that to talk of him as God is unfaithful to his own understanding of himself. The New Testament accounts describe a Jewish man, chosen, raised up, adopted and anointed by God. They claim that the divine purpose was that Jesus should reconcile first the Jews and then all humanity to each other and to God. This would prepare the way for the Messianic age of peace.
Jesus stood both in the prophetic tradition of such figures as Isaiah and Hosea, and in the kingly line of David. His ministry took place in a primarily Jewish context. His challenge to a corrupt priesthood in the Jerusalem Temple made him powerful enemies. These found common cause with the ruthless Roman authorities. The result was his crucifixion, a supreme example of human integrity and faithfulness in the face of human evil. Unitarians do not see the crucifixion as a blood sacrifice for sin.
Whatever Jesus’ own perception, his followers — like him, all faithful Jews — believed him to be the Messiah, “the anointed one”; in Greek, “the Christ”.
Today’s Unitarians are not first-century Jews. We cannot share their perspective. However, Jesus’ teachings and what we know of his life lead Unitarians to regard him as a major (some would say the major) figure in humanity’s spiritual journey. While honouring him we do not worship him, something we believe he would not have wanted.
Do Unitarians believe in the Holy Spirit?
Unitarians do not see any differentiation between the Holy Spirit and God, and use the words more or less interchangeably. We conceive of the Spirit as the active divine presence in individuals and communities, as the divine breath that gives us life, as that ineffable factor that binds us together.
The Spirit, for many Unitarians, is the divine mystery moving among us and within us as we work and worship. Indeed, for many, God as loving, creative Spirit is the primary concept of the divine.
Do Unitarians celebrate Easter?
Most Unitarians do, but with perhaps three separate, although not mutually exclusive, perspectives.
First there is the view that in the stories of Jesus’ Resurrection we have a powerful myth. This celebrates the triumph of the human spirit, exemplified in Jesus, over all that would crush it, and even over death.
Second, from a more specifically Christian standpoint, is the belief that the loving spirit of Jesus triumphed over death and passed into the community of disciples who formed the early church. The body of the faithful thus became the physical resurrection, the risen body, of Christ. Inasmuch as a religious community continues to embody that loving spirit, then it continues to embody the re-surrection. Most Unitarians would doubt the literal veracity of the Gospel resurrection accounts. Some, though, see them as based on vivid spiritual experiences undergone by several of Jesus’ followers in the aftermath of his death. These then played an important part in convincing the disciples that his spirit was still among them.
The third principal way in which Unitarians celebrate Easter is as the festival of life’s renewal in the spring. The earth’s resurrection after winter’s apparent death is something that affects us profoundly as dependent children of nature. Many Unitarians therefore feel that it is a time of deep spiritual significance in itself. They point out that the word “Easter” is derived from “Eastre”, the name of the ancient Anglo-Saxon Goddess of spring, fertility and renewal.
Do Unitarians celebrate Christmas?
The answer is yes. Why? It marks the birth of a religious leader of seminal importance. The birth of Jesus stands as a symbol of the divinity inherent in every human birth. It stands for the perennial rebirth of innocence and hope in every new child. It calls to mind the values of peace and goodwill that should be with us all the year. It coincides with the winter solstice, the turning of the earth towards the light and the warmth of a new year. All these factors play a part in the Unitarian Christmas.
Unitarians do not, in the main, let it worry us that we do not know the precise date of Jesus’ birth. Nor do we worry that the two quite distinct Gospel Nativity stories probably have little or no historical basis. As myth they express later beliefs about the significance of Jesus and other, more timeless, truths.
Unitarians believe that Jesus was conceived and born in the usual human manner, which in no way diminishes him — quite the contrary. Many, though, are willing, for the season, to suspend disbelief, enter into the Christmas myth, and find at its heart a message of divine love for a world that needs it.
Do Unitarians believe in the Devil and Hell?
The short answer has to be “No”. Few, if any, Unitarians think of the Devil as having any objective existence. If we speak of him at all, which we rarely do, it is as a mythical being. In this sense the Devil is only the mythic personification of all the evil and malice of which human beings are capable.
The linguistic root of the word “devil” has to do with division. Therefore the Devil could be taken as a mythic symbol of that which divides what should be united — human community, the integrity of creation, the wholeness of the human person. Any suggestion that he is more than this is seen by Unitarians as a descent into superstition — with very real dangers for the psychologically vulnerable.
The same can be said for “demons” and the like. Where our ancestors, and even some today, see demon-possession, Unitarians see mental illness.
We take a similar view of Hell, traditional abode of the Devil. When Unitarians speak of Hell it is in this-worldly terms. We may use the word to describe the very real states of spiritual desolation and alienation into which human beings can fall. Hell might be described as the sense of utter separation from God, or the inability to give or receive love. Unitarians do not see Hell as the domain of an “anti-God” or as a divinely ordained place of punishment. Indeed, we do not see it as a place at all.
Do Unitarians respond to the problem of evil?
