Unity/Unitarian Church Doctrine

The following study uses quotes from a Unity Church manifesto, as well as quotes from the Bible. There will be absolutely no opinions given. This will address each and every part of the UC manifesto, so please note how each and every point contains what can be proven to be lies and half-truths, and then ask yourself, what kind of person uses lies and half-truth’s to establish their beliefs? The manifesto can be found by doing an internet search for "official creed of the Unity/Unitarian Church".

(1-A) Jesus’ deity according to the Unity Church: (A) “Unity rejects the traditional Christian view that Jesus is a deity to be worshipped; (B) we point out that at no time did Jesus tell his disciples to worship him. Rather, we look upon Jesus as a great healer, miracle worker, and mystic who had a direct access to God. We believe that his actions can be emulated by believers today. One's life is to be dominated by love, and compassion, even toward one's enemies."

(1-B) Jesus’ deity according to the Bible: (A) Jesus is deity. Isaiah 9:6 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

Exodus 3:14 “And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM:” John 8:58 “Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.”

John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:3 “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” John 1:14 “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,”

John 20:28 “And Thomas answered and said unto him, My LORD and my God.” The literal Greek translation is worded thusly, “The Lord of me and the God of me.”

(B) Jesus may not have commanded worship, but neither does a man command that his wife love him. Jesus did however receive worship many times. Worship has always been a choice by the one who would offer it.

First let’s show that Jehovah/Yahweh has commanded that no one shall receive worship other than Himself, Exodus 34:14 “For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:”

Now if Jesus was truly sent by the Father, or if He even had a “direct access to God” as the UC claims, then God would certainly have cut Jesus off from that power once He received worship without rebuking the one offering it to Him, since according to the UC Jesus is not God, and only God can receive worship. But to the contrary, we see Him accepting it on many occasions, and still His power remains. He accepted it from Thomas in John 20:28, the angels in Hebrews 1:6, some wise men in Matthew 2:11, a leper in Matthew 8:2, a blind man in John 9:38, Mary Magdalene in Matthew 28:9, and His disciples in Matthew 28:17.

(2-A) Adams sin according to the UC: This portion falls under the header Genesis story allegory “(A) Unity rejects the concept of original sin, (the belief that because of Adam and Eve's actions in the Garden of Eden, we are all conceived in iniquity and born in sin). We look upon the Genesis story as an allegory; (B) a very human attempt to explain our beginnings. (C) We emphasize that humans are created in the image and likeness of God, and (D) [men] are thus not intrinsically evil or sinful.”

(2-B) Adams sin according to the Bible: (A) Romans 5:19 “For as by one man's [Adams] disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.”

(B) If the Genesis account is a “human attempt at allegory” then what should we make of the study of prophecy and typology? See the following 2-part Hatena Diary entry on typology.

http://d.hatena.ne.jp/nicholighkun/20120822/1345634931

http://d.hatena.ne.jp/nicholighkun/20120820/1345482065

(D) Romans 5:12 “… all have sinned:"

(3-A) Heaven according to the UC: (A) “Rather than looking upon heaven as a place "up there" to be experienced as a reward after death, Unity conceives of heaven as expressed by Jesus: "The kingdom of heaven is at hand", and "The kingdom of God is in the midst of (within) you". (B) Charles Fillmore defined it as "a state of consciousness in which the soul and the body are in harmony with Divine Mind". One does not have to wait until death. Heaven can thus be enjoyed at any time through prayer. Through proper technique, attitude and receptivity one can elevate one's personal consciousness to a heavenly state."

(3-B) Heaven according to the Bible: (A) Jesus indeed said both of those things; “the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” Matthew 4:17 among other places, and “The Kingdom of God is within you” Luke 17:21. But, Jesus also gave other insights into the Kingdom of Heaven: LOTS of them. What follows is a list of just a few examples of truths found in Scripture concerning the Kingdom of God. When reading each example, ask yourself, does this agree with, or contradict what the Unity Church teaches, which is that “Through proper technique, attitude and receptivity one can elevate one's personal consciousness to a heavenly state.” The Kingdom of God/Heaven; can only the poor in spirit “elevate their consciousness”, because Heaven belongs to the poor in spirit Matthew 5:3; and it belongs to those who are persecuted for righteousness sake (have those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake “elevated themselves”) Matthew 5:10; it is for those who do the Will of Heavenly Father Matthew 7:21, the Will of the Heavenly Father is that we believe on Christ and that we love one another I John 3:23; it is for those who receive it the way a child would Mark 10:14-15; it is hard for those that trust in riches to enter in Mark 10:24; it is possible to leave house, parents, brethren, wife, and children for the Kingdom of God’s sake Luke 18:29; the Kingdom of God will be near at hand after several of the end times events take place Luke 21:7-31, so where does that leave those who had “elevated themselves” before all of these events come to pass; only those who are born again can see the Kingdom of God John 3:3; only those who are born of water and of the Spirit can enter into the Kingdom of God John 3:5, where is the required rebirth of water and spirit in the UC way of reaching Heaven; neither the unrighteous, nor the fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God I Corinthians 6:9-10 (see also Galatians 5:19-21 and Ephesians 5:5); flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, just as corruption cannot inherit incorruption I Corinthians 15:50; perseverance in the face of persecution is a token, or outward sign of ones worthiness to inherit the Kingdom of God II Thessalonians 1:4-5.

