Christianity FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Christianity and Unitarian Universalism

Most of the following questions are based on many I have heard during my time as a Unitarian Universalist, mainly from non-Christian UUs or from non-UU Christians. I have attempted to provide answers that would be inclusive of the broad spectrum of UU Christianity, but I am sure my own personal perspectives have crept into the text unintentionally. Still, I hope that most contemporary UU Christians would find this to be a reasonable representation of the place of Christianity in Unitarian Universalism and vice versa. (JH)

Doesn’t being Christian require believing that Jesus is God—one of three persons in the Trinity—in order to be “saved”?

These are the traditional doctrines of major denominations handed down over the centuries, but they do not reflect the traditional beliefs of Unitarian or Universalist Christians. The Unitarian idea challenged the Trinitarian doctrine of God as three persons, developed by the Church patriarchs in the 4th century. Unitarians drew upon the Jewish tradition’s idea of the “oneness” of God as being better supported by scripture and more reasonable. So Unitarian ideas about the nature of Jesus have ranged from him being the divinely and specially anointed but human Christ, or Messiah, to his being one of many great human prophets, but the one most inspirational and revealing to Christians.

However, in contemporary liberal Christian theology, the distinctions fade and the Unitarian versus Trinitarian controversy, which resulted in the birth of many Unitarian churches from the Congregational Church, has little relevance for many UU Christians (while remaining quite important to others). This may be illustrated by the fact that many UU Christian churches today are also affiliated with the officially trinitarian United Church of Christ or other denominations. For many liberal Christians nowadays, the Trinity represents one of many ways to perceive and experience aspects of God—“personas” rather than “persons.” In this way, the Trinity becomes a metaphor for a reality of which we as finite and imperfect beings have only a limited understanding—a reality that Unitarian Christians understand as a unified Divine Presence in the universe.

Likewise, reconciling the idea of the divinity of Christ with Unitarianism is not that much of a problem for contemporary theologies such as process theology or creation spirituality. From these perspectives, God is incarnate in all life, nature, and humanity. The human Jesus may be seen as having expressed the immediate presence of God to his followers more than anyone else, or the heroic and resurrected Jesus Christ may be seen as a symbolic image and model of “God with a human face,” representing a “Cosmic Christ” immanent in all the universe who suffers and dies and is reborn with all beings.

Furthermore, having to believe any particular doctrines to be “saved” in an afterlife is contrary to universalism, or the idea of universal salvation. Universalism condemns the idea that one’s personal beliefs could lead to eternal damnation and eternal separation from an infinitely loving God. Perhaps, from a Unitarian Universalist perspective, salvation is more about growing into enlightenment and wholeness in this life, while understanding that God and life are eternal, and developing a real faith in that which is the Source of one’s being, before entering into the mystery of death.

How can you believe in the Bible with all its contradictions and morally offensive passages? Don’t Christians believe the Bible is the “Word of God”?

It may better reflect diverse Unitarian Universalist Christian perspectives to say that the Bible is the word of the ancient Hebrew people and the early Christian Church about their evolving experience of God. UU Christians are more likely to see the Bible as metaphorical narrative, rather than literal history. We recognize that the Bible is a collection of ancient writings spanning many centuries that were chosen out of an even greater number of scriptures by the ancient Church. This compilation is a monumental mix of history, myth, and literature, as well as theology and philosophy shaped by the cultures and times in which these works were written. We may find the “Word of God” within, to be drawn out and interpreted through study and reflection, in the light of reason and our individual and collective experience, but we do not assert that this awesome collection must be taken in its entirety as the literal “word” of God. These voluminous writings reflect the broad scope of human experience, from some of the most beautiful and idealistic expressions of the Divine in nature and human civilization, to portrayals of some of the worst depravity and hatred. With critical minds and open hearts, UU Christians hope to find in the Jewish and Christian scriptures that which inspires and enlightens, and reject the use of the Bible to rationalize intolerance, exclusion, violence, or injustice.

Although many Unitarian Universalist Christians also draw inspiration from and find the Word of God in the holy scriptures of other religions or more recent works, the Bible remains important to us for several reasons. Along with a number of lesser-known scriptures, the Gospels provide the primary account of the life and death of Jesus, and the words and actions attributed to him, in the minds and memory of his 1st-century followers. The letters of the New Testament present the response of the early Church to his life and mission (for better or worse), and the Old Testament, or Jewish Tanakh, provides the religious and cultural context for the undeniable Jewishness of Jesus and Christianity’s deep roots in ancient Judaism.

