Anyone Have Thoughts On Unity?

[Haganrih]

These guys I mean:Unity

[AletheiaRivers]

We have one ex Christian Scientist on the board, which shares the same roots as Unity. We also have another member (whom I have not seen for a while) who is/was also a Christian Scientist.

 

A nice thread on New Thought churches can be found here: New Thought Thread

[Haganrih]

We have one ex Christian Scientist on the board, which shares the same roots as Unity. We also have another member (whom I have not seen for a while) who is/was also a Christian Scientist.

 

A nice thread on New Thought churches can be found here: New Thought Thread

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Hmmm. From what I've read and experienced (which isn't a ton) Unity seems to be quite different than CS in a good way. I suppose I could find out I'm wrong. Hopefully not.

[AletheiaRivers]

No, I think you are right. Unity is different from CS in many good ways.

 

Probably the only thing I've come across in Unity thought that "bugs" me, is the Monism/Pantheism focus. However, having never attended a Unity church, I don't know how much of a part it truly plays in their overall theology.

[des]

I am the ex-CS. From what I understand, Unity was founded by an ex-CS (though any relationship to this has been disavowed by Unity). This path is clearly outlined in a very well researched book on CS: "God's Perfect Child" by Fraser.

 

From what I understand, Unity differs from CS in ways that are all for the best. Unlike CS, it is diverse, nonexclusive, does recognize healing my medical people (thus doing away with dangers that Unity children will die due to medical neglect), etc etc.

 

Some of the core beliefs are very similar from what I can tell but Unity is a little happier to live in the real world (whatever that is :-))

 

Welcome.

 

--des

[TheMeekShall]

I currently go to a Unity Church. We focus on love, with a minimal focus on scriptures.

 

IMO love is the central tenet of Jesus' teachings, so the main difference is the format and style, and is congruent with Christianity.

[BrotherRog]

I mean no offense, I merely share my opinion. IMO, the Unity Church is a New-age-Christianity Lite hybrid. I've read lots of their tracts and I was stunned at the amount of theological gymnastics therein (redefining words to meet their agenda, etc.).

[BeachOfEden]

There's a Unity Church bookstore in Santa Barbara at the end of State Street. A gal friend of mine and I stubled across a few years ago when we found some free parking behind the church to go to the Earth Day fest. Both of us being very interested in comparative religious research, we went in and examine their books and tracts and basically what everyone has said here is right...Unity and Religious Science are both the liberal alternatives to the fundamental Christian Science and I recken it could qualify as "New Age"....since it combines Jude0Christianity with eastern beliefs of reincarnation and many, many Unity and Religious science churches advertise in all the free New Age mags.

[des]

I appreciate the way Unity appears to take the best of Christian Science without some of the more bizarre, paranoid (mental malpractice-- the concept that you can think people sick, even dead), and extremist aspects (treating children thru prayer, even if extremely ill); deals much better with the whole modern world (CS is definitely a religion of the 19th C, and that will never change.)

 

They also have never had a political agenda like CS-- a very disproportional no. of Congressman are CS. Very odd, something like 4 or so. Considering the size of the demonation...

 

OTOH, I personally find the philosophical ideas too close to CS to ever get into it. It might be good for someone else.

 

 

--des

[Haganrih]

I mean no offense, I merely share my opinion.  IMO, the Unity Church is a New-age-Christianity Lite hybrid.  I've read lots of their tracts and I was stunned at the amount of theological gymnastics therein (redefining words to meet their agenda, etc.).

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That's how I can tell I like something. Even when someone says bad things they sound good.

[TheMeekShall]

No offense taken. I'm a liberal who sometimes goes on Fox News forums; I can take it.

 

 

Unity was founded in 1890, a bit early for the new Age, after Myrtle Fillmore was healed of a tuberucular condition, and Charles Fillmore healed a withered leg.

 

http://www.unityofflagstaff.org/unitygen/history.html

 

While I've healed lots of friendships through love, I'm starting to believe some of my more focused friends who say it's made it easier to find good jobs etc. I'm just tired of hate; it doesn't protect me like I thought it would.

[greg]

I'm greg and I'm new. I have attended some Unity churches. I would say they are panentheistic (God in all and beyond all). I like their thought that Jesus sought to awaken the Divine in all---sounds a little Gnostic to me.

[des]

Unity was founded in 1890, a bit early for the new Age, after Myrtle Fillmore was healed of a tuberucular condition, and Charles Fillmore healed a withered leg.

 

Well I think that it predates "New Age", but that CS as well as Unity (and other New Thought belief systems-- many are offshoots of CS) are great grandmamas to New Age.

 

 

--des