(B) What token does Charles Fillmore offer to show that his ideas are spiritually credible? If he offers none, then why should anyone believe what he teaches?

(4-A) Hell according to the UC: “The Unity Church does not conceive hell to be a place of eternal torment in which people are eternally punished with fire because of their beliefs and/or actions during life. It is not a place to go to after death. Rather it is a state of consciousness to be suffered here on earth. Charles Fillmore wrote: "One does not have to die in order to go to hell, any more than one has to die to get to heaven. Both are states of mind and conditions, which people experience as a direct outworking of their thoughts, beliefs, words, and acts. If one's mental processes are out of harmony with the law of man's being, they result in trouble and sorrow; mental as well as bodily anguish overtakes one, and this is hell"."

(4-B) Hell according to the Bible: Matthew 25:41 “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into EVERLASTING fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:"

I Thessalonians 1:8-9 “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with EVERLASTING destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;"

Revelation 14:11 “And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name."

Hell is real according to the Bible, it is not a fairy tale.

(5-A) Satan according to the UC: (A) “Many Christians look upon Satan as a quasi-deity; an all evil presence who is the opposite of the goodness of God. Satan and God are often portrayed as fighting over individuals' souls. This dual divinity has obvious links to (B) Zoroastrianism which was incorporated into ancient Jewish legends which, in turn, were later codified as parts of the book of Genesis. Other aspects of Satan were derived from ancient Greek and Babylonian beliefs.

Unity interprets Satan's temptation of Jesus symbolically. Satan did not tempt Jesus to turn stones into bread; it was the "voice of human hunger"; the temptation to throw himself off the highest part of the temple was "the voice of human desire for recognition"; the temptation to become a ruler was "the voice of worldliness".

Thus Satan is not a physical entity; but is one's lower nature: selfishness, greed, the desire to turn away from God. Satan can be resisted by systematically striving towards one's higher nature.

(5-B) Satan according to the Bible: (A) Jesus not only believed in a real person called Satan, He also saw him, Luke 10:18 “And he said unto them, I [Jesus] beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven."

In Revelation 12:9 John sees Satan cast out of heaven, along with his angels. In Revelation 20:2 we see him cast into the pit for 1,000 years, and in 20:10 he is cast into the lake of fire that burns for eternity. Does that sound like allegory?

(B) The book of Job is the oldest book in the Bible, and here we see Satan as a more real character than almost anywhere else in the Scripture. So is he simply the “lower nature” of mankind? Job 1:6-12 “6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. 7 And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. 8 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? 9 Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? 10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. 11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. 12 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD."

Job 2:1-7 “Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD. 2 And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. 3 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause. 4 And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. 5 But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face. 6 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life. 7 So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown."

(6-A) Sin according to the UC: “Traditionally, sin has been defined as falling short of perfection. (A) Unity uses an alternate definition [of sin]: "living under a false sense of separation from God". We view this as a delusion because God is in reality continuously present within us. This false belief can be overcome through prayer.

One of the most prominent beliefs concerning mankind is that we were "conceived in iniquity and born in sin". (B) We have accepted this thinking of ourselves as incurable sinners, so much accepted it that it is a difficult exercise to entertain an alternative to this idea.

(C) We have accepted, even concluded, that we are indelibly tainted with the original sin of Adam and Eve. But if we take the time to explore the Bible in depth, we will realize that (D) the story of Adam and Eve is allegorical. It was composed after much of the rest of the Old Testament was recorded, designed to give a beginning to the story of human beings. We cannot deny that the story of creation is beautifully written, but we would do well to remind ourselves that it is man's endeavor to write of his beginnings.

Many of us have been bombarded since childhood with the teaching that we are miserable sinners, resulting from the "fall of Adam", and the implication has been that an entire lifetime would not be sufficient time to eradicate the taint of our sinfulness."

(6-B) Sin according to the Bible: (A) Man indeed was [past tense] separated from God, and this is Biblical, but now only through belief in Christ can we enter into the presence of God.