How can anyone be Christian with all the oppression, intolerance, and violence that Christians have caused throughout history?

Perhaps the best way for Christians to respond to the historical transgressions of institutional Christendom is to acknowledge, renounce, and condemn all the crimes and indiscretions committed falsely in the name of Christ since the fusion of church and state in the 4th century. Without question and with tragic irony, the evils of the Crusades, Inquisition, witch hunts, persecution of heretics, anti-Semitism, and the like are starkly and irreconcilably contrary to the life and teachings of Jesus, the Christian Messiah. In truth, the Christian mandate is to sympathize with the suffering of the victim, rather than to ally with the oppressor; and, in fact, not only was Jesus a victim of oppression, but a great number of those persecuted by institutional Christendom were themselves Christians, persecuted for their beliefs! This was especially true of Unitarian and Universalist Christians, whose views were condemned as heresy by religious oppressors. Liberal Christians are not guilty by association with the oppressors of the past or the intolerant of the present time, but can and should identify in their faith with the many Christians and other people of faith throughout history who were victims and who suffered for their beliefs.

In addition, we must recognize that this sort of systematic religious oppression is not unique to Christendom. Perhaps the most extensive persecution of religious belief occurred in the 20th century when the Communist movement distorted the humanist views of its own prophet, Marx, created a new orthodoxy of intolerance, and implemented an enforced atheism in Communist-ruled states that led to the persecution and murder of Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, and others and the wholesale razing of many of their places of worship. However, the model for this sort of terror predates both the medieval religious and modern secular empires. The Imperial Romans massacred Christians for their refusal to convert to the pagan religion of the Empire and worship the Romans’ pagan gods (in addition to brutality against Jews and other peoples). Other examples outside of Christendom abound from around the world and from the most ancient to the most recent times.

Unitarian Universalist Christians are heirs to a 400-year-old movement advocating religious freedom and tolerance for people of all faiths or none. We consider these principles essential to the Christian faith and consider actions to the contrary a violation of that faith.

Isn’t “original sin”—the belief that all humans are inherently sinful—a necessary part of Christianity and inconsistent with Unitarian Universalist principles?

The doctrine of “original sin”—that human beings inherited a natural state of sinfulness, or even total depravity, from Adam and Eve’s disobedient “fall” from grace in the Garden of Eden—did not become part of Christian dogma until it was formulated by Augustine of Hippo in the 5th century. It is not apparent in Jesus’ teachings (without Augustine’s emphases) and is not a part of Jewish teachings in which Christianity has its deepest roots. Some liberal Christians consider original sin to be symbolic of human beings’ capacity to do evil to one another or representative of our undeniable imperfection or indicating our evolutionary tendencies toward aggression, but do not understand it to mean literally that we have inherited a defective nature simply through our having been born human. However, many liberal Christians reject the “redemption theology” of original sin entirely. Some have instead embraced “creation theology,” which celebrates the overall goodness of all creation, including humanity—“and God saw all that he had made, and it was very good” (Genesis 1:30), and along with Judaism affirms and celebrates all of creation, while acknowledging the existence of sin, pain, and wrongdoing in the world. The catechism of the Hungarian Unitarian Church in Romania simply states, “Unitarians do not teach original sin.”

Aren’t the Christian positions on controversial social and cultural issues (such as homosexuality, abortion, the role of women, the environment, etc.) contrary to what Unitarian Universalists believe?

There are no universally accepted “Christian” positions on these controversial issues. A careful review of statements made by various Christian denominations will show that they hold very diverse opinions on these matters. It is a gross mistake to consider the position of the Roman Catholic Church or conservative evangelical denominations, for example, as representative of a common “Christian” perspective on these issues. Equal roles for women in society and church life and a strong environmental ethic have been widely supported by liberal Christians. Homosexuality and abortion have been the more controversial issues for many denominations.

Most Unitarian Universalist Christians would probably say that homosexuality is no longer a controversial issue in our denomination. Non-celibate gays and lesbians, including Christians, have been ordained as UU ministers, and it is common for UU ministers to preside at same-sex marriage ceremonies (though not legally recognized in most states). Outside of Unitarian Universalism, some Christian denominations have also grown in their acceptance of gays and lesbians into full participation in the life of the Church. The Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches is a predominantly gay and lesbian Christian denomination, and other denominations, such as the United Church of Christ, Friends General Conference, and Episcopal Church, have achieved varying degrees of acceptance of lesbian and gay participation in church life. Controversial efforts toward greater acceptance are also occurring in other denominations.