Unitarians tend to see the world and its inhabitants in positive terms. This doesn’t mean, though, that we are not conscious of “evil”. The Unitarian theologian, James Martineau, described the so-called “problem of evil” as “this old and terrible perplexity” – and so it is. Unitarians are reluctant to produce glib solutions to it.
As far as “natural evil” (disease, earthquakes, hurricanes and so on) is concerned, Unitarians see it simply as part and parcel of living on this planet. We would not regard such phenomena as the result of supernatural agency or divine wrath. But we might want to ask just how “natural” some of these disasters really are. It is often the case that human action, or the neglect of it, can greatly exacerbate or even cause an apparently “natural” disaster. The destruction of forests, for example, is implicated in such disastrous events as flooding, landslides, climate change, and desertification. Thus the boundaries between “natural evil” and “human” or “moral” evil can become blurred.
As far as moral evil is concerned, Unitarians do not see this as an inherent or inherited feature of human nature. Let us take “evil” to describe attitudes, words, and actions that originate in malice, hatred, and ruthless self-concern. Unitarians might well see its source in a fundamentally flawed world-view, one that denies the essential connectedness of all people and all creation. However, even then we would be conscious of the immense complexity of the issue, and of our limited understanding of human motivation.
Rather than get too bogged down in theorising, most Unitarians would see tackling evil and the suffering it causes as a higher priority. As adult individuals we are responsible for ourselves. Our prime task is to examine what we do and think. Then it is to direct our own lives in such a way that they will be a blessing to those whose lives we touch.
Having done this, our responsibility extends to the wider human community. There the challenge is to respond effectively, yet lovingly, to the consequences of evil, whatever its cause.
What do Unitarians think about sin?
“Sin” is a word with baggage attached. That is why Unitarians often avoid it, or use it only sparingly. But this does not mean that we pay no attention to the issues the word involves.
A Unitarian view of sin might be this: to sin is wilfully to act, speak, or even think in a way that ones own conscience condemns as wrong. Alternatively, sin is the failure to act, speak or think in ways that one knows to be right. Or again, to sin is to fall short of the standards of conduct that ones own faith or ethical system regards as ideal. It is missing the mark that we set ourselves. And because we all fall short in this way, there is no room for smugness, self-satisfaction, and self-righteousness.
Although Unitarians may not like to use the word “sinners”, we would agree that we are all imperfect, flawed beings when set beside our models of the ideal. However, we generally take the view that sin is essentially a personal thing. Each one of us is responsible for himself or herself, although the consequences of our sin will affect others, both now and in the future.
The remedy for sin is a process of contrition, repentance, and forgiveness. That is, true regret, a turning away from what conscience condemns, and a loving acceptance of the sinner. The giving and receiving of forgiveness — including self-forgiveness — are necessary for healing to take place. Through forgiveness (human or divine) the wholeness and fellowship that sin fractures are restored. Unitarians believe that we must always be ready to forgive. It is no part of our practice to load people with guilt. A burden of guilt is destructive both spiritually and psychologically.
The notion that we human beings inherit a burden of sin from Adam and Eve — that we are conceived in sin and born sinners — finds no favour with Unitarians. We are more likely to see the story of the Fall in Genesis as a mythic portrayal of every persons journey. It represents the life-journey from the innocence of infancy through the harsh transition of adolescence to adulthood and the awakened consciousness of sexuality, responsibility, and mortality. Unitarians see no inherent or inherited guilt or depravity here, no need for blood-sacrifice to buy back the soul. Jesus, Unitarians affirm, lived out his message of selfless love to the bitter end. Our own sin, our own false and selfish consciousness, is overcome inasmuch as we too can live lovingly and selflessly, no matter what the cost.
What do Unitarians undersand about salvation?
It must be said that many Unitarians are wary of the word “salvation”. We find some of its associations in mainstream Christianity unhelpful.
However, whether we use the word or not, Unitarians tend to see salvation in this-worldly rather than other-worldly terms. We identify it with the deliverance of the human spirit from those things that diminish it and bar the way to its fulfilment. Thus, deliverance from all that fractures our relationships with each other, with the rest of creation, and with our own true selves — and so from God — constitutes salvation. Such fracture manifests itself in hatred and resentment, arrogance and bitterness, greed and fear, guilt and self-contempt.
Unitarians identify the agent of salvation as healing, dynamic love. This is both channelled through others and derived from some wellspring within ourselves. It is love that brings wholeness and fulfilment through the dissolution of the barriers that divide us. These barriers exist both inwardly and in the external world. The ultimate saviour is the source of love’s power — which most call God.
However, love becomes manifest only in human beings and their relationships. So all those people who bring mercy and reconciliation, liberty and justice into the world are the embodiments of salvation. They are the “saviours& within humanity.
Do Unitarians believe in life after death?
Unitarians hold a wide variety of beliefs on this subject. Some have a very firm belief in personal survival beyond death, and cite evidence to support it.