The veil of the Tabernacle in the wilderness, and of the Temple in Jerusalem was designed by God in order to separate sinful man from His presence. The Ark of the Covenant with the cherubim on top, was behind the veil: Exodus 26:33 “And thou shalt hang up the veil under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the veil the ark of the [covenant] testimony: and the veil shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy.” God’s dwelling place was between the two cherubim on the ark, behind the veil: Leviticus 16:2 “And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the veil before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.” See also Psalm 80:1, 99:1, Isaiah 37:16. Only the high priest was allowed behind the veil of separation, and that was only once a year with the blood of the sacrifice: Hebrews 9:7 ”But into the second [veil] went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people:” The veil typified Christ Hebrews 10:20 “By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;” and the literal veil of the Temple was torn from top to bottom when Christ died, thereby opening the way for the believer to enter into the presence of God Matthew 27:51 “And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;” Therefore, the Unity Churches definition of the Christian doctrine of separation is bogus for two reasons, 1) the idea that man was at one time separated from God is not a false idea, it is according to the Word of God, and 2) those who believe in Christ are no longer separated, so the idea that the doctrine of separation is a Christian, or New Covenant doctrine, is 100% false.

(B) The Biblical account is not that we are incurable sinners, it is that we are sinners, and there is only One cure, and that is faith in Jesus Christ Galatians 2:16 “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” Acts 4:12 “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."

(D) Always let claims that are given with no proof fall to the ground until you seek the evidence for yourself. Since no evidence is given, this claim is automatically red-flagged. And saying “Scholars agree” is not evidence. Once again I point you to the study of typology contained in the links previously given. If the Bible was written by man, and man alone, then you must address the issue of prophecy, and types; how can they be placed unknowingly by men who had no revelation from God?

(7-A) Life after death according to the UC: “Unity defines heaven and hell as conditions in the here and now. They are not places where people go to spend eternity. (A) Rather, many in Unity believe in a form of reincarnation. After death the soul is believed to leave the body, and to live again in another human body. (B) This is/was a common belief among: present day Eastern religions the early Christian Church prior to the Council of Constantinople in 533 CE the Essenes, one of the three Jewish sects while Jesus was alive.

Unity cites references from the Christian Scriptures, which show that the concept of reincarnation was common during Jesus' time. (C) In the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, John the Baptist is referred to as the reincarnation of Elijah. (D) In Matthew, some of the populace guessed that Jesus was a reincarnation of John the Baptist; others guessed Elijah; still others guessed Jeremiah or one of the other prophets. (E) Jesus neither criticized the people for their beliefs, nor declared reincarnation to be heresy. Each lifetime is viewed as a time of preparation for the next life, leading towards eventual perfection.

(7-B) Life after death according to the Bible: (A) Hebrews 9:27 “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:"

(B) I am not familiar with the “fact” that reincarnation was popular among any Christian sect, but I’d venture a guess that the specific sect in question was considered heretical in it’s own day, and regardless of what anyone has ever thought, the Christian doctrine is ALWAYS based on Scripture, for “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:” II Timothy 3:16, and the testimony of Scripture is that we can only die once in the flesh, and there is a second death, which is the lake of fire Revelation 20:14. If the lake of fire is the second death, then what about all of the other deaths that supposedly occur with reincarnation? The belief in multiple lives is not Biblical by any stretch of the imagination.

(C) It is an outright lie to say that the Gospels call John the Baptist ‘the reincarnation of Elijah’. The Scriptures say that he operated in the spirit of Elijah Luke 1:17, and this is even prophesied in Malachi 4:5. I don’t personally know if John the Baptist was the literal spirit of Elijah, or if he simply mirrored him in some fashion, but if he had Elijah’s literal spirit, this is a very bad example for the UC because Elijah never died, he was taken up to Heaven in a chariot of fire, and in a whirlwind II Kings 2:11. His death through John the Baptist would have been his appointed singular death, so this is clearly not a well thought out example to claim Biblical support for reincarnation.

(D) What bearing does the opinion of the populous have on Christian doctrine?

(E) He also never declared r@pe, ince$t, be@$ti@lity, $odomy, and many other known sins to be sin.

(8-A) Missionary work according to the UC: “Unity has no missionaries. We rely upon our teachings being spread by our readers and followers and by the literature itself.

"New centers and churches are normally started as study groups sponsored by an existing ministry or the expansion department of the Association of Unity Churches. Both the Association and Unity School of Christianity provide support materials and services to emerging ministries."

(8-B) Missionary work according to the Bible: First let me point out that their “workers” are exactly the same as missionary workers, they just choose to call them by a different name, and so I’m not sure why they attempt to distinguish themselves in this. Secondly, the rejection of the missionary’s work is completely against the command of Christ in Mark 16:15 “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."