No united position on abortion or abortion rights exists among Christians, either. The Unitarian Universalist Association General Assembly has made its position clear in support of abortion rights. Most UU Christians probably take a similar position, along with most non-Christian UUs. However, the General Assembly has no authority to teach or dictate belief, and a number of Unitarian Universalists have serious reservations about unqualified support for abortion rights. Likewise, although Catholic, Orthodox, and conservative Protestant Christians have opposed abortion and abortion rights, mainline Protestant denominations have been divided on the issue, often either supporting or not opposing abortion rights, sometimes while expressing moral opposition to abortion itself.

Do Unitarian Universalist Christians believe in prayer?

Spoken prayer is common in Unitarian Universalist Christian worship, and many individual UUs, Christian and non-Christian, engage in prayer, meditation, or other contemplative practices. UU Christians have varying perspectives on prayer. Some may take a traditional view, that prayer is direct communication to a personal God, who responds with interactions in the world that have real effects on people and events. Others may have a more humanistic perspective, that prayer is an expression of our ideals, hopes, concerns, and a means for focusing our hearts and minds, bringing about change in ourselves and, through this change and through communication of our prayers to others in worship, bringing about change in and for others. Still others may endorse this humanistic view, while also believing that prayer and other practices of “prayerfulness,” such as meditation, connect us with the cosmic Source of our being and cause “non-local” effects, bringing about positive change in others in ways that we cannot completely explain in purely rational or scientific terms.

Do Unitarian Universalist Christians believe in baptism and communion?

As Universalists, we have no reason to believe that the “washing away” of sin through baptism is necessary to obtain salvation. Even if we did, we might also find it difficult to believe that the act of a ritual would itself magically accomplish this. For many liberal Christians, baptism is understood as a rite of initiation into the faith and the ecumenical Christian community. It represents a commitment by adults to a compassionate and reflective way of life, and by the families of infants and children baptized to raising them in that way. Along with communion, it remains one of the two most sacred traditions of Christian life and worship—“sacraments” in most denominations. Consequently, although baptismal ceremonies are uncommon in Unitarian Universalist congregations, with the primary alternative being child and infant dedication, some UU churches and ministers will perform rites of baptism for UU Christians.

Communion commemorates the account of the “Last Supper” of Jesus and his disciples in the Gospels through the ritualization of a shared meal. The meaning of the bread and wine—the “Eucharist”—received by communicants varies among denominations and among individual liberal Christians. The meaning of the Eucharist to liberal Protestants and UU Christians is spiritual and symbolic, and generally has little or nothing to do with Catholic, Orthodox, and traditional Lutheran doctrines about the physical body and blood of Jesus Christ. It has more to do with our unity with God and with each other, acceptance of grace and blessing, and commemoration of the life and teaching of Jesus. It is a communal mystical experience for many.

Unitarian Universalist Christian churches have historically celebrated communion, although not always without controversy. Ralph Waldo Emerson resigned from the Unitarian ministry after his congregation refused to excuse him from performing the ritual. Communion at UU Christian churches is open to all.

At Live Oak Church, we have conducted a communion service with bread and wine that is based on the traditional form of the ritual, but which has been “universalized” in its language. We have done this so that this ritual may express a sense of community, spirituality, sacredness, and shared values for all participants, Christian and non-Christian alike.

What do Unitarian Universalist Christians believe about violence and nonviolence?

This question has taken on special relevance since the terrorist attacks on the U.S. in 2001. Responding to these events with integrity and facing the consequences of our response has been a trying experience for all people of faith. UU Christians recognize that the Biblical admonitions to “turn the other cheek,” “love your enemies,” and “thou shalt not kill” call us to seek the peaceful resolution of conflict and to base our actions in the world on compassion and justice. However, we may not agree on how to implement these beliefs. Some take these passages quite literally and believe that an act of violence against another child of God is never justified under any circumstances and adopt a pacifist position toward the use of force. Others believe that these admonitions, interpreted in the light of reason and experience, do not require us to give up defending ourselves and the lives of the innocent to those who act out of hatred, seeking to do evil to their fellow human beings. Both paths have been chosen by conscientious Christians and are primarily a matter of moral principle, since the ultimate consequences of either path cannot be fully foreseen. We can only hope and pray that the choices we make will be those that ultimately result in fewer who are harmed and more who are spared.