Cults

Lesson 8 w/answersThe Church of Unitarian Universalism

Bible

In this lesson, we move from "mind over matter" to Spock-like logic as we study the Church of Unitarian Universalism. Can you say existentialism?! Originally based on an extreme Christian Theology, it drifted even further to the extreme, based purely on man’s thinking. This church, which once saw its numbers dramatically grow—then dramatically shrink—is once again on the rise. Appealing to the intellect and reason side of mankind, it will introduce a new twist to our study of the cults and world religions.

Get your research tools handy, and you might find the Internet extremely helpful, as well as Dr. Martin’s book, "The Kingdom of the Cults", and answer the questions below. You may even have to do a Vulcan mind-meld!

  1. Define the word Universalism.
    1. ANSWER: A wide and pluralistic view: all religions lead to God; God loves everyone regardless of their faith.
  2. Who is most usually credited with founding the Unitarian Movement?
    1. ANSWER: The Founder of the Minor Reformed Church, Faustus Socinus, 1539-1604. He objected to the doctrine of the Trinity and the deity of Christ.
  3. What was John Biddle’s (1615-1662) contribution?
    1. ANSWER: He wrote "A Confession of Faith Touching the Holy Trinity According to the Scripture," in which he "proved" that from both reason and the Scripture the doctrine of the Trinity is illogical and unbiblical.
  4. What impact did Ralph Waldo Emerson and Transcendentalism have on the movement?
    1. ANSWER: Emerson’s Transcendentalist philosophy asserts that every human being has "an original relation to the universe," and that they should "follow intuition as a guide." Intuition replaces scripture, because the inner divinity of man makes it possible and "guarantees the accuracy of the conclusions reached." Thus, the "church" shifted from the sovereignty of God to the sovereignty of self.
  5. What is "Humanism" and why is so important in the UU history?
    1. ANSWER: Humanism espouses evolution as a primary doctrine, gives science and reason the place of supremacy, and bases ethical values on a human rather than a divine basis. Thus, the highest value is the complete realization of human personality and the quest for the good life here and now.
  6. How many U.S. Presidents have professed being a Unitarian Universalist (UU)?
    1. ANSWER: Five Presidents: John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, John Quincy Adams, Millard Fillmore, and William Howard Taft.
  7. How many U.S. Supreme Court Justices have been UUs?
    1. ANSWER: Eight Supreme Court Justices: William Cushing, Joseph Story, Nathan Clifford, Samuel F. Miller, Oliver W. Holmes, William H. Taft, Wiley B. Rutledge, and Harold H. Burton.
  8. Does the Unitarian Universalist Church believe in the Bible and in the authority of the Bible?
    1. ANSWER: Absolutely, and to the extreme, interpreting each word in its most literal sense and misinterpreting most of it.
  9. What does the UU Church teach about God?
    1. ANSWER: They allow for a diversity of opinions and concepts about "deity." Some believe that there is no god, others believe there are many gods, some even believe in a female god, or goddess. Many of the UU followers reject the idea of deities altogether and all support each others' search for truth and meaning in a variety of concepts dealing with spirituality.
  10. What does the UU Church teach about Christ?
    1. ANSWER: That no one, or no single book, is the source for all knowledge and wisdom; there are many paths to afterlife. Christ is seen as a symbolic model of God and is one of many great prophets.
  11. What does the UU Church teach about the Trinity?
    1. ANSWER: That it is a false doctrine; that the Jewish theology of "oneness" requires God be a single being. Therefore, the Trinity does not exist, and the doctrine of the Trinity is not to be believed. This is consistent with their position that Christ was a human who simply modeled God and was one of many great prophets.
  12. How is salvation achieved through the teachings of the UUs?
    1. ANSWER: "When we can establish harmony of earth, mind, and spirit, we’ll have what we need to save ourselves and to save the world." This is based on a theology of tolerance and compassion regardless of faith.

So, in this lesson, we have examined a religion that offers its followers the right to be their own god, to create their own definition of god, along with the "ability" to save themselves based on logical reason and religious tolerance. Man does not need God to be saved, as man can save himself. Furthermore, man does not have to limit himself to just one path to salvation; many are available—all of which of course runs completely counter to what God’s Holy Word and Christ teaches us.

Again, we see a focus on mankind’s actions in achieving salvation through "the mind," and a message that replaces God’s Holy Word with man’s fiction.

This church takes a unique approach, in that it appeals to intellectual people on the basis of logic and reason; and it teaches that man can develop a logical path to salvation based on his own intuition.

As Bible-believing Christians, we are challenged at every turn to know the truth and to guard the truth with all diligence. Christ tells us that He is the Truth, believe in Him and the Truth will set you free. I pray that our lessons in this study have helped you in this quest, and in the daily battle to keep God’s Word pure and in our hearts.

Please continue to pray that God will lead us to take what we’ve learned from these studies and use it to witness to the millions of lost and dying all around us. May He help us grow each day, as we continue together studying and working in His Kingdom.

Thanks again for studying with us.

In Christ,

Wes

[2019]

[PDF Version]