(9-A) Prayer according to the UC: “(A) Real prayer does not involve begging God for a favour, or (B) repeating standard prayers in a ritual setting. It an act of becoming spiritually one with God. (C) If one applies Ralph Waldo Emerson's concept of prayer: the contemplation of the facts of life from the highest point of view, then prayer can be a constant personal activity. One can also use the "arms" of prayer by mentally embracing some other individual as the target of a prayer or the "wings" of prayer by directing one's prayer at all those who are receptive."

(9-B) Prayer according to the Bible: (A) I John 5:14-15 “14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: 15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him."

I Samuel 1:27 “For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him:"

Matthew 21:22 “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."

(B) Jesus Himself admonished us not to pray with vain repetitions as the heathen do, Matthew 6:7, so here they are including something that a Christian is not supposed to do, in with what they are saying defines the Christian doctrine. This is either totally dishonest, or else it is one of the most ignorant things ever taught.

(10-A) Worship according to the UC: “It is not limited to Sunday church services. Worship can be pursued at any time and location when one feels adoration and devotion for God. Ideally, it can be experienced continually through the day."

(10-B) Worship according to the Bible: Here they are actually on track, but they have used the example of “Sunday only” worship (which is actually indicative of the lukewarm, and insincere Christian), as the definitive example of true Christianity. John 4:24 “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth."

(11-A) Baptism according to the UC: “Within Christendom, some faith groups follow the tradition started by John the Baptist; they totally immerse the body in water. Others regard baptism as symbolic; they simply sprinkle drops of water on the person. Most Unity practitioners do neither. (A) We note that Jesus never made baptism a requirement for others during his ministry; and so, we do not have a formal baptism sacrament. Rather we encourage every believer to attain a Spiritual Baptism which is a deeply personal event, a cleansing "prayer experience with Spirit, an ultimate dialogue between an individual and God." The individual emerges purified, having experienced a religious conversion of great intensity."

(11-B) Baptism according to the Bible: (A) Matthew 3:13 “Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.” Also Mark 1:9, Luke 3:21.

Matthew 28:19 Jesus speaking, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:"

Matthew 21:25 Jesus speaking, “The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? … ” Also Mark 11:30, Luke 20:4.

Mark 16:16 the resurrected Jesus speaking, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” Note that Jesus did not say that those who are not baptized will be damned, but only those that do not believe. Baptism is the “answer of a good conscience toward God” or a token of the belief necessary for salvation, see I Peter 3:21, it is not a means of salvation. He who refuses baptism gives the outward token that their conscience is evil toward God, and therefore they do not believe.

Luke 7:29 the following is what happened in Jesus’ presence after He had spoken to a great crowd, “And all the people that heard him [Jesus], and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John."

John 3:22 “After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he [Jesus] tarried with them, and baptized."

(12-A) Communion according to the UC: “(A) There has been much controversy over the meaning, details, and purpose of the rite of Holy Communion (the Lord's Supper) within Christian Churches. Most Unity ministers do not have a formal ritual. (B) We recall the words of St. Paul "The Kingdom of God is not foodand drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit". Communion becomes a close encounter with God in private prayer, in which one becomes aware of the impact that God is making in all areas of one's life."

(12-B) Communion according to the Bible: (A) Communion in general. Luke 22:19 “And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me."

I Corinthians 11:26 “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come."

(B) Paul’s words were in regard to literal food and drink, not in regard to the symbolic body and Blood of the Saviour Jesus Christ who gave us the tradition of communion. Romans 14:14-17 “14 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 15 But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. 16 Let not then your good be evil spoken of: 17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost."

Furthermore, no one in Scripture, including Jesus, ever said that the Kingdom of God is the symbolic Flesh and Blood of Jesus Christ. So not only is the UC attempting to play a shell game with the intended meaning of Paul’s words, they are also trying to negate the sanctified place of communion that the Lord Jesus Himself set up.

Additions

Though not mentioned in this manifesto, the UC also teaches that it is Biblical to be a vegetarian.

I Timothy 4:1-3 "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly [in other words, what follows is directly from the Holy Spirit], that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth."

The Bible calls the command by a religion to abstain from eating meats to be a doctrine of devils. You can’t get much more clear and pointed than that.

Summation

The doctrine of the Unity Movement Church is damnable by the standard of Scripture. It denies the deity of Jesus Christ; the existence of Heaven, Hell, original sin and Satan; the need for man to be saved BY God; and it attempts to establishes the satanic doctrine set up by the serpent in the garden of Eden that says that man can become God, in that it teaches that God is something that we can find within our selves, when Scripture clearly teaches that we are separated from God, and that it is God who finds us (John 6:44). We cannot reach Heaven ourselves. We need the outstretched Hand of the Saviour.

Therefore the Unity Church is not a Christian movement, and cannot legitimately be called such. The doctrine of this movement is decidedly anti-Christian, based solely on their doctrine as it compares to the Scriptures.