Others — probably most — are less categorical, perhaps believing that in some way all that constitutes a human being continues to exist after death. However, they would not wish to be specific about how, where or in what form. They might talk in terms of the soul or spirit returning to God. They might say that the essence of a person is rewoven into the spiritual life of the universe, just as the body’s constituents are reworked into the universe’s physical dimension. Some are interested in exploring the various theories of reincarnation. The persistence of a person’s ideas, genes and more intangible influences would be as much as many Unitarians would be prepared to concede. Some prefer to say nothing at all, being content to “take one world at a time”. Most, though, would also point to the continued existence of individuals in the memories and lives of those who knew and loved them, and would see in this a source of comfort.
Whatever our position, most Unitarians agree that this is an area of mystery. Many theories exist, many claims are made, but undisputed evidence is hard to find. Unitarians take the view that, in any case, the focus of our attention should be this world. Our concern is better directed to considering how we should live our lives in the here and now. A life well-lived is the best preparation for death, what-ever may lie beyond it.
What is the Unitarian view of human nature?
Unitarians take a scientific and evolutionary view of human origins.
We regard the biblical creation stories as myths. As myths, though, they still have value. In them are expressed deep and perceptive insights into human nature and our place in world.
However, a hard and fast view of human nature is precluded by the incompleteness of our knowledge. We have a long way to go in our exploration of human origins, biology, sociology and psychology.
Generally speaking, though, Unitarians share a positive view of human nature and human potential. While not being blind to human weakness and our capacity for evil, we do not see human beings as inherently depraved or corrupt. We have little time for the doctrines of “original sin” and inherited guilt. Rather we see human beings as having inherent and equal worth. This is regardless of all such differences as race, gender, class, creed, or sexual orientation.
Unitarians affirm that all human beings originate in the Divine Unity, all have something of God in them, all are alive with the same divine breath.
Humanity’s tragedy has all too often been to lose sight of this. Thus people become alienated from each other and from the roots of their own being. To rediscover an awareness of our connectedness with each other and with our common origin is one of the objects of the spiritual quest.
On the fraught question of whether human nature and human destiny are free or determined, Unitarians come down on the side of freedom. Our forebears had little time for the old Calvinist ideas of predestination or for superstitions like astrology.
More serious considerations come into play with such issues as the influence of the environment in which we are raised and, increasingly, with genetic determinants. Although the jury is still out here, Unitarians recognise their importance. Unitarians accept that human beings are moulded by many influences and live within certain parameters. However, we believe that people remain capable of free choice and self-determination. Indeed, our freedom is enhanced the more we understand the factors that influence us. And to the extent that we are free, then to that extent we are also responsible.
Is there a Unitarian morality?
With our belief in individual religious freedom, can Unitarians give any moral guidance? If Unitarians are free to “build their own theology” , are we not free to build our own morality? Can there be any shared moral standards, or are all free to behave as they please?
One point a Unitarian might make is that unless your moral standards are truly your own, then they do not really constitute morality. If they are simply imposed on you, then they are just a means of social control and nothing more. Of course, a commonly accepted “moral framework” must exist in any human society. But this is not enough, unless people also have a personal morality, an ethical code that is truly their own.
A Unitarian view of morality does not favour untrammelled individualism. Unitarian acceptance of the underlying unity and connectedness of humanity comes into play here. We don´t live in isolation. We are members of society, with a responsibility to help make it work. We may be individuals, with a right to our own beliefs, but we are also social beings. As such it is incumbent upon each of us to behave in ways that respect others and make our community, and our world, a better place for everyone. In building a personal morality we may well learn from the teachings and example of others, but the crucial point is to make it ours. One of the traps in the area of morality is to pay more attention to other people´s behaviour than to one´s own. Judgementalism and self-righteousness can result.
Unitarians are suspicious of any morality that is too rigid in its decisions or which is lacking in mercy. Such “morality” often comes with a religious label attached. But a liberal religious Unitarian morality offers another model: one that imposes the highest standards on oneself, while treating others with justice and compassion.
Building Your Own Theology is the title of a series of adult religious education courses devised by Richard S. Gilbert, a Unitarian Universalist minister. They are widely used in Unitarian congregations.
Where do Unitarians stand on???
It is impossible to give “the Unitarian position” on any and every specific ethical and moral issue. This is for two reasons. First, there are too many to deal with in the space available here. Second, Unitarians do not impose a “moral orthodoxy” any more than a theological one.
On many things, though, there is a near universal consensus. This may be expressed in statements agreed at local, district, and national levels. Even then the right to dissent is fully respected and such statements are not seen as binding on all Unitarians, either in the present or the future.
Unitarians are wary of narrowly focused “morally absolute” positions — those claiming a monopoly of truth and virtue on a particular issue. We see such inflexibility as insensitive to the inevitable complexities of such issues. Simplistic “moral absolutism” also carries with it the dangers of spiritual arrogance, bigotry, and self-righteousness. It can corrupt the well-meaning. As we have seen on issues such as abortion and animal rights, it can lead to violent fanaticism on the part of extremists that discredits a whole movement.
Unitarians approaching any moral issue will seek balance and a stance that affirms love, life, compassion, and justice. We will be conscious, though, that our personal decision is ours alone. We will recognise that other sincere people may reach a different conclusion. Where there are differences, Unitarians seek respectful dialogue. Where there is consensus, we will speak and act together as the times demand.