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UNITY
is a worldwide Christian organization over a century old.
Because of similarity in names, Unity has, on occasion, been
confused with other organizations. However, there is no
connection between Unity and Unitarianism or the Unification
church.
UNITY
is a
trans-denominational spiritually-based, educational
organization, teaching practical, livable principles based on
ideas taught and demonstrated by Jesus Christ. Many see Unity
more as a way of life than a religion.
UNITY
is an extremely
positive approach to life, seeking to accept the good in people
and all of life. God is seen as having many attributes, but the
most important one is that God is Love. Unity stresses that God
is not a physical man in the sky, for this limits God. God is
Spirit, everywhere present, the one and only Spirit in and
through all things.
UNITY seeks to relate
religion to daily needs, affirming that, for every need, there
is God's perfect answer. Its main textbook is the Bible and it
relates its lessons to your life and everyday experiences.
UNITY proclaims the
divinity of Jesus, but goes further and assures you that you,
too, are a child of God and, therefore, divine in nature. Jesus
expressed his divine potential and sought to show us how to
express ours as well. Salvation is then the expanding
understanding of one's innate divinity and perfectibility
through living the life demonstrated by Jesus.
UNITY explains the mind as
your connecting link with God or divine Mind and shows you how
the action of your mind affects your body and circumstances.
Prayer is not seen as a technique for changing God, but for
expanding and transforming your mind, and thus changing you.
UNITY denies the existence
of any power or presence opposed to God. It sees that there are
evil appearances and suffering in the world, but ascribes these
to one's ignorance and erroneous use of God's laws of Life.
UNITY has no dogma,
ritual, creedal requirements, or ecclesiastical garb. Unity
chooses to believe that there is good in every religion.
Different religions are like spokes on a wheel, with the hub
being God. They may be set apart by a variance of beliefs and
approaches, but they are all seeking the one God as the hub of
all life. Consequently, Unity does not deny anyone the right to
have his/her own beliefs.
UNITY seeks worship as
serving God by uplifting and glorifying God's Spirit in people,
in positive, joyous ways. It seeks not to emphasize one's sins
in the past but, instead, gives attention to the good that
exists in everyone and what can be done now to transform one's
self and life. Its main concern is not so much with a "future
life" but with teaching people how to live fully in the present,
seeking the good in all things. Unity believes in eternal life
and views the present moment as part of eternal life.
UNITY does not impose any
financial burdens or pressure on its adherents. It believes the
desire for giving should be initiated from within the giver to
reap the joys of sharing. Consequently, all support is by
freewill offerings.
In summation,
UNITY
emphasizes the divine potential within every child of God and
teaches that, through a practical understanding and application
of what Jesus taught, every person can realize and express
his/her divine potential for a happier, fuller, and more
successful life.
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